Soldier of Love: The Entrepreneur’s Anthem
Today I received the first major media publication coverage of my start-up business, Anoko House in Forbes. Naturally, the first thing I did was share the good news with my immediate circle of family and friends, and then…I turned to Sade.
You may wonder, what’s the sultry Nigerian-British songstress got to do my the entrepreneurial journey?
The clarion horn rings. A steady drumline beat, melodic strings and staccato guitar commence. And just like that, you’re marching towards battle.
“I’m at the borderline of my faith. I’m at the hinterland of my devotion. In the front line of this battle of mine. But I’m still alive. I’m a Soldier of Love. Everyday and night. I’m a Soldier of Love. All the days of my life. I’ve been torn up inside. I’ve been left behind. So I ride. I’ve the will to survive. In the wild wild west. Trying my hardest. Doing my best. To stay alive. I am a Soldier. I know that love will come. Turn it all around. I’m a Soldier of Love. Everyday and night. I’m a Soldier of Love. All the days of my life. I am lost but I don’t doubt. So I ride. I have the will to survive.”
Soldier of Love is the sixth studio album by Sade, released in February of 2010. After a 10-year hiatus, Sade emerges powerful and resolute, while also expressing exhaustion and fragility. An internal tension — a natural contradiction.
In case you didn’t know, this is the Entrepreneur’s Anthem. The mental conditioning required for the entrepreneurship battle is immense, much like any soldier preparing for war. There are ups (coverage from Forbes Magazine is indeed great market validation) but there are also downs. And, in the words of musician and actress Janelle Monae, “You can’t get too high. I said you can’t get too low. Because if you get too high. Now you’ll surely be low. You gotta tip on the tightrope.”
Beneath the “Instagrammable” veneer, my entrepreneurial journey thus far has not been a cake-walk. I have encountered snakes adorned in beautiful clothing. People who made me false promises in order to feed a sense of power and ego. Those who have literally tried to tarnish my professional reputation. I have pitched my business and been rejected by those who I would call friends. I have been hit on by an advisor who asked me during a goodbye cheek kiss, “Now, how about one on the lips”? Indeed, I feel like stepping away from corporate America has been stepping into the wild, wild west where there are countless beasts waiting for prey. And when you’re green — they can smell the vulnerability.
Get stronger. Press on. Persevere.
As one of my advisors has counseled me, “Oh you thought this was going to be pretty? Every day you are pushing out a baby.”
The game is meant to be sold, not told. And yet, here I am. Telling you about the game. At Anoko House, not only are we going to set our members up with access to a powerful community that can offer critical information and resources, we are going to teach our members “how to move in a room full of vultures”, in the words of Jay-Z. Because in business, you need to be strong to survive. You need to be a Soldier of Love.
Are you ready?
