Jane Maduegbuna is a trained lawyer who has a deep desire to encourage young women and help them succeed in life. Jane was a homemaker for 10-years and believes she is a poster child for “it’s never too later to walk your path and pursue your dreams”. Jane is an avid reader, wife, mother and entrepreneur, but most of all a “God-girl”.
My Definition Of Success | Success for me is the ability to look back at your life, and see people who can tangibly attribute their success to you, one way or the other, and whose lives you have impacted positively. You have to be able to reproduce that which made you successful in others – that way it gets passed on. That’s my definition of true success. And yes, it has changed over the years, as have I. Previously, I used to think success was achieving all my set goals, acquiring more stuff like a great house, clothing or making more money. But now, all these seem so shallow looking back, they all leave you with no footprints in the sand of time.That’s my definition of true success. And yes, it has changed over the years, as have I.
That’s my definition of true success. And yes, it has changed over the years, as have I.
I Am Driven By | I’m driven by my passion to leave behind a lasting legacy. “To whom much is given, much is expected or required”. It’s like the parable of the talent (Luke 12:45-48); It’s got to be scary that so much is invested into you (By God, parents and life itself), and you haven’t the ability to give back or reproduce – that for me, and the desire to lift the banner and set a standard in all spheres of my areas of influence. To stand out, always!
The Difference Between Good And Great | Hmm! Done a lot of reading and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a cocktail of things. I truly believe this quote from the bible and it goes thus “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all”. – Ecclesiastes 9:11. In addition to that, I believe staying slothful; waiting on things to come to you wouldn’t cut it. I believe most people who are great at what they do, have honed their skills, fed their faith by adding knowledge to talent, so when opportunity calls, they shine.
“Nothing about my life is lucky. Nothing. A lot of grace, a lot of blessings, a lot of divine order, but I don’t believe in luck. For me, luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity. There is no luck without you being prepared to handle that moment of opportunity. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for the moment that is to come.” — Oprah
Opportunity comes to each and every one of us, (whether you recognize it or not) but what and how you deal with that chance will showcase who you are, and what you have inside, and what you’ve done with those “down times”.
A Key Talent | Okay! I’m going to go with my ability to treat everyone I meet as “Royalty”. I find that people believe that people of means can be snobbish, and sometimes tend to look down on people they believe they’re better than. But from a young age, I decided within myself that I wouldn’t take that route. I find that, when you treat people well and with respect, you make room for possibly a good relationship to develop, thereby room to effect the change you think they need.
Life’s a journey! You never know what these people can become; it may be down today and up the next day. Why put yourself in a compromising situation, all because you feel you can act shabbily?
First, you have to remember, we’re all human. Created unique and all carry the gene of greatness. Never look down, talk down, or disregard any human being for that matter. Success and breakthrough is not peculiar to you alone. Recognize that fact, and it will help you in your relationship with people.
Second, people can be erratic; so when dealing with people, make allowance for mood swings or in some case, stupidity. It frees you to be your kind and thoughtful self.
Third, just because someone is nasty, or in some cases downright irritating, doesn’t mean you should follow suit. Know yourself, and put a ceiling on what attitude you’d want to be attributed to you. Trust me, whether they admit it or not, they’ll feel silly later on.
Forth, always remember that “what goes around comes around”, it’s only a matter of time. I know “made” personalities who if they could change or rewrite their past (attitudinal wise), would give a leg and an arm to do just that. Indeed, we all have those moments of ignorance; times we wish we could rewrite if given the chance. However, character flaws are hardly “moments of ignorance”, more like innate flaws. Be careful what you do when you think no one is watching, they usually come around when the crowd is gathered. Always ask, “Can I explain this action later?” Let someone else be the one caught with their hands in the cookie jar – why must it be you?
The Characteristics Of Success | I’m very Spiritual minded. I believe in a higher power – in this case God. I find time most mornings to meditate, prayer and spend time in His presence before I set out for the day; this habit has helped me set the pace for every day- and if things go south, to have something to hold on to.
I also love to read, read and read some more. I read any and almost everything, from industry magazines, celebrity tabloid, business books, novels, you name it. Anything that can help to improve my knowledge and upgrade my level of know-how. I’m currently enrolled in a Masters course, just to help improve my knowledge on Film (Marketing and Distribution), and I’m almost 46years “young”. You’re never too old to learn – and yes, you can teach that old dog, at least one more new trick. In the words of Albert Einstein “Once you stop learning, you start dying”.
Always find a reason to give thanks and be grateful. As an entrepreneur, wife mother and student, you constantly get a barrage of issues and challenges thrown at you every day, to sulk, be resentful, get mad will be admitting defeat; and according to psychologists lower your defenses (either to resist sickness or overcome these challenges). Never underestimate the power of a thankful heart! I hold these two quotes to heart; 1st is from King Solomon in Proverbs “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” – and the 2nd from Henry Van Dyke “There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament”.
Decidedly, I try not to let anything bother me to the extent that my relationships are compromised. Be positive as much you can! When you have the attitude of “everything has a solution”, or “there’s always a way out” you tend not to freak out and even do something to make it worse – you see things much more clearly with eyes of patience and hope.Walk your walk, and not another’s. Every good thing will come; it takes time – never be in a hurry, nothing good ever comes out of haste. I like to take my time as I’ve come to know how God deals with me. And believe me, He makes everything beautiful in His time! Your lifesong and character speaks louder than words!
Principles I Live By | 1st “Unto thyself be true”. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel or act less than you are”; these are my father’s often parroted advice. Now I know why! Once you’re true to yourself, people will come to know and accept you for you; and even if they don’t – It’s much easy to be you, than faking someone else.
2nd “What we do for ourselves dies with us- what we do for others remain and is immortal” – Albert Pike. When you bear this in mind, and you know that whatever success you’ve attained is not for show, but for a purpose – find it, and work towards achieving it; only then can you have lived a worthy life.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | Oh boy! This is going to throw out my hidden weirdness. *throwing hands up in surrender*
People: First and foremost is my mentor and Pastor Tunde Bakare. He’s a small statured spitfire of a man. But I’ve learned from him the act of speaking the truth in love, loving and holding onto God unreservedly. There’s my soulmate Chike Maduegbuna – He’s been my cheerleader from get go. He believes I can do anything I set my mind to (and sometimes I wonder if he’s talking about me); then Oprah, Richard Branson, Peter Theil, Seth Godin, and a host of others.
Movies: I love horror movies – I told you I’ve got a bit of weirdness to me, Lol! I absolutely enjoy watching; whodunits – murder mystery, thrillers, crime and investigation, and anything that deals with inventions and nature. But my default set is the horror genre.
Music: In love with gospel music; the likes of Jamie Grace, Casting Crown, Mary-Mary, Hillsong, Toby Mac, Papa San, Group 1 Crew, Jessica Reedy, Leeland, Mandisa and a host of Christian artists. I love classical and jazz music as well; like Nat King Cole, Nina Simone, and Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Miles Davis, Johnny Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and a host of others. My taste is a bit eclectic; it depends on my mood or preference at that time.
Blogs: The likes of Michael Hyatt, HubSpot blog, Seth Godin, BizCommunity, Fred Wilson and Joanne Wilson blogs, they’re so many.
Books: Starting with; The Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid by the late C.K Prahalad; Good to great, Built to last, Great by Choice, How the mighty Fall – By Jim Collins; Winning – Jack welch; Start-up Nation, The story of Israel’s economic miracles – Dan Senor and Saul Singer; Delivering Happiness – Tony Hsieh; Zero to one – Peter Thiel; The eventual millionaire – Jamie Tardy; Creativity, Inc. – Amy Wallace, Ed Catmull, and Edwin Catmull; Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder – Arianna Huffington; Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think – Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler; Tipping point, Blink, Outlier, David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell to mention a few. And then there’s the books by James Patterson, Steven King, Martina Cole, Joe Hill, Dean Koontz, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and a host of others. You need to see my library and then you’ll understand why mentioning these few have done my books no justice.
Magazines: Forbes (woman and normal), Inc, O Magazine, Entrepreneur, Wired, Technology & Entertainment, Fast Company, Time, & etc.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | My desire and aspiration is to build a world class business, reputable and foremost in the business of mobile distribution of movies alongside my partner/husband. Currently, we have a mobile app called Afrinolly, which is set up to help distribute African contents via mobile devises. It was 100% developed and set up locally in Lagos, Nigeria. This is a source of pride for us, as it goes to show, great things and indeed great minds creating innovative solutions can come out of Nigeria; and Africa as a whole.
Plans & Goals: Personally, I’m studying for a Masters in Film (Marketing & Distribution), and I hope to pursue a Doctorate degree thereafter’ it’s always been my childhood dream. You’re never too old or neither is it too late to pursue your dreams.
In addition to these, I hope that Afrinolly will be able to raise the standard in production, and through the app, raise the awareness of quality contents from Nigeria and Africa in general.
I was a “homemaker” for 10 years, raising my children even as a trained legal practitioner, and now they’re all teenagers doing so well academically and all round, it’s my time to go after all I can be and achieve. And it is so exciting, because I have my children and hubby as my cheerleaders – I find this life I get to live so exciting! At the end of it all, I’d truly love to travel the world with my soulmate/hubby and take in all the sights and experiences this world has to offer.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | The best advice I ever received is “Go get God, and every other thing will follow”! I have found this to be so true.
The second is read, read and then read some more. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” ― George R.R. Martin.
Advice On Building Wealth | My advice would be the following; (1) Find what makes you happy – Choose a field that gives you joy, because it’s hard work getting to the top, and if you’re not happy in your chosen field, it would be a very tortuous, arduous and harrowing journey, to an already steep climb. (2) Have a vision and purpose for your wealth. Vision and purpose are like gaining wisdom and insight; once that is attained the journey is half done. As Myles Munroe said “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable” Also, what do you hope to achieve with your accumulated wealth? According to Bamigboye Olurotimi, “Wealth without wisdom is equal to life without purpose”. (3) Study & learn all you can of your chosen field. Apply your mind to the acquisition of knowledge by reading, investigating or reflecting on how it is done, research and study how those before you made it happen and are able to still retain their wealth – thereafter pursue your passion single-mindedly. (4) Most importantly, make sure you’re happy as yourself – without the wealth. Wealth can never complete you! Hope you have a good attitude towards wealth.
I remember stumbling on an article written in 2010 (I went back to search it out for this purpose) titled Holy Wealth: The Purpose of Riches and it states; “clearly, the purpose of wealth is not security. The purpose of wealth is reckless generosity, the kind that sings of the lavish love of God, the kind that rekindles hope on dark days, the kind that reminds us that God is with us always”.
Why do you suppose that those with a lot of money tend to be generous with it? Oprah, Richard – you name them. The more you give generously (not stupidly, there’s a difference), the more you get back. It always comes full circle! If your desire to get rich and attain wealth is selfish, you wouldn’t get to keep it for long.
Lastly, be happy! Don’t depend on your wealth or others make you happy – find things, and ways to truly be happy. Once you get here, you’re at peace, the journey becomes easier and you’re not fixated on the money; but on living a full, rich, purpose driven life that enriches and fulfills.
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | I’d love to leave behind a legacy of strong women in business, pursuing their dreams but are unafraid of showing love and kindness to whomever they meet in the course of these pursuits. “More like stooping low to conquer”
And to late bloomers in business & the entrepreneurial world – you’re never too old to strive towards achieving your dreams. All things are possible to him/her who believes.
