I Don’t Want to Change the World…Yet!
His name carried weight across borders.
He is what the entire Eke (pronounced EH-KAY) family compared me to and I had to be just like him. My grandfather S.Y Eke was a formidable international lawyer, a man who stepped outside of typical Nigerian tradition to gift his first granddaughter his ancestral home. This was unheard of as males were only allowed to inherit. Ironically, we also shared the same birthday and we apparently looked so much alike that family members would say that I was him reincarnated, even while he was still alive. If only I had a mustache….
As a child, my super religious parents, taking that house gift as sign, wore that story like a prophecy. And as a Nigerian child growing up in the 90’s, you only had the options of becoming a Doctor, Lawyer or Engineer. Naturally, the dreams of my parents were laden with urgency, expectation, and repeated destiny prayers in our 4 A.M morning devotions (IYKYK).
It’s why I studied international relations, got the M.A in Public Admin and why I dreamed of walking in S.Y’s footsteps. I wanted to travel the world, sit at tables where history was being made, and change the world just like he did.
One day, between realizing that I was actually a creative and reality of disappointing the family, I looked closer. I realized S.Y wasn’t changing the entire world either. He was changing Benin City. He was changing the future of our family. He was building a legacy that rippled outward from home even when he was operating on the international stage.
We’ve glamorized “global” so much that we’ve made it the default language of ambition.
Local Isn’t a Limitation, It’s the light.
Most change doesn’t begin on a global stage but in local cafés, conferences, and quiet conversations. Even international lawyers work within boundaries. We’ve glamorized “global” so much that we’ve made it the default language of ambition. In fact global impact is almost always born from local action. Some of the most powerful movements in history started in neighborhoods, grassroots networks, and close knit communities and then expanded outward. It’s even happening right now as local movements against sociopolitical harm are emerging right at our doorstep.
Today we stand in the very place where change is happening and are seeing that real power lies in being rooted locally FIRST. We must realize that this also applies to business:
- 90% of businesses worldwide are small and medium enterprises, and they account for 60–70% of global employment (United Nations).
- In emerging economies, SMEs generate 7 out of every 10 new formal jobs (McKinsey Global Institute).
- Globally, SMEs contribute roughly 50% of GDP (United Nations).
Local is the light that illuminates the path towards global impact. What you don’t know locally will set you up for failure globally. If you ignore what’s in front of you, and speed to the global stage, the world will humble you. We’ve seen this when:
1. Starbucks expanded aggressively into Australia in the early 2000s, ignoring the country’s established independent coffee culture. By 2008, Starbucks had closed over 70% of its 84 stores in the country due to poor performance.
2. Uber entered China in 2014 with its global playbook, overlooking regulatory realities and user behavior. Local competitor Didi Chuxing quickly outpaced Uber. By 2016, Uber was forced to sell its China operations to Didi in a deal valued at $35 billion.
3. Walmart tried to bring its American retail culture to Germany, ignoring local labor laws, consumer expectations, and cultural norms. The overly friendly greeters and employee dating rules clashed with German culture.
Depth Will Always Outwork Distance.
Often times when doing a brand strategy call, I ask my clients if they can picture the bigger vision for their ventures. 9 times out of 10 I’ll hear “…the world”. Don’t get me wrong, big goals can be beautiful, but when your impact isn’t defined, “the world” becomes a vague unattainable dream. This is why its important to build deeply before you go wide and the benefits can be massive:
- Your energy gets focused. You stop chasing the idea of “everywhere” , you being frazzled and you start committing to the ground right beneath your feet.
- You become agile with change. When your impact is rooted locally, you pivot faster. You can also move with the shifts. This adaptability keeps your work relevant even when trends and economies change.
- You save money and prioritize better. Scaling prematurely simply burns resources.
- Your brand gains authority. Your power comes from the depth you create. You build a reputation that isn’t dependent on an algorithm.
- Your audience trusts you because you’ve earned it. Rooted brands have higher trust levels with prospects because they’re close enough for their communities to actually see them work.
- Your impact becomes visible and measurable. Local impact is easier to track, measure, and iterate on.
- You step into sustainable growth. Deep roots give you staying power. Period! From that foundation, you can grow however you want on your own terms.
How to Set Realistic Local Impact Targets
1. Define your jurisdiction. Who’s actually in your world right now, right here? Stop trying to reach everyone and get honest about who’s already in the room. This is your ecosystem: the community that trusts you, the people you serve, the audience that actually shows up. Clarity here sets the foundation for everything else.
2. Quantify your reach. Impact starts with the people right in front of you. If that number is 100, build for those 100 like they’re gold. If it’s 1,000, nurture them like a community. When you know the size and scope of your reach, you make more sustainable moves.
3. Name your impact. “Impact” is too vague to build strategy around. When you give your impact a name, it gets a shape. What has shape can be measured, refined, and scaled with intention. So define it. Is your work opening doors for others? Expanding access to something critical? Creating cultural waves in your city? Go deeper! and speaking of deep…
4. Go deep first. Be undeniable in your lane. Let the quality of your work speak. Build strong relationships, deliver tangible value, and create work that moves people.
5. Expand intentionally. Breathe! Scaling is a strategy, its not a race and besides, not everything needs to scale globally. Some of the most powerful movements in history stayed close, focused, and deeply rooted before their message echoed outward. Expand when your foundation is ready
I’m undergoing an evolution from chasing everywhere to building somewhere.
Welp! Surprise, surprise. Even without becoming a lawyer, I’ve found myself living in a slightly global world with my roots anchored deeply between New York City, London and Abuja.
My goal is to bring everything I learn back to the local connections I have. My “somewhere” is a bit diverse: Women in the Bronx who are building powerful businesses and organizations; Young creatives in Maitama eager to create meaningful content; Brixton business owners filled with fresh ideas and a sense of purpose.
I really truly believe that what’s rooted will always outlast what’s rushed.
I still carry my grandfather’s fire, but I no longer need to replicate his path. My impact can simply land where it matters and I can love that for what it is. What’s rooted will always outlast what’s rushed. So no, I don’t want to change the world. I want to change my world. And if enough of us do that intentionally, boldly, and deeply, the bigger picture will reveal itself.
That’s how the world actually changes.
This piece was originally published in my Branding for Impact newsletter on LinkedIn. Read the original and subscribe on LinkedIn for new editions.
Cover image: Barrister S.Y Eke, Courtesy The Eke Family of Benin
