The Almighty Email.

I wasn’t exactly doing anything, I had given my laptop out and home was starting to feel boring….so I opted to resume the next Monday.

That weekend was great, I pressed my clothes, got pats on my back and lots of congrats, and showed up, for the first time ever in my life, to work in a corporate environment.

Little did I know that in just 48 months’ time, I will have had a double promotion, led one of Africa’s largest Analyst teams, consulted for government agencies and co-managed the group’s international expansion.

My growth is filled with lots of memories - painful and joyful, lots of lessons, and lots of sadness and happiness…it’s the story of a life lived, well or not depending on whose perspective it is approached from; but all the same, of a life lived to its fullness, and well exerted; but as with all lives, with its own share of regrets.

This series is not an attempt to document how to grow fast in a corporate environment, yes you’ll see that here, but it isn’t the sole purpose of this series. It isn’t also to expound on how to fail, you’ll also see that; but in its wholeness, this is neither a story of how to succeed or of how to fail in the corporate environment; it is simply a story of me: of how I succeeded, failed, and kept reaching…it is an eye opener for me too as I write in retrospect, on how my life was lived.

It Starts as a single story.

This is going to start out as a single story; it will communicate how things happened from my own perspective as I reflect on them. Chiefly because I like single stories, I believe they show our innermost biases and prejudices, allowing us to spice life up with our individual dramas and eccentricities.

But this will not stop at a single story; it is when single stories are juxtaposed with other single stories that facts and truths are exposed. Do not just read; share yours, and let’s juxtapose experiences. That way, we can draw wisdom hitherto hidden, and garner insights neither of us could otherwise possess.

I have also humbly requested the input of people who were keen observers and witnesses of that life: my family and friends, colleagues, bosses and mentors. Together, their input will come to make for a rich delicacy I believe.

I have written largely in retrospect, after all, they say experience is the best teacher.

To your corporate success,

The one who lived.

“Welcome to Work” is curated by Chuks E. Okeibunor.

Chuks is passionate about Human Capital Development and SME Success. Connect with him on IG @theokeibunor