As it is written on the cover, The Smart Money Tribe by Arese Ugwu – A Review is really is fascinating and impressive given the fact that it balances the subject matter of finance with entertaining fiction.
It serves as an African Woman’s guide to breaking the bank. It is very impressive.
“People constantly throw around the phrase ‘Your network is your net worth’, but I’ve come to realise that the premise only holds true if you can leverage it to create opportunities or remove obstacles. What do I mean? Take a look at the people you say are in your network – that Egbon that sits on the board of a consumer goods company, that bank MD you met at a conference that gave you his card or that rich relative. If you were looking for a job or a business opportunity, are you in a position to call any of these people to help? And when you do, will they leverage their resources to help you or send your call to voicemail?”
Title – The Smart Money Tribe
Author – Arese Ugwu
Number Of Pages – 352
Published by: Smart Media Africa
Year of Publication: 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.
Do you have a Smart Money Tribe? Do you even have a tribe? What does your tribe do for you when you hit a rough patch financially?
Does your tribe even talk about money, about how to make money, save money, invest and grow money?
Will your tribe come through when you need financial, emotional, physical and moral support?
Will you come through for your so-called tribe? What do you bring to the table in your tribe?
These are the questions a lot of us need to ask ourselves in our quiet moments.
The Smart Money Tribe By Arese Ugwu – A Review
Even though I rarely ever read finance-related books because I find them boring, Arese’s first book; ‘The Smart Money Woman‘ was the first finance-related book I ever read from start to finish.
This was because it was so easy to read, with a bunch of likeable and relatable characters, relatable and very entertaining.
Now, if you’ve read ‘The Smart Money Woman’, and just like me, you thought it was a great or good read, then you should absolutely read ‘The Smart Money Tribe’. This sequel is nothing short of absolute delight.
The thirteen chapter book follows the story of Zuri, Ladun, Tami, Lara and Adesuwa as they deal with the new phase of their lives and try to navigate the financial woes that come with it.
We get to hear from; The real estate babe – Zuri, the social butterfly fashion entrepreneur – Tami, The oil and gas big babe – Lara, The formerly fabulous housewife turned advertising personnel, and The Lawyer- Adesuwa.
Building on the story in the first book, Arese Ugwu gives more insight into topics such as financial abuse, entrepreneurship, building your investment portfolio, building multiple streams of income, building a valuable network that can be turned into an avenue to earn money, leveraging social media to create an income, preparing your business to attract capital and so much more.
The characters were really well developed, and my favourite was Tami.
If you’re a fashion entrepreneur, whose sales do not match your bank account balance, then you really should read this.
Arese dropped quite a lot of gems about the fashion industry in Nigeria, how to turn a profit, and how to get funding for the business.
The Smart Money Tribe By Arese Ugwu – A Review
I love how Arese found a way to insert her stance on feminism into the book.
I mean you cannot talk about women and financial independence without feminism and gender equality coming up in the discussion.
Quite a lot of people think that a woman attaining financial independence means that she does not need a man.
In chapter 7 of the book,
Arese took her time to highlight what feminism is and what it is not, dismantling the common popular misconceptions about feminism and gender equality.
“Listen to me! Being a good woman is not about how much nonsense you can take. That’s what this sick society wants you to believe because it benefits only two types of people. The men who do the shit Soji does and expects you to close your mouth and endure, and the women who take it and are stuck in bad marriages they can’t leave so they want everyone to be miserable with them.”
My biggest takeaways from this novel are:
🗞 Build your personal brand.
The Smart Money Tribe By Arese Ugwu – A Review
Do you have a Skill? Are you creative? Is there something you are really passionate about?
Yea?
Let people know about what you are passionate about. Blow your own trumpet. Be loud and deliberate about it.
Show the world. You never know who might need your particular skill set or services.
🗞 Build a valuable network that can earn you money. Your network really is your net worth.
Since reading this, I’ve tried to evaluate the people in my circle, and henceforth, I’m going to be all about cultivating a community of people “who will go to bat for me even when I’m not in the room”.
Friendships and relationships with people that will think of and recommend me when new opportunities arise, mentors that will give valuable advice based on their own experiences.
Right from the cover to the actual contents of the book, The Smart Money Tribe is a rare gem of a book.
Save for a few typographical errors, everything about this book is a hit.
Have you read ‘The Smart Money Tribe’? Or the one before it, ‘The Smart Money Woman’? What did you think of them? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Xoxo,
The Smart Money Tribe By Arese Ugwu – A Review
