Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fredrick Lawanson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Fredrick , thanks for joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
I never really liked writing. For me, writing was a chore even in school I relied mostly on textbooks instead of taking down notes. I ventured into the entertainment business starting with music after school, but I failed. I decided to try my hands on movies next but it was worse. It was so bad that I almost committed suicide. In retrospect, try to identify where I went wrong and looking for answers, I ended up with the bible. I was able to draw a lot of insights and strength through this dark period. I learnt so much to the extent that I told myself, I can’t keep all these insights to myself, I must share it. Then the idea to write my first book came. I titled it “Real hustle” which is an exposé on how to find and fulfill purpose especially in making a career choice backed by biblical insights. From there, I started enjoying writing and have written and published a couple of books on Amazon kdp which has helped me expand my network paving the way for me to delve into other business areas of interest such as tech and the circular economy. Right now, I am working on a movie adaptation of my book titled “How to be a Yahoo boy” which is a romance thriller story about internet scams and other vices prevalent amongst Nigerian youths. It’s been a rollercoaster ride.
Fredrick , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, while in high school I told myself I wasn’t going to work for anybody. Then life happened. I got a job in a community bank because I had this wrong idea that since bankers deal in cash, they must be the richest people in the world. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was wrong. So I kept moving from job to job until I started reading books the helped expand my knowledge. I was able to understand that the business owner is far better than the employee because he leverages on business systems. So I tried my hands on different side hustles while still doing my 9 to 5 until I lost all I had in an investment I knew next to nothing about. After that encounter, I began to develop myself having realized that there is a process to these things. So I continued my entrepreneurial journey delving into businesses and brands I am gradually building.. with time, they’ll become household names.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I lost all my money in the movie production project, I thought I was going to die. In fact , I wanted to commit suicide because I lost all my money and the one I borrowed. My creditors came after me and that hunted me night and day. Besides I have a wife and two children to feed and no job or source of income. At some point based on what I went through psychologically, I told myself that if I didn’t die then, nothing else can kill me. Somehow the spirit in me won’t stop looking for opportunities to make legit money, so started allover again securing jobs and doing sides gigs while developing myself mentally and spiritually until I was able to stabilize and map out my plans.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Prior to my big failure, I had always assumed that business was all about trade. I didn’t understand there were many facets to business but as I read books of successful business people, tried my hands on many things, networked with the right people I realized that there was a lot in it. I also found out that business theories oftentimes are like child’s play when compared to the real world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/author/fredlawanson
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ fredlawanson
