Nice or Naughty?

When I was younger, I published little books on how to choose the right career and what teenagers want from parents. These were amazing resources at the time (if i could say so myself)) that helped young people and families to make informed decisions. My goal was and still is to produce innovative products that make big difference in people’s lives young and old. 

Let me introduce my new invention: Nice or Naughty educational card game. This is an interactive card game designed to illustrate good behaviour to kids through play. It allows parents or teachers to engage pre-schoolers comparing good and bad behaviours as shown on the cards. 

At the ideation stage, this card game idea won first prize at University’s (UCLAN) Pecha Kucha challenge with funding to produce prototypes for testing with families. The card game was also then showcased as an innovative piece of work by a student. 

My biggest challenge has been sourcing a publisher for this card game as it differs from the conventional book production. I decided to take on this challenge through a crowdfunding campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nice-or-naughty/nice-or-naughty. It has been exciting working with illustrators from the UK, graphics designer from Pakistan and printers from Hong Kong.

Nice and Naughty card game will be on Amazon in a few days and I can’t wait to see the realisation of this dream. My vision is for this card game to go into as many homes, schools, and nurseries as possible.

"While I'm waiting"

I was listening to a song by Travis Greene “while I’m waiting”, an affirmation of his faith in God in spite of his many trials. However, he described his attitude in the process: working, reading, believing and doing, atypical in achieving great feats. Faith without work is dead! 

Trial: “a test, usually over a limited period of time, to discover how effective or suitable something or someone is” (Cambridge dictionary). 

The emphasis on duration is quite profound, my human mind tends to be quickly overwhelmed by tests forgetting their often time-bound nature, and sometimes missing the wisdom being conveyed. 

This is not to trivialise those with enormous adversity, my point is we can learn, grow and thrive in and irrespective of our trials. 

Can you think of any test you have “passed” through? They are validations of YOU much more than anything else.

Lanre Olabode

One Team, One Dream

Remarkable!
That's not a word I use so often, partly because English is not my first language. Hahaha!
The delegates at this year's @UCLan CVCL leadership bootcamp have been simply remarkable. 

A unique mix in cultural diversity and age demography. Each individual with different inspiring life stories and admirable aspirations.

Its been rewarding watching the group forming and bonding, and the interesting likes, unlikes and likes again, lol. Most importantly, it has been a pleasure to see some finding their voice and growing in confidence. 

I relish the opportunity to be part of their journey as they progress with courage and self-belief knowing that "fear kills more dreams than failure ever will". 
Cherios
Lanre Olabode

#KIDSPIRATION

I wonder what he's thinking.

This little lad has inspired me in more ways than I could have imagined. I used to talk about how we only get to watch kids channels since he started to pay attention to tv. However, I tend to enjoy some of the creative programs which I find entertaining and look forward to before school run in the morning.

I have found inspiration or #kidspiration from thinking about how to make life better for children like mine, and for young people and families. Hence my forthcoming award-winning educational card game for kids.

A wise old friend said to me yesterday, "enjoy spending time with your little one now, those days will never come back again".