Once a shoeless African child, I have had the opportunity to sell technology to companies such as Boeing, to sit at the table with leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies and even to change the movie industry. Who does that? Game Changers do that! Game Changers are the ones who are bold enough and brash enough to believe we can achieve our dreams and change the world in the process.
For any aspirant woman entrepreneur in Africa who is looking for inspiration and motivation to take that brave step to realise an entrepreneurial dream, then Mary Spio’s book is an essential read. As a child growing up in Ghana during the country’s most turbulent and hard times in the midst of a coup d’état, today she is a testimony to the opportunities and possibilities that abound for those who have a dream, are willing to work tirelessly and are crazy enough to believe they can change their corner of the world. She made the incredible journey from being a hungry child growing up in Ghana, to becoming a deep space engineer, an entrepreneur and a real global Game Changer?
Mary's words....
“If you have a vision, a passion or a dream within your heart, you are no different from Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or anyone else who has ever changed the game and achieved uncommon success. You may not have a vision to change the world, but neither did they in the beginning. They simply had a vision to change their little corner of the world. We all hold different keys for moving our world forward, and the beautiful thing is we do not know who holds which keys. Each and every one of us is a Game Changer in the making; we just may not realize it yet.”
“The smallest act, the smallest change, can start a chain reaction that eventually impacts the world. Almost every Game Changer started with the tiniest seed of an idea that grew into something big. I didn’t set out to change anything except my circumstances. But in changing my circumstances, I eventually changed the movie distribution industry. You are one hinge that has the power to open big doors. You can break through to uncommon success and a limitless life. You are a Game Changer.”
“Game Changers dare to paint outside the lines and have the courage to start new trends. They challenge old precepts and raise the standards. They choose to live life by their own rules rather than fit into a mould they are pushed into. They defy convention, disregard limits and ignore the odds to go beyond what most people perceive is possible. By allowing us to see our world in an entirely new light, they create greater value, understanding, joy and hope.”
“My story is my victory dance, my song of eternal gratitude to the spirit of defiance, compassion, focus and the power of the dreamer’s spirit. And that is why I share it with you—it is my whisper of hope to the other dreamers out there who desperately yearn for more. I tell you my story to prove to you that if I can do it, you can too—no matter where you are in your life. I hope that momentarily viewing the world through my eyes will stoke the fire within you to pursue your own dreams, and achieve them.”
Mary Spio’s book 'It’s Not Rocket Science' is not just an inspirational read (although for anyone living in Africa with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur one day, it is certainly that and more!), it is also a great guide on how to create your own personal path to fulfilling your dreams and your potential in the world, just as she did. Reading it makes you feel you can achieve anything, go out and make a difference in the world, and join her in becoming a real Game Changer yourself. The book empowers readers to find their true passion and purpose, and Mary challenges each person to make a big difference by changing something for the better. She encourages people to achieve happiness in their own way, by creating a lifestyle of freedom by defining success in their own personal way and doing meaningful, satisfying work. It’s about purpose, not position. It’s about creating your own game rather than simply accepting what someone else believes is possible for you.
About the Author
Mary Spio is a lifelong game changer. Born in Syracuse, New York, to Ghanaian parents, she had humble beginnings growing up Ghana, West Africa; Mary didn’t see her first computer until she was seventeen. Yet she became a deep space engineer, designing and launching communication satellites. She majored in engineering at Syracuse University and earned her graduate degree in electrical engineering and computer science, with an emphasis on deep-space communications, from Georgia Tech.
At Boeing, she helped pioneer digital technology that redefined how major motion pictures are distributed to movie theaters throughout the world. From there, she focused on her passion for matchmaking and founded One2One.com, a specialty media company dedicated to resources for singles. Mary also founded Gen2Media (now Vidaroo) an emerging leader in the digital media industry. Leveraging the power of online video, search and social media, Mary’s companies provide engaging user experiences for consumers and delivers quantifiable results for some of the most iconic brands, high profile entertainers and events in the world, including Microsoft Xbox, WalMart, Toyota, Coca Cola, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Britney Spears and The Billboard Awards Show. She is currently the founder and CEO of Next Galaxy Media, a leading consumer virtual reality technology and digital media company.
Find out more about Mary Spio and her business Next Galaxy Media
Why LoA loves it….
“It’s Not Rocket Science” is a highly inspirational read for all aspirant women entrepreneurs in Africa who need to see that it is indeed possible to beat all the odds and rise above the challenges you face in life, and achieve your dreams. It is also a rallying call to action to those of us who not only dream of a better tomorrow, but who are committed to doing what it takes to create it. Mary Spio wrote this book to encourage like-minded people around the world to follow her example and become catalysts for change. She genuinely believes that when each of us pursues the highest and best use of our unique gifts, we can change our lives, change our communities and even change the world. At LoA, we applaud Mary Spio for having the courage to follow her own dreams and achieve global success through sheer hard work, guts and determination, and for blazing an entrepreneurial trail for many other women in Africa to follow. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa