Economy
5 Business Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Bodybuilders
Arnold Schwarzenegger, former bodybuilder turned actor and politician, once said that he learned everything he knows from bodybuilding.
If you’re a business man or woman then this is something worth taking note of. After all, Schwarzenegger has proven himself a savvy businessman over the years and through a number of small businesses and shrewd investments actually managed to make his first million before he first graced our screens in Pumping Iron.
But surely this is just hyperbole! After all, what can you possibly learn about business from a pastime that involves grunting in the gym and covering yourself in tanning spray? Well, surprisingly a lot actually. Read on and we’ll look at some powerful business lessons you can learn from the bodybuilding industry.
Vision
One thing that bodybuilders and entrepreneurs definitely have in common is a steadfast commitment to their vision and their passion. Sure, for a bodybuilder that vision might be 21’’ biceps, but the principle remains the same.
Having a vision and staying committed is what makes it possible to wake up while the world is still sleeping; to get a gym session in before work or to meet with international clients on Skype. Either way, this is your fuel and you won’t get anywhere without it.
Goal Setting
What’s key to consider with regards to vision is the way you craft your goals. The easiest way to miss your goals in bodybuilding is to focus on distant and abstract goals. Instead, you keep your goal setting focused on things that are entirely under your control. A great goal, for example, would be to go to the gym four times a week every week. If you can do that, you’ll find the rest just works it out!
The same goes for business. Have a distant ‘end goal’ in mind, sure. But more important is to focus on the steps that it takes to get there.
Laser Focus
Schwarzenegger says that when he was at the height of his bodybuilding career, he used to imagine his biceps swelling up as big as the entire gym while he was training. More recently he referred to texting in the gym as ‘Mickey Mouse stuff’.
Either way, the message is clear: you need to be focused on what you’re doing if you’re going to accomplish anything. This is what leads to the coveted “flow state” that is such a buzz word at the moment.
No Pain, No Gain
This is one of the most popular mantras among lifters and if you head to any gym you can expect to hear it yelled out at least a few times a day.
And of course this is true: to be successful in the future you need to be willing to put in the work here and now. Really, the sport of bodybuilding is a sport of preparedness. The winner of each competition is decided long before anyone steps up onto the stage.
Train Smart
But the best bodybuilders don’t just train hard, they train smart. The top players are athletes and scientists rolled into one – constantly checking Pub Med for the latest research they can use to enhance their training.
This is absolutely key in business and is what makes the ‘80/20’ law so valuable. If 80% of your profits come from 20% of your clients, it makes sense to focus on that 20%!
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s first-ever domestic US Dollar bond has been named as the West Africa Deal of the Year at the 2025 Global Banking & Markets Africa Awards, following a highly successful issuance that raised $917 million.
Announced by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on August 19, 2024, the bond initially targeted $500 million but was oversubscribed by 180 per cent.
The raise came with a five-year tenor and was listed on both the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and FMDQ Securities Exchange.
The landmark issuance attracted a broad spectrum of investors, including local institutions, diaspora Nigerians, and international players. Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) served as Global Coordinator.
The Ministry of Finance said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, received the award at the Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
She formally presented it to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun in his office in Abuja on Thursday.
“This award marks an important step in our ambition to position Nigeria—and Lagos—as a leading international financial centre,” Mr Edun said.
“It also reflects growing confidence in the expertise and resilience of Nigeria’s financial system, which has once again delivered under challenging global conditions”, the Minister affirmed.
The ministry noted that the prestigious award underscores Nigeria’s commitment to developing its capital markets, improving its investment landscape, and attracting foreign investment, adding that it is also a testament to the country’s potential for economic growth and its determination to become a leading international financial centre.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has cautioned refinery operators against importing substandard crude oil, following the expiry of the Naira-for-crude deal.
In a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Obele, the association said imported crude must meet global standards to ensure the production of high-quality petroleum products.
The group stressed that Nigerian crude oil, classified as Sweet Crude due to its low sulfur content of less than 0.5 per cent – ranks among the best in the world, and importation possess a high risk.
“We see no reason why imported crude oil should be of lower standards. The importation of substandard crude oil will compromise the quality of petroleum products, undermine the growth of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, and ultimately harm consumers.”
PETROAN also expressed concern over speculations that petroleum product prices may rise following the expiration of the naira-for-crude arrangement and called for continued access to imported refined petroleum products to stabilize prices and ensure energy sufficiency.
“The permutations in the media that petroleum prices might increase as the Naira-for-crude deal comes to an end is a serious concern to PETROAN. In order to avoid this scenario, we advocate that the window for importing refined petroleum products should remain open.”
The group urged regulatory agencies to conduct rigorous laboratory testing on all crude oil imports to verify their quality.
“We call on regulatory agencies to be on high alert and conduct thorough laboratory analysis on all crude oil imports to ensure they meet the required standards. We also urge the relevant authorities to ensure that refinery operators adhere to the highest operational standards.”
The association further called on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, to conduct a comprehensive review of the Naira-for-crude initiative to determine the next steps in Nigeria’s energy sector.
“The reforms introduced by the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, encourage competition in the downstream sector. Competition is a catalyst for price reduction in any sector. We believe that as the market adjusts to the new realities, prices will stabilize and eventually decrease.”
PETROAN also announced plans to conduct independent laboratory testing on refined petroleum products.
“We will conduct laboratory testing on refined petroleum products to determine which refinery or depot our members should buy from. This is to ensure that our members and the Nigerian public are not sold substandard products.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange bounced back on Thursday, April 3 from its previous day’s loss, gaining 0.24 per cent at the close of business.
This increased the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) by 7.78 points to 3,316.34 points from the preceding trading day’s 3,308.46 points and raised the portfolios of unlisted securities investors by N4.55 billion as the market capitalisation ended at N1.915 trillion compared with Wednesday’s N1.910 trillion.
This growth occurred after the bourse finished with three price gainers and one price loser, IPWA Plc, which shed 5 Kobo to end at 50 Kobo per share, in contrast to midweek’s value of 55 Kobo per share.
Business Post reports that FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N2.16 to close at N38.66 per unit versus N36.50 per unit, First Trust Microfinance Bank Plc appreciated by 2 Kobo to 58 Kobo per unit from 56 Kobo per unit, and Food Concepts Plc rose by 1 Kobo to N1.18 per share from N1.17 per share.
Data indicated that there was a decrease of 95.9 per cent in the volume of securities bought and sold by the market participants to 372,568 units from the 9.1 million units transacted in the previous trading day.
Equally, the value of transactions slid by 43.7 per cent to N4.1 million from N7.2 million, and the number of deals went up by 81.8 per cent to 40 deals from 22 deals.
When the market ended for the session, Impresit Bakolori Plc was the most active stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, followed by Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc with 70.2 million units sold for N23.8 million, and Geo Fluids Plc with 44.2 million units valued at N89.4 million.
FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc finished the trading day as the active stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 13.8 million units valued at N531.6 million, trailed by Impresit Bakolori Plc with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, and Afriland Properties Plc with 17.8 million units sold for N364.2 million.
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