My Lockdown Journey

 

Wow, this year has been nothing but stressful.

Part 01

In March Sri Lanka closed down, Maldives followed. I am from the tourism industry and a trade that came to a full stop due to COVID. I am a Maldives destination specialist when the destination closed I felt the walls closing in, the salary cuts starting my mind screamed the end was near. I am a man of stability, I have always learned different disciplines, helped so many in their businesses but always been the dude who did this one job. Stability went to the gutter I was left stranded alone on an island. What do I do, I started by fueling myself with the hope that trade will not die. I kept writing, inspiring myself and others we are global trade we cannot die.

Part 02

Mom always told me with the skillsets I own try doing some online courses, because I do not own degrees, I am not the certified Sri Lankan that is deemed by society. She has been advising this for over a decade, me not being certified never bothered me even though that is the singular thing that even keeps me from migrating. I was continuously learning never did it bother me to be certified. Randomly I saw this advert on Project management curiosity got the best of me before I knew it I was addicted. The next few months 12 courses I had completed https://www.linkedin.com/in/liswith-obinamuni/.

Part 03

My mind was still uneasy, I never been this unstable in over a decade (oh yeah I lived a very colorful life). I was frustrated and angry. I had a call with a friend of mine name Charith Heenpalla (Sri Lanka’s Best Food Photographer) was telling I want to try a new project, do it with someone. I was whining that I feel aimless and bored. A few days later he came with this idea findafreelancer.lk and we started working on the platform. After many sleepless nights, a few months in we presented to Sri Lanka www.findafreelancer.lk. The platform allows you to showcase your talent to business owners for free. The platform is free for the freelancer and the business that is searching for new talent.

Part 04 & Part 05 Overlap

First was the start of a journey of something inspiring, me and Duval Weerakoone (aka Malla, The Managing Director of The Nescius and Kubeira Holdings Pvt Ltd.) met with Ruwani and Geeshan Bandara (Wedding War Photographer) (aka the showrunners) two remarkably focused and driven people. This was the start of Patta History https://www.youtube.com/c/pattahistory/ journey, I have never met creatives, and individuals like I say ape Lamai who are so incredibly talented. Hearing every music beat, watching every storyboard come to life, see the passion that went into hardcore research, the art that gave this life OH MY GOD to date it is unbelievable. So much love went into this project and so much love is being received thanks to the incredible team I get to work with, being the taskmaster they so fondly hate (love you guys). This project to me is pure magic.

During this same time, Mr. Shohan Kulasuriya (aka Shohan Uncle) a serial entrepreneur (Founder of Mankiwwa) was starting something that is going to revolutionary for Sri Lanka being Sri Lanka’s First Lady Driven chauffeur service exclusively for ladies and kids. He asked if I wanted to join the founding team of Pink Drives. I was very excited, so much work went in before all you saw that launch held at Galadari. I met inspiring people during this journey, making commercials something I had never seen firsthand, helped in organizing the event in the small way I knew how to, onboarding incredibly strong ladies for the endeavor. This is being an experience of me entering the whole entrepreneur lifestyle wholeheartedly. 

Pink Drives http://www.pinkdrives.com has so much love and hope for me in my heart. There shall be challenges but along a great team, it is never impossible.

Now coming back what happened to the travel industry? Have you given up Liswith?

No, every day I have worked since March lockdown to date. I still am the destination specialist for the Maldives. I still am selling, promoting, and loving every bit of the destination I promote. It was never a job for me, I enjoy what I do. I have been blessed that all the skills I have learned and applied in all of the above projects I learned from this trade. I have got to work with some of the hardest working and passionate people I know.

This journey I am writing of did not take years, this all happened end of March 2020 to 01 Nov 2020.

I am untalented like people say, but if I could you can. Work is not a chore but an inspiration to grow yourself. Remember that every task that seems impossible that you are given, once you learn it no one can ever steal it from you. It grows you, it grows your mind, it grows your brand.

Anytime you message me I will always be there to help anyone in any way I possibly can.

2020 is rough, I think it will get rougher. Distract your mind with amazing things and you won’t feel how bad of a show it was.

Much love!

LISWITH

UNtalented

My entire life I have consistently heard that I was untalented this never took me down but inspired me to be more than what the system required of me.

I have had the privilege of working with great businessmen, entrepreneurs, and borderline geniuses but most lacked the focus to see a plan through.

Call me an idiot but I will try and game plan till I run things to the ground or succeed. I shall not give up.

As a child, my father used to say you don't pick winners on how they live life but on the day that they die. 

You can live with all the glamour you can fathom and die with nothing in hand, or be the person who made nothing of life when they were alive but celebrated after their death.

"You never lose until you give up."

I have had the blessing of streamlining so many talented people, making them shine and building up a habit within them.

I never saw the point of gaining all the knowledge the internet and the world have to offer if we do not use it for the better.

Till to date everything I have learned, I have used it to the point of abuse (my brother says this) until I exploit every end of it. 

With every job that I have matured with I have built my own network, and every time it has being from scratch. This has helped me build my own little personal brand along the years of working.

Storytime:

Once a friend of mine was stuck with a program, where I was assisting the project. I had no prior experience of this software nor any prior knowledge of this industry. I watched him say no to me way too many times than I could handle. I asked him to get up, I sat down, I googled it, I did it. Current day of life, it may not always be of the knowledge you possess but the ability to find the answers you seek.

All I understood in life is there are no breaks, every day is a workday, every day is a learning day, and every day finding shortcuts kind of day.

I might give up one day or horribly fail (no clue what the future holds) but till that point, tiI will always continue to help, assist, and inspire you.

That is the superpower of the untalented.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Teach to Teach; the art of sharing knowledge

I shall give you a tip on engaging more with your team and your business partners.

What do you know me for? The Maldives? Helping you in marketing? Business ideas? or Writing?

Over the years, I understood that experience in trade means little to me moving forward with time.

I started writing business articles first it was a hobby to keep my ideas fresh and my mind busy.
Later with time I was a trainer, I learned to share my skills, my knowledge, and my discipline with my team members. I made a syllabus and helped them grasp the best I could with knowledge from product to offers to sales.
I replicated the same principle to my business partners, even if you did not sell the product I would equip you with the tools to sell it. Train the team with information with confidence to market the product.
I proceeded to write a Novice Selling Guide for the Maldives and sharing with my business partners. I turned this into a habit sharing information; always tried to empower them, maybe it is business, the skills of sales and marketing, or the products I sell.

If you know me, I have a blog for the business that entails the destination I sell, a fresh set of eyes on ideas for selling, entering new or emerging markets, being an entrepreneur, HR, and management styles.
My LinkedIn is always filled with information that you can improve your skills, and gain knowledge.

Knowledge sharing became my thing. Every interesting article I read was shared. Every business idea or marketing thought process was blogged. Even certificate I did, I helped others do the same and gain the same level of expertise.

I am never selfish in sharing my knowledge with anyone, my business partners, or my friends.
Over the years my business partners saw more value in what I do because I do it passionately and I always provide them with help and assistance not only in the products I sell but in any problem, in general, they face in business.

I learn the power of teaching someone, empowering them to strive for more.

Your want it to sounds like more of a business point of view: the more you equip your partners in what you do, what you sell they more confident they become in you and your products. When they make money, is when you make money.

I shall always be open to ideas, you can always discuss any product anything with me as always I will be open ears.

Never be selfish in business or life, learn to teach, if anyone is searching for talent to join their team help them, anyone is seeking a job lend a hand help if a business you think more awareness with the public and you know can do it if you learn a skillset and you think someone else too can benefit encourage them.

Always remember that not all returns on investments are about money.

Let's learn the art to teach.

Cheers!

LISWITH