Pursuing The American Dream

My journey to success in America was not what I imagined it would be. Before I left Nigeria, I was overjoyed at the prospect of all that was ahead of me but I wasn’t prepared for the hardships. What followed were some of the most difficult years of my life. I faced constant rejection and disappointment before I finally found my purpose.

In 2005, I moved to America to pursue my version of the American dream. I graduated from Babcock University, with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and was at the top of my class. I was going to marry the man I loved, discover a new country, and find a good use for my degree in a career I enjoyed. I felt buoyant with possibility.

I soon realized that the reality of America was not all that I hoped. 

After settling into married life, I decided to venture into the American job market. I was confident that my degree combined with my prior experience at Shell Nigeria and KPMG Nigeria would allow me to have my choice of jobs. I searched for months, growing more and more despondent with each day that passed and I was still without a job. Months soon turned into years without so much as one job opportunity. Despite my previous internships, every prospective employer pointed to my lack of experience as a reason not to hire me.

I finally landed a job in 2008. I was super excited with high hopes that my dreams were finally coming through. But after 4 months of being on the job, I got laid off.

I was disappointed but still determined. I consulted with several people in the industry and each one told me that I lacked American education. I felt as if everything I achieved before I came to America meant nothing to American employers! Pregnant with my second son, I enrolled in an American school to get my master’s degree. It was a very difficult time in my life. My course load was heavy, and my instructors showed no sympathy toward me when I struggled with the pains and sickness of pregnancy.

I was determined, and my difficulties did not deter me. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA, once again near the top of my class. I got my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification as icy on the cake. When I finally got to touch my degree, it was like being able to hold my future in my hands. Since moving to America, all the rejection I faced, dampened my enthusiasm. Now, I felt the same hope as I did on the day I left Nigeria.

I was not prepared for the disappointment that was still in store for me. The financial market collapsed when I entered the job market again. The level of rejection I faced this time far surpassed what I had experienced in my first years in America. I applied to twenty jobs a day, used my networking skills, got invitations to interview, and prepped as well as I could…and still, not one job offer. It was devastating. I had poured years of my life and all my effort into pursuing a corporate job. The disappointment of being judged as not good enough was overwhelming.

Then, my husband asked me a simple question: “Why do you want a corporate job?”

I had never asked myself that. I had always imagined myself as the corporate type. Dressed in power suits, attending important meetings, and holding prestigious briefs. I didn’t question whether I would enjoy doing any of those things; a corporate job felt like the only option. But I had followed all the rules, done everything I could, and I hadn’t secured a corporate job. Did God have a better plan I could not see?

Discovering My Passion

After much soul-searching and prayer, I decided to stop pursuing a corporate career. 

Again, a simple question from my husband: “What are you passionate about?”

The answer came – shopping and helping people. “Can you turn any of those passions into a business?” he asked. At first, the question stumped me. How could I turn shopping and helping people into a business? Then I realized I had already been doing a combination of those passions for years. I helped my sister start her business selling American products in Nigeria. I had helped friends and families shop in the US from Nigeria. Every time, I exceeded their expectations.

Shortly after discovering this new idea for a business, my friend invited me to a professional women’s conference at Rice University. I felt privileged and inspired to meet women who were excelling in their areas of business. It dawned on me that I could be successful in doing something I loved, too. Instead of chasing after American companies and contributing to their dream, I could build my own dream.

I reached out to a woman I networked with and asked her to help me start a company around my passion. We called it Heroshe: “meaning”. I had found my meaning. People who were happy with my previous service referred me to friends and business took off faster than I could have imagined. Now, a corporate career seems unimaginable. I wanted a corporate job so much that I never stopped to ask myself why.

Fulfilling My Purpose

Heroshe is a 7-figure e-commerce logistics company. We’re on a mission to improve lives by opening access to global commerce through logistics, access, and payment solutions. Heroshe has brought meaning to roughly 40k customers by giving them access to global commerce. Many customers have started their businesses and have found meaning as I did. 3 co-founders lead Hersohe, inspiring and empowering a team of 44+ people working across the USA, Nigeria, Canada, Ghana, and Australia.

If you find yourself chasing a corporate career, ask yourself “why”. You have a purpose within you greater than you can imagine. Don’t let anyone place limitations on what you can achieve. All those years of applying for jobs, I let other people tell me “no” when I should have told myself “yes”. If you find yourself in a similar situation as I was or are in a corporate job you don’t enjoy, you can have a different life if you believe and take action.

My purpose of helping people is still at my core. Over the years, I’ve seen my purpose expand beyond helping people shop to helping women start their own businesses. I want to help women find the same freedom I did. I understand the fear, pain, and depression that come from rejection and disappointment.

I’m on a mission to help female working professionals with a desire to start their own service businesses become first-time service entrepreneurs.

LEAVE A COMMENT!

Thank you so much for reading my story. I hope you were inspired to rise above rejection and say yes to yourself. Did this post add value to you? I’ll love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.