Book Review…A more than handy book for the business-minded

Oct 29, 2017 Book Review…, Features / Columnists

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Book: 7 Tips for the Virgin Entrepreneur – Doing it for the first time
Author: Kwame MA McPherson
Critic: Dr Glenville Ashby

Kwame MA McPherson’s 7 Tips for the Virgin Entrepreneur fuses self-development

theories, anecdotes and philosophical thought to produce a compelling, instructive thesis. No doubt this award-winning author forays into the field of existentialism.
There is a profound philosophical element to his writing. At the outset he pens, “It wasn’t about how many qualifications or formal education one has achieved, but about having the right mindset, being in the right place at the right time to capitalise on the right opportunity (or opportunities) and the Universe bestows ceaselessly.”
There is that Eureka moment, the epiphany that his life was destined to transcend mediocrity. He pounces on an idea and that gut feeling is ever present. He is on to something. “I have no idea whether this opportunity will be the golden cup bedecked with emeralds and sapphires,” he writes, “but what I do know and see was the path opening before me with every step I made. Damn, I’m riding this train until it runs right off the rails or out of gas…whichever came first!”
We drink from his half-full glass, a glass that is never empty. He is never cowed by failure, viewing bumps in the road as essential to maturity and wisdom.
McPherson gives credence to our inexhaustible potential. His writing reflects his steadfastness, his unswerving belief in his potential and destiny. Here, he raises the concept of preordainment.
But McPherson is no slave to destiny. He offers definitive strategies for success, one of which he calls the 5Ps – Patience, Persistence, Perseverance, Practice (effectively applying the lessons learned from the first 3 Ps), and Power – an attribute McPherson describes as “the most awesome as it encompasses the other four and can only be realised from the knowledge that emanates from within.”
He also cautions against naysayers. “To overcome the negativity, create a formula of self-belief and confidence; establish an environment for reflection and inspiration and importantly associate with other positive thinkers… [I]t is important to have the support that’ll take you from where you are to where you need to be. So anybody who saps your energy, critically criticises

you or your ideas, brings an energy which contravenes your own – love them but run!” He adds, “It is best to create a Mastermind Team of people with similar aims to yourself.”
He exhorts us to reflect on our station in life. And in his most provocative assertion, he states that wherever we are in life we are destined to be. We must reconstruct our lives on every turn; know precisely what we want out of life.
We begin to understand the dynamic interplay of internal and external forces and how they impact us. ‘Man Know Thyself’ is his counsel.
Entrepreneurship, he argues, is rooted in creativity and community. Ultimately, it is never self-centered. It’s about altruism, philanthropy and self-realization.
Capturing that entrepreneurial spirit isn’t magical. Maybe we are hamstrung by circumstances and lack of understanding. But with “vision, confidence and faith” it can be cultivated.
McPherson delivers an inspiring work that resonates on multiple levels. We identify with his travails, his failures and successes. We have been ground by the 9 to 5 wheel. Our worth has oftentimes been devalued by superiors. We are repeatedly worn down but rise up time and time again. Call it survival. McPherson wrenches at this foreboding picture. “I would never ever allow anyone else to determine or place a value on who I am and the Creator-given talents I have. That’s the word I gave myself.”
He concedes that entrepreneurship is far from easy. He acknowledges his costly mistakes: “I was taking action – yes – but without the right knowledge, experience or expertise. I leapt into the unknown without being suitably prepared, and so a few properties and couple of businesses later, I was in debt to the tune of CA$80k; with everything eventually disappearing, my naivety and lack of knowledge.”
He continues, “I had to learn lessons and early on in my entrepreneurial existence I would choose the wrong partners in which to work with. How had this come about? It came from seeking self-adulation, working from a place of egotism rather than seeing people for who they really were. Sometimes, we want to see what we want to see rather than see what is, as the signs are always there, always on show.”
Still, McPherson persevered and now writes to guide others on this noble path. Surely, our dedication will be put to the test as it has never been. But there is an ineffable reward – a sense of accomplishment. A priceless feeling if ever there was.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail .com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby
7 Tips for the Virgin Entrepreneur – Doing it for the first time by Kwame MA McPherson © 2016 Kwame McPherson
Available: www.kwamemcpherson. com and www.lulu.com
Ratings: Highly recommended

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