SheHive Nairobi Exceeded My Expectations
She Leads Africa opened its doors to Nairobi on June 30 to hold the first edition of SheHive Nairobi at Nairobi Garage, Westlands. This marked the beginning of what was to be four days of great insights from badass entrepreneurs and professionals in Kenya. Bootcamp sessions The first two days saw the All Access ticket holders being taken through training sessions by SLA co-founder, Yasmin Belo-Osagie. These were intimate, personalized round-table sessions that gave lessons on entrepreneurship and looked into each participants’ area of business while giving tips on how to improve it. Yasmin gave us an exercise that involved coming up with questions we would ask potential customers. This was an eye-opener to most of us on the direction we should be taking. Day two had the same set up as day one; round-table, intimate, one on one, Q & As, a few exercises here and there. We also had a surprise guest speaker to start us off: Ory Okolloh, co-founder of Ushahidi. Ory took us through her journey in entrepreneurship and the challenges she faced while starting out. She gave us insights on how to balance being a mother, a wife and an entrepreneur. She was quick to add that not everyone you expect to help you will do so, and recommended surrounding yourself with people who support your dream to make your journey bearable. Getting into business Day three saw a shift in the set up. We had the weekend pass ticket holders come in, more speakers, a move to a bigger room and more activities on the program. We started with a team-building exercise that saw the winners getting hair products – I can’t deny that it felt good to be on the winning team. Maureen Murunga, Founder & NEO of Amadiva was the first speaker on the list. It was while she was speaking that something hit me about getting into business; you never know what to expect. You just don’t know. One day you will be rearing to get your business off the ground, armed to your teeth and ready to face any obstacles head on, only to be forced to relocate for one reason or another. Or only for you to realize you are pregnant and need to take it slow. Maureen and Ory brought out one point crystal clearly: nothing is predictable in business. For you to succeed, you’ve got to learn to roll with the punches. When the petite Hilda Moraa, founder of Weza Tele came to speak about her journey in the tech industry, she stressed the fact that surrounding yourself with like-minded people will help your journey in the business world, something she attributes her immense success to. Winnie Mwangi who is an Investment Manager-LGT, took us through retail business. She talked about the importance of location and the expectation of investors when they choose to invest in your company. She mentioned something that surprised me; just like a marriage, the chemistry between the investor and entrepreneur should be right otherwise the relationship will not work. Chemistry people! Who would have thought. When Dr. Hellen Gichohi (who is not so keen on being referred to as Dr.) took the stage she dished out punchline after punchline; accountability and transparency, funds follow function, knock doors and seek opportunities. Hellen who is the CEO of Equity Foundation, is witty and very engaging. She stressed the need to have a functional system in place that will ensure that your business runs smoothly through and through. Any loopholes in the system could be to your detriment. This was echoed by Andreata Muforo, an Investment Director at TLcom capital partners who talked about women as funders. The entertainment industry and importance of gender equality Four speakers done in day three and the last day of SheHive Nairobi came so much sooner than I expected. There was nothing easy about our Sunday morning as we started off on a high note. High because Wanjira Longauer is energetic, bubbly, witty and oh-so-humorous! Easy to see why she excels in the entertainment industry. Wanjira is a Radio host at Capital FM Kenya and a Television Host at Ebony TV’s ‘Moments Kenya’. The takeaway I got from her session several laughs later was the need for women entrepreneurs to always trust their gut because it never misleads you. I can vouch for that since I am a big believer and follower of my instincts. Lindsay Caldwell took us through her journey in the different business ventures she undertook before settling on Angaza as Director of East African Operations. Lindsay stressed that a true entrepreneur is a doer and not a dreamer. We now had three more speakers to go, two of whom were male – the only male speakers we had. Shamim Ehsani, Marketing Director of The Tribe, talked about the deliberate branding that they envisioned for the hotel from the beginning. How they ensured that it stood out from other hotel establishments, not only in the country, but in the world. Something that has given them bragging rights of being among the top 100 hotels in the world. Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom, followed hot on the heels of Mr. Ehsani. He addressed gender equity and its importance not only to the economy but also to the company. He noted that a company does well if it is aware of the importance of gender equity. We were then to close the session with Eunice Nyala, Founder & CEO of Etiquette Xllent. Eunice took us through the do’s and don’ts of professional etiquette from dressing to poise to body language to tone of voice to demeanor. It was interesting to note that we sometimes communicate negatively – unintentionally so – by the way we dress or by the tone of voice we take. It was a bit sad to see SheHive Nairobi come to an end. We had networked and learned so much in four days, we did not know what to do with ourselves now that
Naomi Kamau’s 5 tips on success and mentorship
Mentorship needs to be built, enforced and embraced. This is what creates the next generation of leaders, to spur the growth and prosperity of a country. Through mentorship, I know I will leave a lasting legacy – Naomi Kamau, Kenyan producer, actress and scriptwriter There isn’t a soul in Kenya right now in love with local television drama that hasn’t heard of Naomi Kamau. Naomi is by far one of Kenya’s leading television producers and actresses. From her acting roles in “Mother in law” and “Shamba Shape-Up” to her popular TV production “Machachari”, she is described as an iron lady when it comes to the Kenyan production arena. It is evident that Naomi has done a lot for the Kenyan TV industry. Hers is a passion to tell the African story for what it really is. To showcase the ordinary Kenyan life, to use drama to solve social problems and to help others embrace their heritage and be proud of who they are. As a mentor and a mother, what gives her the greatest gratification is when Kenyan’s appreciate their own, when they rave about Kenyan productions and when they see themselves or others they know of in the characters created. Naomi posits that this is the path to greatness for any country -embracing their own abilities, heritage, culture and splendor. “Africans need to create content that is commensurate with the lives they live for this is what will entice and draw the audience into appreciating their own”, she says. When mentoring the young people. First and foremost it is important to recognize that we cannot as entrepreneurs implement the dream forever and that we have to pass the baton on to the youth in order to create a culture of sustainability in quality TV productions. “I have great mentors myself like Wachira Waruru, Latifah Ngunjiri, Catherine Wamuyu and David Campbell. Successful people, most of the time, have to have mentors who are older and younger than they are”, she quips. Having studied air-ticketing and taught History and English to secondary school students at some point in her life, Naomi shared five steps that she believes is the sure pathway to a successful production career. 1. Identify your passion “Passion should be what drives you to surge forward. My parents wanted me to be a teacher but the passion within me couldn’t let me pursue that. I ended up teaching for two years but the passion was at it again stirring deeply within me. The one strange thing about passion is that it’s almost spiritual and so strong and real that it will not let you rest until you embark on the journey to your dreams.” 2. Take the first step “It is evident that God will certainly not bless someone who isn’t working toward the dream. You have got to be on the journey that will take you to your passion irregardless of the circumstances. A lot of young people view money as a great impediment but it shouldn’t be, you can work for the people who you want to be like, that is a path that will somehow lead you to where you are looking to go.” 3. Be creative and resilient In this industry young people can be anything they would like to be if they put their minds and hearts into it. There are vast opportunities in wardrobe, make-up, animation, graphics and writing that young people can explore and excel in. 4. Work hard This is the essence of success. It means literally getting down and dirty. When things seem not to be working, strive on, Rome was not built in a day. It takes hard work and time to build a successful and thriving career. 5. Read and Research You need to know what others in the industry have done so that you can create something better. Better still you can liaise with the people already there in order to create something better. Production is an expensive venture especially for a young person and mistakes cost money. It would be good to know what other people who’ve made it think of your work. That is the essence of having a mentor.
Tariro Makina: Billing per hour doesn’t work in Africa
Virtual reality is the world we’re living in. Tariro Makina knows this, that’s why she set up Twenty47 Virtual Assistant, a business that provides social media strategy and email management, among other services to clients. SLA contributor Glenda Makumbe caught up with Tariro in Harare, where they talked about starting a business in Zimbabwe while remaining grounded, the challenges of charging by the hour in Africa and the perks of being a virtual assistant. Tari tell me a little bit about yourself and Twenty47 Virtual Assistant. I am a 30 year old IT geek who is passionate about helping small business owners manage their businesses better. Twenty47 VA had always been an idea in my head until the end of 2013 when I actually gave birth to it. I had fallen out of love with my job and I did not want it anymore. So I just woke up one day, wrote a business plan and registered the business in early 2014. Soon after, I quit my job. I wanted more and I wanted to build on my passion. Currently, most of my clients are based here in Zimbabwe but I also have clients in South Africa, Zambia and the US. My main clients are in the services industry – forming a mix that is spread across various sectors. These include business consultants, event organisers, educators, technology and logistics companies and non-profit organisations. Why Twenty47 Virtual Assistant as a name I chose the name Twenty47 Virtual Assistant because I had a vision to create a global business that served clients in all time zones. I have no problem working evenings (sometimes) so it makes it easier for me to accommodate clients in different countries around the world. However, this has often been construed to mean I am available for every client 24 hours a day and 7 days a week **sighs** this is why you should be careful when choosing a name. What does your business entail? Twenty47 Virtual Assistant started as a one woman business and had been until 2015 when I was joined by one other person. I am involved in the general management of a client’s business online and this is usually the little things like administrative tasks that are considered not entirely important, brand awareness, customer service through various marketing and client engagement channels. Many small businesses shun investing in these areas as they are afraid it may be wasting money, time or both. Yet, they can have a huge impact on the success or failure of a business. I also take care of certain functions of a business or project for those focused business owners or professionals who understand that they cannot do it all by themselves and wish to take advantage of delegation. This way they have an opportunity to focus on what they do best whilst entrusting me to do the rest. I especially specialise in social media strategy formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting. I do email management as well. Keeping up-to-date with the current industry trends and information plays a major role in social media so as to stay relevant to your audience. This requires a lot of research as well. So I do not have a structure of how a typical day in the life of a VA would look like, but, in a nutshell, it involves planning, lots of it, and staying on top of things. Is there anything in your educational background that helps you in managing your business? I have a Computer Science degree from Midlands State University here in Zimbabwe and that has been a great foundation for me. I have had to learn new things on the job like web and graphic design as my previous roles had nothing to do with design. I found there was a demand for this kind of work and it has helped increase my service offering. How have people received this type of business in Zimbabwe? Selling the idea of what I do to people is not hard, it’s the billing part that was initially hard. So I found that people received the idea of having virtual assistance as something really useful. I came with my approach of billing per hour based on research I had done in other markets. Little did I know that some approaches don’t work in Africa! And I say this with much respect for the continent – one size does not fit all. Because some clients were not time conscious, I still billed them for my time that they would have wasted. This would sometimes anger some clients and it was one of the things that would have made me give up on my business. The moment I changed approaches – put up value proposition packages – things improved. A value proposition package is in a sense packaging my services such that the benefits are clear. For each benefit I present, there is an associated value based on comparable market elements. A prospect can therefore be able to evaluate whether the value proposed versus the cost is something they would be interested in investing into. Many find it easier and clear to make that investment decision compared to when you just say “My services are $20 an hour”. This was a learning curve for me as I learnt that you have to be flexible in business, understand your market and model your business approaches to suit the environment you are in if need be. How do you keep fun in your business? If you spend time with me you are going to laugh. The nature of my work requires me to know my clients’ true personalities. I have to show up and be as authentic and original, as I require them to be. Why did you decide to stay in Zimbabwe? I have faith in the continent and in Zimbabwe. Whilst everyone is looking for a chance to run away, I want to stay and make my business work here. If I can make a business successful in
24 hours with the perfect 21st century African woman
At the start of a new week, Lady Perfect African woman needs to ensure that the kids eat a healthy breakfast and are ready for school. Dressing them up from the neat piles of uniforms, drawers and socks locked up in dainty cupboards gives her the greatest satisfaction. The drive to work as therapeutic as the cool refreshing air is intertwined with endless questions such as, “Mama why can’t we a purple car”, “Have you noticed that the trees have been following us ever since we left the house?” Fully knowing the perks of not communicating with her children, suppressing their imagination and self- expression, the next minutes that ensue are based on endless fantasies as to why the trees did not stop following the car. By lunchtime Ms. Perfect is frazzled, in between meetings all she needed was that breakfast she had to forgo because she had deadlines that were detrimental to her yearly bonus. She couldn’t forget that could she? That bonus was the key to days of sunshine at the beach. At 3:00 pm she was sure she had ticked off most of her daily action items only to remember that she still had that meeting with her child’s teacher at school. Could she call Daddy to be there? But how could she be so insensitive to his hectic Monday schedule. At a last resort, she called to reschedule. She knew that she couldn’t afford to skip her monthly women’s meeting based on family matters. As the chair for this quarter her involvement with the organisation had not only boosted her association with the right people but she could really see the difference in her sales portfolio. At 8:00 pm she was craving for a foot soak, had some reading to catch up with but could barely make it through dinner time. The last she could remember was setting the alarm to mark the start of a new day. Tomorrow she was certain that she would do better at her tasks. Ms. Perfect is the 21st Century African Woman, who has the world at her feet. She is living the life of her dreams by being everybody’s best except to herself. The world constantly expects high performers, successful people and achievers. None of these expectations are wrong or undesirable rather choosing the path of proper planning, realization of our human capabilities and self-care might prevent the host of people who battle ill-health, are burnout and fatigued, stressed out parents, depressed professionals and unhappy people as a whole. Does this day reflect a fragment of your lifestyle or can you identify a Ms. Perfect in your network? We can make it better together as we will look at strategies to keep Ms. Perfect imperfectly whole: Stay Present Becoming fully aware of your body and its limitations can be a first step to staying present. Enjoy moments in your daily activity without projecting into the next. Staying focused in your tasks will increase productivity. Savour your moments! When was the last time you really tasted the flavours of your lunch? Involve Others Bionic women exist only in fiction books fictional characters; it will not make you any less than a dutiful partner to ask for help. Get other people involved in sharing your daily tasks- delegate responsibility to older children. Do not get caught up in micromanaging every single detail that concerns you. Something’s were meant to go wrong- Own it- It is not always about you and how you do it. Stay connected with people that support you, find time to make that call or send that message to someone you care about. Don’t be an Island. Applaud Yourself Daily Find moments each day to tap you on the back, say well done champ; I am the best! Accept compliments. Don’t you know that you are unique by simply being you? Research has proven that self-praise boosts levels of your feel-good hormones; serotonin and dopamine. Realistic Expectations Accept that the price of commodities is not determined by you. Not having a good bargain on groceries does not equal to a bad day. Looking after yourself is what you determine; eating healthy, exercising, taking routine vitamins are within your scope. Taking care of you guarantees the future of great expectations. Pamper Yourself Make time to accomplish the big goals of fine dining, body massages to exotic holiday trips when you can but don’t forget walking on the beach, watching the sunset. Enjoy your favourite book/movie. Do what you love! Ignore the Crowd Don’t be one to follow the trends and expectations of society, set your own rules that will govern each area of your life i.e. social- professional – family life. There would always be people waiting to condemn and criticize where you went wrong in being a lady, a good mother or a boss. Take in the good points and throw out the rest with a good laugh. Remember that simple things such as choosing to eat lunch by yourself might be termed wrong by your best friend. As humans we can never please everyone. Romance Your Pillow Make time to sleep, let nothing or no one disturb your sleep. When you sleep rest in peace, forget the sorrows of today and the maybe’s of tomorrow. Rather be grateful for the little things that went well. Let all other things go. The new you that pays attention to self-care will grant you a healthier and a meaningful life of purpose!
Why Motherland Moguls seriously need to start blogging
With the growth of social media and in Africa, everyone, even businesses are blogging. Yet, there’s an ongoing debate on whether a blog is really necessary for business especially among those who feel they don’t have the time or money to start blogging and maintain it. Trust me, there are many legit reasons to blog. Blogging is really cool once you look past the work that goes into it. Even when you have little time, it’s possible to make it work. Here’s why. Control your content As a business, you want to have direct influence over how consumers perceive your brand. Blogs allow you to determine what people know and think about you and your hustle. They also allow for interactive conversation when customers leave comments and receive your responses directly. Being constantly aware of consumer’s perceptions allows you to develop content that speaks to their needs. This way, you always have the opportunity for customization and continued relevance in your market. Cool terms with the Web Blogs improve your search engine optimization (SEO). This is a fancy term for visibility. Search engines are always looking for dope content and you raise your chances of being noticed by potential customers when you use keywords related to your business on your blog. This ultimately leads to more web traffic and leads for your business. There are many free options like WordPress and Blogger which allow you to have a blog before you choose host it on your own business website. This means you can start blogging without breaking the bank whilst achieving your business goals. Connect with your customer We can’t deny that customer is king and queen. According to a survey conducted by Hubspot 60% of businesses who blog attain more customers. Blogging for your business really gives the impression that you care about your customer and want to be transparent about what you do . Blogging frequently allows the customer to be aware of the boss moves you are making, they get to see you as a person. Conventional marketing outlets do not allow you to have the personal touch that blogging does. People get to glimpse at the heart of the business, see what it stands for and who the business is. In the end, we all relate to that more than just the numbers. A blog allows you to share timely, relevant information about your services and products which will always please clientele. With Africa being more and more connected a blog could allow you to reach a whole new market within the continent thus increasing your outreach. Creating value Do you have trouble coming up with content for social media, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and others? Well, blogging is a way of designing content and giving your social media strategy an upgrade. Now you can share articles from your blog across your social networks. Not matter the size of your business, you can make a meaningful contribution to your industry. Whether you are a photographer sharing tips on taking great pictures or a multinational business, with a blog you create an opportunity to be a thought leader in your area of expertise. This way you’re showing your clients just #whorunstheworld. And it doesn’t end there, through your blog you also express your views related to changes in your area of business. This speaks to not only your consumers but your competitors as well, making you credible and worth seeking advice from as an expert. What’s more, you can move from just writing on your blog to being noticed by other established bloggers. From there you can seize the opportunity to guest blog which will give you even more of an edge as a brand. It’s also a great way to collaborate with like-minded individuals in your industry. Past the business and profits, you offer helpful advice which is always valued by anyone who visits your site so people can associate you with the awesomeness you are. So, whether a small business or not, you have a cost effective medium to offer greater value to existing customers and finding new ones, creating a niche for your brand, an affordable method for your advertising and improved writing skills, and that’s is definitely a worthwhile investment.
What you need to get the most out of your mentor
Behind every successful woman, is a mentor. Someone who, at some point in their lives, helped guide them in achieving their own goals and dreams. Have you ever wondered how most world-leading entrepreneurs or business women became successful? The common myth is always that it was effortless –involving the least amount of struggle. That myth is never ever true. At the beginning of a career, or at the start of a new business, you may find that you are unsure of how to and pursue your dream. You have the end goal in mind, but the process of putting it into effect and finding direction can be a huge mountain to climb. Although learning through experience on your own is important, getting guidance on how to pursue your goals intelligently can very helpful. Having a mentor who can help guide you through the stages of your career does make it a little bit easier. First set your goals Mentorship, whether in entrepreneurship or corporate, is based on the same core principles. It is to create a relationship for the betterment of you, the mentee and your mentor. It’s extremely important that both parties create an environment of learning and growth. With this environment in mind, both your mentor and you should work together to set your mentorship goals for short, medium and long term. Giving yourselves goals helps in keeping the relationship from becoming too lax in achieving any kind of visible growth. It also sets the stage for a great working relationship. From my own experience, a good mentor also wants to see the goals you want to achieve. This helps them get a better view of how to can help you. One of the most important things a previous mentor taught me is the importance of putting your goals onto paper. And it works! Goal-setting will give you the opportunity to identify where your life is life to be heading. In turn, goals and expectations give both you and your mentor a common understanding of what the relationship is meant to achieve. Adding detail to your short, medium and long term goals will be beneficial in creating your career development plan. This plan can be used as a guide. It will allow you to communicate clearly what you want to achieve in a specified amount of time, and have your mentor to help you achieve those goals in the most focused way possible. Having a plan in place, and having a mentor guiding you through your growth process can help you grow. This will get you to where to where you want to be faster than you thought. Then establish a relationship In order to establish a good mentorship, and for you to be able to succeed in the industry of your choice, some important factors should be considered: Receiving valuable advice: You receive valuable advice from your mentor. As the mentee, you gain insight from your mentor into your ideas. Not only that, you get help on using that advice as a guide to achieving your goals in the most efficient way. Assistance with building strengths and overcoming weaknesses: As part of the goal-setting exercise between you and your mentor, you’ll need to discuss ways your mentor can help you overcome weaknesses and build strengths. Identifying your skills and competencies will help you know where your strengths lie. New ways of thinking: A mentorship allows for a way to bounce ideas off each other and gives you an opportunity to discover new ways of thinking. Win-win for both A mentorship should be a win-win situation. Both parties should be fulfilled in the mentorship. The mentorships that work are usually between people that want to make the relationship work. You will need to be engrossed in the growth of your career. And your mentor should have a sense of fulfillment from helping an up-and-coming young person. If it isn’t fulfilling both parties, then it makes no sense to waste each other’s time. A mentee and mentor need to find a formula that works for them, and stick to it. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a mentee is thinking that the mentorship is one-sided. Inasmuch as you approach a mentor to learn and grow, the same applies for your mentor as they too have goals to pursue. Just as you receive the chance to learn from a more experienced individual, your mentor will receive an opportunity to pass on what they’ve learned in life.
6 things to consider before launching your Youtube channel
So, you’ve decided to start your own Youtube channel. Maybe you were inspired by Toke Makinwa’s projection. Or maybe you are confident your make up skills are better than all those other beauty beauty bloggers. Don’t jump the gun, here are some points you should think through before taking your first vlogger steps. Technical skills The average Youtube video is about 4 minutes. In that short while, few of us consider camera angles, not to mention the recording and editing that probably went into making a video. Now you can go low-budget and own it but you can also choose to invest in a good camera and video editing software. Don’t be there thinking, I have a webcam. You’ll have to invest in a good camera both video and audio wise. Cameras don’t come cheap but if you have a good phone you can hack your way into appearing professional. Writing skills Before you start making your first video, you’ll have to test your writing and research skills. Choose a subject that matters to you, then start your research. You may not know if from watching Youtube, but some of the most successful Youtubers actually write scripts for the video. This is an effective way to ensure that you stay on track and get your point across effectively. It’s not cute to sit in front of a video going on and on. Put your writing skills to use when crafting your page, you’ll need a description to attract potential subscribers. Strategise Your book of plans should be titled, “How to make viewers want more of me”. What are you going to do to ensure that people keep coming to your page and watching your videos? There are number of questions you will have answer. How often will you post? What kind of topics will you cover? How will you remain relevant in a world of shortening attention spans? Draw up a calendar for your Youtube videos, plan ahead and make sure you follow your plans as closely as possible. Aim for quality over quantity. Confidence I have a friend…okay let’s be real, when I started blogging as a university student, I panicked as my page views increased. This increased when friends and family who I hadn’t told about my blog stumbled upon it, and left comments ugh. It was all a matter of confidence. If I was confident in myself back then, I wouldn’t have bothered. Confidence is even more important for vloggers. You’re putting your face out there for the world really, because the Internet never forgets. Grow an extra thick skin and brace yourself for all the haters that will surely appear. The name Sometimes the hardest part of starting something is coming up with a name. Ask anyone who has tried to register a business in Nigeria, it will sometimes seem like all the good names are taken. Then even when they are not, we wouldn’t advice choosing a username like “hotnike1987”. It’s a great idea to just stick to your legal names, but you can also choose to walk the creative path. Whatever you do, come up with a name that is catchy and related to your online personality. Creativity This comes in handy for when you’re coming up with topics. It will also show in your filming style. There’s more going on in your video frame even though your face will be centred. Think about the background, is it dark and plain? Consider making makeshift backgrounds for each video yourself. Don’t have the time? Try moving to different locations in your house/room.
Quick ways to create awareness for your brand
Owning a brand that is easily recognisable isn’t easy, at all. We can testify to that. That doesn’t mean making a strong brand is impossible though, with a few steps in the right direction, you could be on your way to brand heaven. Make good use of social media Hey, most social media tools are free you know. You might as well use them to your full advantage. Social media levels the playing field and also gives you a great opportunity to promote your business while increasing brand awareness. With the right approach you could be reaching millions of people across the world and turning some of them into clients. In Nigeria alone, 16 million people visit Facebook each month, you shouldn’t need more convincing when it comes to social media. Motherland Mogul tip: Start with a Facebook page for your business then a Twitter profile. Build them up by following conversations around industry-related topics and engaging with others. Offer prospective customers useful information that addresses their problems even if you don’t mention your brand. Remember that whatever social media channel you’re using, your message should be consistent and same tone. Press releases Sending press releases to newspapers and magazines are another way to raise brand awareness. Write compelling press releases that are up to journalistic and public relations standards. Your press releases can announce information relating to your business and/or products, or even just general events. Can’t think of any newspapers to send your releases to? Simple, upload them to your blog or website. If you can find other websites to carry your releases. Remember that interesting stories will generate publicity. Motherland Mogul tip: Consider other forms of advertising that may be unique to your country. For example, despite the huge numbers, most African still aren’t online. They are mobile though. Consider making use of SMS services to get your brand out there. Make use of established customers Coming up with campaigns targeted at gaining new leads is great, but while you’re looking for new customers you shouldn’t forget the ones that you have already. Brand awareness campaigns are a great way to keep your brand in customers’ minds and nurturing the relationships you have built already. If your customers constantly remember you, your business will remain relevant to them. Motherland Mogul tip: Need a campaign idea? Why not show your audience your business’s human side? Let your customers know your story. Show them who the person behind their beloved brand is. You can do this through your website or your blog through an “about us” page or personal updates that are relevant to your business. Stand out There are probably a thousand people offering the same kind of product or services you do. This is why you’ll need to stand out, what makes your brand different from others? Don’t ever be afraid to push the limits when defining your identity and looking for what makes you stand out. Consider alternative ways to uncovering the unique nature of your brand. Motherland Mogul tip: You can use customer testimonials to stand out from your competition. Here’s how. Ask yourself, what are your customer’s saying about your brand? Talk to them and use this to uncover your brand’s uniqueness. Videos are a great way to capture this, imagine your customers sharing what they enjoy about your products/services. You can also use this to build up your brand’s YouTube channel, go you! Make use of influencers Offering your most influential clients sweet deals is another way to create brand awareness. You can get customers to recommend friends and family, all through incentives. This is especially useful when these customers are very influential people. If you don’t have influencers in your networks, reach out to some. Influential people can be bloggers or other business owners in your industry. Motherland Mogul tip: You may have to consider offering freebies to your identified influencers. Yeah you’re dashing them things, but consider that well-connected people will very likely talk about your services to their followers. It’s a win-win. Partnerships When you’ve gone through the list of things you can do by yourself and are still lacking, it’s time to partner up. You can consider partnering with other brands to get your name in front of a new audience. With a partnership you’re tapping into your partner’s image and reputation, so you’ll have to be careful who you approach. Motherland Mogul tip: Another way to partner using social media is through guest blogging. This can create awareness for your brand when it is done with people who are popular in your industry. With brand awareness there is no shame in being everywhere in your niche. Just try not to get burned out.
Ledet Muleta: I had to ask myself, “What is the loudest way to make a statement?”
Mental health is rarely approached with the care and attention it deserves in both African and African Diasporic communities. Nurse turned filmmaker Ledet Muleta hopes to change this statusquo. She started Medixaa Health Services to address the lack of proper mental health care in many African countries. Now Ledet wants to push further with her most recent project the film CHULA, which she is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for. Here Ledet shares valuable insight to those Motherland Moguls who want to be filmmakers but are not sure how. She also reminds us why mental health and substance abuse should be of more concern. Your work draws attention to mental health in Africa, is there anything in particular that lead to this? I have been pretty fortunate to have the experience of working in facilities that support a large population of psychiatric patients. I worked for six years at the University of Maryland Medical Center where I gained great experience in giving care to those affected by different types of psychiatric conditions. Our hospital was in the heart of Baltimore City and we took great pride in providing high quality psychiatric treatment. I learned how to deal with acute psychiatric conditions and took care of patients that smaller hospitals could not care for, enhancing my ability to handle stressful situations. Since then I have been working at the National Institute of Health (NIH) as a Research Nurse focusing on mental health. The NIH has inspired me even further as I get to work with renowned scientists, dedicated nurses, and an overall interdisciplinary team. Each time I traveled to an African country, I dreamt of replicating that level of care and the impact it makes. I also had a year long volunteer position as a nurse working with refugees in the Washington D.C. area, mostly from Ethiopia and Eritrea. That was certainly an eye opener and the motivator behind this entire project. The stories I heard and the heartache I felt enabled me to be fearless about starting this project. How is mental illness viewed in your community and what else can be done to change attitudes? Mental illness carries stigma all around the world but in my community, this stigma is severe. People who suffer with mental illness in Ethiopia are often forced into isolation because their families are ashamed of them. The problem is often hidden and ignored until it is too late. Some forego healthcare completely, and subject their mentally ill family members to constant religious intervention, when the issue could easily be solved with medication. It is important to divert more funds towards mental illness. With the proper funding, access to medication and information could make mental illness easier to manage. In order to change attitudes, it is also important to create a more public dialogue about mental illness and what it means to be mentally ill. If people talked about their experiences with mental illness, it would be normalized and those suffering with mental illness would know that they’re not alone. Another way to combat these issues is with education. By providing educational resources on substance abuse and mental illness we can ensure that our community no longer feels the need to be ashamed, and that they know that their conditions can be effectively managed. What message do you hope to tell with CHULA? The inspiration for CHULA comes from seeing some preventable issues becoming life threatening problems for individuals. There is no cure for mental illness, however, most mental illnesses are treatable and can be managed. The lack of access to adequate mental healthcare combined with the stigma of mental illness has intensified the impact of mental illness in Africa. Furthermore, the market for drugs like heroin and cocaine is growing in many African countries, making substance abuse a major health concern as well. With the public looking for preventable education, many are becoming victims and that disparity is what inspired me to make this film. As a nurse, when did you take the leap into film making? Is CHULA the first film you’ve made? I never thought I’d ever venture into film making. This happened out of desperation to tackle the stigma of mental illness in the African community. In my own experience, I see too often that Africans in the Diaspora have a hard time dealing with the stigma in their communities. This often forces them to hide their personal struggles and as a result, they often find themselves in a more dire predicament. In my travels across different countries in Africa, I was enraged to see so many affected by mental illness as well as substance abuse. I wanted to start a campaign that would address these issues and I had to ask myself, “What is the loudest way to make a statement?” which led to the creation of my first film, CHULA. How did you go about getting the skills to be a filmmaker? The first thing I had to do was to draft the script for the film while simultaneously weaving my travels as a great source of inspiration. I wrote the script in various environments, either spending time with my close friends or on long flights from DC to Maputo, for example. Once I completed the script, I reached out to friends who were highly involved in the arts and pitched my script in the hopes of finding a director. That’s when I was connected with Shane Colella, CHULA’s director, and it was through him that I was able to learn more about the film making process and gain the relevant skills needed in order to be successful. Additionally, I had to take the initiative of going through my own personal learning process; this occurred through attending film events and turning to the library and internet for resources, and so forth. What words would you use to describe the last three months of your life? Fearlessness, trust, dedication, team work, and change are some of the words that can
Ruramiso Mashumba: More young women should consider farming
How many young women farmers do you know? None? Say hi to Ruramiso Mashumba. Ruramiso runs a horticulture farm in Marondera, Zimbabwe where she grows crops for export to the European Union and other African countries. Her passion for farming started as a child and though Ruramiso has worked abroad she returned to Zimbabwe to work on her farm. What’s it like to be a young woman and a farmer? Traditionally farmers have been known to look a certain way, mainly male and above 60 years. So, being known as a young woman farmer is exciting because it changes the status quo and lets people know that, ” Yes you can do it in spite of your current situation”. My father bought a farm when I was in form 2. He used to keep cattle. I went to Watershed college, a school which was next to our farm. Learning at Watershed school exposed me to the possibilities of agriculture. At my school agriculture was quite attractive because you would see the farmers children driving tractors and all so there was some prestige to it. Still, it wasn’t easy. I remember I used to cry a lot because of the struggle, especially the bullying from the boys but I was determined. After school, I got an amazing opportunity to work at a British company for two years then returned back to Zimbabwe to farm. What is the most amazing thing you’ve done as a farmer? To date my most amazing experience was being selected by AGCO Corporation to speak at their Africa summit in Berlin on the upscaling of small scale holders. After my presentation the CEO & President of AGCO gave me an award for influencing and leading women towards mechanised farming in Africa. I have since been able to mechanise my farm with their support. You mentioned your big business idea is to train women in the value of agriculture. Tell us more about that. Last year I held a farmer training at my farm where I invited the local community and stakeholders. I hope to be able to set up a centre where young people and women can learn the basics about agriculture. I believe the future of agriculture lays in the hands of those that are given custody of the land and are responsible to treat it in a way that future generations will benefit from. For example, climate smart agriculture is something that more people should know about. Climate smart agriculture is farming in a sustainable way that makes use of efficient irrigation system and disturbs soil structure only minimally. I’d like to share my ideas with others and encourage knowledge transfer. I am also passionate about indigenous organic grains. One of the crops I grow is a rice variety called Oryza glaberrima. This rice is native to Zimbabwe but is at risk of becoming extinct. Why should more young women be interested in agriculture? More women should start tapping into the vast opportunities in agriculture. Currently in Africa, 70 percent of women are players in agriculture but at primary level. Very few women actually own land and are running successful agribusiness projects. Agriculture is rewarding and it’s not just primary productions. It has many facets to it. In Zimbabwe, there is a lot of opportunity to develop the agriculture sector. We have a lot of underutilised land. Currently we are importing a lot of agricultural produce which we could be growing ourselves. This to me shows enormous potential. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.