“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy. For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter another.” – Anatole France
Towards the end of yesterday, as I was finalising the day’s essay, I felt this flood of emotions about the uncertainty of my growth journey. Unlike a lot of people who would rather stick to a career path that they didn’t love because it’s paying their bills (the safe choice in this terrible economy), I’m pushing myself to explore an uncertain path. “Am I crazy to be doing this?” “What if it doesn’t work out as I have envisioned?” “Should I not just do the safe thing that others are doing?”
I had all these vulnerable thoughts in my head and I realised that we don’t talk enough about transitions—the liminal spaces between what was and what will be. We celebrate the start of new ventures and the success of established ones, but rarely do we appreciate the messy, uncertain periods when people are caught between phases. This is sad because it’s in these transitions that growth happens. It’s where we redefine ourselves, test our limits, and prepare for what’s next. We should be celebrating people through these periods too…or at least be there for them.
If you think about it, most of life is spent in these in-between moments. They’re uncomfortable and sometimes agonising, but they’re also necessary. And for the sake of community, this phase in the lives of those around us should also be important. So, how can we do better; for ourselves and others in this phase of uncertainty? A good place may be to look at the lives of others who have lived through these transitional periods and learn how we can navigate them to emerge stronger, wiser, and more successful.
The first lesson is to:
Have The Courage to Pivot.
In yesterday’s essay, I talked about Ibukun Awosika, and I’ll be talking about her again today. Before she became the first female Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Awosika faced a major transition in her career. She started her professional journey as an accountant, but in 1989, she made a bold decision to leave her job and follow her passion for furniture making. Without formal training in carpentry or business management, she founded Quebees Limited, a furniture manufacturing company, and later The Chair Centre Group.
That reads like an adventure and I’m sure that it was for her. But that path also sounds like it was not smooth. She had to navigate a male-dominated industry, facing scepticism and challenges at every turn. But you know what she did? She embraced the uncertainty of her chosen path and committed to her vision, and eventually, she grew the business into a major player in Nigeria’s furniture industry. Eventually, her business success caught the attention of the corporate world, leading to her historic role at First Bank. You don’t need to have lived her life to know that the transitions she went through were tough, but they set the stage for her to break barriers and achieve groundbreaking success.
The second lesson is to get ready to face:
The Challenges of Reinvention.
For this lesson, we will be exploring the story of Jason Njoku, the co-founder of iROKOtv. Before creating one of Africa’s leading streaming services, Jason experienced his fair share of business failures. He tried and failed at multiple ventures, including a T-shirt business and a student magazine. At one point, he even moved back in with his mother, a humbling experience for someone trying to make it as an entrepreneur.
But instead of giving up, Jason embraced the uncertainty of his transition period. He saw an opportunity in Nollywood, a film industry that was underrepresented online. Despite having no background in the film industry, he and his co-founder launched iROKOtv in 2010. It went on to be an instant success although funding was a constant struggle and convincing Nollywood producers to distribute their movies online was an uphill battle. But through persistence and adaptability, Jason turned iROKOtv into a pioneering platform that’s often called the “Netflix of Africa”.
For someone who struggles with consistency (pointing at myself), Jason’s story fuels me to just stay the course. I’m used to experiencing challenges, and in the past, I’ve not been great at managing them. But reflecting on the magnitude of challenges that Jason faced (and conquered) motivates me.
Next up, lesson number three is about understanding:
The Value of Feedback.
An often underappreciated aspect of navigating transitions is the value of feedback. I mean, in our Nigerian way, we don’t hold back from giving feedback at the start of one’s journey. Even at the point when they are successful and we want to celebrate with them, we will definitely find some unsolicited feedback to make them feel great about themselves (or feel bad if you’re a hater).
Anyway, when you’re in between things, it’s easy to feel lost, like you’re fumbling around in the dark. This is the point when feedback can be your flashlight. It illuminates what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make informed adjustments. This is especially important during transitions because it’s a time of experimentation and iteration.
Time for a story that defines this lesson? Then let’s look at the story of Olugbenga Agboola, the CEO of Flutterwave. Before co-founding the fintech company that’s revolutionising payments across Africa, Agboola had to navigate several transitions in his career. He worked in various roles in tech, finance, and product management at companies like PayPal and Google, gaining diverse experiences but not finding a clear path for his future. According to him, it was during these years of transition that he received feedback from mentors and industry experts that shaped his vision.
When he finally co-founded Flutterwave, he applied these insights to solve a major pain point in African commerce—cross-border payments. Feedback from early users and partners helped him refine the product, leading to Flutterwave’s rapid growth and success. Today, it’s one of the continent’s most valuable startups, and Agboola credits much of this success to being open to feedback and willing to pivot based on what he learned.
Imagine if he didn’t receive feedback at those early stages. Oh, imagine if he wasn’t receptive to all of the feedback! All of that effort may have been wasted.
Anyway, ready for lesson four? It’s to appreciate:
The Power of the In-Between Phase.
Transitions are uncomfortable because they force us to confront what we don’t know. We’re caught between identities, shedding old skins while the new ones are still forming. A very vulnerable phase to be in if I do say so myself. But there’s immense power in this phase to become adaptable, learn to navigate ambiguity and find the courage to forge new paths.
According to Melinda French Gates in her Stanford University commencement address, the key to thriving in these periods is to embrace the uncertainty, rather than resist it. This means being open to new experiences, seeking out feedback, and understanding that growth is not always linear. It means recognising that what feels like a setback could actually be a setup for something greater.
For a real-life story of a Nigerian who you probably can relate to, here’s the journey of Tara Fela-Durotoye. Before she became a household name in the Nigerian beauty industry with House of Tara, she was a law student with no formal training in makeup artistry. After graduating, she decided to pursue her passion for makeup, launching her business from her living room. She has repeatedly said that it wasn’t a smooth ride—she faced financial challenges, and the market for professional makeup services was virtually non-existent at the time.
But she embraced the uncertainty, building her business one client at a time, while innovating and expanding the scope of her services. Today, House of Tara has grown to become an institution that has trained thousands of makeup artists and empowered countless women to pursue entrepreneurship. Her success was not a straight line—it was the result of navigating the in-between, learning from setbacks, and remaining committed to her vision.
The last lesson for this essay is to:
Embrace the Uncertainty of your Journey
If you’re in a period of transition right now, take heart. I know that it’s not easy. I’m learning this in real-time so you’re in good company. Anyway, it’s easy to look at successful people and assume they’ve always had it figured out. But the truth is, everyone has felt lost at some point. Everyone has faced moments where the path forward was anything but clear. Especially most of these successful people whose pictures are on our vision boards and whose stories are etched on our hearts.
But from the stories we discussed above, the key is to embrace the uncertainty and keep moving. Seek feedback and act on them, experiment with new ideas no matter how big or small, and be willing to pivot when you must even if it doesn’t feel like you’re ready. The discomfort you probably feel is not a sign of failure, but a sign of growth. Remember that the caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly overnight, and neither will you.
I like the quote that says success is not just about the destination but how you navigate the in-between. It’s about who you become while you’re figuring the crazy ‘in-betweens’ out. So, if you’re caught between things right now, embrace it. It’s not the end of the story—it’s just the beginning of a new chapter for you.
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