If you told the man in the first picture that one day he’d be standing in boardrooms — training executives, coaching leaders, and mentoring nations — He would have laughed. Way harder than Sarah did when she heard about getting Isaac at her age.
Not out of disbelief in God’s plan, but because at that time, purpose felt too far for someone just trying to survive.
That first photo?
That’s me — almost a decade ago.
Broke. Dusty. Unseen.
A young man just trying to piece together a life from broken boards and borrowed dreams. I wasn’t chasing fame — I was chasing rent, chasing dignity, chasing one more day of hope.
The smell of sawdust was my perfume, and exhaustion was my daily bread.
No spotlight. No title. No “Coach OJO.”
Just a dream, a prayer, and a heart that refused to die quietly.
Fast forward ten years — the second picture.
Same man. New fire. New focus.
The distance between those two photos isn’t measured in years — it’s measured in growth, grit, and grace.
- It’s rejection that became redirection.
- It’s debts that became discipline.
- It’s betrayal that became wisdom.
- It’s nights of tears that became lessons.
- It’s every closed door that forced me to build my own.
And through it all — God was sculpting the man before the mission.
- Behind every polished suit, there’s a story the world never reads.
- Behind every confident voice, there’s a season of silence that almost broke it.
- Behind every “Coach OJO” moment you see now, there’s a version of me that almost quit.
So no — this post isn’t for applause. It’s for the one still in their workshop season. The one still covered in sawdust — tired, unseen, misunderstood, but still building.
If that’s you, hear me:
Don’t despise your workshop. It’s where your hands learn patience, your heart learns endurance, and your faith learns trust.
The sawdust doesn’t mean you’re stuck — it means you’re being shaped. Keep going. Because one day, the pain will make sense.
The process will make you solid. And the picture will change — not because life got easier, but because you refused to give up before it did.
So take it from me — a man who’s been through the dust, the doubt, and the debt:
You’re not buried. You’re being built.
I find 4 powerful lessons from this 10-year review: these will show you what I mean…
- 1️⃣ The Hidden Years Matter Most: The years no one claps for you are the years God shapes you. If you skip them, you miss the strength that sustains your success.
- 2️⃣ Growth Doesn’t Announce Itself: It’s silent. It happens in the tears you don’t post, the prayers no one hears, and the choices that feel invisible — until one day, the results speak louder than your words.
- 3️⃣ Every Season Has Its Assignment: The “sawdust season” teaches humility. The “strategy season” demands stewardship. You can’t rush one without losing the lessons of the other.
- 4️⃣ Never Confuse Delay for Denial: Just because your dream hasn’t shown up yet doesn’t mean it’s dead. Some doors take longer to open because what’s behind them is greater than what you planned.
Tell me, what season are you in right now?
Executive Growth Coach | Helping Corporate Leaders Beat Burnout, Align Teams & Lead with Purpose | Culture Strategist | Team Transformation Expert | Founder, I LEAD GROWTH
