A-Day-in-the-Life-of-an-Immigrant-Entrepreneur-Story-Book

30growth and increased sales. I go over next quarter targetswith the team and recommend bonuses for ourtop performers.At 7 am, I have my weekly one-hour project managementcall with my team currently working in Maryland. Theassignment is a multi-million dollar logistics managementproject for a big telecom company that has saved theclient almost $150 million nationwide. I receive an emailfrom Accenture explaining that my team attained thefastest deployment nationwide for a second time. When Iinform my team, everyone is very excited and motivated. Ilet them know dinner is on me after work.Its 8:15 am now, and I quickly drop off my four and fiveyear old children at school. We chat about their artprojects along the way.At 9 am, I arrive at the office of the healthcare companyI consult for in Fairmont Park, where I oversee a programthat helps people with disabilities become gainfullyemployed. It is very rewarding and challenging at thesame time. I meet with a potential employer to advocatefor an individual in the program. With one more jobsecured this morning, we are at 90 percent success rateof matching our intakes with the right employers.It’s 12 noon now, and I feel hungry, so I drive down toKilimanjaro Restaurant in West Philly for lunch. I ordermy favorite lamb special which really tastes good. Overlunch, I chat with a friend who is starting a new business,go over his two-page executive summary, and make somerecommendations on accessing citywide resources.At 1 pm I return back to the office responding to emailsfrom clients. At 2:15 pm, I receive a call from an unknownnumber on my cell phone, which I pick up anyway. It’s aclient whom I helped complete his grant application forthe merchant fund a while back. He calls to say thank youas the grant has been approved for $10,000.and addresses preventive health issues in Africa and theUnited States. We approve four scholarships for youth atfour different schools in Philadelphia and decide to makethe donations at the schools next Tuesday. I also give aprogress report on a new community water system andschool building WiN has just helped rebuild in EasternNigeria that accommodates 100 students.I look up, and it’s 5:30 pm. I quickly drive down toCourage Center in Overbrook Park where I teach an artclass to help children develop their creative abilities,understand money management and entrepreneurship.Today I am teaching about 20 students (ages four totwelve) how to make collage paintings and t-shirts. We allvote on the best shirt, which earns a $20 gift card fromme. The kids are really excited, and it’s a high point ofmy day even though I am tired. After an hour painting,we come together as a group and make one big piecethemed “Peace, Love and Happiness.” The kids love it andrecommend we hang it in the hallway, which we do.By now, its 7:30 pm. I drive home with my two boys andwife, who have been part of the art class as well. Overdinner we crack jokes and recap each person’s day.After this, I take a quick shower and get a little rest whilewatching my son’s favorite program, “Octonauts” on theDisney Channel.It’s 9 pm, and I am dozing off a little, ready to retire forthe night. Suddenly, a thank you text hits my phone froma happy client, which simply says, “Thank you for all yourhelp. The bank has approved our financing.” It made myday. The signature line of the text is Aristotle’s quote:“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is notan act, but a habit.” I fully agree. My life is about givingback. A busy day, but worth every minute.It’s 4 pm now, and I go to the conference room to meetwith my team at When in Need (WiN) Foundation, aPhiladelphia based non-profit where I volunteer. WiNawards educational scholarships to disadvantaged youthsA DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEUR