On Sunday December 18, 2022 I was invited to speak at TEDxAwaji 2022. The theme was “Ikigai,” a Japanese word meaning “purpose in life” or “raison d’être.”

My talk “The Power of Asking the Right Questions” covers my 8.5-year journey from early 2014 to late 2022 (age 22 to 30), from my first job to going solo and uncovering my calling. I tell stories to connect my life experiences and give you many useful life lessons.

I won’t spoil it for you. I think it’s worth your time. I condensed 10 years of ups and downs, various personal transformations and lessons I still benefit from today into a 17.5 minute rollercoaster ride.

But as a teaser I talk about:

• How I dealt with the toughest situation in my life
• Why I moved to the other side of the world
• How I improved my relationships
• The various ways I learnt to manage, control and change my emotions… at will
• How I went from culturally oblivious to being well-liked
• All the ways in which I failed to find my “ikigai” (aka “purpose in life)…and the way with which I found it
• How I went from being a productive “robot”… to a procrastinator… to a productive “human”
• The ways I’ve found to continuously increase my happiness, fulfilment and effectiveness… week after week
• The 1 question that has changed my perspective on life, love and success

If any of this resonates, it’s worth a listen. Even if it doesn’t resonate, I think it’s worth a listen.

Full transcript (English and Japanese): https://jimbouman.com/tedxawaji-the-power-of-asking-the-right-questions/

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Website: https://jimbouman.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbouman/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjpbouman

Want to do business in West Africa but don’t know where to start?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this series that dives into the ins and outs of doing business in West Africa.

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, CEOs of large conglomerates: we’ve got something for all of you.

In today’s episode of Business in West Africa, David Kpondehou, CEO of Africa Samurai Consulting, explains to me how and where to find office space in West Africa, whether he recommends foreign companies to buy or rent an office space and what the general acquisition process of office space in West Africa looks like.

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(00:00) Introduction and recap of previous episode

(00:25) How and where to find office space in West Africa

(02:23) Buying vs renting office space in West Africa

(03:45) Average length of a rental agreement in West Africa

(05:29) Property insurance in West Africa

(05:50) Property managers in West Africa

(06:40) Best location to rent an office for foreign companies

(08:02) Summary

(09:10) Wrap-up

_______________

Get in touch

Jim Bouman

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

David Kpondehou / CEO at Africa Samurai Consulting

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Africa Diaspora Network Japan

Want to do business in West Africa but don’t know where to start?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this series that dives into the ins and outs of doing business in West Africa.

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, CEOs of large conglomerates: we’ve got something for all of you.

In today’s episode of Business in West Africa, David Kpondehou, CEO of Africa Samurai Consulting, explains to me the state of internet access and cellular coverage in Benin and other parts of West Africa. We also discuss the WiFi options for companies, different providers and how people generally communicate with each other on their phones these days.

_______________

(00:00) Introduction and recap of previous episode

(00:25) Which is more common in West Africa: computer or smartphone

(01:05) Do companies provide a phone

(01:52) Smartphones or old-school flip phones

(02:28) Prepaid vs subscription

(03:32) Data vs calls vs SMS

(04:32) Communication via data vs communication via phone network

(05:21) How available is free WiFi in West Africa

(05:47) Availability of 4G in Benin

(06:37) Internet access in Benin

(07:32) Internet providers in Benin

(10:59) Stability of internet and electricity in Benin

(13:19) Summary

(14:03) Wrap-up

_______________

Get in touch

Jim Bouman

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

David Kpondehou / CEO at Africa Samurai Consulting

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Africa Diaspora Network Japan