Success is Intentional: One opportunity changed my life; Grab yours too!
Success is intentional; here is how!
In July 2014, I moved to Kampala, not for any form of luxurious life but for a job. Luck had caught up with me and I had been offered the opportunity to serve as a nursing officer at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda’s biggest hospital. Well, while the officer-bearing position and the hospital’s legacy might look lucrative, don’t be deceived into thinking the best was happening to me.
On the contrary, this job had issues, serious issues that saw me fending off for myself for almost a year without any single payment from the Government.
Well, how an amazing job became a troubling one, especially in my first year is a story for another day. However, for today, I just want to bring your attention to what changed my life; an opportunity.
Success with Total Startupper of the Year!
Towards the end of 2018, around August or September, my eyes and mind were caught by an advert by Total that was calling on youth to submit innovative ideas for an award. The innovative idea competition was called ‘Total Startupper of the Year’.
By then, I and Winnie were already married. I was still a nursing officer at Mulago Hospital, this time with salary coming in. And Jairus, our firstborn, was already with us. However, surprisingly, for life, we were still struggling (we still are, though differently!).
Soon after I arrived in Kampala in July 2014, my passion for reading and writing pushed me into opening up a blog, The Complete You Ministry (now ‘Miklah’). By 2018, I had already read tens of books and written hundreds of articles on the blog. It is because of this line of life, reading, writing, blogging, and exposure through literature (and movies) that my mind easily took notice of the Total advert on TV.
Well, about the advert and the call for innovations, my mind quickly searched for what possible innovation I could bring on board and beat others who competed. Listen, this was a competition!
It is then that ‘SWAPafrica’, an online platform that would allow users to barter goods and services, was born. This business concept was inspired by a book, Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein, and my passion for sustainable people-centered businesses, ideas that I had been writing about on my blog.
I took on the challenge. I embraced the opportunity to compete and to try my luck. How I turned my idea into an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), something developed enough to be presented during the live in-person pitching event is also a story for another day. However, to cut a long story short, my idea won! I wasn’t the first nor the second; I was the third, which was still a win!
Total rewarded us with media exposure. And my idea was put on big billboards across various corners in Kampala. I became a celebrity over a night! I and my wife, Winnie, will never forget that night. Additionally, Total awarded us with money, about 30,000,000 Uganda shillings (approx. 10K USD). Our lives were changed over a night because of just one opportunity; the Total Startupper of the Year.
Success is possible, but you need to do something!
Luck has to find us on the way!
This one opportunity changed our lives completely. With the money, my small blog, The Complete You Ministry, turned into a full business with Miklah Blog. The name changed to ‘Miklah Life’. I opened physical Miklah Life offices and added some of the required office equipment, and I never looked back. My struggles changed, from just surviving, to surviving while building a business. It is this one opportunity that laid the foundation of who we are now and what we have achieved, both as a family and business.
Therefore, when I ask you to intentionally look out for opportunities and try them, I surely know what it means. Irrespective of your struggles and needs right now, I am sure that one amazing opportunity can change your life and give you better and life-enriching struggles than just survival. Again, make it intentional to identify existing opportunities and apply for them. And if you need any assistance, just reach out or join our one-on-one support program, Sacred Entrepreneurship.
Without wasting more of your time, ladies and gentlemen, below are a few of the available business funding opportunities in September and October 2023. Explore them and try any that looks relevant to you or your business. If you need any assistance, reach out to me at +256779342057 or email Miklah at miklahlife@gmail.com or just comment on this post.
Wait! It isn’t for these opportunities alone, but for every other possibility that crosses your mind or eyes. Start looking out for opportunities and make it a point to try them out. Join Miklah WhatsApp Group to catch up with everything or subscribe to our email list here. Thank you.
