Hello Monday! As much as LOVE celebrating women, we believe in equality, so each Monday, as per usual, we share with you our Man Crush Monday. Today, we are crushing on David Lanre Messan (DLM) is the Chief Executive of TroggeUrban Limited and curator for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Lagos Hub.
Why are we crushing on Lanre, well read his bio and our exclusive interview to find out 🙂
Meet David Lanre Messan (DLM)
David Lanre Messan (DLM) is the Chief Executive of TroggeUrban Limited, a creative marketing company with core focus on marketing talents and brands through music, visual contents and events. He is also the curator for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Lagos Hub and a council member on the Global Shapers Council on Collaboration. He has been deeply influential in spear heading the Hub’s Business Skills Workshop project which has been responsible for equipping hundreds of entrepreneurs with the needed skill set to develop successful businesses, as well as access funding.
Lanre is fundamentally an idea strategist and creative social entrepreneur with key interests in enterprise development, music, fashion and technology. He is widely credited for creating the ‘#MakaIscoming’ viral online campaign that launched the ‘MAKA’, the afrosoul brand to over 600, 000 people in 2 days. He recently created www.codedinvestors.com – the first alternative financing platform in sub-Saharan Africa which has reached 40 micro entrepreneurs and 20 investors. Over the years, DLM has helped improve over 100 businesses in Nigeria with home grown ideas in business concept design and strategy, marketing and branding. He has over 12 years’ experience in communications, marketing and executive presentations working with LEAP Africa, Universal Anchor, Maku Sports Group, Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Center, Infinite Impact Limited. He has spoken in over 50 conferences on key economic and social topics, major amongst them are the Grow Africa Forum, World Economic Forum on Africa, SHAPE Africa.
Follow DLM @ideastrategist
IBG: Why do you do what you do?
DLM: An Idea- It always seems impossible until it is done. Birthing ideas has always been my passion and as such, I feel a deep sense of fulfillment each time I see the ideas of the people I work with come alive. My primary goal in life is to use my expertise in idea development, strategy, branding and marketing to take startups, brands and talents to market. I have had the privilege to work with some of the largest names in business and have established a reputation for always bringing innovation to the table with every project. I love to work with start-up entrepreneurs, talented music artistes, fashion entrepreneurs and techies.
IBG: What motivates you?
DLM: Everything around me motivates me. I draw inspiration from conversations, problems and the provocations of my mind. The outcomes of these experiences produce possibilities that can change the world and this alone gives me a stronger motivation. I love stick notes – they help me accomplish 99 goals a day. I am motivated by the impossible; it makes me think of a way out.
IBG: How do you define success?
DLM: Success is a special seed available to us all. We all plant it in different places therefore the fruits it bears are also different. Success could be happiness; it could be plenty money; it could be popularity; it could be anything to anyone but the reality is, true success is in sharing. You just feel good when what you have is given to another deliberately. There is this deep sense of fulfillment that it comes with which makes our lives so beautiful and peaceful, now that is success.
IBG: What keeps you grounded?
DLM: The need to be ‘self’ – an original state of mind that is not influenced by desperation and wanna – be – syndrome. It helps me to maintain sanity in my pursuits and fairness towards others. It makes me appreciate life and every little achievement that comes, keeping me in an organic growth system. I learn with all humility and give freely what I know in conviviality.
IBG: What has been your biggest entrepreneurial challenge and how have you surmounted it? DLM: Every entrepreneur is his own first challenge. Ability to conquer self and be better than yesterday. The truth is, every day, new challenges come and a wise entrepreneur will learn to solve problems as they come through human relations, barter systems, unique strategies, leadership principles, best practices, outsourcing, partnerships, prayers, expectation management and risk taking. Most entrepreneurs will say capital is a challenge and once they get capital, a new challenge of capital arises. Tomorrow, based on economic or environmental changes, the challenges take a new turn and it could be bigger than that of yesterday. An entrepreneur ought to consistently empower self to have the abilities of a warrior so as to prepare for warfare no matter the size of the war. Now, that makes the entrepreneur a warrior of excellence who can conquer challenges no matter how grandeur. For me, I surmount my entrepreneurial challenges by first breaking the challenges down to bits and pieces, and then I take them on one after the other, afterwards I piece my solutions together and move on.
IBG: What has been your biggest success?
DLM: My biggest success is yet to come. I still live in a street somewhere in Lagos but the actual success is me living in a paradise with a beautiful driveway leading to my mansion. LOL! My biggest success is yet to come, I am working on a few people who will become legends in their respective hustle – their ideas are on the way. Having helped 100 young entrepreneurs go to market and 4 music acts break into the music mainstream are still snippets of the big success that is yet to come. Trust me, I am not kidding!
IBG: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs?
DLM: According to Gary Hoover, the author of the book, ‘Hoovers Vision’, he stressed that to become a successful entrepreneur, it is important to know that you need four basic elements as summarized in my own words:
Purpose: You must understand who you are and what you are designed for in life
Vision: You must carry within yourself a living picture of the future
Clarity: this is the most important. You must be clear about what you want to achieve with what you have
Consistency: To translate your vision to reality, you must keep doing what you said you will do to become the dream
Entrepreneurs are advised to understand these 4 rules if they must succeed with business because it won’t be easy along the line.
I created this LIFE QUOTE to inspire myself in my entrepreneurial drive.
“Never hold your farts in. They go up your spine and into your brain; that’s why your ideas are shitty”
Your idea might just be the solution the world needs to find real peace and happiness, why hold it back. Share it.
Learn to express yourself and your ideas and learn from observation because if you don’t, you die with an internal grudge against yourself and that smells real bad
Now that you have an idea and successfully develop a workable model for the idea, never stop working. Be strong and consistent. You will surely succeed!!!
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