FROM THE DESK OF THE C.E.O Part 2.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

I am going to dive deep into the realm of Nation building as this is what is required for Nigeria. Whereas I write about the role of the individual because we must have strong, committed and intelligent individuals who will make up our communities, and the communities make up the State, whereas the states and regions make up the Nation. However once we have enough people that are committed to building a better society for Nigeria what next? I have seen many State Governors and even Federal Ministers dabbling about the place without a clear direction or understanding of their role in Nation building. In fact if you ask half of our Political Leaders today to define Nation Building, you would be surprised that they would not be able to give you an educated intelligent answer. In this respect we have decided to take the bull by the horn and provide our youths and leaders alike with the education they need for designing a National Development Strategy that works. A strategy that guarantee jobs are created, security is assured, standards of living are rising and our Nation is respected.

NICHOLAS OKOYE’S NINE PILLARS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I have therefore broken down the drivers of National Development into nine drivers. The idea is that any local government Chairman, State Governor, Federal Minister, Presidential Candidate or young aspiring Leader can use this material as a check list and a study guide in an effort to uplift the lives of the Nigerian People wherever they may live in any part of this great nation of Nigeria.

About the Nine Pillars

The drivers of National Development in which I have put together for scholars to study and debate, is designed on the understanding that all nine drivers are required for a group of political leaders within a political party or established within an Administration, to build their activity, spending and focus around these drivers, which in turn will guarantee them the results. I often wonder why Political Leaders are so corrupt in Nigeria and Africa, it’s a catch 22, and they want to hold onto power so they steal and steal and steal. And then they deploy the stolen wealth towards the next election and spend and spend and spend trying to buy votes, and intimidate the electorate into returning them to power. When their two terms are up, they seek out other political leadership positions so they can remain relevant, why? Well because once they are out of power they suddenly realize that the money doesn’t satisfy, it’s the power they really wanted, and it’s the power they really love. And in the true sense of the word, money into on itself cannot buy the power they crave, that comes only with a Government title. So they unleash the war chest they have kept in Switzerland, and the circle starts all over again.

My idea for the political Leaders is different. If only they will listen, and if you know of any please refer them to this article. Why don’t they study carefully my NINE DRIVERS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, and implement them as best they can. Guess what, if they do, they are guaranteed to receive the praise and worship of the Nigerian people, and they will have people that are ready to die for them and they will literally live forever. As people will be talking about them for hundreds of years into the future. And as for the power they crave, it will never leave them while they are alive, people will continue to recommend them for future appointments, people will consult them on every national or state issue before major decisions are made, children will structure songs and sing about them, Cities will erect monuments in their honor, the list is endless. There is no way this outcome can compare to dying with hundreds of millions in a Swiss bank account, which will never even o to your dependents as you were so secretive when you set up the account that when you die, the bank takes it all as you have no next of kin in the ban’s records. What a shame for a great country like Nigeria to be saddled with such low and small minded political leaders.

For those that will join me on this journey of National rebirth, of Nation Building and of developing a NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY that works for local Governments, State Governments and the Federal Government I have listed out “NICHOLAS OKOYE’S NINE PILLARS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT” and in the coming weeks and months I will go into deep discussion of each driver in order to provide for our leaders a frame work for Leadership and Development that is built on Strategy, Innovation, Ideas and Creativity.

Pillar 1; Government Policy

Pillar 2; Access to Capital

Pillar 3; Systems, Structure and Infrastructure

Pillar 4; Talent and Skills

Pillar 5; Markets

Pillar 6; Energy

Pillar 7; Strategy

Pillar 8; Action

Pillar 9; Communication

 

BAKERY,MIXER/BREAD AND PIZZA OVENS.

 

Baked foods are probably consumed in millions every day in Nigeria. The major component is Flour, a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, beans, or other seeds or roots(like Cassava). Flour is the main ingredient of all confectionaries and is a staple breakfast meal in mots parts of Nigeria, Flour also supports the making of major semi-foods such as meat pies, sausages, Doughnuts, etc, The need for flour has made its availability a economic and political issue at various times throughout the history of mankind.

Bread is a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water. It is popular around the world and is one of the world’s oldest cooked foods .A wide variety of additives may be used, from fruits and nuts to various fats, to chemical additives designed to improve flavour, texture, colour, and/or shelf life. Bread may be served in different forms at any meal of the day, eaten as a snack, and is even used as an ingredient in other culinary preparations. As a basic food worldwide, bread has come to take on significance beyond mere nutrition, evolving into a fixture in religious rituals, secular cultural life, and language. Different types include Wheat Bread, White Bread, Brown Bread, Lean Bread, etc. They could be sliced or unsliced and in this part of the world, we have the ‘Agege Bread’.

Pizza on the other hand is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world.^[1] An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a “pizzeria”. Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, along with several dish variants based upon pizza. Pizza is cooked in various types of ovens, and a diverse variety of ingredients and toppings are utilized. Ever wondered why Pizza was called pizza? The word pizza (Italian) pronunciation: [ˈpittsa], from the Latin verb pìnsere, to press and from the Greek pēktos, πηκτός, meaning “solid” or “clotted”) is Greek in origin.

Baked Foods, Bread and Pizzas would make for an attractive commodity, I mean, Buyers, Investors and Entrepreneurs would definitely be attracted to such profitable commodity, which brings us to the Bakery Mixer, Bread/Pizza Ovens. The Bread/Pizza ovens go for very affordable prices. If acquired, they sure would bring quick profits.

Looking for something saleable and profitable? You should probably consider the Bread/Pizza Ovens. They sure would give you a good result if you spice it up with the necessary ingredients for success.

You can become the next big thing in selling bread and pizza by contacting us on 01-2771388. Or visit our EMPOWER NIGERIA CENTER AT W2 Arena Shopping Centre Oshodi, Lagos. Good Luck.

ASHISH THAKKAR: AFRICA’S YOUNGEST ENTREPRENEUR.

Ashish J. Thakkar is only 30, but in less than two decades, the Ugandan-born maverick entrepreneur has accomplished what only few attain in their lifetime.  He is the Founder and Managing Director of the Mara Group, a diversified conglomerate with approximately $100 million in revenues, according to Thakkar. Born in the United Kingdom, Ashish and his family moved back to Africa after surviving the historic Rwandan genocide and generational exile of African families. Ashish considers himself a native son of Africa with strong Indian roots, of British nationality and a resident of the UAE.

After having built up a business in East Africa, his parents were thrown out by the Idi Amin Administration and they resettled in Great Britain, in the Midlands city of Leicester. Here, his parents started over by selling ladies’ fashions, driving vans to markets all around England, often getting up at 3:00am. Ashish and his sisters shared the workload and the rewards. “If I sold a certain amount, I would get a bike or something,” he says. In 1993, when he was 12 years old, the family sold their business in the UK and moved to Rwanda. The Rwandan genocide began just months later, subjecting the family to weeks of terror as they hid in a hotel and watched bodies pile up around them. Finally, they managed to escape in a chartered plane. “We were literally back on the street. That’s what drove me and made me want to start a business,” says Ashish.

 

At the age of 15, after the family had moved and restarted its life yet again, this time back in Uganda, Ashish sold his personal computer to a family friend. The $100 profit he made convinced him that there could be plenty of money in Information Technology. More sales to friends, family, even his own school soon followed, as did a kind of ‘pop-up’ shop over the summer holidays.. In 1996 at the age of 15, Ashish borrowed $5,000 to start his first IT Company whereby he bought and sold computers. Within a year, he transitioned from a high school student to a full-time entrepreneur. Since starting out in 1996, Ashish J. Thakkar has built the Mara Group, a conglomerate of IT, real estate and manufacturing companies with operations in 19 African countries and 21 countries worldwide, employing over 8,000 people through its investments and operations.

 

Ashish has successfully driven the growth of Mara by identifying opportunities to build businesses in under-served markets and by selectively partnering with international firms focused on expanding in Africa. Among Mara’s credits include building the leading corrugated cardboard packaging company in Uganda (Riley Packaging), founding a Pan-African IT services company (Mara Ison) and establishing an African business process outsourcing company operating in ten African countries (Ison BPO). Mara is still growing and still setting up in new countries, with operations in Cameroon, Angola and Botswana likely to commence by the end of the first quarter of 2013. Recent ventures include a 26,000-acre farming project in East Africa, a major hotel, convention centre, shopping mall and office park in Uganda, and a similar development in Tanzania. Entry into each country will present its own challenges. “Whenever we go into a new country, we map out each business, looking for areas where we’re not present, because we understand our businesses and we understand each region. Then we take advantage of trends,” Ashish says. “For example, in agriculture, we look for places where there is a shortage of food, where we could own land and where there is political stability.”

 

Ashish and his Mara businesses and foundations are clearly making a fundamental difference to the way business is conducted across the African continent. Certainly there must be a whole generation of Africans who are now aware of Mara and of Ashish Thakkar and who have begun asking themselves how they could do something similar. Mara Group has received global recognition for its achievements and contributions not only in Africa but also worldwide. In 2010, Mara Group was identified by the World Economic Forum as a dynamic high-growth company with the potential to be a driving force for economic and social change. Ashish J. Thakkar was appointed as a World Economic Forum Global Young Leader.

 

More often these days he’s referred to as a ‘billionaire philanthropist’, since he created a series of not-for-profit foundations that mentor and support thousands of African start-up companies and entrepreneurs, helping to put them on the path towards the riches he has made. Another key achievement has been establishing Mara Foundation – a social enterprise focused on encouraging and supporting emerging African entrepreneurs. The Foundation currently operates in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria and strives to create sustainable economic and business development opportunities for young business owners through services such as Mara Launchpad incubation centres and the Mara Ad-Venture Fund, a micro venture capital vehicle.

 

Ashish devotes much of his energy to commercial and philanthropic initiatives in Africa. African governments have taken note of Ashish’s incredible success and apparent leadership skills, and he now sits on a number of governmental advisory panels. He’s also an active member of the Commonwealth Business Council and the Young Global Leaders group of the World Economic Forum, which meets every year at Davos in Switzerland and has become a driving force for change. Ashish has been profiled by several publications and media outlets including Forbes, The Economist, CNN, Africa Business Journal, Ventures Africa, San Jose Mercury, Reuters and the BBC.

 

Though he left school at age 15, Ashish is a keen learner, open to the wisdom of others. He shares this habit with his hero Richard Branson, whose Virgin conglomerate is united by its founder’s energy and enthusiasm. The two have become friends and Ashish will fly on the inaugural Virgin Galactic mission, becoming the first East African in space (for a fee of $200,000). “He’s such an amazing guy, he’s a great role model,” says Ashish. “He has the ethos of being true to yourself and to the world.”

 

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH IN 2014

IGHO CHARLES SANOMI II – FOUNDER / CEO OF TALEVERAS GROUP

Age: 38

Nigerian Business man, Igho Charles Sanomi II is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Taleveras Group, an internationally recognized energy and power company. In 2004, Igho Sanomi founded the Taleveras Group, a Nigerian energy trading company. Taleveras trades over 100 million barrels of crude oil as well as several million tons of gasoline, LPG and jet fuel. In April 2012, Taleveras acquired production sharing contracts (PSCs) for three offshore oil blocks in Ivory Coast. In June 2013, Taleveras sold a 65% stake in one of its Ivorian offshore upstream projects to Lukoil of Russia for an undisclosed price. Taleveras also owns a stake in a power distribution firm in Nigeria

OLA OREKUNRIN – FOUNDER OF FLYING DOCTORS OF NIGERIA

Age: 25

A Nigerian healthcare entrepreneur and medical doctor, Orekunrin is the founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first Air Ambulance Service. Flying Doctors Nigeria provides urgent helicopter, airplane ambulance and evacuation services in Nigeria and other countries across West Africa.

CHUDE JIDEONWO & ADEBOLA WILLIAMS

-FOUNDERS OF RED MEDIA / THE FUTURE PROJECT

 

Jideonwo and Williams are co-founders and Partners of Red Nigeria- a leading full service media-content, communication and Development Company in Nigeria. The firm also owns The Future Project (TFP) – a strategic social enterprise/change communications firm which hosts the annual Future Awards, Nigeria’s most important awards for outstanding young Nigerians.

RUTH OBIH – FOUNDER / CEO OF 3INVEST LIMITED

Ruth Obih is the CEO of 3Invest Limited, a Real Estate technology-driven Investment company specialized in providing acquisition, disposition and investment service to developers, investors and funds looking to invest in Real Estate. She is a trained lawyer who has a passion for property and real estate. Her company also has several platforms to promote the real estate sector.

In the wake of the global financial meltdown and plummeting real estate value, Ruth found innovative ways to remain relevant in the industry. Thus, in January 2011, she started “3Invest Intelligence”, an innovative division of the company focused on real estate media and advocacy. Through the vision of 3invest intelligence, several thousand Nigerians and real estate investors have been empowered with useful and relevant information to make wise investment decisions.

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE CEO

 

I love this job, I get to motivate young people and I get invitations to speak at young empowerment events from time to time, and I am currently working on the biggest thing this side of the Atlantic that will have a fundamental impact on millions of lives, and has the potential to completely change the direction for Nigeria. EMPOWER NIGERIA has come to stay and I outlined the guide for the entire year last week. We started well on the 11^th of December 2013, and we have BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS goals which we aim to deliver on.

The Clear Path to Entrepreneurship

We are very proud of this step by step process we have developed to provide the Nigerian young people with a path to success and happiness through entrepreneurship. I will break it down very carefully and I have reproduced it here for all the young people we are mentoring with this column.

Step One: Visit the Empower Nigeria Center at Oshodi or visit the virtual show room at the web site www.empowernigeria.com . This process allows our young people to have deep reflection on what they really want to do with their life. Our team of Entrepreneur Advisors will guide you either online or in a face to face meeting, on choosing your passion. It is very important you choose an industry or a business opportunity that you are passionate about, because that is how you will succeed. People will work hard and long on a matter or an opportunity if they have passion for it. So if you have not thought about what your passion is then this would be a great time to do that.

Step Two: Register to join to the EMPOWER NIGERIA network. You can do this by registering online at www.empowernigeria.com. The registration is not only aimed at putting you on the CLEAR PATH TO ENTREPRENEURHIP, but it also gives to access to a lot of other goodies that have been lined up for you by the Empower Nigeria team. These include membership of the Empower Nigeria Telecommunications platform which allows every registered Entrepreneur to speak to each other for FREE. That’s right it is FREE to talk within the EMPOWER NIGERIA imitative so membership has its privileges. In addition to the Network, members have a good number of discounts that have been lined up for entrepreneurs which will not be available anywhere else.

Step Three: Determine if you need financial support. We are lining up support for our Entrepreneurs which will mean that once you are a member of EMPOWER NIGERIA, you are sure to end up as an Entrepreneur, and not having money will not stop you. We are even pushing the envelope by setting up an EMPOWER NIGERIA FUND which will have several contributors from all over the Country and all over the world, all in an effort to ensure that there will always be funds to finance our Entrepreneurs.  Once again our Entrepreneur Advisors will work closely with you to make sure that you have done all it takes to get prepared for Entrepreneurship and that our financing partners are comfortable with the risk you represent.

Step Four: make your order. You are now ready to fill out an order form which will mean that you are about to transform yourself from a professional or an unemployed young person into an entrepreneur. If you are already an entrepreneur and you wish to expand your business by working with EMPOWER NIGERIA, you are also very welcome. If you are using financial assistance from one of our partners then you will be required to make a 20% commitment investment. If you are paying for your machines or tools with support from your own family or friends, then you will be required to make 50% investment and the balance will be paid on the arrival of your machines.

Step Five: Get enrolled in the Entrepreneurship and Leadership Certification program. In order for you to be a successful Entrepreneur and make millions and maybe billions of naira or even dollars, you have to receive the training, exposure and capacity building required to get you there. Leadership is required for all successful people, and Entrepreneurship must be understood from a 360 degree basis before you can conquer the World. All our Entrepreneurs will reduce their chances or failure and dramatically increase their chances of long term success once they have been certified by our experts.

Step Six: Receive your Machines or Business tools and get to work. The business opportunities we are working with you on are economically guaranteed to receive the demand of the Nigerian consumers. Our machines are tailored along the lines of business opportunities that our economics have pre-determined are either in high demand and have a present low supply or are imported products for which we will be substituting the imported products with the one manufactured by our EMPOWER NIGERIA ENTREPRENEURS.

Get on the CLEAR PATH TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP today and change your life forever.

GUIDE TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The EMPOWER NIGERIA Business choices for 2014

There are over a hundred business ideas and opportunities we have outlined for you at EMPOWER NIGERIA and we have broken them down by industry. You may have a passion for the Agriculture Industry because this is an industry that you have grown up with or maybe it is because there is so much Federal Government support for the Agriculture Industry, whatever your reason EMPOWER NIGERIA will give you a Bankable business Project in this industry that will make you money. You may have a passion for the Information and Communication Technology Industry, here too we are on point with some cutting edge Bankable Business Projects that Bankers are egger and willing to finance. Whatever your passion just visit http://www.empowernigeria.co m or visit our EMPOWER NIGERIA CENTER at Oshodi Arena shopping Centre and you will see your life change this year.  Once you get to the EMPOWER NIGERIA Center tell them that you want to get onto the CLAR PATH TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP and you want to change your life this year. We will do the rest. So folks it is now up to you. Some of the opportunities we have include …..

 

Key Cutting Machines: there is so much construction going on in Lagos and Abuja. And I hear this trend is replicated in some key states across the federation where the Governors seem to know what they are doing. The good news for you young people is that every new development, whether they are building flat, apartments or shops the builders will need doors and keys. And the residents who take over almost always need more keys. A family of five that are all adults cannot do anything with a two key allocation. They will need more keys and this is where you come in. You can take you key cutting machine to the apartment complex and you can start cutting keys tomorrow for the kind residents who need your services. Key cutting is a noble business and it is easy to learn how it’s done. Contact us on http://www.empowernigeria.com if you want to own and operate a key cutting machine.

Soap Making Machines (Liquid, Detergent & Tablets): a small business like no other. This business will put you in the money in no time. Everybody everywhere in Nigeria needs soap to bath or detergent to wash their clothes with. And whereas the large companies that are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange are making a fortune supplying soap and detergent to every nook and cranny of Nigeria you can now compete with them. We would advocate a community approach, come to EMPOWER NIGERIA, get a modular soap factory and set it up right there in your community. You can sell your soap at half the price of the big brands and you will be guaranteed to have customers. Who from the older generation in Nigeria doesn’t remember KEY SOAP? It was simple, it was not even packaged but it sold in every school and every community in Nigeria Visit www,empowernigeria.com to register for a Soap or Detergent mini factory and get into business right away.

 

 

Toothpick Making Machines: We love to talk about the tooth pick machine because all Nigerians use toothpicks, and all toothpicks in Nigeria are imported from China, India or from somewhere else. We can change all that today and get thousands of young people setting up tooth pick machines in every community in Nigeria. You cannot go wrong with this idea. Is great, its profitable and it works. Very simple to use and easy to learn, you will be in business in no time. And every home, every hotel, every restaurant and every bar can be you customers. And once we have reached a critical mass of EMPOWER NIGERIA tooth pick makers we will al to the Federal Government together to increase the tariff on imported toothpicks. Join EMPOWER NIGERIA and start a Tooth pick manufacturing plant today. Visit www.empowernigeria.com

 

PROBLEM SOLVING: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WEALTH CREATION.

We live in a society that has a lot of problems. These problems still exist because creative individuals or entrepreneurs have not ceased the opportunity to provide solutions to these problems. Ironically, our entrepreneurs or business people might not know what these problems are and therefore do not have the ability to provide creative solutions to this problems. It is very important that creative entrepreneurs should do everything they need to do, to identify these problems, because these are the only avenues or opportunities to create wealth.

Problems exist as needs to humans and a need is a lack of something requisite, desirable or useful. It is a lack of the means of subsistence, which are the necessary needs to support life. There are four basic needs which we as humans have and they have to deal with our body, our heart, our mind and our soul or spirit. The human body needs to survive and to do this, we need food, shelter, clothes, good health, water etc. to communicate, we need to be in relationships and this can either be informal, formal or platonic. The human mind needs to grow and develop to seek better means to provide solutions to our needs. We achieve this by being educated or informed, communicating with others and travelling to other places to seek knowledge. The last need has to deal with our soul or spirit. Humans need their lives to mean something.  They need to contribute something of value to other people, their community or country and the world. They need to leave a legacy behind, when they are dead and gone.

Before an entrepreneur can provide solutions to a problem, he or she needs to have a basic skill to do so. The most important aspect of entrepreneurship an entrepreneur must have is passion. If an entrepreneur does not have passion for what he or she does, there isn’t any need for them to be an entrepreneur in the first place. This passion would enable the entrepreneur to learn a basic skill which is of three types, which are; vocational, tertiary and entrepreneurship skills.

A vocational skill is a skill that one learns from someone who already has that skill that individual wants to learn. No document is given to the concerned individual at the end of the training. Tertiary skill is a skill that one learns in the four walls of a university. Here there are several fields you can pick a skill or two, which are in health, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering etc. after the recommended number of years the individual is given a certificate to prove he or she is a master in his field of endeavor. The final skill is the entrepreneurial skill and this is the most important skill an entrepreneur must have. This would not only help the entrepreneur take care of the two skills he or she has, but also take care of his or her customers, community and business.

When the entrepreneur has gotten these three skills, he or she can then sit down and think creatively and have an idea on how to solve a particular problem or need he or she has a passion to provide solutions to. When this is done, the entrepreneur now has to think about ways to package his ideas, product or service and let his target or people know about the idea, product or services and the benefits of using these products. When the entrepreneur meets people’s needs, value flows back to the entrepreneur

In Nigeria our problems are great. From poor transportation network, to insufficient power/electricity supply, poor healthcare services, poor education services, insecurity and a lot of others. Nigerian entrepreneurs should identify which field of endeavor they have a passion for and produce or create innovative products or services to solve these problems. Nigeria has no problem at all because other countries who had the problems we now have, have provided solutions to these problems and all we need to do is to learn what they did and how they did it. We do not need to travel to these countries to learn these things, but with the internet, we can learn about these things with a just one click. We need to be creative. We need to turn our ideas into cash

 

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STEVEN SPIELBERG: THE MAN WITH A BEAUTIFUL MIND.

Steven Spielberg is an American director, screenwriter and producer who has a net worth of $3.4 billion and annual salary of $150 million. Steven Spielberg’s name is synonymous with film and his career spans over four decades. Spielberg had humble beginnings when he was just a boy with a huge imagination and a dream. Steven Spielberg was born on December 18th 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother Leah Adherer was a concert pianist and his father Arnold Spielberg was an electrical engineer involved in the development of computers. Steven’s childhood was spent in Haddon Heights, New Jersey and Scottsdale, Arizona. It was in Scottsdale, as a teenager, where a young Spielberg would create 8mm short films. Even back then Spielberg charged 25 cents for the local kids to come and watch his many epics.

At the age of 13, Spielberg won an award for his 40 minute film about war called Escape to Nowhere. At the age of sixteen he made his first feature length film, Firelight, which he played at his local cinema. It was a Science-fiction film which would later go on to inspire the classic Close Encounters of the third kind. Unfortunately, his parents eventually divorced and he moved with his father to Saratoga, California where Steven attended and graduated from Saratoga high school. After graduation he applied to University of Southern California School of Theater, Film, and Television but was rejected three times. Instead he attended California State University, Long Beach.

His career did not begin until he worked at Universal Studios as an unpaid intern for the editing department. It was during this time that Spielberg directed a twenty-four minute short film, Amblin, (a name that he would eventually carry to his production company) which caught the eye of Sidney Shainberg who was the vice president of production for Universal’s television division. Spielberg became the youngest director to ever sign a long-term contract with a major studio. He dropped out of college for the opportunity.

During his time as a television director he directed episodes of Rod Sterling’s Night Gallery, Columbo, and Marcus Welby M.D. These ventures were so successful that he was signed on to shoot four made-for-television films. The first of which was the 1971 classic Duel. Duel was such a success that he was offered the job of directing the theatrical feature film The Sugarland Express. The film was met with a lot of positive feedback.

It was not until 1975 when Spielberg’s career sky rocketed with the success of Jaws. In 1975 Jaws became the first real blockbuster film after over 67% of Americans went to see it. He would follow it up with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind starring Richard Dreyfus (who Spielberg considers his alter ego). In 1981 he teamed up with long time friend and fellow filmmaker George Lucas to create Indiana Jones which was an even bigger hit. By this time Spielberg was becoming a master of big Hollywood films creating such masterpieces as E.T and Indiana Jones. His career would continue to create more hits such as Hook, Jurassic Park, and Minority Report. In addition to the box office acclaim he has also seen critical acclaim and awards. Spielberg has won three Academy awards, two of them for directing (Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan) and one for Best picture (Schindler’s List). Furthermore, he has been part of the productions of Back to the future, Poltergeist, Animaniacs, Gremlins, and The Gooiness.

Spielberg reunited with George Lucas for the latest installment of the Indiana Jones saga in 2008. Spielberg directed the film, which featured Harrison Ford reprising his role as the famed adventurer in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He also helmed 2011’s animated action film The Adventures of Tintin, based on the popular comic series by Hergé. It was his film version of War Horse (2011) that won him his most recent critical acclaim, however. The movie received six Academy Award nominations.

In November 2012, Spielberg made another legendary film project Lincoln. He directed Daniel Day-Lewis in the biopic of President Abraham Lincoln. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Lincoln’s son Robert and Sally Fields plays his wife Mary Todd Lincoln in this much-anticipated drama. In addition to directing, Spielberg has instrumental in numerous projects as an executive producer. He has helped bring such television shows as Terra Nova, Smash and Falling Skies to the small screen.

As for future projects, the famed filmmaker is rumored to be revisiting some old favorites in the coming years. There is talk of a new Jurassic Park film and even possibly a fifth Indiana Jones movie.

Married twice, Steven Spielberg has a son from his first marriage to actress Amy Irving. He has five children and two stepchildren with current wife Kate Capshaw.