I was raised in a Nigeria middle-class family.

When I was ten, I sat for the national common entrance examination to enable me gain admission into secondary school. At the time, candidates were seated in the exam hall according to how they performed in the mock exams so, I was allocated to seat 110. Comparing my seat number to the thousands that wrote the exams, you would call me a brilliant kid and I proved this with my results as I had a choice of five stellar secondary schools to choose from’.

But my bragging rights to academic brilliance only lasted for a short while as the cracks began to appear when I was thirteen and they went unnoticed. I was so small and diminutive for my age and got bullied frequently. I fared no better at home and rebelled at every opportunity that presented itself by my father’s absence.

The “black sheep” narrative first reared its head when I failed my promotion exams and I had to repeat the year; it did more harm than the severe beatings. By the time I was sixteen, I had lost interest in education and would say anything under the guise of” doing better” just to avoid a beating.

I had also graduated from “black sheep” to “prodigal son” and was going to be “cast out of the will”. It all came to a head after two consecutive failed attempts at WAEC and GCE – I was never going to pass anyway; I was taking subjects to become an Engineer, yet I found meaning in the arts and social science subjects – my mother, aunties and uncles had gathered and were robust in their discussion about what to do with me . . . and then it happened!

An aunty shouted, “You want him to please you, to do what you want; have you asked him what he wants?” It suddenly occurred to me that my talents and abilities were misunderstood. I was far from the black sheep and prodigal son; I was different to their expectations. I conceived the mantra “different is not abnormal” there and then.

My family accepted my auntie’s request to take me under her wing for a year. She supported me and enrolled me for a third attempt at the WAEC and GCE exams. She also said to me that she believed in me and that I would pass my exams. Against all odds I overcame and passed with A’s and C’s. The underdog has finally succeeded. But I could not help thinking that the transformation process was all my auntie’s doing.

Fast forward to today, I have identified the same patterns that were evident in my life when I was much younger amongst many people I have worked with, especially the millennials and this has caused the transformation seed that was sown during my experience, to become a passion in me that champions the cause of the underdog and those written off.

I am Iceman. I will Inspire and Challenge and Enable you to achieve great things and find fulfilment in what you do, despite the odds!

Iceman has various 5 major expressions of interest ranging from consulting, music, talk show, health and lifestyle.

To learn more about Iceman, you can find him on social media where he shares his thoughts on business and matters arising within his ecosystem.

You will find him on LinkedIn using Tunde Alabi ; Facebook using  Tunde Alabi and Instagram using dreal_iceman