Last week, Fontes Foundation continued its motivational speaker series at Potentiam Youth Development Centre (PYC) by welcoming business specialist Edward Hire of AIG Uganda to talk to the Core Course students about business and innovation. He spoke about the “Spirit of Excellence” and the importance of thinking outside the box to achieve one’s dreams. Edward began the discussion by asking the students about their dreams and what they want in life. The majority of the students said that they want to start their own businesses, with the exception of two female students, one of whom dreams to go to London while the other would like to play for Manchester United football team.

Edward Hire talking to the students.

Edward Hire spoke enthusiastically about dreaming big, and about the importance of not letting oneself get discouraged by a situation or environment. He assured the students that if they dream, they will be surprised by how far they can go: “dream big, no matter the environment around you; the first step is to dare to dream.” He went on to stress the importance of challenging one’s mind and of thinking outside the box: “if you change your mind, your world will start to change.” The students were asked to think about how they could push themselves to achieve their goals. They were reminded that everything people do is a mind-set and that if you look at life differently- doing everything with a “spirit of excellence”- you can be successful.  Edward Hire explained that you have to work hard and pay the price to achieve your goals, explaining the “Principles of Excellence” which can be used to help define and push oneself.

According to Edward Hire, excellent people:

1. Do not settle for the average.
2. Pursue solutions.
3. Possess ethics and integrity.
4. Say what they mean and mean what they say.
5. Go the extra mile; an excellent spirit always goes beyond the call of duty.
6. Are consistent in everything they do.
7. Give 100%; they pay the price to meet an objective.
8. Have a signature: something that defines them.
9. Never compare themselves with anyone but themselves.
10. Are always looking for solutions for people in their societies.

Students taking notes during the business and innovation talk.

Excellence is therefore defined as the highest quality; it originates in your mind, translates in your speech and is demonstrated in your life. Edward Hire encouraged the students to look for ways to improve their lives to get to where they want to be, motivating them by reminding them that it is possible to make money with any business. He made suggestions of ways to make money – saving, lending, providing insurance, selling food, services, and more. He gave examples of successful people who started with very small sums of money and managed to grow their own businesses. It was very inspirational for the students to hear success stories and reflect on how they too could achieve their dreams. So, PYC’s business and innovation talk left the students asking themselves the question: “how can I push myself?” Edward Hire encouraged them to set goals for themselves that can push them even further in life, step by step, as Elbert Hubbard once said: “There is no failure except in no longer trying.”

Thank you Edward for such an inspirational talk!

The students with Edward Hire after the talk.