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This November for the GRAYT PEOPLE Profile Series<\/a>, I’m excited to converse with people who I am beyond #ThankFor, some of my best friends! Nduka and I became friends close to five years ago, while both attending Pepperdine University and serving\u00a0 Pepperdine BSA<\/a>. At the end of the day<\/em>, he’s been nothing less of a big brother I never had. Someone who’s commitment to his purpose inspires you to commit to your purpose! Someone who’s drive to be his very best inspires you to be your very best!<\/p>\n

Rightfully so, Nduka’s contributions as\u00a0a Fixed Income Analyst at Wells Fargo<\/em><\/strong>, Chief Financial Officer for Growth With Nigeria<\/strong><\/em>, and Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>exhibits the profound\u00a0value of his hard work!<\/p>\n

With only 5-6 minutes of your time, Nduka shares more on his journey, his [graytness], his efforts & ethics, and some motivation to get you throughout the week, below:<\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What do you bring <\/em>to Wells Fargo that makes the fulfillment of your Fixed Income Analyst responsibilities worthwhile and\/or enjoyable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

NDUKA<\/span><\/strong>: My training in creative writing and liberal arts taught me one clear lesson: everything has a story. In the investing business, we often talk about numbers and financial metrics; I bring a lens of discussing and evaluating metrics within the context of a company\u2019s story. I enjoy learning about companies, why they exist and how they plan to have impact on the world.<\/p>\n

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JOURNEY<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Corporate America isn\u2019t the most populated sector of America by minorities. How were you able to surpass any of your own doubts or the doubts of others to embark on impacting Corporate America?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

NDUKA<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>Whenever I doubt my abilities, I recall the countless individuals who sacrificed to make sure I have a seat at the table of opportunity. My grandfather was the first person in my village to attend elementary school and with an elementary school education, he and my grandmother were able to raise children who all have a minimum of Master\u2019s degrees. If he can accomplish such an incredible feat with his level of education, I have no excuse. I call on his courage and bravery when I doubt my own abilities. I also think it is my responsibility to populate less diverse rooms with people of diverse backgrounds and to do that I must be in those settings and use my knowledge and influence to bring in others.<\/p>\n

3. What are three (3) values you have brought with you from your upbringing that are significant in shaping your perseverance towards fulfilling your purpose today?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Start with Prayer:<\/span> Whenever I have encountered challenges that seemed insurmountable, my Mother taught me to commit it to God and trust that it will be handled. I am guided by the belief that there is a supreme calling on my life and no one event can alter my calling.<\/li>\n
Start Now:<\/span> My parents have been mentoring and financing other people\u2019s education since they were college students. I refuse to wait until I am the CEO of ‘XYZ’ company to start uplifting others in my community. With my current education and work experience, I will mentor, coach, advocate, raise money and so on. Those are all things I can do today, so I followed my parents footsteps.<\/li>\n

Embrace the Struggle:<\/span> My Dad always says that anyone who wants to be successful must be ready to struggle. I grew up understanding success, on any level, will be a struggle but embracing that struggle makes the journey all the more enjoyable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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GRAYTNESS:<\/strong>
\n[THEJOSHUAGRAY.COM] defines [graytness] as,\u00a0“The state of mobilizing confidence <\/span>to excel beyond \u201cgood\u201d and courage <\/span>to excellently embrace [grayt]\u2014best explained by the actualization of an individual\u2019s potential, purpose, and perseverance to collectively impact their surroundings, with distinction<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n
4. What is your graytness? What do you identify as your differentiating factor among other financiers?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
NDUKA<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>My liberal arts training is definitely a differentiating factor. The world is interconnected, so I constantly think about the way any given financial transaction will impact society.<\/p>\n
5. Considering your commendable placement within Goldman Sachs formerly\u00a0& Wells Fargo currently, along with your philanthropic efforts with Grow with Nigeria<\/a>, what advice can you give on the importance of hard work and diligence in pursuing one\u2019s personal [graytness]?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
NDUKA<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>The biggest dreams can be distilled into mini-steps. Anyone seeking to reach the peak of their personal greatness should break that goal into smaller steps and do a little bit every day.<\/p>\n
6. Assuming you would like to expand outside of your finance profession currently, what are three (3) routine practices<\/span> you implement to ensure your purpose in life will consistently align with the trajectory of your profession?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n