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“I know that I’m not the best singer, and I know that I’m not the best dancer, but I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in pushing people’s buttons.” She also stated in a 2006 Time Interview regarding her adoption of a Malawian boy, “There is a part of me that is secretly enjoying pissing people off, because I know that when you’re pissing people off you’re often doing the right thing. What I hope I’m doing better now than I used to do is picking the right battles to fight, and not just being provocative for the sake of being provocative.” – Madonna Louis Veronica Siccone  

 

“I am a very disciplined person, I sleep a certain number of hours each night, then I like to get up and get on with it. All that means I am in charge of everyhing that comes out.” 

 

 

Jeff Katzenberg of Dreamworks said “ She has always had a vision of exactly who she is, whether performer or business woman and she has been strong enough to balance it all. Everytime she comes out with a new look it has been successful. When it happens once, ok, may be its luck, but twice is a coincidence and three times its got to be a remarkable talent” 

“I have met people along the way in my career and want to take them everywhere I go. I want to invorporate them into my little factory of ideas. I also come in contact with young talent that I feel entrepreneural about.” 

 

Since, I may not be able to tell her whole story, here is bit and pieces, I need to drive my point home: 

In 1978, at the age of 19, came to NewYork with $35. 

1. She has no musical talent, dancing, vocalist, songwriter or actress. At least she was average.
2. She was very disciplined and knew where she was going
3. She constantly re-invent herself: from the street kid look in the 80’s to the hard rock sexuality in the 90’s and the spiritual image that accompanied motherhood.
4. At the age of 44, she is still the world’s highest earning female performer.
5. All her projects have turned to gold (Midas touch):; her deal with gap, her children’s book “the English Roses”
6. She draws heavily on the talent of others to get to where she is. Many of her personal relationship has been stepping stones to carer transition.From Dance to Music, first Steve Bray and Johne Benitex(D.J).and entry into Holiday from marriage to Sean Penn and affair to Warren Beatty.
7. Her confession tour has the highest grossing tour for a female in the whole world with estimated 1.2 million people in attendant.

This is the sequel to “The New Nigeria” 

This is going to be the 10^th time I am reading Madonna’s article on wikipedia; I have always found her very amusing and she has inspired me in many ways. I have never heard of anyone so popular with such singleness of purpose in our contemporary times. She has a vision which she clearly stated in her first qoute above Despite her lack of talent in all the industry she excelled in, she was able to be true to herself. 

 

What led me to this enigmatic lady? Jamb question! I was watching “E’s Forbes most richest women entertainer in the world” and she was ranked number 3 after T.K. Rowlings (2^nd ranked) and Oprah (1^st Ranked) but this was not what really touched me; I heard a remark about her that really surprised; “Madonna is the richest female musician in the world and has sold more records than any female singer; her confession tour is the highest grossing tour by a female”. After listening to these remarks, these were the questions that came to my mind; “ How can a woman who was heavily critisized for not having musical talent be the highest grossing musician?” “How can a woman who was openly critisized by the world, still sell records to the same world and they all bought it?” “How can a woman perceived as “immoral” write book for kids and it is a best seller?” “How can a woman place the highest rate for a concert and the concert was jam packed?” 

 

These are the questions that led me to Jabez second prayer “…that you may enlarge my coast” Madonna’s story reminded me of Jabez’s where she is more distinguished than her fellow sister but her name meant sorrow to the world. When the name Madonna is called, the mind quickly runs to sexual truancy, controversy and religious bigot but beyond this branding she is able to influence a huge population of the world. This is what Jabez was praying for when he said that “you may enlarge my coast”; simply put that you may make me influential amongst my peers which is a vital element to lead whatever genre we find ourselves. How can Nigeria become influential despite her perceived name? How can you on a personal level be influential with a negative connotation to your name? This is what we have to find out when the world can call someone a “sexual pervert” and can in turn pay heavily to attend the person’s concert. The simple word for it is called “Integrity”; there is a lack of this element in the world but it is what makes a nation influential and fruitful. The bible makes it clear “righteousness improves a nation”. That is right standing between your words and your action. Why would you condemn the very the thing that you can use your hard earned resources to procure? Why would a country with one of the highest moral institutions (churches and mosques) harbor the most corrupt individuals? These are questions if reviewed on a deeper level would produce the needed answers.

 

 

 

Let’s look at how integrity relates to branding and the effect to Nigerian’s name; if I produce a product (let me make it specific – an MP3 mobile device) and I call it POeT Pod. If I want POeT Pod to be a brand that everyone relates to; I would advertise this product in various media platforms like newspapers, radio, TV, cable, etc and tell the public the benefits they could derive from it but if they buy one of my product and it does not meet the perceived benefit I advertise, POeT Pod would never be a brand no matter the ads I run. On the flip side if the value derived from POeT Pod exceeds the perceived benefit, it would be a brand to be recommended by everybody. This is how brands are formed through effective promotion and experience. If Madonna looks at the world and say this is who I am and she exemplifies who she says she is; she would definitely be a brand no matter the perceived value.

 

 

Integrity means the total alignment between perception and reality. This is the only way fruitfulness can be achieved. Let’s take some time to think about it; Nigeria has everything (brilliant human capital, most demanded resource in the world-OIL, beautiful weather and climate, natural disaster free- no hurricane, no volcano, etc) but lacks integrity. It is very difficult to trust your neighbors in business, armored cars and bullet-proof vehicles are everywhere to protect yourself from your neighbor, etc. If the bible says only righteousness can exults a nation; neither wisdom nor abundant resources can exult a nation. It is the basic trust between neighbors. Almost every house has a fence and a gate; the fences are sometimes bigger than the houses with barb wires on top of each house. In developed nations, the need for security is low while in developing or underdeveloped nation, the need to security is very high. The level of development is directly proportional to the level of trust between neighbors of a nation. When integrity reigns within the people in a country, growth is inevitable.      

 

 

This is how brands are made through integrity; this is how influence is made through integrity. Anything that is not born out of integrity fizzles out on time. This is the only way to enlarge your coast by making your words align to your actions…….

 

 

 

PART 4 COMES OUT SOON…..