5 Mins Mentor Tips: Tackling Imposter Syndrome with Fola Esan

Hey fabulous friends!

Can you believe we're waving goodbye to the final Monday of February? Time's flying, but guess what? We're not letting it go without a bang! Our journey this month has been all about smashing that imposter syndrome stigma. We have been sharing some game-changing insights and practical strategies. But it gets better! In this grand finale, we have wisdom straight from our rockstar Konseye Mentor, the one and only Mr. Fola Esan!

Now, let's tell you a bit about Fola. He is a powerhouse in leadership, business, and entrepreneurship. Starting in the engineering world at Schlumberger, Fola's pursuit of excellence led him to the London Business School for an MBA. And that's not the end of the story – he kept the momentum going, honing his skills at Harvard University, The Aspen Institute, and Tulsa University. Talk about a relentless quest for knowledge! Fast forward to today – Fola is the Chief Operating Officer at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), orchestrating transformations in Africa's Agricultural and Food Systems. But that's not the only hat he wears; he's also the mastermind behind Red Iroko Groups, an investment advisory firm focused on Africa. In his impressive career, Fola has held roles such as CEO and COO for renowned organizations like Lafarge and Quantum Global Group. His remarkable leadership extended to overseeing the East African Regional Group of Schneider Electric, with an annual revenue of $25 billion. He was also the Group Merger and Acquisition Manager, where he developed best-in-class M&A methodologies that yielded 14 successful acquisitions ($2.69 billion) in three years. Over a span of more than 25 years, Fola has exhibited a masterful command of strategy, innovation, and team leadership. He possesses a unique ability to steer operations, optimize resources, and foster growth. His expertise shines in emerging markets, where his insights have ignited sales acceleration, revenue growth, and profit expansion.

Fola's impact extends to providing support to start-ups. He sits on advisory boards encompassing organizations like the Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund, Injaro Agricultural Capital Holdings Ltd, The African Seed Investment Fund L.L.C (ASIF), The Mvoula Group, TouchMedia Ltd., and UTU Technologies. But Fola's story isn't confined to corporate accomplishments. He has climbed literal

peaks, including the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro's Uhuru Peak. His creative interests also include co-founding TouchMedia, a company amplifying TV and film production in Africa. Fola created and marketed a full-length movie and filmed 24 episodes of a successful TV series currently running on four Cable TV stations in Africa.

So now that we know a bit more about him, we love the fact that Fola was willing to share his personal experience with imposter syndrome as well as some concrete tips for all of us! He reminds us that it is okay to be vulnerable and ask for help. Click that button and soak in Fola's 5-minute wisdom on tackling imposter syndrome. Trust us, it's pure gold! Check it out and show Fola some love in the comments by sharing your thoughts - we'll be sure to let him know what you've said. And guess what? More mentoring magic is coming your way. So keep those eyes peeled for the next available session with him.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments and remember, with the right network anything is possible!

Have a wonderful week!

Team Konseye