MY BLOGGING JOURNEY:

0
4649

James Okere

By December 2017, I have spent four years in blogging. In brief blogging is a medium through which one demonstrates his writing skills, talents, abilities etc, thus creating a niche and a platform for the blogger or writer. The development of my website in year 2013 was instrumental to my blogging. I blog in these areas; leadership, mentorship, personality, entrepreneurship and inspirational nuggets. These areas give me joy since my calling is to inspire my readers. The core value of my website is to impact men, women and youths with values of life towards their personal and societal development; this has remained my driving desire.

On the other hand, my blogging vision is to inspire the world with positive values towards raising global leaders for life accomplishments; this I do through my inspiring blog website, www.inspireforgreatness.com

About June 2013 at the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (UNAA) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held at Aba, Abia State Eastern Nigeria was where my blogging idea was conceived. I shared a room with my friend-Nnamdi Ogwazu, a Journalist, Opinion Analyst, Public Speaker and Founder of an online media outfit; www.imostateonline.com

With him we discussed extensively on my idea; he encouraged me and told me that I have been writing but without core definition (thus, I lacked focus) and that I must define my writing core areas. He further advised I should include entrepreneurship as part of my blog, www.inspireforgreatness.com

What next? When we returned to Owerri Imo State, Eastern Nigeria after the UNAA NEC meeting, I told him to put an advert for a website developer. I told him because he has great interest in internet works and myself was just a beginner.

Nnamdi later placed an advert in the internet using his internet medium. At the end three persons showed interest. We read through their submissions. Ajewole Ayotokunbo application was the last to be read and as his submission was being read, I was attracted to his detail presentations; Nnamdi too expressed the same filling. I followed up this with Nnamdi and after few e-mail exchanges, I contracted Ajewole Ayotokunbo through Nnamdi internet medium.

We briefed Ajewole on what I wanted; he followed me up with more details towards developing my choice blogging website. As at this time, I didn’t know much about blogging. Even when I received kudos from people about my blogging works, I still never knew about blogging, but unknowing to me, I was on the right track by the Divine Grace and the Power of God working in me.

Ajewole moved into action, and myself having mentally made up on what I wanted to achieve, also moved into action of reading and writing in my core areas spanning: leadership, mentorship, personality, inspirational nuggets and entrepreneurship.

Between June 2013 and October 2013, I was working hard towards developing my contents and brand, www.inspireforgreatness.com  At the time Ajewole was ready for me, I have developed many articles for uploading. All the works got ready for uploading were typed by my lovely wife, Mrs. Adelyn Okere. Later in November 2013, the website blog went public.

Ajewole is a high level professional, reach with the intricacies of computer and internet works for persons and organizations.

As at now, when I look at my website and the contents therein, I keep asking myself; how did I come to this level? I will answer; it is by God’s Grace upon me.

Yes, I have developed blogging website, then who and who knows; this brings the issue of marketing the website and my core values to the public throughout the world. I adopted various ways to make the website become visible to the people. At every time, I was thinking on how to move the visibility of the website, each step taken to market the website create another step. From inception till date, though being an intellectual website visits to the website has remained encouraging every day.

My inspirational website team has been supportive to me in various ways. The members include; Emeka Umunnakwe, Smart Ekechukwu, Igwe Israel Okezie, Rev. Innocent Osuoha, Tochi Ewunonu, Zach Uchegbu, Ogaranya, David Nnamezie Ugowezie and Chima Ezirim. Also worthy of mention is Odinaka Onwuatuogu; now my online publishing assistant and an upcoming website developer).

The coming of Odinaka into my life in June 2015 was miraculous; a great divine arrangement. Odinaka has been supportive of some development in my website since we met. He played great roles in the publication of my first ever e-Book, “You Too Can Be Great”. where he handled the formatting works as to suit the eBook publishers, Lulu Publishers. The same he handled my second (Developing Yourself) and third (How To Excel In Life) e-book publications. Odinaka has great interest in computer and internet services. These books are available via  http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ngozi-okere/you-too-can-be-great/ebook/product-23034358.html, http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ngozi-okere/developing-yourself/ebook/product-23176780.html, http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ngozi-okere/how-to-excel-in-life/paperback/product-23359281.html

My blogging journey was instrumental to the publications of these three e-books. Also, through my blogging, the passion to champion the Donate a Book Project as a way to encourage Reading Culture amongst the youth was developed.

Also my wife, Adelyn formed a core team. From inception in year 2013, my wife was instrumental to all the word processor done in the course of promoting my inspirational website; this she did alone till year 2014. Today, the level I have accomplished in computer word processor was courtesy of her assistance and encouragement. Since July 2015, I have handled all my typing works courtesy of my wife’s counsel. She once told me, “Dede” (Dede means elder brother; one of the three names she calls me), what you are doing now (blogging) does not require a third party to handle your computer typing works? Her statement has kept me going till date.

My other team members are some of those who have read my blog works and made some remarkable remarks which have remained encouraging to me. These men and women include: Preston Vander ven (an online marketing expert), Monica Chettal (a Transformation Coach and HR Consultant), Wilbur Brown (School Presenter for K-12 Teachers at Mind Streams), Charles Schwab (an entrepreneur), Pastor Austen Nlemchukwu etc.

Also, many authors and writers have been part of my blogging journey for which I am grateful to all of them. These authors and writers include: Napoleon Hill, Brian Tracy, Pastor John C. Maxwell, Pastor Oral Roberts, Dr. Myles Munroe, Pastor Mike Murdock, Dr. Ben Carson Pastor Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer. Others are Robert H. Schuller, Norman Vincent Peale, Pastor T.D Jakes, Dr. Chris E. Kwakpovwe, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Bill Newman, Pastor Joel Osteen, Udo Okonjo, Daniel Ally, Ajah Mishara and many others; some, I have mentioned in my blogging works.

My inspirational website has given me visibility, reputation, platform, a brand name etc. It has also attracted some speaking engagements, consultancy works as well. With my website, I applied for goggle adsense advert which goggle approved after appraisal, a sign of recognition.

With the website, I am now being quoted by readers including students who now make reference to my works. My blogging website also gave me ready platform to advertise my three e-books, “You Too Can Be Great”, “Developing Yourself” and “How To Excel In Life”.

In addition, through my blogging experience, I spear headed the establishment of Inspire Foundation (IF),  Non-Governmental Organization that engages in self Enhancement and Advocacy in these areas: Mentorship, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Self and Community Development values aimed at developing the youth for self realization and advancement for a better society.

The Inspire Foundation (IF) Leadership and Mentorship Academy (IFLMA), www.inspireforgreatness.com/inspirefoundation  whose motto is Purpose Discovery towards Self and Societal Development, is a product of my Blogging Journey.

My Blogging Journey has been by the Grace of God, vision, pain, hard work, patience, determination and hope.