Leveling Up: Why Personal Growth Is the Secret Fuel Behind Every Venture I Build

A few months ago, I stood at the edge of a decision that terrified me: hosting the first-ever Africa Development Summit (ADS). I’d organized events before, but this was different. Bigger vision. Higher stakes. No roadmap. I remember thinking, “Who do you think you are trying to pull this off?”

But something in me said try anyway.

My Experience:

What followed were weeks of chaos: sleepless nights, cold calls, messy logistics, and far more mistakes than I care to admit. There were moments I genuinely thought it wouldn’t work.

But despite all the imperfections, it happened.

ADS launched. People showed up. Real conversations about Africa’s future took place. And I walked away not just as a founder, but as a better one. The version of me that came out the other side, wasn’t the same person who started.

That experience taught me something profound:

When you take on challenges above your “level,” you’re forced to grow into the person who can meet them.

It’s a lesson I carry with me every day, not just in running ADS, but also in building my other ventures. And it’s one I now embed into everything we do at ADS.

Today, I’m proud to share that in the next three months, we’re expanding Africa Development Summit to more universities across Nigeria.

We’re going deeper into personal and leadership development for African youth, because the truth is:

If Africa is the youth, then to develop Africa, we must develop its youths.

Lesson Learned:

A lot of people think personal development means reading books or taking courses. And while those are great, that’s not the whole story.

Sometimes, growth comes from throwing yourself into challenges that force you to level up, and level up fast.

I call it the “Level 3 Task” Principle:

If you’re at Level 1, and you take on a Level 3 challenge, completing it will pull you up to Level 3 — if you commit.

You’ll learn by necessity. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll build resilience. And by the end, you’ll look back and realize:

I’m not who I was before. I’ve grown.

Whether you’re a founder, student, or professional, ask yourself:

• Are you choosing challenges that stretch you?
• When was the last time you said “yes” to something that scared you, and then figured it out on the way?
• Are you growing, or just grinding?

You don’t always need a course. Sometimes you need a mountain.

Climb it.

This is just a glimpse into the real, behind-the-scenes journey of building ventures in Africa.

If you found this helpful or inspiring, I’d love for you to subscribe to my blog  and follow the ongoing journey: lessons, mistakes, wins and all.

Let’s grow together.