so I have been very blessed in life I have had parents that have given me the
have had parents that have given me the
have had parents that have given me the external permission and external
external permission and external
external permission and external validation to be all that I need to be
validation to be all that I need to be
validation to be all that I need to be now sometimes I honestly believe that my
now sometimes I honestly believe that my
now sometimes I honestly believe that my parents have more of a belief in my
parents have more of a belief in my
parents have more of a belief in my abilities than I do in myself now I’ll
abilities than I do in myself now I’ll
abilities than I do in myself now I’ll give you two examples
give you two examples
give you two examples so even when my mother didn’t agree am i
so even when my mother didn’t agree am i
so even when my mother didn’t agree am i leaving my job to become an entrepreneur
leaving my job to become an entrepreneur
leaving my job to become an entrepreneur she would still say things like you know
she would still say things like you know
she would still say things like you know you could be running Google in Africa or
you could be running Google in Africa or
you could be running Google in Africa or you could even be the country manager
you could even be the country manager
you could even be the country manager for Microsoft in Ghana or there’s a
for Microsoft in Ghana or there’s a
for Microsoft in Ghana or there’s a really hilarious story from a few months
really hilarious story from a few months
really hilarious story from a few months ago when Mark Zuckerberg came to Africa
ago when Mark Zuckerberg came to Africa
ago when Mark Zuckerberg came to Africa when I say Africa he came to Kenya came
when I say Africa he came to Kenya came
when I say Africa he came to Kenya came to Nigeria didn’t come to Ghana and
apparently my mother and her doctor had
apparently my mother and her doctor had this oddly serious conversation about
this oddly serious conversation about
this oddly serious conversation about why I hadn’t managed to bring Mexico
why I hadn’t managed to bring Mexico
why I hadn’t managed to bring Mexico back to Ghana so um I do have a lot of
back to Ghana so um I do have a lot of
back to Ghana so um I do have a lot of friends that work for Facebook globally
friends that work for Facebook globally
friends that work for Facebook globally but I’m not friends with my Zuckerberg
but I’m not friends with my Zuckerberg
but I’m not friends with my Zuckerberg well at least not yet I’ve also always
well at least not yet I’ve also always
well at least not yet I’ve also always had permission to film before I was
had permission to film before I was
had permission to film before I was named one of the top five women
named one of the top five women
named one of the top five women influencing technology in Africa or
influencing technology in Africa or
influencing technology in Africa or before I started my company adult
before I started my company adult
before I started my company adult technology consulting that became IT
technology consulting that became IT
technology consulting that became IT consulting firm of a year or before I
consulting firm of a year or before I
consulting firm of a year or before I found that women in tech Africa which is
found that women in tech Africa which is
found that women in tech Africa which is the largest women in tech group on the
the largest women in tech group on the
the largest women in tech group on the continent in 30 African countries I was
continent in 30 African countries I was
continent in 30 African countries I was the girl that left her nice job in
the girl that left her nice job in
the girl that left her nice job in London to come to Ghana to start a
London to come to Ghana to start a
London to come to Ghana to start a business fulfilled even in that they
business fulfilled even in that they
business fulfilled even in that they believed it was the journey for my
believed it was the journey for my
believed it was the journey for my greatness I’ve always had external
greatness I’ve always had external
greatness I’ve always had external permission external validation to be
permission external validation to be
permission external validation to be whom I want to be
whom I want to be
whom I want to be but this is life now when we want the IT
but this is life now when we want the IT
but this is life now when we want the IT consulting firm of the year as it is
consulting firm of the year as it is
consulting firm of the year as it is with these things there’s a lot of
with these things there’s a lot of
with these things there’s a lot of congratulations there’s an amazing
congratulations there’s an amazing
congratulations there’s an amazing letter not an email a letter from an
letter not an email a letter from an
letter not an email a letter from an amazing woman in leadership in this
amazing woman in leadership in this
amazing woman in leadership in this country in the letter she sends me said
country in the letter she sends me said
country in the letter she sends me said because you stand up to share your
because you stand up to share your
because you stand up to share your talents and your gifts with the world
talents and your gifts with the world
talents and your gifts with the world you are blessing to your generation and
you are blessing to your generation and
you are blessing to your generation and I read that letter in times in hard
I read that letter in times in hard
I read that letter in times in hard times but also I noticed that there was
times but also I noticed that there was
times but also I noticed that there was a small group of people that I looked up
a small group of people that I looked up
a small group of people that I looked up to that were really silent that said
to that were really silent that said
to that were really silent that said nothing I brushed it aside I thought you
nothing I brushed it aside I thought you
nothing I brushed it aside I thought you know there’s nothing there then we won a
know there’s nothing there then we won a
know there’s nothing there then we won a bunch of other awards then the words
bunch of other awards then the words
bunch of other awards then the words came oh boy that the way it’s come now
came oh boy that the way it’s come now
came oh boy that the way it’s come now one intrapreneur who himself has won
one intrapreneur who himself has won
one intrapreneur who himself has won awards many many awards and with
awards many many awards and with
awards many many awards and with somebody that I look up to and respected
somebody that I look up to and respected
somebody that I look up to and respected when asked about my achievements said
when asked about my achievements said
when asked about my achievements said quite simply why are they just handing
quite simply why are they just handing
quite simply why are they just handing our to anybody these days and the second
our to anybody these days and the second
our to anybody these days and the second one who was listening to me talk about
one who was listening to me talk about
one who was listening to me talk about my entrepreneurial journey on radio
my entrepreneurial journey on radio
my entrepreneurial journey on radio turns her friend and said this girl
turns her friend and said this girl
turns her friend and said this girl clearly does not know what she is about
clearly does not know what she is about
clearly does not know what she is about and it shows you know these things would
and it shows you know these things would
and it shows you know these things would not have bothered me because I’m pretty
not have bothered me because I’m pretty
not have bothered me because I’m pretty thick-skinned would not have bothered me
thick-skinned would not have bothered me
thick-skinned would not have bothered me the remedies were not people that I
the remedies were not people that I
the remedies were not people that I looked up to and respected and people
looked up to and respected and people
looked up to and respected and people that were legends that I loved and it
that were legends that I loved and it
that were legends that I loved and it bothered me and it worried me and
bothered me and it worried me and
bothered me and it worried me and invariably with these things I began to
invariably with these things I began to
invariably with these things I began to make myself smaller when people would
make myself smaller when people would
make myself smaller when people would talk to me and congratulate me on on my
talk to me and congratulate me on on my
talk to me and congratulate me on on my achievements I would say something like
achievements I would say something like
achievements I would say something like you know don’t believe the hype it’s
you know don’t believe the hype it’s
you know don’t believe the hype it’s nothing
nothing
nothing when at the beginning of the year I had
when at the beginning of the year I had
when at the beginning of the year I had a wonderful amazing idea and vision of
a wonderful amazing idea and vision of
a wonderful amazing idea and vision of creating a global women in tech event
creating a global women in tech event
creating a global women in tech event coming out of Africa I choked and I
coming out of Africa I choked and I
coming out of Africa I choked and I thought maybe I’m being too big for my
thought maybe I’m being too big for my
thought maybe I’m being too big for my shoes maybe I’m being too ambitious
shoes maybe I’m being too ambitious
shoes maybe I’m being too ambitious maybe I need to step back I thought
maybe I need to step back I thought
maybe I need to step back I thought about it and I thought about it and then
about it and I thought about it and then
about it and I thought about it and then I thought about it a little more then I
I thought about it a little more then I
I thought about it a little more then I asked myself a simple question does it
asked myself a simple question does it
asked myself a simple question does it matter does it matter that people that I
matter does it matter that people that I
matter does it matter that people that I looked up to and respected even if it’s
looked up to and respected even if it’s
looked up to and respected even if it’s a small group did not believe in the
a small group did not believe in the
a small group did not believe in the hard work that we had put in does it
hard work that we had put in does it
hard work that we had put in does it matter that did not believe in what we
matter that did not believe in what we
matter that did not believe in what we had achieved did it change any of the
had achieved did it change any of the
had achieved did it change any of the things that we had achieved did it
things that we had achieved did it
things that we had achieved did it change the impact and influence that we
change the impact and influence that we
change the impact and influence that we had and then I realized it didn’t matter
had and then I realized it didn’t matter
had and then I realized it didn’t matter it didn’t matter what they thought it
it didn’t matter what they thought it
it didn’t matter what they thought it didn’t matter what they said I’ll tell
didn’t matter what they said I’ll tell
didn’t matter what they said I’ll tell you another scary story so Dropbox which
you another scary story so Dropbox which
you another scary story so Dropbox which is the file storage platform that allows
is the file storage platform that allows
is the file storage platform that allows you to access your files everywhere in
you to access your files everywhere in
you to access your files everywhere in the world at the very beginning of
the world at the very beginning of
the world at the very beginning of Dropbox the legendary Steve Jobs went on
Dropbox the legendary Steve Jobs went on
Dropbox the legendary Steve Jobs went on a very public tirade against Dropbox he
a very public tirade against Dropbox he
a very public tirade against Dropbox he said things at conferences like it’s a
said things at conferences like it’s a
said things at conferences like it’s a feature it’s not a product they won’t
feature it’s not a product they won’t
feature it’s not a product they won’t last
last
last Dropbox today is a ten billion dollar
Dropbox today is a ten billion dollar
Dropbox today is a ten billion dollar company they did not only survive they
company they did not only survive they
company they did not only survive they thrived we have not only survived
thrived we have not only survived
thrived we have not only survived we have thrived we want to more Awards
we have thrived we want to more Awards
we have thrived we want to more Awards and my thoughts on technology and
and my thoughts on technology and
and my thoughts on technology and emerging market and innovation have been
emerging market and innovation have been
emerging market and innovation have been shared widely in global publications
shared widely in global publications
shared widely in global publications like wide UK European Business Review
like wide UK European Business Review
like wide UK European Business Review Africa business and CNN and BBC but you
Africa business and CNN and BBC but you
Africa business and CNN and BBC but you see I don’t say these things for us to
see I don’t say these things for us to
see I don’t say these things for us to hate the people that do not necessarily
hate the people that do not necessarily
hate the people that do not necessarily support us I say these things because
support us I say these things because
support us I say these things because invariably when you stand to show your
invariably when you stand to show your
invariably when you stand to show your gifts and your talents in the world you
gifts and your talents in the world you
gifts and your talents in the world you will naturally stay
will naturally stay
will naturally stay some insecurities in others it is not
some insecurities in others it is not
some insecurities in others it is not your job to soothe those insecurities
external validation is great and I’ve
external validation is great and I’ve had wonderful validation in my life but
had wonderful validation in my life but
had wonderful validation in my life but to be truly great you need to give
to be truly great you need to give
to be truly great you need to give yourself internal permission and
yourself internal permission and
yourself internal permission and internal validation
”
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