Asher's Blog

It was much easier for me to have a mentor in my early twenties, largely because I knew how much I didn’t know. I was hungry, curious, and very aware of my limitations. I wanted to start a business, I was broke, and I deeply craved success but beyond that, I genuinely wanted to do things the right way. Because of that, I was intentional about choosing mentors who inspired me and whose lives reflected the kind of future I was hoping to build.

One of my earliest mentors was someone I worked for. At the time, I wanted to start a business in Lagos, and he was the only person I knew who was successfully running a business there while also maintaining a high-profile career. I believed that if he could pull that off, then the chances of me learning something meaningful from him were high. I also had another mentor who shaped the way I thought about strategy. That influence was pivotal during my first job and my first business because it trained me to think from first principles. It clarified my thinking, sharpened my communication, and helped me articulate ideas in a way that people could actually understand and trust.

These mentors pushed me hard, sometimes uncomfortably so. One moment that still stands out vividly was when I led a major project for Dangote Cement, working directly with very senior leadership teams, including executives at Access Bank. I was responsible for managing the project end-to-end, coordinating teams across all 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, while operating primarily out of Lagos. It was a massive responsibility for someone at that stage of their career.

My mentor had rejected the first two proposals I submitted for how we would execute the project. I still remember the final conversation clearly. He looked at me and said, “Asher, I’m not going to accept anything mediocre. Go back and give me a better proposal. This is your last chance.” That night, and the morning after, I prayed deeply before presenting the revised plan to him.

He studied it carefully and asked many questions. But even with all the questions, there was really only one that mattered. “Are you sure this plan will work?” What I had proposed was completely different from the original approach, it was untested and bold but it would save the company ₦30 million, and this was back in 2012 or 2013. Eventually, he trusted me.

That project was delivered flawlessly. Dangote Cement extended the engagement, the company made tens of millions more in profit, and I received an award as a “cerebral doer,” along with a cash gift. Till today, my mentor still tells that story – how I dismantled his original plan and rebuilt something entirely different. That project opened doors for me, allowed me to travel extensively across Nigeria, and gave me the opportunity to inspire young people who worked on the project. I employed friends and friends of friends who earned decent income, and honestly, that felt incredibly fulfilling. What else is friendship about if not lifting one another?

When I started my second business, the challenges became much bigger, and they still are. The truth is, I now wish I had a mentor who has already walked the path I’m currently on. I’m learning constantly, but often, the learning comes after mistakes have already been made.

One painful lesson I learned the hard way was ignoring the importance of a co-founder agreement. At the time, it didn’t feel necessary. But circumstances change, people change, interpretations change, and without structure, even well-meaning relationships can sour. That lesson cost me more than I expected.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that a good business leader prioritises preserving business capital over looking good. The right decisions are rarely the most comfortable ones. As a founder, your responsibility is to allocate resources judiciously, not emotionally, and to do so with wisdom and expert guidance. Capital must be protected before it can be multiplied.

I’ve also learned that negotiation takes time and preparation. Tough conversations are inevitable, and decisions must be made with counsel and documented properly. If an agreement isn’t written down and signed, it cannot be enforced. Negotiation is a skill that develops over time, and the frequency of difficult discussions increases as the business grows. Making that clear upfront helps manage expectations for everyone involved.

Another lesson that has become central to my journey is making God my business partner, not as a concept, but as a daily reality. I speak to Him every day and depend on Him deeply, because He is the most important person in the business, the one partner we cannot afford to lose. Our ambitions are massive, sometimes even intimidating, and without His wisdom, understanding, and grace, they would feel impossible. We depend on His blessing, the kind that brings growth without sorrow, and on His power to make us a blessing to the world.

I’m also learning how to balance my roles as a husband, father, son, and brother but that’s a reflection for another day.

For now, this is what I know: mentors matter deeply. They accelerate growth, sharpen judgment, and help you avoid costly mistakes. And when you don’t have one, the learning still happens but often at a higher price.That’s my honest reflection.