Ezekiel Nali

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𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃
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One step at a time. One day at a time. One milestone at a time.
Challenge after challenge, prayer after prayer, heartbreak after heartbreak. Such a broken road I have travelled to get to where I am today. My journey is only in its inception but there is much to be grateful for. I could fill an entire book outlining all the seemingly insignificant elements that have added to the man I am today.

This picture right here, is one of those little elements. I could hardly smile due to the frustration I stumbled upon prior to the shoot. The day after was even worse but looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Time and time again, the road that has led to my uplifting in a particular sphere has been one of adversity but thank God, He remains faithful and His promises still stand even in the midst of the adversity.

I simply cannot give credit to my values, my work ethic nor my nobility for any one of my accomplishments. God's hand has been upon me.

All in all, a new season has began. May God be praised!

Let's get down to business 💪🏽

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇!!!

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟑 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲! 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬'𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥/𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝟎𝟗𝟕𝟐𝟑𝟒𝟔𝟓𝟐𝟏 𝐨𝐫 𝟎𝟗𝟔𝟐𝟑𝟏𝟐𝟑𝟑𝟐

"𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝."

𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦
================

"There's something liberating about fighting an obvious enemy as opposed to one you have to prove exists."

Down yet another TikTok rabbit hole, I head that quote by Trevor Noah and it just hit me like a bucket of rocks.

In the struggle of trying to become a decent adult, we are faced with so many factors that cause us to either move slowly or stand still.

There's a quote I recently saw on Facebook that said, "some days, you can move mountains and other days, you can only move from your bed to the couch."

Sometimes, we could be doing our best according to our personal reality but to the outside world look like we are, "not taking life seriously", or "not putting in enough work", or "being lazy". Though that may be true for millions of people our there, the reality of several millions of other people is that with each step they take, they are fighting childhood trauma, spiritual battles, PTSD, poor education, improper mentality passed down from their previous generation, etcetera etcetera.

Many times, such people find themselves having to try and, as the first quote says, prove that the enemy exists. He's not lazy, he just had no positive role model growing up. It's not that she doesn't want to be with a man, she was abused by one she looked up to. They're not financially illiterate, their great grandfather made a tragic mistake that cursed their entire bloodline.

And the list goes on and on...

What then do we do when we are faced with battles of uncertainty and hidden enemies?

𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐— 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜.

- 𝙽𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚕 𝚁𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚗𝚝

𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗬
=======================

My illness brought about a few setbacks, one of them being the loss of a client. Much of the work required depended on me and my efforts but because I was unable to attend to their work, our contract was discontinued.

It's time to restrategise. I cannot let this happen again. What could have turned into multiple opportunities was lost due to mismanagement so, I have to get my business in order.

Though the temptation to drop all this and try something else is constantly looming at the back of my mind, I cannot afford to quit. Kopani Media has so much potential and if I do not make it work, someone else will. It's not about 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 it can work, rather it is about 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 it will work.

The journey continues.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐘
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This year came with some curveballs but the month of July was one of a kind.
I was diagnosed with the latest variant of COVID. This was my second time having it but this time, it hit much harder than the last time. Among the usual symptoms, fatigue was the most severe.

I was practically in bed for the whole month. I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes without feeling like collapsing, walking to the bathroom and back felt like a marathon, and I couldn't walk for more than a few meters on my own. I'd have to muster up all my strength just to take one step. It took me 2 minutes just to walk 10 meters.

At some point, I lost my ability to walk. During the hospital visits, I had to be carried into the car then onto the wheelchair then onto the hospital bed.

Everyday at around 3am, I'd wake up with heart palpitations and very little energy. I was convinced that was dying and I would call my housemate on my phone to come to my room because I was afraid of dying alone. I wanted to at least be able to say goodbye.

I started calling some of my close friends and family, telling them about my condition so that it wouldn't come as a shock that I had passed on. The fear of dying without making a significant impact in people's lives drew me into a depressive state. Sometimes, I would eat meals with tears running down my face because the thought that often accompanied me was, "Is this it? Is this how I go?"
Some days, I'd lay in bed and pray, "Father, I am ready to come home. I am tired of feeling this way."

But I had to find something to hold on to, anything to keep me from giving up. So, I would focus on anything that would keep me tethered to this world; something to fight for. So, I thought about how I didn't want my family to mourn my death, how I didn't want my woman to lose another loved one, and how people are counting on me for their growth, education, inspiration, and support.

Many people then showed up to pray for me. My Connection Group from church paid me a visit and brought a lot of food. We laughed, made silly jokes, ate and prayed. Pastors from Miracle Life and Bread of Life came to encourage me and pray for me. Friends came to put a smile on my face.
No amount of effort was in vain because these people kept me going.

The people who played the most significant roles were my nephew, my brother, and my woman. I would be only a memory today if it weren't for these key people.

Thankfully, I am now fully recovered and working on reviving my work which suffered during my recovery.
I have another chance to do life and I intend to do more, give of myself more, and love more than I ever did.

To God be the glory.

The Kopani Media Community
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I just started Kopani Media's first community WhatsApp group. I've been consuming quite a lot a of personal development content lately and a frequently mentioned statement that keeps hitting me is "provide value". To be honest, I'm not sure I even know what that means but I will certainly try to do that with this group.

This screenshot is a review from one of our group members. A simple statement made by one person I hardly ever talk to but that one statement makes this effort worth it.

I am not the type to say that I am easily moved by words nor am I the type to say that I don't care about what people say but I am somewhere in the middle. when I read that, I felt a deep sense of gratitude.

During my time at eMsika, where I worked as the Lead in Digital Marketing, I helped grow a community of farmers and farming enthusiasts. It was not easy but we managed to get thousands of people in multiple groups eagerly looking forward to the next thing eMsika would offer.

I hope to bring out such excitement for the Kopani Media Community and hope to do it better.

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I should go for more of these. It really was an exciting experience.
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She's a 10 but she hasn't heard the latest Pompi album 😭

This album is certainly one for the books. You can tell that a lot of work was put into making this possible.
Thank you for sharing you gift, Pompi Fan Page!

My new barber be doing the most...

Brunch was certainly memorable today.

ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION!
======================

I believe Zambia is transitioning through a critical phase in society to get to a place where we will be absolutely united.
I see many posts where people give a compliment to one person while bashing another in the same sentence.

You know how people say stuff like, "Congratulations but Zambians need to learn to support their people" or "You keep going to other countries for holidays when we have beautiful places in Zambia" or even, "Zambians need to learn to work together. That's the only way we will grow"

I see this as only a phase into something much greater where we, as Zambians will have one voice and one mind. We will no longer be crying for support because we will be investing into each other's lives.

We already have one foot into that space. Look at how our musicians are finally making some good money from the music alone. Macky 2 doesn't even need to make music anymore because the brand he has built over the years has great value of its own that can be leveraged differently. We are even seeing Yo Maps living a happy and luxurious life right at home.

THIS is incredible!

So, let us keep showing love and support to each other. Let us keep running those YouTube channels. Let us continue pushing content out there and building our brands because we are heading upwards and the future looks bright for Zambia.

One Zambia, One Nation!

"Please understand this.
People in your age group who did not suffer life-altering trauma had an advantage over you.
Your brain was focused on surviving while they were free to develop and grow.
While you might think you are behind, it's because you were doing your best just to survive."

- Some guy like this -

It is good to be happy, it is even better when others are happy because of you.

It doesn't matter where you are, there is always something to be grateful for.

The epitome of success is giving a design to your life and pulling it off, making progress in the direction that satisfies YOU.
- Jim Rohn -

MY NETWORK JUST GOT BIGGER!
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You know that feeling you get when you've had a lot to eat and you know you don't want to eat anything else for the next 5 hours at least because you want to give yourself time to properly digest what you just ate?
That's the feeling I had from the other night's event.

I finally got to attend a Business Networking Event hosted by AfricaWorks Lusaka and found myself in awe of every moment for 3 hours straight!

The surroundings were neat, the decor was beautiful, the organisers were absolute gems and the music was african throughout. You could tell that they put a lot of thought into making that possible.

I haven't attended one of these in a while so, I was engaged the entire time; observing, absorbing, asking questions, learning, etcetera, and came to understand some very important things about being in such an environment:

1 - Everyone There Is Your Friend

The whole point on someone even showing up for such an event is to connect. A simple "hey" could spark a mind-altering conversation. I got to meet some very interesting and influencial people. Not a single conversation was dull. They ALL wanted to engage.

2 - Cards Or No Cards, It Doesn't Matter

I went in there thinking, "I need to give as many business cards as possible and collect as many as I give". To my surprise, out of nearly 30 people in the room, I only managed to collect 4 cards. Was that a problem? Not at all! People were happy to shout out their number as they competed with the volume of the music playing in the background.
The upside to having a card though, is that you get to share all your contact details in a second.

3 - Not Everyone Is Your Potential Client

I was in a room of about 30 people, all running distinctive business and building distinctive careers. I had to keep in mind that there were people who knew a lot more than I do about a field I have worked in for the last 6 years. Therefore, I consumed more than I shared, listened more than I spoke and learnt way more than I taught. I got more value in those 3 to 5-minute conversations than many conferences and seminars I have attended.

I walked out of that place thinking, "was I really going to miss all this if I never heard about this event?"

I told one of the organisers the same thing and she said, "That is the feeling I want people to have when they go to bed after coming here."
Talk about "value" right!

I hope I get to see any of you at the next one.

AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE

7 days until I turn 26 and I have been reflecting on the life I have lived these last 11 months. As common as this sounds, it really hasn't been easy, especially in the last 4 months.
I have been fighting internal and external battles. I have doubted my actions more times than I can count. I have said the wrong things, done the wrong things, and worked overtime doing damage control. I have cried myself to sleep and wished for death countless times.

This past Sunday, I went to church for the first time in 4 months. I had a very strong urge to go even when I didn't want to. I am glad I listened to the Holy Spirit because I leant about GRATITUDE.
Last night, during bible study, the first question we reflected on was "What is one thing you are most thankful to God for this year?" My response was that I got to realise how strong and resilient I am. Earlier, the same day, God reminded me of the meaning behind my name, Ezekiel; Strength of God.

This morning, reflecting on how all this has come together, I cannot help but express how grateful I am that I get to live another day. I get to eat another meal. I get to see another sunset.
I get to talk to both my parents, my 4 siblings, and my best friends. I get to make even more friends. I get to hear to the calming sound of raindrops on my roof as I watch some cheesy romantic movie.
I get to travel, to use my arms and legs and argue with yet another stubborn bus conductor. I get to see another human being smile.
I get to live.

Almost 26 and I am alive and well. I will not waste this gift.

I BECAME A YANGO DRIVER
=======================

So, as one of my new year's resolutions, to do things differently, I decided to face my fear of driving by doing the one thing that would ensure I would be on the road most of the time; I became a Yango driver.
Yup, I've been working in front of a computer for 6 years and I decided to step way out of my comfort zone and it has been quite the experience.

I only did it for 2 weeks but during that time, I drove as far as Chunga, drove along Kafue Road out of the CBD, went as far as the Avondale manors and Kingsland City.
I drove young and old people, sick and healthy people, rich and not-so-rich people, kind and inconsiderate people, quiet and noisy people, students, business people, freelancers, and employees. I even drove a Chinese lady from JICA once.
I've had the car washed, the wheel bearings replaced, the fender fixed and refuelled multiple times.
I've driven alongside angry drivers, polite drivers and drivers who just mind their own business. I've been stopped by traffic officers and fined. I've given lifts to friends and strangers and I've moved around with luggage in my trunk.
I've driven on sunny and rainy days, cold and and windy days, day-time and night-time, early mornings and late nights.

Let's not forget all the interesting conversations I've had with my clients. I also got a few connections for my creative business!

I believe it's safe to say that I've conquered my fear of driving. I certainly started 2023 off with a bang and a great change of pace.
Now, I'm back to what I love doing the most; being an artist.

Let's see what I can do differently in February. 🤔

MY JOURNAL,

My world, my home, my place.

The only place I get to be me. The only place I get to see my face as it truly is; with every speck, every pimple, ever mole and every freckle.

The only place I can go home to in times of distress and times of celebration. In this home, my mind finds rest as I rest my arm on my handcrafted workdesk and play my favourite melody on repeat.

The only home where I get to create a world out of all my unfiltered thoughts. In my world, I get to be who I want to be, where I want to be and what I want to be. No boundaries, to rules, no shapes to fit into. I create my world as I see fit and ride the wave of my emotions with an unbiased cognition.

In my journal, I AM. I am the most creative person I can be.
In my journal, I am the greatest person I have ever met.
In my journal, I am the most important person to me.

As soon as I put a fullstop to my thoughts, I am left with absolute awe. Once again, words have appeared on paper, thoughts have become real and my world has evovled to emulate the one I awaken to once the book is closed.

My journal, my pride, my deeply cherished secrets. When the sun sets again, I will come back to you, pick up my Bic branded axe and dig even deeper into the confines of my imagination.

Who is this person I write so eloquently about? This fearless, fearsome, awesome and awe-inspiring being that unfolds before my eyes as I ride the rails that carry my thoughts to depths unseen.

Is it me? No, certainly not. How can I be so amazing? With all my insecurities, my flaws, my past mistakes.
Could this be me? Is it possible that perhaps the person I am writing about is the very person holding this axe?
It IS me! I am him. I am the very force of nature that penetrates the interspaces of the universe. When I speak, sound is produced. When I create, any living creature with eyes can behold. I am a force, I am an existence, I am real.

MY JOURNAL...IS ME.

It has been long overdue but I finally got my business cards!
Another step towards building one of the greatest Digital Marketing Agencies Kopani Media

Drop you business name, what you sell and contact details. Let's push each other forward! 💪🏽

Give thanks in ALL circumstances...

YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE
==========================

Such a cliché statement that is often only looked at from one side. The other side reads "BUT NOT EVERYONE YOU FAIL TO PLEASE IS THE ENEMY"

I grew up socially awkward. I could never truly understand social queues; I didn't know how and when to tell a joke, I could hardly tell the difference between a joke and sarcasm, I didn't know how to console someone in pain, and I thought that fighting only meant the end of a friendship.

Because of this, I became eager to make people like me so, I smiled ALL THE TIME, I listened to every word people would say to me in order to understand how they thought, I avoided getting into fights except when it came to my siblings, and I read several articles about body language, how to ask questions, how to be a good listener, how to attract women etc.

Overtime, as I got to understand how to communicate effectively, I realised that it is impossible to avoid misunderstandings. Every human being has had and is having an experience of life unique to themselves so, of course we are are going to differ in our perception of the same God, the same food, the same colours, the same money and the same events.

For instance, where some see a loss, others see an opportunity.

In the process of trying to understand others and our attempts to making others understand us, we argue, we fight, we say stupid things and hurtful things, and we part ways. Many times, that would be the end of a friendship but I believe it is important to understand that sometimes we will be the villain in other people's stories.

I know I certainly am.

You see, I don't have a very good track record. I dropped out of college 4 times, switched careers over 5 times before they even started, I've gone to over 11 schools, had 9 girlfriends (not at the same time), got engaged once upon a time, been to several churches, lost faith at some point, went against my parent's wishes more times than I can count (I absolutely love my parents) and the list goes on and on.

So, inevitably, I have broken a few hearts, I've disappointed a few people, I have made at least one person say "this boy is not serious". I am the bad guy in their stories and there may be nothing I can ever do to change that.

But that doesn't mean they are the enemy. They are humans too and they are villains in other people's stories who too are villains in other's stories. We are ALL trying to figure out this thing called "Life".
Even Will Smith, one of the greatest actors of our time and most inspirational people on the planet, became somebody's greatest villain not too long ago.

So, take a breath. You are not a bad person and perhaps, neither is that person who hurt you, stole from you, broke you and lied to you. You tried your best but didn't receive the best. It has happened to everyone, all 8 billion of us.

Practice some grace and let go of the pain that shaped you.

I have more than enough reasons to smile today...

On the journey of entrepreneurship, you start out self-employed, meaning everything is on you; HR, Legal, Marketing, PR, Customer Relations etc

Just another day on my way to building the best Digital Marketing Agency Kopani Media

Kopani Media

Caught on camera at the Acoustic Sessions Zm yesterday.