AWEC Alumna Spotlight: Mary Udo's Relentless Pursuit of Her Vision
Mary Udo
Rejection is not a topic that individuals discuss often because it’s painful and no one likes the experience. But addressing this taboo topic enables us to learn from the process and chart a path to eventual success.
A bit of healthy rejection can build up your resilience, teach you how to bounce back, and act as a solid barometer of how much you’re truly pushing yourself. Specifically, it highlights habits, actions, or thoughts that you can improve on and shifts your focus from the negative aspect to how you can become better.
Three years ago, Mary Udo filled in the AWEC Core Program application form for the first time. She had an idea for a business that would teach entrepreneurship in schools to tackle unemployment in her home country of Nigeria and was a little disappointed by how impractical her Masters degree in Entrepreneurship Education was. After reading about the 12-month AWEC program, she was confident this was exactly what she needed and that she’d be a perfect candidate.
Her first attempt was unsuccessful and unfortunately —or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—so was her second attempt. At this point, one would be justified in feeling dejected and perhaps not seeing any reason to apply for the third time, but Mary viewed this situation with a different lens and was determined to keep trying until she got in. Looking back now, she’s grateful that she didn’t get in on her first two attempts, as she believes she most likely would have squandered the opportunity.
She’s not the only one! How many times have we signed up for one thing or the other, with 100% conviction that it was the right thing to do, only to secretly know we were not in the right headspace for it?
In this article, Mary shares her experience on being rejected twice and advice on how best to respond to it. Mary is the founder of Central Academy of Creativity and Innovation (CACIL), an entrepreneurship and vocational training academy that equips children aged 7-17 with the mindset and skills needed for business, work and life in general. CACIL does this through workshops hosted in entrepreneurship clubs in primary and secondary schools, inter-schools competitions and summer camps.
Why did you apply to AWEC?
The idea for CACIL was born in 2015 but I knew I needed to attain the knowledge to be able to launch and build it. In the first instance, I decided to go back to school to undertake a Masters in Entrepreneurship Education. But the course wasn't as practical as I thought it would be and I knew I needed more. When AWEC came into my radar, I visited the website, read all the info, and was convinced it was for me.
How did you respond when you found out you hadn’t been selected not once but twice?
Well, with the first application, I was so excited and felt confident I would get in. After submitting it I checked my emails daily and when I received the news that I hadn’t made it, to be honest, the email was so polite that there was no way I could be upset. I was also informed that I would be on the waiting list in case any of the shortlisted candidates were unable to accept the offer to be on the program so I kept my hopes up but to no avail. I immediately resolved to apply the following year, which I did.
Unfortunately, I received a similar response as the previous year; a polite email letting me know that I had not been accepted.
What drove you to keep trying?
The moment I received the second rejection email, something within my gut convinced me that what AWEC was offering must surely be gold; and with that, I made a promise to myself that I would not stop applying until I got in. I went back to AWEC’s website, I read their content and I kept following the work they were doing. AWEC’s mission has always been to empower African women entrepreneurs with support they need to build resilient businesses. With that comes business lessons from experts, mentors from all over the world who can give you guidance and a network of women that spans the entire continent and the diaspora. For the kind of impact I was hoping to affect with my business, I wanted AWEC to teach me. That meant writing out an application for the third time and I don’t regret it!
And then you got THE email…
YES I did! I got in and I believe it was the right time. Upon reflection, I had submitted the first application while I was still doing my masters, and at that point I was in two minds. I kept asking myself if I even wanted to graduate or whether I should go back to work. And it was tough because my parents really wanted me to leave the idea of entrepreneurship behind and get a secure job. With so much pressure on my mind if I’d been accepted into AWEC I probably would have given up halfway through the program.
With each application was there anything you did differently? What actions had you taken each time you applied?
To be honest, with the first application, I hadn’t even started the business. The second time around I had registered the business but nothing was happening or rather I wasn’t doing anything with it. By the third time I had forced myself to start executing. This time I hadn’t waited, I found information on AWEC’s website, on the internet and in books. Research taught me I could test my ideas by implementing a few things to at least get the academy running. And yes I failed but you know what...the third time around, filling in the AWEC application form felt seamless to me. The responses to each of the questions came easier because now I was writing from experience.
In what way has the AWEC Program impacted your business?
All the live sessions were on-point and practical. Everything I learnt could be applied to my business immediately.
The AWEC network is one one of the biggest things I appreciate AWEC for because I now have 599 other sisters from across the continent. I can call on them to discuss what I am doing for support. We have accountability groups that push us when we need it. There is also an opportunity to collaborate. I am so thankful for my mentor. She is someone I can call anytime to ask for guidance.
The assignments and feedback...woah where do I begin? The feedback you get from your peers is like mini blueprints for your business that you cannot get off the street. Looking at your business from your own perspective you imagine you are doing well but when you listen to someone else explain or describe your business in detail it makes you realise how serious everything is. With AWEC I learnt to treat my business as a business and not a side-hustle!
What’s your advice to anyone who has received an email notifying them that they’ve not been successful?
Rejection doesn't mean you are not good enough, it just means now is not the right time so keep working on your business, you have nothing to lose.
If you know why you are applying for AWEC - not because someone told you to, but if you have a business that you really care about - try again as many times as you can. I did not start my business just to make money, I did so because I have experienced and disliked the frustration of graduating from university with no job waiting for you. There are so many young people who are going through that right now. They are the reason why I kept applying for the opportunity to learn with AWEC. If I had stopped, I would have been ‘disappointing’ Africa’s future.
AWEC is a marathon not a sprint - but it’s worth it! You will look back at the rejection emails and be grateful to yourself that you kept applying so please don’t give up.
It is not the end of the world so stay optimistic. You still have a business to build so get about building it.
What’s next for CACIL?
We are planning on building a mobile platform so that we can expand to other African countries where more children can join. We are working towards Vision for Africa 2030 goals to empower more young people. The truth is, we may not fully realise the vision in our generation but we’ve got to at least leave the next generation with a hope for the future.
So perhaps the goals you set for yourself or your business this year have not quite gone to plan; don’t pause for too long. Here’s some actionable tips on specific areas in your venture that you need to be working on. Remember, you have absolutely nothing to lose!