My "formal" introduction; doing this again because I screwed up my first intro post

Photo Credit: @maicodon

Hello Steemians, my name is Michael. I'm a big time hustler from Nigeria.
I used to be a comedian until my jokes landed me into serious trouble and I stopped cracking jokes.

Any ways, I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, specifically in an area where poverty forced a lot of young people to discover their potentials. (It has been argued that you don't discover your potentials; you simply develop it...but that's a story for another day) Mine was no different! (winks)

I'm a fresh graduate of Sociology from University of Uyo, Nigeria. I'm looking to enrol for a second degree sometime in the future, but that's not a priority for now.
After all, we have millions of second degree holders here with no jobs.

I've done a couple of things to survive, both online and offline. I've done information marketing, worked in factories, being a freelancer, done menial jobs, and lots more. (The lots more does not include criminal activities, in case you're thinking of taking me up on that) Lol

Back to the gist, I'm an agile entrepreneur. I'm self-sufficient, aspirational, open to feedback and bold enough to take ownership of whatever I am.
I value passion for quality, enjoyment of life and respect for people and for our planet.

I have affinity with information technology, innovation management, supply chain, business succession planning, risk management, and project management.

My Personal Philosophy

"Everyday is a good day to learn something new"

Because, as one scholar puts it,

"There are three ingredients to the good life; learning, earning, and yearning."

Things I Love Doing With My Time

• I love graphics design
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon
• I love watching live football
  
  Photo Credit: www.saxony-blue.com
• I love online learning
• I love writing
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon
• I love hanging out with beautiful ladies
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon
• I love music
• I love attending carnivals
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon
• I love hustling
• I love volunteering for the community
  
  Photo Credit: @maicodon

Discovering Steemit And Getting Stuck

Incidentally, I didn't really discover Steemit. Some of my Facebook friends talked me into signing up.

All I was told at the time is that Steemit pays you for just posting and commenting on posts.
I loved the idea so much that before they could explain anything further, I had hit the sign up button.

I posted my first article in July 2017 expecting to get at least a hundred upvotes.
The first day passed, I had just 1 upvote; $0.01 total earning.
The second day came, then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh day. Nothing increased.

"Maybe they didn't like that post. Let me upload something else"

So I spent several days creating the killer content that I felt would rake in my first $500.
This one had 3 upvotes. Total earnings = $0.00 (Lol)

Because my mum had taught me the virtues of patience and perseverance, I decided to keep trying for the next 3 weeks.
At the end of the 3rd week, my estimated account value was $0.9, not even up to $1.

I got really frustrated and pissed off, and I resorted to posting referral links to some ponzi websites. "At least if they don't upvote, one or two persons might join the hyip programmes and I'll get paid."
Unfortunately for me, I was flagged for spam and my reputation score went down to 22.

"This site must be scam!", so I said. And I abandoned my account never to post anything there again.

My Motivation To Come Back

I attended a business conference in December 2017 where @vic-essien was a facilitator.
He shared how Steemit was paying his bills as a fresh graduate and how he was just a few weeks old on the platform.
I was motivated to revisit my account.

Since I came back in December 2017, more than 25 new users have been introduced to the platform and they're growing very fast. I've even created a WhatsApp group to help minnows understand how the platform really works. You can check out the group here (https://chat.whatsapp.com/BKxEkLrlFKb45nxzJ57kPx)

I now realize it was all my fault. There were few things I wasn't doing right.

Looking Forward Into The Future

The comeback to Steemit has really brought amazing new experiences to my life. I've been introduced to some Telegram, Facebook, Discord and WhatsApp groups where I can network, have fun and earn in the process.
Connecting with a mentor is now easier.
I'm now set to learn, grow and help others too.

How I Intend To Be Of Help To Others

There is high rate of poverty and unemployment in my country. Millions of children are out of school. I intend to leverage my success on Steemit to help youths in my social circle become self-sufficient. I currently have over 3, 700 active friends on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maicodon)
If I can get 500 of them who are unemployed or underemployed to join Steemit before the end of 2018, it will go a long way to change the narratives of poverty, unemployment and underemployment.

I personally know some graduates that are earning less than $100 a month from their full-time jobs. I feel saddened by this and I passionately want to see a change in this direction.

I believe I can also leverage the Steem network and the blockchain to drive advocacy for change as well as contribute to the growth of my community in line with the sustainable development goals. The goals are:

• No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good Health and Well-Being
• Quality Education
• Gender Equality
• Clean Water and Sanitation
• Affordable and Clean Energy
• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• Reduced Inequalities
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Responsible Consumption and Production
• Climate Action
• Life Below Water
• Life on Land
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Partnership for the Goals

I will encourage the growth of the Steem network by upvoting and promoting good content.
A lot of steemians get discouraged when they invest so much of their effort to create a good post but end up not getting any upvote or comment from readers.

Wrapping Up

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
I'm set to take that step and travel all the way.
The going might get tough. Discouragements might set in. There may be betrayals and disruptions in the system, but one thing I know for sure is that as long as the Steem network remains, I will use it to change the world!

Thanks for reading. Let's stay in touch @maicodon