Welcome to the Life-by-Design Blog. My name is Joe Abass Bangura. I am a Chartered Accountant by profession. A fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA-UK).
I am presently enrolled in an Executive Education Program at the Maxwell School of Public Administration, Syracuse University, New York. I am a proud beneficiary of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship scholarship, funded by the US States Department.
I have a lifetime passion to pass on the lessons of my life to my generation. One major lesson I have learnt is that success in life is always intentional and not accidental. No one succeeds by accident. People do not get promoted on their jobs; graduate from University; grow successful businesses or lose weight by accident.
In perfect agreement with the law of cause and effect and the sowing and reaping principles; personal achievement can be said to be a science. There are specific tried and tested principles you can put to work that will guarantee the future you desire.
I was born more than four decades ago to illiterate parents; the fourth child in a family with 6 kids, sharing a single bedroom house. My parents were nevertheless very determined to ensure that we were educated to the full extent of their limited resources. This meant that they were only able to meet our bare necessities.
Coupled with some bad choices I made, the end result was that I failed my final High School Exams (GCE Ordinary Level exams) woefully. I dropped out of school and took on one odd job after another. I ended up being employed by a Government Agency in February 1987 for a monthly salary of Le. 300.00 (three hundred leones); this is less than ten US cents.
I would be so poorly clad to go to work that every now and again, I would have to switch sidewalks to hide from my former classmates who by that point in time had completed their graduate university education and were now working in Banks and other prestigious offices.
At the zenith of my frustrations, I had a destiny meeting with Rev. Bobson Turay (Blessed Memories) in 1989; who became a life coach to me. He brought back confidence and hope to my life; he caused me to see the virtues in my life that nobody else had seen. He made me realise that if anybody was to shoulder the responsibility for turning the ship of my life back on course, it would be me.
Bobson ignited a fresh passion to succeed in my life that caused me to take some major life-altering decisions. I decided I was going to let my faith in God affect my lifestyle. In religious terms, “I got born again” I went on to set new standards for myself; things I would no longer accept from myself or no one else for that matter. All the lifestyles and friends that were inconsistent with the new standards I had set for myself, had to go.
I went back to School to retake my Ordinary Level Exams in 1991. With just three months of preparation, the results were a resounding success. As they say “Success begets success” and the rest is history.
My life has since been transformed from a school dropout to a Chartered Accountant; from an audit clerk to becoming the Finance Director and Regional Operations Director of the Biggest Mobile Phone Company in Sierra Leone – Africell (SL) Ltd
Life has armed me with very valuable secrets of personal and corporate success that I must pass on to my generation. These secrets have the potential to provoke dramatic changes in the results and quality of your life.
It is my prayer that as you visit the Life-by-design blog and act on the things you learn here, you will ultimately be ushered into the future you desired and designed and become the person you were meant to be.
God Bless you.

This is a fantastic achievement. The Lord will continue to use your gifts to lead people not only to achieve their God given talents, but to surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
By: Bosco on November 5, 2009
at 9:11 pm
My Brother, when we strive to know the Lord and work according to his precepts, He will cause the rain to come down; both the former rain and the latter rain.
To every product there is always a process and in the process there are different stages in the manufacturing line for that product to be what the manufacturer intends it to be.
You chose the right path to be a Born Again and your story changed. Our father caused the rain to come down and changed your story.
You were designed by him to be what you are and you have finally become what the manufacturer wants you to be. The sky is your limit
and am sure by His grace you will get there.
Shalom
Millicent
By: Millicent Macfoy on November 6, 2009
at 11:03 am
God has done what he does best in ur life
I have already benefited from this man of God
He is an asset to this generation
Mr. Bangura,your latter rain shall be greater than the former
Keep walking with the LORD he will reward your works.
By: Dauda Daniel Kargbo on November 6, 2009
at 9:08 pm
God bless you pastor, i have been following your teachings for some time now and as i put them to practice i’ve seen things change in my life. i was in ur programme at the British Council which made me to believe that you and you alone is the best adviser and director of your life.
By: Alhassan Kargbo on January 2, 2010
at 3:09 pm
I have listened twice to your programme on BBN and what I heard has gingered me to be following up your teachings. Hope you will be back soon to continue. God will continue to bless you as you help us.
By: Dorcas Saccoi on March 2, 2010
at 10:41 am
pastor Abass, I thank God for ur life. I was filled with much excitments when I learnt that you did “life by design” seminar in the U.S. The first international life by design. i hope that the people of the three states have been blessed by that seminar. we are proud of u. God bless u and kep it up.
By: Augusta A Taylor on March 16, 2010
at 4:00 pm
Thank you Augusta. The program went well and I have already been approached about doing two more seminars before I return to Sierra Leone in July.
By: joeabass on March 16, 2010
at 4:40 pm
We are all grateful to God for this.
By: joeabass on March 16, 2010
at 4:41 pm