Diary of a Businessman — From Zero to Mogul

The Hard Truth

You Have Ideas.
You Work Hard.
So Why Does
Something Keep Stalling?

You are not lazy. People who know you would say you work harder than almost anyone they know.

But there is always this one missing piece. You start things. They look promising for a while. And then something stalls. And in your quieter moments you have wondered — maybe more than once — if you are actually cut out for this.

You are. You just needed the right tools.

Diary of a Businessman is those tools. Not motivation. Not theory. Not the sanitised success memoir of someone who forgot what difficult feels like.

A practical, honest, story-driven guide written by a founder who has bled in business — and is now handing you the map.

Start with a Free Gift

What's Inside

From Zero to Mogul —
Every Stage, Every Tool, One Book

Diary of a Businessman covers the full entrepreneurial journey — from the moment you have an idea to the moment you are building something that will outlast you.

Six Parts Thirty-One Chapters One Complete System

The Mind of a Businessman

Before you build anything — you must become someone. This section builds the entrepreneurial psychology that determines whether everything else works.

From Idea to Market

From finding a business idea to validating it, understanding your customer, analysing your competition, and knowing when you are genuinely ready to launch.

Building the Foundation

Business structure. Registration. Legal frameworks. Banking. Tax. Record keeping. Contracts. Intellectual property. Insurance. Start correctly — or pay the price later.

Money and People

How to fund your business from what you have. When and whether to raise external capital. When and how to hire. How to lead, develop, and — when necessary — let go.

Sales, Marketing and Growth

What sales actually is and how to do it without pressure or manipulation. How to build a brand, a marketing infrastructure, and a digital presence. How to retain customers. How to scale without losing what made you worth scaling.

Resilience and Legacy

Crisis. Cash flow. Recovery. Pivoting and starting again. Building wealth not just income. Succession. Legacy. And the one thing that outlasts every business, every building, and every bank account — a good name.

Akingbade Akinmuyiwa — Serial Entrepreneur and Author

Written from inside the journey — not from the top of a mountain looking down.

20+ Years in Business Global Reach

The Author

Written By Someone
Who Has Lived
Every Page

I was maybe eight or nine years old when I made my first business decision. I came home from school, spotted my mother's golden water kettle sitting there doing nothing useful, emptied the refrigerator into it, grabbed some cups, and headed out to the street to hawk water.

I trekked all the way to my parents' shop expecting a standing ovation. I got a firm rebuke and instructions to go home.

That child grew up to build businesses, lose everything, rebuild, start again, and eventually — after two decades of learning the hard and expensive way — sit down to write the book he could not find when he needed it most.

Diary of a Businessman is that book. Not written from the top of a mountain looking down. Written from inside the journey — by someone who has been at zero, has made the mistakes, has paid the price, and is now handing you the map.

Akingbade Akinmuyiwa

Serial Entrepreneur · Business Strategist · Founder

GbadeAkin.com

Why This Book

Not Another Business Book.
A Business Companion.

Simple Enough for Day One

Written in plain language for a global audience. A complete beginner can pick this up and use it immediately. No jargon. No theory dressed up as advice. Just clear, honest, practical guidance.

Rich Enough for Every Stage

Whether you are starting your first business or scaling your fifth — this book meets you where you are. The frameworks apply at every stage. The insights grow with you.

Most Valued

Honest Enough to Trust

The author shares the FX trading loss that nearly ended his marriage. The bicycle delivery business he validated and abandoned. The seasons of being down, out, and flat broke that became his greatest classrooms. You learn more from someone who has bled than from someone who has only observed.

The Companion

The Book Tells You What.
The Workbook
Helps You Do It.

The Diary of a Businessman Workbook is the companion implementation guide — available separately or as a bundle with the main book.

For every chapter in the main book the workbook provides a complete working section — context, foundation check, warning signs, reflection questions, and an action commitment with space to document what happened.

Use it alongside the book. Return to it at every stage of your journey. Let it be the record of your growth from zero to mogul.

Standalone business assessment tool
Workshop and masterclass resource
Corporate training resource
Personal implementation guide

See Bundle Options

31 Working Sections Business Health Dashboard Progress Tracker Key Decisions Log

Voices

What People Are Saying

"Experience you learnt from is said to be the best teacher- this book is a well-documented learning points put together to help anyone succeed better in the journey of entrepreneurship. Highly recommended "

Kehinde Buraimoh

Lawyer, KB&Company, Pastor

Foreword

"What struck me most while reading this work is its honesty. The stories are real. The failures are not hidden. The lessons are practical. And perhaps most importantly, the reader is constantly reminded that business is not simply about making money; it is about solving problems, creating value, building systems, and becoming the kind of person who can sustain success responsibly. "

Olabisi Akande

Author, Leadership expert, Pastor

"In this age of disruptive entrepreneurial revolution, this book is the clarity most entrepreneurs need to start, scale and succeed. It is plain, practical, and written by someone who has lived the very principles in the book and has been of tremendous blessing to those fortunate enough to learn from him. "

Richard Abdulahi

President, Mustard International

"This book - Diary of a Businessman: From Zero to Mogul, is a practical and therefore a refreshing real-life, personal account of entrepreneurial struggles; failure and lessons with proven business principles from renown thinkers, presenting business models in wise, very honest and relatable ways."

Dr Catherine Ogbizi-Ugbe PhD

CEO, Hotel45 Group

"What makes this book especially powerful is its focus on solving To order your copy, visit: gbadeakin.com 3 real problems, building robust systems, and cultivating the discipline required for long-term growth rather than chasing trends or glorifying hustle culture."

Dr. Paul Sam

Business and Technology Department, Thomas Edison State University

Two Free Gifts

Start Here —
Two Free Gifts Before You Buy Anything

"The wealthiest place on the planet is the cemetery — full of companies that were never started, books that were never written, and ideas that were never pursued." — Dr Myles Munroe

Your treasure belongs in the world. Not in the ground. Choose where you want to start.

For the Reader

The First Two Chapters

of Diary of a Businessman

Introduction The Kettle

Chapter One What Business Really Is

Read the opening of the book that a professional editor called "simple, easy to read, yet rich." No obligation. No credit card. If it changes how you think about business — the full book is waiting.

Who this is for: Anyone who wants to experience the voice and the story of the book before they buy.

For the Builder

Three Tools Every Founder Needs

from the Diary of a Businessman Workbook

The Business Foundation Check

Where are you actually right now?

The Validation Framework

Is your idea genuinely ready to build?

The Customer Avatar

Who exactly are you building it for?

Who this is for: Founders who are already building and want practical tools they can use today — before reading the full book.

Both gifts are free. No spam. No noise. Just the content — and launch day notification when the book is available June 3rd.

Your Investment

Choose Your Version

Early bird pricing available to pre-launch subscribers only. Register now to secure yours.

The Book

Diary of a Businessman

From Zero to Mogul

Everything you need to know about building a business — from first idea to established enterprise. Thirty-one chapters. Six parts. One complete guide.

E-book (Amazon Kindle, Selar, this website)
31 chapters across 6 parts
Global shipping available
Print edition coming soon

E-book TBA Available June 3rd

Everything You
Need to Know

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who wants to start, build, or scale a business — and wants to do it correctly. First-generation entrepreneurs. African founders. Diaspora business builders. Small business owners. Freelancers and consultants. Family business operators. Side hustlers ready to go full-time. Anyone who has tried before and needs to understand why it stalled. If you have ever had an idea you could not turn into a business — this book is for you.

I have never started a business. Is this too advanced for me?

No. This book was specifically written for the complete beginner. The language is plain. The frameworks are explained from first principles. A founder with no prior business experience can pick this up and use it from page one.

I already run a business. Is this still relevant?

Yes. The book covers the full journey from idea to legacy. Existing business owners consistently find that the sections on scaling, systems, hiring, and financial discipline address gaps that were never properly filled — even in businesses that are already operating.

What is the difference between the book and the workbook?

The book teaches you what to think and how to build. The workbook gives you the tools to implement what the book explains. For every chapter in the book there is a corresponding workbook section with checklists, reflection questions, and action commitments. You can read the book without the workbook — but the workbook without the book is also fully functional. Every section includes a context paragraph that gives you everything you need even if you have not read the full chapter.

What is the difference between the two free gifts?

The first free gift — the first two chapters of the main book — is for anyone who wants to experience the voice and the story before they commit to buying. It is a reading experience. Personal. Narrative. Immediately engaging.

The second free gift — three tools from the workbook — is for founders who are already building and want practical implementation tools they can use today. It is a working experience. Structured. Diagnostic. Immediately actionable.

Both are free. Both are valuable. They serve different people at different moments in their journey.

Is this only relevant for Nigerian or African founders?

No. The book is written for a global audience. The principles apply in Lagos, London, Atlanta, Toronto, Accra, Nairobi, and everywhere in between. Where specific country references are made — for registration, tax, or legal requirements — multiple countries are covered and a framework is provided for applying the principles to any jurisdiction.

When will the print edition be available?

The e-book launches June 3rd 2026. The print edition follows shortly after. Register your email to be notified the moment it is available.

The Book Is Here

You Have Ideas.
You Work Hard.
So Why Does
Something Keep Stalling?