Today, we are looking at the idea that two can play the game—a story about partnership and how it can enhance your brand and business as you move forward.

Guess what, this blog was named among the top 100 Branding Blogs by Feedspot

Let me share this story with you. A couple of weeks ago, as a dad, I was observing my kids play. Young kids play a lot, and most time, I’m there watching them. Sometimes they play on their own, picking up toys or creating their games. But on this particular occasion, I noticed something interesting. My older daughter was calling her younger sister to play with her. She was so insistent, almost crying, that she needed her sister to join her.

I wondered why it was so important, so I asked her. She explained that the game they were playing required two people. One needed to act as a teacher and the other as a student. Sure, she could have used her imagination to create a figure to play with, but this time, she wanted her sister to sit in the “class” so she could teach her directly and have her repeat the words after her.

This got me thinking. It sent a signal about partnership and building a community. Yes, there are things we can do on our own. As freelancers or solopreneurs, we can go far and accomplish much. But there are certain levels—certain thresholds—that we cannot break through alone. Like my daughters, there are games we can play solo, but some require others to join us. These bring synergy, excitement, and bonding.

In life and business, it’s the same. Some levels you need to reach on your own, but there are other stages where partnership is crucial to go further. Without it, you may never achieve those heights.

Lessons from Global Brands

Let’s look at some examples of partnerships that have shaped the world:

The Question to Ask Yourself

Who do you need on board to take your business to the next level? Who do you need in your boat to cross over to the next height you desire? These are critical questions we should ask ourselves. Look at the strengths and weaknesses of potential partners. Consider what each of you can bring to the table to enhance your business and brand.

It’s great that you’ve come this far on your own, but moving forward, who are the critical people you need to shortlist? Who can help you break barriers and move to the next stage? These are the people you need to identify and work with.

Lessons from Failed Partnerships

While partnerships can propel you forward, not all collaborations work. Let’s consider some examples of failed partnerships:

Key Considerations for Partnerships

Before entering into a partnership, there are critical things to consider:

The Power of Two

Going back to my daughters, there are games that only two can play. Similarly, in business, there are certain goals you can only achieve with the right partner. The Bible beautifully says, “One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight.” The synergy and motivation from the partnership can break barriers and exceed expectations.

Moving Forward

This year, take time to identify the key partnerships you need. Whether it’s scaling your business, launching a new product, or expanding your influence, the right partners can make all the difference. Be strategic and intentional in building these relationships.

Just like my daughters’ game, some goals can only be achieved together. I hope you find the partners who will help you reach new heights in your business and brand this year.

Capable vs. Competent: Understanding the Difference

What does it mean to be capable yet not competent? At what point can someone declare themselves competent, and how do we distinguish between capability and competence in both personal and professional spheres? Let’s break this down.

Capability: The Starting Point

Capability refers to your ability to perform a task or take action, even if it’s not at an expert level. It’s a foundation—a skillset or willingness to do something, even if the result isn’t perfect.

For example, imagine you’re at home with a minor plumbing issue. You may be capable of applying a temporary fix, such as using glue or tape to stop a leak. This solution might hold for a while but isn’t sustainable or reliable in the long term. For a permanent fix, you’ll need a professional plumber who is competent in their craft.

Similarly, in professional settings, capability can serve as a stopgap. Suppose the receptionist is momentarily unavailable, and you’re at the desk. You might be capable of welcoming visitors and asking them to wait until the receptionist returns. However, this is different from being competent in managing the front desk, which might require specific skills like handling complex inquiries or managing schedules efficiently.

Competence: Mastery and Expertise

Competence, on the other hand, is the ability to perform a task not just adequately but with expertise and precision. It’s what distinguishes a professional from an amateur.

Take the example of an author. As a writer, you may be competent in crafting compelling content. However, you might lack the expertise in graphic design required to create a professional book cover. While you might use tools like Canva to design a basic cover, the result may not match the quality of a design created by a competent professional. To ensure your book stands out, hiring an expert is wise.

Knowing When to Delegate

Understanding where your capabilities end and competence is required is critical, especially in business. Here’s a simple approach to apply:

Capability and Competence in Business

In every business, success depends on blending capability and competence. For example:

By distinguishing between the two, you can make better decisions about how to allocate your time and resources.

Building Competence Over Time

While hiring experts is vital in certain areas, there’s always room to grow your competence in other aspects of your life or business. For example:

The key to thriving in both personal and professional life lies in understanding the difference between being capable and competent. Clients and customers value competence—they expect high-quality service, exceptional care, and flawless execution.

To achieve this:

By putting this perspective into practice, you’ll not only grow your business or brand but also build a reputation for excellence.

Remember: Capability gets you started, but competence keeps you ahead.

Recommended Resources

Building Capacity for the Race Ahead

I believe this will be helpful not just for the coming year but also for the days and years ahead, particularly as we focus on setting and achieving goals, meeting resolutions, and hitting targets. In times like these, it’s important to reflect on how we can strategize effectively for the future.

I want to discuss what I call the “relay focus” in a race. This analogy can help guide us as we prepare for the new year and work toward our goals. Whether you’re planning to lose weight, take a new course, explore a new career path, write a book, or make lifestyle changes, these reflections can be valuable.

Whatever your aspirations or resolutions—what you want to stop doing or start doing—this is a worthy pursuit. I encourage you to go for it. But first, let me share a story to provide some perspective.

The Two Athletes in High School

Back in high school, during athletic competitions, two young athletes always drew attention and applause from the audience and student body.

There was Anas Moro—an energetic young man with an athletic build, well-statured and full of vigor. He excelled in sports, particularly in relay races like the 4×4, 100-meter dash, or 400 meters. Whenever Anas competed, he was always at the top of his game. Then there was another athlete, AK.

Anas and AK were often neck and neck, each winning or losing to the other in close contests. However, something about Anas stood out to me back then—his energy was remarkable.

Most athletes start and finish a 100-meter dash with the same level of energy, maintaining a consistent pace. Anas excelled at this. But what amazed me even more was his performance in the 200-meter and 400-meter races.

Anas would start with incredible energy and sustain it to the finish line. Whether he came in first or second, his unwavering intensity was always evident.

Reflecting on Anas’ approach, I realized something profound. Some of us are like Anas. When the year begins, we charge toward our goals with the same high level of energy and enthusiasm, maintaining focus and zeal throughout. Even when we don’t hit every target, our energy rarely falters—we stay determined and keep moving forward.

But not all of us are like Anas.

Who are you: Anas or AK?

You might be more like AK. Let me tell you about him. In every race, whether it was the 400-meter dash or another event, AK had a different approach. He would start slowly but gain momentum along the way, particularly during the curves.

In a 400-meter dash, the curves often give runners an extra boost, as the wind seems to push them forward. AK took full advantage of this. During those stretches, he would overtake several competitors, steadily increasing his energy as he advanced. By the time he reached the final stretch, AK was often in a much stronger position, sometimes even winning the race.

What stood out about AK was his ability to tap into a new wave of energy and zeal as he progressed. It was as though he shifted into a higher gear, catching the wind and pushing through with renewed determination.

Move at your own pace

Some of you may find yourselves like AK. You might start the year, a project, or a new venture slowly, gaining momentum as you go. Don’t compare yourself to someone like Anas, who maintains a high level of energy throughout. You might be more like AK, building pace gradually and making steady progress over time.

You might start slowly, peak gradually, and move forward step by step—building momentum until you finish your race. Don’t compare your start to someone else’s. Your capacity, energy, and approach may differ from another person or competitor.

Avoid trying to match someone else’s pace or copying their strategy. Instead, take the time to understand yourself. Reflect on how you should approach a new project, course, or venture. Assess the capacity you’ve built in that area and how it can help you progress—starting small, gaining momentum, and ultimately achieving your goals.

Remember, everyone is different. Knowing yourself is key as you move into the coming year. Be aware of your own pace, your race, and your field. You’re not in competition with everyone else; your primary focus should be on yourself, your targets, and your milestones.

For instance, one person might aim to read 44 books a year, while another sets their goal at 100. Don’t feel compelled to match the higher number if it doesn’t suit your situation. Similarly, someone might aim to increase their revenue by 20X. You could aim for 2X or 5X growth monthly and still reach your 10X target over time.

Find your Wind and Soar

Find out what works for you and build the capacity to achieve your goals and targets for the year. This will help you stay focused and avoid burnout or discouragement, even when challenges arise. Know yourself, build capacity, and put in the work. You might be like AK, while someone else might be like Anas.

Whatever the case, focus on finishing your race. Stay in your lane, excel in your chosen field, and focus on what you’ve built capacity for. Equip yourself, grow in that area, and make steady progress. By doing this, you can achieve milestones—whether monthly, weekly, or quarterly—while making significant strides toward your goals.

When you stay in your lane and focus on your journey, you’ll avoid being overwhelmed by what others are doing. Instead, you’ll find satisfaction in your progress, knowing that you’ve understood your pace and are building the right momentum to reach your targets.

I wish you the best in the coming year. May all your dreams be fulfilled, and you continue to impact lives as you move forward.

Key Lessons:

Actionable Steps:

Recommended Reading

Books by Bernard Kelvin Clive

“Masters today, were Starters Yesterday, so begin now.”― Bernard Kelvin Clive

Today, I want to share some thoughts on public speaking, drawing from my latest book co-authored with my friend, Samuel Agyeman-Prempeh, on the fundamentals of public speaking.

In the book, we discuss the basics for anyone—entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, or professionals—looking to venture into public speaking or presentations, whether for business or sales. These foundational tips will help you kickstart your speaking career. We also share our personal experiences, including the challenges we’ve faced and how we’ve overcome them throughout our 15-year journey in the field.

The Debate

Recently, when I announced the release of the book on one of the platforms, a friend —Gilbert reminded me of something that happened about 25 years ago. We were in our teens, attending junior high school. The story he shared with me reflects how far things have changed and reminds us that, no matter where we start, we can always rise from our failures and work towards success—especially in public speaking.

Let me take you back to that time, about 25 years ago, when I was a student at Calvary International School in Accra. One of our teachers, Mr. Nduom, often organized debates between the boys and the girls on Fridays. On one such occasion, I was selected to participate. At the time, I was a quiet, shy boy, and the thought of public speaking was intimidating. Our team consisted of three boys: Cyril, Gilbert, and me.

Then there were the three girls: Vera, Theresa, and Irene. It was a classic showdown—three boys against three girls. But as boys, we loved to play. When the debate topic was given, we didn’t prepare at all. During break time, we played. After school, we played some more. We simply didn’t take it seriously.

The Boys Played while the Girls Prepared!

The girls, on the other hand, were well-prepared. They had organized everything—each speaker knew her role, from the first to the last. Their speeches and arguments were structured and rehearsed.

Meanwhile, the boys? We scrambled at the last minute, jotting a few things down on scraps of paper just before the debate started. Cyril, our first speaker, stood up and spoke based on the little we had managed to write. But it wasn’t much. Then it was the girls’ turn. Theresa delivered her speech with confidence, and it was clear they had the upper hand.

Next, Gilbert, our second speaker, did his best to fill in the gaps with what little was left on our paper and added some impromptu comments. Irene, the girls’ second speaker, followed, delivering her part with the same level of preparedness and poise.

Now it was my turn, as the last speaker for the boys. But by then, there was nothing left to say. Cyril and Gilbert had already used everything we had written. I stepped up to the podium, but my mind was blank, and my voice trembled. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I stood there, overwhelmed by the moment.

To my surprise, the audience applauded—not for what I said, but for simply showing up. It was both humorous and heartwarming, and we all laughed it off.

To make matters worse, the entire class had gathered—a large crowd—and there I was, standing on stage with nothing to say, consumed by fear. It was a humbling experience.

We lost, I learned!

In the end, the boys lost, and the girls won. Looking back on that experience from such a young age, it was my first real attempt at public speaking, and it showed. We were completely unprepared, and our content was virtually nonexistent.

Afterward, the teacher gave me a funny nickname, and it stuck with me throughout junior high school. We all laughed, and that nickname became part of my identity for the rest of my time there.

Start Somewhere!

But reflecting on this story, it serves as a reminder that we all start somewhere. We may have failed in our early attempts at public speaking, but those moments don’t have to define our future success. We can always pick ourselves up and improve.

Did we engage in further debates in the future? As a team, we learned from our mistakes, we prepared, and we put ourselves in a good position to succeed. Even though we didn’t win the subsequent match, we performed on par with the girls. We learned, we grew, we moved on!

Now, whenever I think back on that experience, I can laugh, because I’ve come a long way. Today, I speak on major platforms, prepare my speeches thoroughly, and even train others in public speaking.

Key Lessons:

That early experience brought some key lessons for all of us.

First, preparation is powerful. If we had prepared as the girls did, we would have had the confidence and energy to deliver our speeches well. Preparation gives you the edge. Your preparation will include, research and writing the speech.

Second, content is a command. In public speaking, the kind of content you have matters, and mastering your material is essential. You must know your content well and tailor it to your audience. If you have nothing to say, you have nothing to communicate. No content no command.

Third, know your audience. Know the audience and prepare content to suit them, and vary the speech based on the audience: your style, tone etc. We don’t use the same style for all gatherings. We thought our audience was just our classmates, so we could just play around, we didn’t know the entire school would be gathering to witness it.

As other students came in to watch, we knew the debate topic, but the girls had mastered their craft, their content, and their audience. They had rehearsed multiple times, while we boys barely gave it any thought. We wanted to play and have fun, not realizing how serious it was.

Another important lesson here is that we should treat every speaking engagement as if it’s a world-class event. Put your energy and zeal into it, because you never know who might be in the audience—someone who could recommend or refer you for another speaking opportunity. Whether the audience is small or large, always give your best.

Second, practice is pivotal to your success. Rehearse as much as you can, because preparation builds confidence and ensures you’re ready to deliver a powerful message. Even if things go wrong, being prepared will always leave you in a better position than if you hadn’t prepared at all.

These are just a few things I wanted to share today about my early experience as a debater in junior high school. If you’ve faced similar challenges, remember that you can always pick yourself up, go back, and wow the audience. You can do that.

Fast forward 25 years, and my fellow debaters—Gilbert, Leslie, Theresa, Irene, and Vera—have all become great minds in their respective careers. Some are lawyers, professional financial advisors, bankers, and more. As for me, I’ve mastered public speaking and now share my experiences across the globe. Your past failures should never define your future success.

If you enjoyed this story and want more, you can find my public speaking and branding books on Amazon. Look for Public Speaking Fundamentals or search for Bernard Kelvin Clive. I’ve written quite several books on branding and personal development to help you in your journey.

Let me hear from you regarding your branding and book publishing needs.

Recommended Reading

Public Speaking Fundamentals

Quick Guide to Public Speaking