Entrepreneurship is often misunderstood as just a career choice—a means to an end, a way to make money, or an alternative to working for someone else. But entrepreneurship is so much more than that for those who truly live and breathe it. For many, the word ‘entrepreneurship’ evokes thoughts of risk-taking, sleepless nights, and the constant hustle of building something from the ground up. But for some, entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a business—it’s a lifestyle, a mindset, and a way of living, thinking and approaching every aspect of life with the mindset of innovation, growth, and opportunity.
One such person who embodies this lifestyle is myself Melody Fidel, a visionary entrepreneur and founder of the Stability & Sustenance business and entrepreneurship platform. My journey is a testament to the fact that entrepreneurship isn’t simply a job you do for a paycheck—it’s about becoming the kind of person who constantly seeks to solve problems, create value, and uplift others along the way.
Entrepreneurship is About Living Your Values
I didn’t start my entrepreneurial journey with a grand business plan or an investment fund. I began with values—the values of service, empowerment, and transformation. As a young boy growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed firsthand the struggles of small business owners in my community. I saw how talented individuals were held back not because of a lack of drive or passion but due to a lack of mentorship and access to financial resources.
Driven by a desire to be the difference, I founded Stability & Sustenance, a platform that provides mentorship, business training, and grants to small business owners across Africa and the world at large. What sets me apart, however, is that my mission isn’t just about running a business for profit. For Me, entrepreneurship is a tool for social change. It’s a way of uplifting communities by helping entrepreneurs not only survive but thrive.
‘Entrepreneurship is about finding solutions,‘ I often say. ‘But it’s also about becoming the kind of person who sees the world not as it is but as it could be. It’s about embracing the challenge of creating that world every day.‘
Entrepreneurship as a Lifestyle: What Does It Really Mean?
When you approach entrepreneurship as a lifestyle, it becomes a continuous, evolving process of growth, learning, and adaptation. It’s not something you clock in and out of. Instead, it becomes part of how you think, how you make decisions, and how you approach both your personal and professional life.
An entrepreneurial lifestyle means constantly seeing opportunities where others see challenges. It’s waking up every day, not asking, ‘What do I have to do today?’ but ‘What can I create today?’ It’s taking risks, making mistakes, and pivoting quickly when things don’t go according to plan. And most importantly, it’s about making a difference—not just making money.
This is exactly how Melody Fidel is building his life and his business.
A Job Ends—A Lifestyle Evolves
What sets entrepreneurship apart from a traditional job is that a job has clear boundaries. You clock in and out, you finish tasks, and you receive compensation. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is like planting a seed. It’s ongoing. It’s about nurturing, growing, and evolving over time. There are no neat, finished lines.
My story reflects this truth. Early in my career, I faced several challenges. I didn’t have the luxury of a nine-to-five routine or the certainty of a regular paycheck. My entrepreneurial journey was marked by late nights and personal sacrifices. But despite the obstacles, I embraced entrepreneurship as a lifestyle. I understood that every challenge was an opportunity to grow and every failure a lesson to be learned.
Instead of viewing setbacks as personal failures, Melody saw them as opportunities to pivot, improve, and come back stronger. I didn’t just do the job of an entrepreneur—I became an entrepreneur. And that distinction is crucial. Being an entrepreneur means continually striving to become more resilient, more resourceful, and more creative. It means choosing to live in a way that aligns with your passion and purpose, even when the going gets tough.
Melody Fidel’s Story: From Vision to Reality
I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to become an entrepreneur. I grew into it. Growing up, I always had a heart for people. I believed that everyone had potential—whether they realized it or not—and I was driven to help people discover and unleash that potential. But for Me, simply having a passion for people wasn’t enough. I knew that to make a lasting impact, I needed to create something bigger than myself.
That’s why I founded Stability & Sustenance, a platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) thrive. My mission is to empower entrepreneurs across Africa and the World with the tools, knowledge, and financial resources they needed to succeed. But Stability & Sustenance isn’t just a business to me; it is my life’s work. Every day, I wake up thinking about how I can help another entrepreneur break through the barriers they face—whether it’s access to capital, mentorship, or guidance on scaling their business.
For Me, entrepreneurship isn’t about the title of “FOUNDER/CEO” or the allure of owning a business. It’s about creating value, both for myself and for the people I serve. I understand that entrepreneurship is an ongoing journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. It’s a lifestyle that involves constant learning, always evolving, and forever striving to be better than you were yesterday.
Seeing Problems as Opportunities
One of the most inspiring aspects of my journey is my ability to see problems as opportunities. Instead of being discouraged by the lack of resources available to young entrepreneurs in Africa, I saw an opportunity to create something that would address that gap.
I realized that the greatest gift you can offer the world as an entrepreneur is your ability to solve problems. Whether it’s finding new ways to support small business owners, creating access to grants, or building networks of mentors who can guide others on their journeys, my lifestyle is defined by contribution.
‘Entrepreneurship isn’t just about me,’ I often say. ‘It’s about the people I can help and the lives I can impact.’
And that’s the hallmark of someone who treats entrepreneurship as a lifestyle. It’s about recognizing that your journey isn’t just about making a living—it’s about making a difference. It’s about thinking beyond yourself and constantly seeking ways to uplift others.
The Power of Resilience and Hope
Entrepreneurship can be a difficult path, full of uncertainties and challenges. There will be moments when doubt creeps in and fear takes hold. My journey is no different. There were times when my efforts seemed fruitless, when I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through. But what kept me going was my unshakable resilience and hope.
Hope, in my case, is not a passive feeling. It’s an active choice to believe in a better future, no matter how difficult the present may seem. It’s the belief that every obstacle can be overcome with determination, strategy, and faith. For me, entrepreneurship is a constant exercise in faith—faith in yourself, faith in the process, and faith in the people you are serving.
‘The key to staying hopeful as an entrepreneur, is to remember why you started. If your mission is bigger than yourself, you will always find a way to keep moving forward.‘
Why Entrepreneurship Should Be a Lifestyle, Not Just a Job
What sets apart those who thrive in entrepreneurship from those who struggle is mindset. Viewing entrepreneurship as just a job means you’re looking for quick wins, easy profits, or something that fits into the traditional 9-to-5 structure. But true entrepreneurs—those who make a lasting impact—see it as a lifestyle choice.
- Purpose-Driven Approach: A job is something you do to survive. A lifestyle is something you commit to because it’s aligned with your purpose. I didn’t create Stability & Sustenance just to make a living. I am building it because I saw the potential to transform lives—my purpose was to build something meaningful, something that would outlast him.
- Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Jobs have their ups and downs, but when you see entrepreneurship as a lifestyle, setbacks don’t define you. Like me, you learn from them, grow, and adapt. You become more resilient because you know that success is not about avoiding failure; it’s about how you handle it.
- Continuous Learning and Growth: Entrepreneurs like Melody never stop learning. They understand that to succeed, they need to continuously evolve, learn new skills, and stay curious. A job may give you a specific role, but an entrepreneurial lifestyle demands that you wear multiple hats and become a lifelong learner.
- Freedom and Responsibility: Living the entrepreneurial lifestyle gives you a unique kind of freedom—the freedom to create, to innovate, and to control your destiny. But with that freedom comes responsibility. As I will always say, “Success is not just about achieving personal wealth; it’s about how many lives you can touch along the way.” Entrepreneurs who embrace the lifestyle understand the weight of this responsibility and use their freedom to make a positive impact.
Keeping Hope Alive: The Entrepreneurial Journey
For those of you who are just starting out or perhaps struggling to find your path, know this: entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a lifestyle that demands patience, creativity, and above all, hope. If you can keep your vision in sight and maintain hope even when the challenges seem insurmountable, you will find success.
My story is a shining example of what happens when you embrace entrepreneurship as a lifestyle. I didn’t just find financial success—I found fulfillment, purpose, and a community of like-minded individuals who share my vision of a better future. My journey reminds us that entrepreneurship is about more than making money; it’s about building something that matters.
At Stability & Sustenance, the mission is to continue supporting entrepreneurs across Africa and the world, helping them not just survive but thrive. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a small business owner, or someone looking to take that next step, remember this: entrepreneurship is a journey, and it’s one worth taking.
You don’t have to do it alone. There’s a community waiting to support you, just as myself and my team is supporting so many others. Entrepreneurship isn’t just a job—it’s a way of life. Embrace it, and watch your world change for the better, keep this in mind: It’s not about having all the answers right away—it’s about staying committed, hopeful, and willing to adapt. Treat entrepreneurship as a lifestyle, and you’ll find that the rewards go far beyond financial success. You’ll create a life of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.
In my words, ‘Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a job. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself and using that version to make the world a better place.‘
This is the power of entrepreneurship as a lifestyle—and it’s a lifestyle worth embracing.
