Ghana's crumbling illusory walls

 The current house cleaning taking place in the Church through the efforts of NET2 TV and Kennedy Agyepong is but one phase of a series of events in a chain that has been growing since 2018. The events are all offshoots of seeds sowed by voices that have in been crying out to the lord concerning the plight of the vulnerable who are the true victims of the nefarious activities of charlatans who are slowly destroying not only the image of the church but also our beloved nation in the process. Those who have been paying attention would remember two significant songs by KODA(ns3m pii) and the more recent offering from Kofi Kinaata(things fall apart). Anybody with a basic understanding of the Bible would see clearly that there is something significantly different about what the Bible teaches and what the “church” has become.

For the 6 years that I was an active part of the charismatic community in Ghana, my struggled has always been with the need to reconcile three things; what was happening around me, the Christianity I knew as a child and the Christ I found in the Bible. I could not find answers to simple question as I work myself towards the expected conformity that my whole system rejected. Can there be a Church 2.0 based on the same Bible that birthed Church 1.0? What does the expression; revelation is progressive really mean? Is it possible that the early Church missed something that the supposed new church has found? I learned as much as I could and observed rather keenly without engaging in the behaviors that I was suspicious of.  

In Beijing, I explored the church to see what I could learn. I was seized by the urge to start talking about the need for change as the church I saw in Beijing was significantly different from the one I knew back home. It dawned on me that the problems I had been harboring were in fact, real. The Church in Beijing was nowhere near perfect. Yet, it showed itself closer to scripture than what I was used to. It appeared as if we read the Bible for our own purposes; never for what God really is saying.

I had written a few books prior to my arrival in Beijing and part of my mission was to print them before I left. Out of nowhere, I was led to write what will later become the first 10 theses of the Ecclesia Africanus Reformanda. It started off as a series of Facebook posts. After weeks of posting I was still having sleepless nights about it. I knew then, that I need to put my thoughts into full writing or I would have no peace. By November 2019, I had completed several drafts. Typical of me it was full of errors as it was raw and unedited. I threw it on amazon and made only two sales. I was sure the Lord had led me to write this little book. Consequently I had to put it at the top of my to-do list.

The Covid-19 pandemic that supposedly originated from Wuhan changed China and a great deal and forced residents into the world's first lock-down of our time. This afforded me the time to dig deeper into my concerns and put the material together, find a printer and have it all printed ready to be shipped to Ghana my motherland without leaving my flat. There was some push-backs and applause in equal measure as I passed the PDF around to fellow ministers for their views. I accepted suggestions and took out some names that some thought might bring me unnecessary hatred from the Charismatic community and end up with no friends at all. Well…I did not have any to start with. I had no idea what was about to happen.

By the time the books arrived in Ghana, the whole nation was alight with the Kennedy Agyepong fire. On Net2 TV, supposed fake pastors have been confessing their abuse of God's people and exposing the people responsible for the abuses that everyone is aware of and seems not to care about. It became clear to me then that, the assignment that God had placed on my heart was a necessary piece in His house-cleaning agenda. The Bible teaches clearly that the cries of the vulnerable reaches God at some point and when it gets too loud, His wrath must locate the perpetrators of evil. The events preceding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Nohaic deluge (Exodus 3:9, Genesis 18:20-21, Genesis 6:11-12) are great examples.

It is important to remember first of all that, the corrupt church did not start with these supposed fake pastors. They are but products of a corrupt church led by those pastors who appear to be beyond criticism. Having influenced the nation for the past 30 years, they have become the shoulders on which the new generations of abusers stand. The reason people fall prey to fake pastors begins with their understanding of the faith and the lack of it. Yet, it is the one thing they have not received from the most trusted voices in the land who in a more covert manner, have exploited the vulnerable more. Consequently, we have believers who are tossed about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14) wrapped in the name of Jesus and perpetrated by fake-miracle peddlers. This is why any solution to this multi-dimensional conundrum begun with the so-called fathers of the land and their churches from which these false prophets and the confused believers have been produced.

The burden on my heart that led to the writing of Volume 1 of the Ecclesia Africanus Reformanda which comprises of ten propositions that must be considered towards a reformation of God's true Church (a safe haven for the vulnerable and an incubator for informed believers who by default cannot be captivated by false doctrines and the peddling of fake miracles). The timing of all the mentioned events and a few others that I have noticed is a demonstration of the hand of God at work and I am more confident now than ever about what the Lord wants to do about the Church in Africa. The voice of the weak has reached the Lord and His wrath has been provoked. The illusory walls are crumbling.

Koda's nsem pii : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR3JaXIcpW4

Kofi Kinata's things fall apart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTAFC8aAQ5g

Ecclesia Africanus Reformanda is now available in bookshops in Accra. It is also available on amazon https://www.amazon.com/1st-theses-Ecclesia-Africanus-Reformada-ebook/dp/B083J5L66F/ref=sr_1_2dchild=1&keywords=katey+aklie&qid=1592784151&sr=8-2

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All things have passed

Ruins of Ephesus , Photo: https://images.app.goo.gl/9sDvmpB39WAPA2de60

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” - Matthew 24:35

Today, I was captivated by a documentary about Ephesus. Remember the book of Ephesians? It was written as a letter to the Church in Ephesus to address issues born out of the diverse backgrounds of its members. Ephesus was also one of the seven churches of Asia to which Christ wrote a letter through the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation. It is believed that the Gospel of John may have been written here too. The city was the site of two ecumenical Christian Councils

Once a magnificent city under Roman control, it is located in modern day Turkey-- previously the heart of the Byzantine Empire. It may have started as an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia. It gained prominence as a major port city with a respectable status and was the home of the famous temple of Artemis (goddess of fertility) one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple attracted pilgrims from all over the world. It was also home to many 14 other gods and their temples including Emperor Ceaser, the impressive Library of Celsus and a 25,000 amphitheater.

Once home to temples that housed the statues of Emperors; Domitian ( Titus Flavius Domitianus 81 to 96) and Augustus(Gaius Octavius Thurinus - 27 BC – 19 August AD), Ephesus one among the important cities of the Empire. It was attacked and nearly destroyed by Goths in 263 and begun to decline. An AD 614 earthquake nearly completely destroyed it. Today it is nothing more than a tourist site.

While scanning through the material about the ancient city, what stood out to me are the industry, prosperity and the moral decadence of its dominant pagan culture. What I found most impressive however, is the public places of convenience.  Truly impressive! I couldn’t help but wonder how such a magnificent city could have been brought to ruins. Why could it not flourish forever? The words of Jesus quickly came to mind:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” - Matthew 24:35

The statement seemed to have come out of nowhere and appears out of place as Jesus was dealing with a different matter. None of His words will go to waste. I couldn’t help but be reminded of magnificent civilizations such as Greece, Rome,  Egypt, Babylon, Sumeria all of which were ruled by kings who thought themselves gods. They have all fallen and today, their magnificent temples are nothing more than tourist sites. Their god’s now just stones in the ruins.

Persecuted and run under, the Christian faith that was nothing more than a tiny spark in a dark pagan world, have grown and reached the ends of the earth. There are things we take for granted as believers but God continues to show his power over all throughout the ages. Augustus and Domitian were among those who persecuted the church the most. Little did they know that they were watering the tiny seed planted by Christ with the blood of those they martyred. And true to His word, all have passed away while the light of his word has now grown to illuminate the world to its very ends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpJ-IWw5_Mc&t=359s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus

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The trouble with self-improvement

“We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. -1 Corinthians 8:1  

The things that supposedly make us better tend to make us seem superior in comparison to others. Superior and inferior cannot exist without each other. A healthier body due to a well-planned diet and the discipline for exercising supposedly makes us look and feel better than the obese.

The more of something we acquire, the more confident we get and the more likely we are to look down on those who do not have it in an equal measure. Education, money and others are just like muscles. As they say; knowledge is power so the more you have the better- ie the more superior. Money is power in the same manner. The PhD holder is intellectually taller/stronger/more capable in comparison to the high school graduate in the same manner the billionaire is financially stronger than the pauper.

For these haves, what they have acquired tends to be the source of their security. They will feel weak without it and because of that they fight hard to hold onto it. Even if they don’t flaunt, they show their muscles when it becomes necessary. At that moment, everyone caves in a give way.

The Bible teaches that knowledge puffs up. It makes a person proud with a sense of superiority. Shockingly this puffing knowledge also includes knowledge about God. Power they say is nothing without control. So that the power we acquire is useful only to the extent to which it is subjected to love. Paul’s point was in reference to food for idols of course; but what can be deduced is the underlying idea of pride that power breeds. Those who acquire must therefore realize that love is their only safety and love is of God. One must be more dependent on God than his personal strength.

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Faith in its fullness

Faith is the force behind every great achievment. Those who do not have it soon find they will die without actually living. Faith is a permanent part of our lives. We know this because it is clear that without it one cannot get from point A to B. All men have faith, just not in its fullness.

Faith is belief. It is fair when the two words are used interchangeably even in a secular context. Everyone believes something. But not many are clear about what it is they believe and to what extent. The Bible’s view, while taken for granted as with everything religious, is quite instructive: it can move mountains. Some may look at this as a metaphor of a sort and they may not be far from the truth. But even then, the spirit behind the expression is a powerful one. If we are to look for the chief proponent of the faith idea, we must end up with the most accomplished human being to ever walk the earth– Jesus himself. 

 

His teaching is loaded with faith and what it can do if one has enough of it. And when men have failed to accomplish, he has attributed it to the lack of it. He posits, that faith is so powerful one only needs a mustard seed helping in order to move mountains. Even if we were to hold on to the metaphor school of thought, this idea still carries an enormous amount of weight. The thought that anything or faith for that matter can move a mountain no matter how big, with a mustard seed size of itself is disturbing and incomprehensible from first level thinking. One is going to have to reason beyond everyday thinking and wonder into the realm of the supernatural. For in the natural, this cannot be.

But faith like its many counterpart is not physical. It is an intangible force whose outworking is only perceivable in the actions and accomplishment of men. In other words, it cannot be seen until men have enough of it to act. It is not surprising them that in Christian thought where the supernatural is the driver behind the natural, faith is held as supreme. So that the natural remains how it is until the supernatural moves it. Those who do not believe do not act and therefore never change anything. 
 
It is followers of Jesus like Paul and James who will clarify this powerful teaching of Christ by which men have change the world and bring it to our understanding. James posits that faith is made perfect in works. Paul pushes for a walk by faith and not sight– in order words making choices by what you believe and not so much what you see. Philosophers and scientist of old and present have proposed that our natural senses are not always honest with us and every human being knows this first hand. Some have even gone as far as denying the existence of themselves and the world as it is. The things you think you see (in the natural) are not necessarily there. The things you do not see (in the supernatural) can be if you believe them enough. For they are manifested through your works that is the result of what you have believed. Those who believe enough must of necessity act or they don’t believe enough. 

This brings us to my most important point, it is true that all men have a measure of faith. For they are not sitting like stones. They act and do things according to their beliefs. How far they go in their works is our only opportunity to measure their level of faith. By this, it will appear that many of us are functioning from a tiny fraction of a mustard seed. Nothing in its 'half-ness' is comparable to its 'fullness'. This is why faith-fullness is key to any kind of success. Too many do not understand that faithfulness is a level of faith. Whatever you are faithful to, you have faith in. What you are faithful to you give your only true possession– your time which in effect is your every existence broken down into units of hours and eons. What you are faithful to, you are devoted to and you make sacrifices to and for. It has no choice but to give you its rewards. But it can only give you what it has so it is wise that you are faithful to the right people or things. One cannot give what one does not have. Those who truly believe (have faith) in a God are truly faithful to him and this is exhibited through their works. Their presence when he calls and their level of sacrifice is the means by which they demonstrate their faith. No one gives their only possession to one who does not exist to them.

Many claim they pursue something, perhaps a dream or even a career. Many may choose a life partner to whom they cannot be faithful. Many simply lack the understanding that the success that they seek is only possible through faith-in-fullness. One cannot have the best relationship with a spouse without faith-in-fullness. One cannot have the best career without faith-in-fullness. For one to be their best at anything, they must have stayed with that thing through thick and thine. He stays and fights even when everyone has deserted and death is imminent. Malcolm Gladwell’s idea that one can only break into the genius level after 10,000 hours of practice is a rare portrait of faithfulness. Men like Bill Gates and John Lennon reached this level through long hours in obscurity. There are some who desire the achievement of the great and yet are not faithful to a cause. They lack the Jesus prescription which in my opinion is above all prescription. Scepticism in any form is a tragedy.
Ref: Luke 17:6 – Jesus, James 2:14-26 – James, 2 Corinthians 5:7 – Paul

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THE LEGITIMACY OF RESISTANCE

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07J3TJL4M

The annals of history is dotted with men and women who have brought progress to humanity through change. They have defined and redefined the way we do things and provided us with better ways. But change have not always been progressive. In many cases what seemed progressive have turned out to be something else. But with more change, we are able to rescue the situation and bring humanity back on track. The invention of plastic packaging sent us on a downward spiral .We got comfortable with it because it made life easier. The knowledge that it takes over a century to decompose and also poisons plant and animal life when it does represented a threat to our very existence as a specie and necessitated biodegradable alternatives. No one was interested in the possible consequences of the use of petrochemical based plastic back then. We were high on what can be done with it. Now though, more change is needed. 

 

Change agents are a special breed. The resistance they face in their missions is not one that is easily surmountable and perhaps this is for good reason. For those who have not given it much thought, change means new ways and new ways must lead to new outcomes. One can only imagine what this world would look like if it were to respond to every single wind of change that blows its way. Every single one of us could just change things for all of us simply because we have a new idea. This is not only recipe for chaos, it is also a guarantee that progress will travel in a new direction every time and consequently, never get anywhere. Perhaps a cursory look at where the likes of Hitler would have brought us would suffice.

The world is predictable. People are not as complex as they might seem and however different they are, their fundamental needs remains the same. But that’s a matter for my people dynamics class. What cannot be explained tends to cause a kind of discomfort referred to by psychologist as cognitive strain. The mind will not rest until it has produced a coherent narrative (an explanation it will consider the truth even if false) that will engender the cognitive ease that is need to generate a feeling of security. Don't be fooled by the many theories of human nature, security is always high up the ladder because one's existence is really all they have. One thing that is predictable about people is the fear of that which cannot be explained. Beyond the fancy cognitive strain, it threatens existence with its bag of uncertainties and those who do not fight tooth and nail to stop it, cannot be said to be in their right minds. For years I have struggle with this—I never understood why people will fight you even when you are trying to help them. It is clear now that it is because they don’t understand two things. The first is; why the change and the other is; what the outcome will mean for the preservation of their existence. Often no one has the answers to these questions except for the agent who in most cases is drunk on an idea and cannot foresee the guaranteed rejection.

We are social scientist in our own capacities and it seems this is necessary. To guarantee this much needed security, we want to see something work repeatedly so we can be sure it will continue to work the same way even when we stop paying attention. Once we have accepted it, any agent who attempts to change it is a threat because we do not know what the new outcome will be. The over-rated empiricism depends on this fundamental idea which finds itself one too often against reason. Yet it is empiricist who will claim the title of reason and call those who actually reason differently; irrational. Between this murky milieu of ideas and the instinct-driven empiricism rest our worst vulnerabilities. Those who understand this enough have a field day taking advantage of us all. This is one thing I agree with Robert Green on. He has after all made a bestseller out of telling us all that we are predictable and that we actually prefer it so. He must have been right or how else has he managed to sell so many books. His 48 laws of power is a hit because we believe that between those pages, we will find the key that will place us in a secure position. A position from which we can predict everything and every situation so that we can remain in control. You will never meet a better social scientist of his kind unless you meet Dale Carnegie who wrote the book how to win friends and influence people. His was also a proposition on how to ensure predictability and certainty. Not surprisingly it is also a bestseller.

This need for predicability is not the only one that is antipathetic of change. Progress in one certain direction is useful because that is what ensures that we are in constant match towards the specific destiny even if we don't know what it is. This is why resistance to change is such a powerful tool. Its job is to test not only new ideas that threaten us with change but also to test the will of the agent for change. Maybe this is why the concept of the chosen one is so important. For it is only he or she that can actually carry out this change. Resistance manifests itself as opposition, hindrance, obstacle and setback. Not many know that it is a mere test of the agent and the change they bear. The chosen one is the only one with the depth of will which produces persistence, perseverance and consistency needed to pass the test. Most of us also don't realise that it provides the mechanism for producing the best method for making the change as we have seen in the story of Thomas Edison and his light bulb. So that in the end, the agent would have proven themselves the worthy chosen one. This will not only ensure that opposition gives way to change in the end for progress in the right direction, it also effectively eliminates negative change. As a general rule, the bigger the change, the bigger the resistance. This is why the whole world gets together to fight men like Hitler. His change is global and needs a test of that magnitude.

There is yet another reason why the agent and his change must be tested. It is important that the change itself is sustained once it has occurred. It is not unheard of for a change to take place and die either with the demise of its agent or his will. A test of his will and the high price he pays ensure a continuous enterprise until such a time when another change takes place. You cannot just introduce new ways, you must see it through. When you have paid a high price for it, you will take it more seriously.

Regardless of what you are doing, you will be safe and comfortable if you are not trying to change anything. Routine people have the easy life living in their comfort zone. In fact they are the most effective bunch in the change resistance matrix. We know now that this makes them extremely useful because they secures us from the many winds of change the will keep blowing. If you have a burning need to make change however, you are the chosen one and must be equipped with the tools needed to pass the test. Time is your resource vault.

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Championing the coaching profession in Ghana

Although fairly new, coaching is an extremely fast growing profession around the world. It is now classified among the high earning professions especially in the USA. A Pricewaterhouse Coopers study commissioned in 2007 by the International Coach Federation found that part-time coaches averaged annual salaries of $26,000 and full-time coaches were averaging $82,000. Most professional coaches charge fees in the range of $150/month to $400/month for a package of 3 scheduled sessions per month. A very manageable caseload for a full-time coach is around 25 clients per month. Gross income projections can therefore be estimated by multiplying the number of clients desired by fees within that range taking local economics into consideration. Twenty-five clients, for example, at $250/month generate $75,000/year. Twenty-five clients at $350/month is $105,000. Even when those Dollar signs are replaced with Ghana Cedi signs, it is still fantastic earning for asking questions for a few hours a day. Coaches who specialize in executive, corporate and leadership coaching often charge considerably more ($600 to $1,000+/month), but prospective coaches are however, encouraged to make conservative projections when considering the field and take their local economy into consideration.

But just how important are coaches and why do they get paid so much? To understand this one must first consider the fact that; the most successful people you see around doing great things have personal coaches you don’t know about. Most coaches don’t mind being the power behind, it’s the nature of the job. As Ghana’s foremost performance coach Katey Aklie puts it;

“our job is to get others to reach their aspirations; that is how we achieve our dreams”.

Some of the aspirations they want to reach are billion dollar ventures. Consider the following scenarios:

Case 1: Imagine if you run a business worth $20 million that is under performing because of two or three key people. You are loosing money on a daily basis because of these two. A coach comes along and gets them to start ticking and your earnings for the year quadruples because of improved performance. What would that be worth to you and your organization? Wouldn’t you give 10% of your 20 million for that kind of results?

Case Two: Your teenage son is lives in the F zone at school and you are worried he will never make university. You have tried everything and nothing has helped. A coach comes along and places him among the top five in his class. What will that do for his future and what monetary value will you place on that? There are parents who will give the world to have that kind of help; they just do not know who to turn to.

“As coaches work behind the scene; accepting your place as the power behind is the mentality you need to be a good coach. It is always about other people and their aspirations and never about you. You succeed only when others succeed”. –Katey Aklie

In Ghana the seeds have only just been planted and it is developing roots really fast. Internationally certified performance coach Katey Aklie, affectionately called HOPEMAN by most is the force behind this growth and he and his team estimates that Ghana alone needs about ten thousands coaches who will shape the destiny of this nation. He insists that our politicians, business people, professionals and everyone else are functioning around 30% of their true capacities. They could really benefit from the services of a coach by just spending an hour with him/her per month. Coaching will move them to the next level and that will reflect on the national output. He also believes that youth coaching is probably one of the most needed niches at this point if this nation is to have a better future. While he conceded that the general public is not used to the idea and do not know how to use coaches, he says that things are changing as more coaches are trained and. They will through their practice show everyone else the value of coaching. He said:

“It is like everything else, you have to start from somewhere but we are already alarmed at the level of change. The thing is that Ghana already has many people who call themselves coaches. The only problem is the lack of right skills to do the job so people can actually see the benefit of the service”.

Currently he is focused on training more coaches and guiding them into the new career area. We will open new options for revenue generation for counselors, teachers, pastors and other professionals who have the inclination to help people reach their best by simply retooling them with coaching skills. There are quite a few people who call themselves coaches without really understanding what is involved. Some think it is a cool tag for motivational speaking and going around telling people to do things no one knows will work. The first training program is intended to certify all these folks who clearly have an interest and a passion to help people improve, put them into the new association and help them build their practices. This is the reason why the cost of training has been cut down by 50%. They will begin to make change as we certify and license them to start taking the profession to the next level.

The next training session begins on the 3^rd of November. The five day training is collaboration between the Performance Academy and the OD institute--Africa’s only graduate School of Organizational Development headed by the world renowned OD consultant Prof. Noble Kumawu. Everyone with an interest in coaching or helping people to be their best (youth workers, teachers, pastors, counselors, managers and just about anyone) is invited to join the groundbreaking training program to prepare themselves for the coming flood of opportunities.  Call   0201197700, 0268388560 for information on the training program.

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A WOMAN LIKE ME

We live in a society that questions your personality, your intelligence, your identity and even your complexion. The same black folks questioning you why you still have a dark skin in the age of Whitening. Same Black folks who will tease your dreams, call you names because you are not anything like them and *they don't them* and they do not believe in the path you have chosen for yourself. A society that  defines  who a smart a woman is by the type of hair they fix on Friday evenings or how many likes they got on their nude pictures on instagram. I question just a society. I ask myself why the smartest kid in school won't have a lot of followers but the bullies? why people won't like and share a great status idea but will let a profane joke go viral? Why aren't some young beautiful women don't aspire to be educated but rather go all up and down almost naked on a some senseless music video? I wonder why some parents become serious course mates of Telenova 101 to their children, an evening subject that do not only weakens their brain but morals and while their homeworks  plead for  attachment.We are jokes! We think this has no significant impact on the lives of these young ones coming up. I am tempted to shut my mouth right now but i won't. Because, it hurts to see how we can sit and waste away our beautiful
minds  away hoping that a white man from the sky will drop to fix our nation and oh i must confess that will be a miraclous sight. I believe in Nkrumah. I belive he had a dream for people like me and the many others who truly understands the transcript of His independence Speech. I wish it was taught in schools, hanged in offices, written on billboards, screen displayed at resturants and bars to make the Ghanaian meditate on the words when He said

" We have awakened. We will not sleep anymore. Today, from now on, there is a new African in the world!

That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.

We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, that we are prepared to lay our own foundation.

Our own African identity"

I have realised like Michelle Obama that i need to keep my sanity and not let others define me, there is the only one thing I can do; To have faith in God’s plan for me.I have to learn to block everything out and focus on my truth.  I have to answer some truth for myself:  Who am I?  No, really, who am I?
I have to keep up with my passion and vision. I may fully accomplish it. I may attain it partially so that somebody will come continue from where i ended. But whatever it is, we must rise as women with a yearn to be mothers and not just house wives, mentors and not just dish washers, teachers and not just sex partners. We must be make it...oh,we have to, because there is a girl out there who wants to be like you.

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Ceo Brand Ambassador

"You are the first brand ambassador of your company" - Bernard kelvin Clive

The idea of promoting one's brand sometimes seem a herculean task for quite a number of people, especially introverts. Others push it over to their marketing department to market the brand.

However, in today's business, every single person is part of the marketing and promotion of the brand. If you don't believe in your brand nor invest in it, nobody would. More especially startup brands, you as the CEO will be the face of your brand.

I have identified two types of CEOs;

1. The visible CEO- those who lead from the front - they are loud and want to champion the brand progress. A typical example is Richard Branson of the Virgin Group.

2. The hidden CEO- they don't want to be seen in the limelight; they want to quietly influence from behind. An example is Osei Kwame Despite of the Despite Group of companies.

Either way, they will all deliver to ensure the success of the brand and business. What type of CEO are you and how can you use your style to effectively promote your brand?

Whichever you may be, endeavor to use it to push your brand forward. Remember: People will buy into you and your vision first before your brand and business.

Bernard Kelvin Clive
#BKCConsulting
#31BrandingThoughts
www.BKC.name/consulting

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Life minus love equals zero

Roger James Hamilton with 3 gold medals this week, Michael Phelps is now equaling the 2,168 year old record set by Leonidas of Rhodes (in 152 BC) for the most individual Olympic gold medals and has a chance to beat it with his two final races this Thursday (200m IM) and Friday (100m fly).
This is all the more incredible, given the story of his 2 year climb from the verge of suicide, which I wrote in July. Here is Michael’s story from rock-bottom:
One night in September 2014, less than 2 years ago, Michael’s world came crashing down when he got arrested for drink driving. He says "I thought the world would just be better off without me. I figured that was the best thing to do - just end my life."
Struggling to come out of retirement for one more Olympics, Michael's training wasn’t going well. So he had headed out to the Horseshoe Casino to binge on alcohol and poker. At 1am his Range Rover was pulled over by police and he was arrested.
It was the second arrest for DUI in 10 years. After the first time he was publicly shamed and promised he would never do it again. Now it looked like his chances of making a comeback were over.
Out the next day on bail, he locked himself in his house for the next 72 hours, texting to his agent “I don’t want to be alive anymore.”
What caused the breakdown? After his 4th Olympics in London, Michael was crowned “the most successful Olympian in history” with 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze Olympic medals. He said “It’s like we dreamed the biggest dream we could possibly dream and we got there. What do we do now?”
In the two years after the Olympics, he went from the highest high to the lowest low, losing all purpose and meaning in life. Then, in 2012 he told his coach, Bob Bowman, that he wanted to try for the Rio Olympics, despite being older than any other competitor.
They started training, but Bob said “It was very difficult for him to get back in shape. I think he got discouraged. I got discouraged.”
That discouragement led to the night of his arrest and Michael wanting to kill himself.
What flipped the switch from self destruction to his record-breaking success today?
One of the first people that Michael called when he was arrested was his friend, retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Ray said “I basically told him, ‘Okay, everything has a purpose, and now, guess what? It’s time to wake up.’ ” and he gave Michael a copy of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life”.

Despite facing 18 months probation with a one year suspended sentence, and suspension from the US swimming team, Michael was moved enough by what Ray said that he stepped away from the pool, took the book and checked into a rehab centre.
At the centre, he soon became known as “Preacher Mike” as he would begin each day by reading a chapter of “The Purpose Driven Life”.
That then led to him reading more books like Viktor E Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” and Joseph Murphy’s “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”. Instead of focusing on his body, he focused on his mind and spirit.
Michael left the clinic a changed man. Within months, he had asked his girlfriend, Nichole Johnson, to marry him. A year later, this May, they had a baby boy, Boomer.
As for the training, Michael got back in the pool with a new energy.
Realising that what he did out of the water affected him enormously in the water, he said of his previous life: “I tried to fake it, pretty much. That’s what I was doing." and of his life today, "I’m just living a freer, happier life now. I don’t feel like I’m carrying weights around anymore.”
Michael was the youngest competitor to ever swim in the Olympics, and now he is also be the oldest to ever swim in the Olympics (At 31 he is 2 years older than the 2nd oldest at the Rio Games). Asked how he feels, he says “I’m thankful, I’m sitting here alive today.”
Maybe you haven’t risen as high as Michael, or fallen as low.
But what new purpose could transform your own success and fulfilment in life today?
What could you do differently out of the water, which would change what you do in the water?
It's never too later, and you're never too old.
“Life minus love equals zero.”

~ Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Original July 1st post here: http://bit.ly/
2aNjvHG )

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PRESIDENT KUF FOUR AT YOUTHERFEST 2016

His Excellency John Kofi AgyekumKufour will be speaking to hundreds of youth across the country on the focus ’The Influence of Leadership for Generation Building’ at the sixth edition of the biggest national gathering of youth in Augustat Aburi to raise generational builders.

The youth festival gathering christened as Youtherfest is an annual national nondenominational youth festival aimed at gathering all youth across the country to promote a new Leadership mellowness, Entrepreneurship, focus on Youth socialization to contribute to the attributes of the knowledge economy, future advancement and promote soul winning. Youtherfest has been the house hold name of this youth festival for the past 6 years which simply means, “You are Feasting in Christ.”

Youtherfest2016 is also honored with other top list speakers including Obafem iBanigbe, Technology and Business Leader, Naa Ashorkor, Presenter and Broadcast Journalist, Nana Kyei-Amponsah, Patron of Ghana Youth Ministry, Apostle B.B. Fredrick, Feyi Daniels, a Relationship expert from Nigeria and other giant supporting speakers.

This annual national nondenominational youth gathering according to the organisers has been fruitful and rewarding seeing young people develop business ideas, sharpen their visions, build network to inspire their life and ultimately accept Jesus as their Lord and saviour.

Speaking on why the former head of state is the headline speaker of the national youth event, Mr. Daniel Nana Kwame Appiah Asare, Director of Ghana Youth Ministry stressed that, “we appreciate and recognize him being the best Professional and Industrious Personality to speak this year to make a radical impact in the life of the over 700 expected attendees.  With his outstanding expert in Communication, Teaching, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, as well as ability to influence the audience with genuine words of life to break them through barriers in education, success, career and life ambitions. Not only him, but with the other speakers too’.

This year, the Youtherfest train will be in Aburi on the theme‘You Are A Generational Builder - Judges 7’ from Tuesday 2^nd– Saturday 6^th August 2016.

The five day event provides fair atmosphere for diverse groups to demonstrate in dance, music, fashion, spoken word ,poetry, entrepreneurial class, games, drama and public speaking with great speakers to educate, train, enlighten and surge participants to a renewed believe, hope to make impact and transform society. Over the past five editions, the event has been held in different parts of the country; from Methodist University campus-Accra, Ghana Secondary Technical School, Takoradi, Ada Training College and University of Cape Coast campuses respectively.

Interested participants receive an outstanding package of Food, Accommodation, Transport, Free Camp T-Shirt, Note book and Pen throughout the period of this camp meeting in Aburi. Buses will be made ready across all regional capitals to privileged registered participants.Ticket outlets are Peace FM, Koala Osu, Batsonna Total, Spintex and all Shop-N-Save shops across the country. Mobile money registration is also permissible through 0553015896.

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