It all started in 2008
It was a time when people were sharing more than just dog and cat videos on YouTube.
People started sharing more meaningful content, and entrepreneurial content was booming. Because I dream of becoming an entrepreneur one day, I felt the urge to jump on the trend.
I’ve always admired businesspeople in movies. Maybe it was their perfectly tailored suits or the clever scripts, but they exuded influence and abundance.
Watching them sparked something in me. Though some of them tend to be villains, I didn’t just want to become a businessperson, I wanted to be a positive businessperson.
But back to the story: 2008 and 2010 were also the years when a flood of beardless “gurus” appeared on YouTube, selling dreams and empty promises I fell for.
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My failed business adventures
My first attempt was a dropshipping website where everyone was selling the same products.
Imagine hundreds of people competing to sell identical items before social media, with only Facebook as a platform.
I did not want to use Facebook because the last thing I wanted was to reveal my shaky business idea to friends and family by spamming them with fake flowers and calendars.
Unsurprisingly, I gave up within three months.
But I didn’t stop there. Over the years, I tried affiliate marketing, started a blog, launched a YouTube channel, tried dropshipping again (this time with T-shirts), and even dabbled in Forex trading.
In 2018, Afroneurs was initially planned to be just a blog, which I gave up too early.
In fact, it was the first time I started something I was passionate about.
I always found it exciting and interesting to learn about the African business world.
Probably my unfulfilled diaspora dream of returning home to Africa had something to do with it.
Not long ago, I sat down for four months and deeply analyzed what I’d been doing wrong all those years.
That reflection is shaping the way I move forward now.
Why I Was Failing: Four Lessons I Learned
1. Procrastination Held Me Back
I realized I was constantly delaying tasks, thinking there would always be time later.
This habit of putting things off was sabotaging my progress and execution.
2. Chasing Every New Trend
I fell into the trap of a “quick money scheme” mentality.
Every time a shiny new opportunity appeared, I would jump on it, thinking it was my ticket to success.
This lack of focus spread my energy too thin and left my projects unfinished.
3. Giving Up When Things Got Hard
When challenges came, I often threw in the towel. Instead of pushing through, I convinced myself that success should come easy if the idea was good enough.
This mindset made me miss out on the growth that comes from perseverance.
4. I Was Thinking Like a Big Brand
I would try scaling when I didn’t even know who my customer segments were.
I was trying to build a brand before I had a steady income stream from the business.
By analyzing the different phases and understanding which stage I needed to focus on, I realized the importance of aligning my efforts with the right priorities.
That’s how the 7 Business Stages Model was born
That’s how the 7 Business Stages Model came to life.
It became a framework to help entrepreneurs like me focus on the right tasks at the right time.
The model breaks down the journey into clear, actionable stages:
Starting with creation, finding your first customer segment, generating your first income stream, moving into growth, scaling, branding, and eventually expanding.
Next week, I’ll dive deeper into the 7 Business Stages Model and how it can guide you through your entrepreneurial journey.
How I’m Going to Apply the lessons I’ve learned with Afroneurs Newsletter.
So, now that I understand my mistakes, what will I do differently with the Afroneurs newsletter this time?
Consistency: No matter how busy or difficult things get, I’m committing to not give up.
Systems: The key to beating procrastination is building a system. Knowing exactly what my daily tasks are will save me time and stop me from overthinking or stalling.
Focus: I’ll stick to this project no matter what, no more jumping on shiny new trends.
This time, I’m following the 7 Business Stages Model (which I’ll discuss next week).
Launching the newsletter this week, I’ve completed the creation stage and am now focused on finding and understanding my customer segment.
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