Young People Changing The World: Omotayo Fagbohun of Homety Consult
Young People Changing The World is a weekly series featuring the world's changemakers. Every Monday, I publish an interview with a young entrepreneur with questions regarding their journey. They tell us their definition of success, their desired impact on the world and share their single most important lesson.
My goal with this series is to inspire young leaders to take action. Be bold. Go after your dreams. Make a positive change in the world.
I met Tayo last month after I published the first interview in the Young People Changing The World series. He sent an email introducing himself and his passion for technology. As an advocate for technology and its use in advancing education in developing nations, I was immediately intrigued.
Tayo is an ambitious young entrepreneur from Nigeria who has a simple goal of bringing technology to African youth in order to empower and inspire them.
He has had opportunities to represent his nation to brands such as Google and Firefox. He has also been selected to attend events such as the Global Enterprise Challenge to represent Nigeria in a team consisting of different nations.
Meet Tayo.
“Success is when you have an impact on your community, no matter how little it is.”
What is your name and organization?
Omotayo Fagbohun, Homety Consult.
What are you up to these days?
Great question. I've been working on a project that could be of immerse benefit to my community and country of Nigeria. I've been working with friends from Ethiopia and Nigeria on projects such as the Ethio Info Desk. I have also worked with a friend on two apps. One is Afritour, which rings awareness to Africans and visitors of tourist attractions. Another app is Stitch It, which showcases the Nigerian culture, attires, and how to make them.
I've also recently worked on a project for the GeeBiz, which is the Global Enterprise Challenge. I worked with a diverse team with representatives from Rwanda, New Zealand, Australia and India. We developed a business proposal to help farmers in India to utilize the resources they have.
Presently, I'm also working on my website, with the goal of inspiring and motivating people with my perspectives on life. I've also recently blogged for a summit, at the Waterloo Global Science Initiative in Canada.
Where did the idea of your organization come from?
As Richard Branson would say, ideas are like buses. They keep coming. I get my ideas from looking at my environment, its challenges, and trying to proffer a solution to them. That's my inspiration to get ideas. Secondly, I look out for opportunities. They say opportunity meets preparation, and that has given me the fabulous and rare opportunity to represent brands such as Google, Firefox, Indiafrica, UNEP Tunza Eco-Generation.
How do you define success?
Success is when you have an impact on your community, no matter how little it is. Success is seeing a problem and proffering solutions to that.
Guess what? When you provide solutions, money follows, you are successful and impacting lives. This is why I love social entrepreneurship.
How do you want to make an impact on the world?
Africa, Africa, Africa. I really want to make an impact through the means of technology. This is what I am passionate about. Africa has been lacking in terms of technology, and I want to bring Africa closer to technology. I also want to build a global brand that will spring up from Africa, influencing the youth, giving them hope and feeling inspired.
How do you come up with ideas?
Ideas rule the world. Ideas can come from anywhere. Whether it is chatting with a friend, before a nap, or surfing the internet. Coming up with ideas require an inquisitive mind. I am always ready to learn and learn. I dislike being at the status quo. All of these contribute to bringing out ideas. I also take a notebook anywhere I go and jot down notes when ideas come. I go through them afterward.
How do you keep yourself aligned to your goals?
As Zig Ziglar would say, motivation is like bathing, and that is why it is recommend everyday. On a typical day, I work on at least five projects, and would always take on new projects on a weekly basis. To align myself with my goals, I make sure that the projects help to achieve my goals and what I am passionate about. I also keep myself motivated on a daily basis.
List three people you admire, and why?
I am what I am because I stand on the shoulders of a giant.
- Richard Branson: I love his approach towards business and marketing. That dude is weird. He has tried the impossible. I also admire his negotiating prowess.
- Steve Jobs: He is a tech guru I have an admiration for. I love Steve's creativity and approach toward Apple's great design.
- Larry Page: Google's products always amaze me. I had the opportunity to represent Google products as a campus ambassador. Larry Page makes great decisions and does things that matter, such as the purchase of Android and Google Glass.
Name one strength and one weakness.
Strength: I am always learning and improving myself.
Weakness: I'm a perfectionist who wants to give projects my best shot. Due to this, I can be slow in completing projects. I also dislike losing.
As a young leader, what is the single activity or habit you do, that you recommend everyone else does?
Reading, I read at least 50 pages a day,
What is the last book you read?
My latest read is Screw It, Let's Do It by Richard Branson.
Which tools, apps or resources do you live by?
Tools: Google Drive, Google+, Microsoft Word, Google Maps, Google Calendar
Apps: Evernote, Gmail, Instagram, Adobe, Chrome, Google+ app, Twitter app, Facebook app
Resources: Google search engine, Google books, Adobe reader, eBooks
What is the strangest thing about you?
I dislike being similar to everyone. I dislike being at the status quo. I am always moving ahead. Since I was a child, I've loved adventure. This might be something weird about me.
What is the single most important lesson you can share with our readers?
You become what we think about.
How can people get in touch with you?
Through my website. You can also shoot me an email at tayofag09@gmail.com. I answer everyone and would reply as soon as possible.
The Young People Changing The World series asks young entrepreneurs to share their definitions of success, desired impact on the world and share their single most important lesson.
My goal with this series is to inspire young leaders and entrepreneurs to take action. Be bold. Go after your dreams. Make a positive change in the world.
Every Monday, I'll feature a new guest and their story. Have someone you'd love to see featured or have suggestions on questions I should ask? Send me an email.