Rachel Ngom Interviews Uyi Abraham: He Moved to America with only $100 in his Pocket

Uyi Abraham is a serial entrepreneur, an African immigrant relocating to America with only $100 in his pocket and a suitcase of clothes. Despite humble beginnings, he has attained the cream of entrepreneurial success and is devoted to helping others live their dreams through entrepreneurship.

Takeaways

• Uyi said his first lightbulb moment was when he was given access to redo the church’s website. He realized he could make $4,000 a month by redoing websites for people. Over time he said there has been so many ups and downs, trying new things.
• He talked about how he doesn’t do websites anymore. The business you start with, Uyi says, is not the one you’ll end up with! He said that if he would have waited for the 6 figure business he has now, he never would have gotten to where he is. You have to START and figure it out along the way.
• Uyi Abraham tried so many different things before his current business took off. He shared that his story wasn’t about some idea he had and over night he had a million dollar business– NO! He changed his niche so many times and continued to solve his clients problems and reinvent himself.
• “Until I have at least $100,000 I’m still broke”– Uyi said that he considered himself broke until he had $100,000. He would keep it, reinvest it, and put it aside so he could have the success he wants. There was no spending without reason. You have to be disciplined and focus on where your money goes.
• Vonza was started by Uyi trying to create a platform where entrepreneurs can have an all in one online business platform for them to run their business in one place. Online courses, physical products, SMS, sales funnels, membership sites, email marketing, websites, etc.
• Sometimes people are afraid of change, especially in the online space. Uyi compares this to Uber–If someone only takes taxis they’ll be hesitant about Uber. However, it is a simpler, easier, all in one place platform. And that is what he compares Vonza to–creating a 1-stop-shop for entrepreneur online business.
• Imposter syndrome was a big challenge that Uyi faced. He felt inferior because he was a black man with an accent in a tech world that was all white men. He felt people wouldn’t trust the software because of who he was. He looked into finding a white face for a CEO which makes my heart break. It was harder for him to get funding, be taken seriously, etc. He solved this problem by focusing on his product and the quality. He said that the product would fund itself and that is exactly what it did. Wow what an incredible story.
• Uyi says that leading Vonza is one of the most challenging things he’s ever done. He has felt inadequate to lead and has felt depressed, overwhelmed, etc. There are always so many hurdles as a start up entrepreneur. However, Uyi says that what he does to emotionally grow is spend time talking to his wife, he has 2 business coaches and he also takes more time off of the computer for his own growth. He goes on bike rides, plays tennis and tries to improve his social interactions outside of business to grow as a person.
• Business growth is tied to emotional growth. When you feel overwhelmed in business, you probably feel it in your daily life. Uyi said perseverance is what sets the ones who make it apart from the ones who give up.
• Take a walk. If you are feeling overwhelmed in your business, get outside. Go away from your computer, get outside your own head. You probably need a new perspective and often times even a solution to the greater problem. This is Uyi’s go to strategy to totally feel better.
• Uyi says at the end of the day, it’s about the value you can give. Adding joy, adding value to ordinary people’s lives. That is what is going to move the needle in your business’s growth, and in your life as a whole.

Watch the Full Episode

Highlights

• (3:42) A little more about Uyi, how he moved to America and got started as an entrepreneur.
• (4:29) How Uyi created the life he has now from only coming to America with $100.
• (9:02) How being frugal and disciplined got him where he is today.
• (10:52) Uyi’s “marketplace ministry.”
• (14:19) All about Vonza, Uyi’s business.
• (18:12) Some of the programs that Vonza does for entrepreneurs.
• (19:40) Pricing for Vonza vs. how much you spend on other programs.
• (22:09) Some challenges that Uyi has encountered in creating his business.
• (25:30) Why you don’t always need outside funding.
• (27:24) How Uyi develops emotional capacity to run his business.
• (30:21) When Uyi is stuck in a level of his business, what does he do to push through?
• (31:57) What’s the best book Uyi’s ever read?
• (34:01) What does it mean to Uyi to make an impact?
• (34:58) Where you can connect with Uyi Abraham.

Quotes

“The business you start with is not always the one you end with.”

“Entrepreneurship is about adding value and people paying you for that value.”

“Until I have at least $100,000 I’m still broke.”

“Think beyond yourself.”

“Vonza is an entrepreneur’s dream.”

“Entrepreneurship challenges you to grow like no other.”

Resources

Connect with Uyi Abraham:

Create an Account For FREE on Vonza

Books Mentioned in the Episode:

“All You Can Do Is All You Can Do, But All You Can Do Is Enough” by AL Williams