“For every idea that comes to mind, the magnificent results you can envision of it; there are people who buy into that vision. Take a leap of faith and see how it goes.”
In one of my previous articles, I wrote about “Implementing the Pitch” which was the first part of this article I’m getting started on. I had envisioned a future where as players in the pharmaceutical industry in Africa, we could get to work together to shape the industry by sharing best practices, nurturing innovative ideas & developing responsive policies that ensure sustainable access to safe, effective, quality and affordable healthcare products for the African people. This idea having failed to secure me a scholarship as I had hoped for, I was either to file it and move on or take chances on it. I chose the later which saw us host the inaugural session of the African Pharmaceutical Network (APN) on “Role of African Pharmaceutical Industry in Pandemic Response” reflecting on the contributions of the different industry players and their contribution in response to COVID-19. The session set stage for industry players to set out a vision for the African pharmaceutical industry. The missing piece is the implementation plan towards realizing this common vision and I’m glad to have got to this point.
Implementing a pitch calls for putting to paper the essentials towards realizing the goal. In this case, it started with putting to place the overall idea of what I envisioned through this, the pieces that were key in making this dream come to be and the way to make it happen. Being a believer in lifelong education and peer-learning I was convinced that for us to drive a Pan-African growth agenda then we need to draw from peers within the industry who have the insights in their key areas of specialization, have a vision for the future of the sector and are willing to contribute towards making that happen. With two (2) years in practice since graduation I don’t have access to all the key players in the industry but through the power of technology (LinkedIn) specifically, I was able to identify authorities in the industry with a commitment to the industry. Luckily we had a common interest and the missing piece was how to convene these people to set off the journey to revitalize the African pharmaceutical industry. This is what I had envisioned through African Pharmaceutical Network (APN), a common platform that could convene pharmaceutical industry players to contribute to the shaping of the industry. With 576 registered participants, six (6) guest participants and a packed session to the end, I couldn’t be more committed to the vision. This coming at a point that I could have let go of the idea to focus on other things, it is a case for implementing the pitch for without taking action, we don’t stand a chance at seeing the idea grow. With action, we give our dream a chance at life and that’s the power of ideas for unless they are implemented they’ll never see the light of day. Take action and give those who come after you a chance to build on your blueprint. Set the stage for they need it.
I’ve witnessed the value of implementing the pitch firsthand and I would wish to see more people take chances on their ideas. It doesn’t matter how young, how under-resourced or frightened you are. You stand a chance when you act. Don’t lose it.