Eva Toby: How To Stay Empowered When You Feel Life Sucks!
Eva Toby is an Amazon Bestselling author, media personality and presenter. With a degree in psychology and Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and an MBA, Eva is passionate about helping women and young adults bring clarity to their purpose. She is the creator of The Purpose Blueprint: 7 Easy Steps to Clarity. Eva has been featured in Genevieve Magazine, Afro Elle, Spice TV, LA Talk Radio, WHPR and more! Eva is 6ft tall and has modeled part-time for the past 10 years as a car model for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, getting premier access to some of the fastest cars in the world. In this article, she talks about overcoming challenges and finding her purpose. On creating “The Purpose Factor” book… If someone had told me several years ago I would be a best-selling author and purpose pusher, I probably would have laughed. However, it’s always fascinating how God truly knows things way ahead and has greater purposeful plans for us even when it comes out of tragedy. I was led to create The Purpose Factor book after the sudden death of my dear cousin in 2014. With my emotions being all over the place from a state of shock, sadness, and confusion. I found it really hard to cope after experiencing such a significant loss. I remember one day picking up my bible to read for encouragement, and it was at that moment these notes had fallen out. The notes were actually from a message, two years prior, that I’d shared with a youth group at church about the significance of living life to the fullest and making your time here on earth count! [bctt tweet=”There is no growth in your comfort zone – @evatobyXE” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Notably, I’d read my bible so many times prior to that and never realized I kept those notes tucked away in my bible binder. It just goes to show the significance of the timing. At that point, I remember this resurgence of passion and desire of sharing with the world the Power of Purpose. And I wanted to get the message across that each person on this earth is valued and has an assignment. I realized how life is so precious and fragile. And that ‘Time’ is not money but life! Hence, it is imperative that we maximize our time here in order to be of value and impactful. The Purpose Factor book was dedicated to my cousin who indeed lived life to fullest and impacted so many lives. On facing life challenges… The past few years have indeed been life changing and challenging to say the least. From the loss of my cousin, and then another cousin. And then, I lost my father in 2016. Experiencing such significant losses in a span of a few years has been indescribable. Couple that with trying to stay focused on building my brand/business, it was not easy. But one thing I learned through this process that keeps me going is that even in pain there is still a purpose. As painful as the process has been, I realized God still has me here for a reason and wants me to keep going. [bctt tweet=”I firmly believe that passion is for “yourself” while purpose is for “others” – @evatobyXE” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Perhaps there may be someone out there that will hear my story and be encouraged to keep going despite the circumstances and challenges they are facing. I learned that in life we all have seasons, and every season has an expiry date. It is the endurance during those seasons that prepares and makes us stronger for the rest of our journey in life. 3 ways women can stay empowered… Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, broken relationships, loss of job, or personal struggles, rough times happen to everyone at some point in life. Trying to remain hopeful and positive through it all can be challenging. Especially when overshadowed with feelings of confusion and loss which begin to resonate so deeply. [bctt tweet=”Never curse the process! Your purpose is a product of the process – @evatobyXE” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] While you may feel like you are in a hopeless space it is essential to be reminded you are not. You are in a season of transition and need to remember there is a breakthrough on the other side of the breakdown. Below are 3 ways you can stay empowered when you feel life is taking its toll on you: 1. Acknowledge Your Feelings Almost everyone at some point has had that feeling of hopelessness and despair. The truth of the matter is that it is OK. We are all human and embracing your vulnerability is the first step to reclaiming your power. Remember acceptance is not a sign of weakness and by no means an indication that you don’t desire change. But rather than suppress those feelings, acknowledgment gives you the confidence to deal with them and start making a way for something new to emerge in your life. 2. Have An Attitude of Gratitude There is so much power when we cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our daily lives. Research studies have shown the positive impact on people who focus on gratitude. Gratitude facilitates increased self-esteem, optimism, happiness, improved mental health, progress towards goal achievement, increased energy and more. Therefore, it is important to start making gratitude a daily ritual. You can start by creating a gratitude journal for yourself. Each morning and/or evening tries to think of at least two things you are grateful for in that moment. 3. Look for Opportunities of Growth When life hits us hard, we are often led to start with “why me?” or “why is this happening?” It’s natural at first but if we dawdle in this space for too long, it can lead us further onto the pathway of self-pity. Hence the importance of changing the narrative from “why” to “what”. Start thinking about “what”
The United Nations is using it’s Women’s Global HeforShe initiative to drive gender equality
Gender equality is a fundamental human right but remains a distant dream for many women worldwide. The United Nations’ HeforShe is a solidarity campaign for the advancement of gender equality. Its goal is to achieve equality by encouraging both genders to partake as agents of change and take action against negative stereotypes and behaviors, faced by people with feminine personalities/genders. Grounded in the idea that gender inequality is an issue that affects all people—socially, economically and politically. It seeks to actively involve men and boys in a movement that was originally conceived as “a struggle for women by women”. The HeForShe movement is gathering momentum globally as a cohort of select leaders from both the public and private sectors join the drive and stand out as visionaries on gender equality. On behalf of Standard Bank Group, Chief Executive Sim Tshabalala, has become one of the global “Thematic Champions” in the HeForShe movement. These leaders have committed to implementing game-changing policies and concrete actions towards gender parity. “Achieving gender equity is a moral duty, a business imperative, and just plain common sense. Women embody half the world’s talent, skill and energy – and more than half of its purchasing power. So every sensible business leader must be committed to achieving gender equity in their company and to contributing to gender equity in the societies in which we operate,” says Tshabalala. [bctt tweet=”@StandardBankZA will improve the representation of women in executive positions from the current 35% to 40% by 2021. #HeforShe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap report, it is estimated that it will take more than 217 years to achieve workplace equality after gender parity took a step backward in the past year. Concrete commitments made by Standard Bank Group in order to bring about tangible change include: Reaching parity in executive positions and to improve the representation of women in executive positions from its current 32% to 40% by 2023. Lift the representation of women on the Board from 22% to 33% by 2021. Standard Bank is also committed to increasing the representation of women Chief Executives in its Africa Regions network from 10% to 20% by 2021, while Standard Bank South Africa will improve the representation of women in executive positions from the current 35% to 40% by 2021. While progress has been made in certain countries in Africa to close gender gaps, others remain behind the curve. Namibia and South Africa both score in the Top 20 in the WEF global report on gender equality – after closing 78% to 76% of their gender gaps – but Sub-Saharan Africa still displays a wider range of gender gap outcomes than practically any other region. Launched by Emma Watson and the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2014, HeForShe represented the first global effort to actively include men and boys as change agents for gender equality at a time when most gender programs were only targeting women. [bctt tweet=”The U.N. recently reported that nearly 20 percent of women surveyed said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous year. #HeforShe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] It was the beginning of a trend that only seems more relevant as stories emerge of sexual abuse and harassment suffered by women in the workplace. The Sustainable Development Goals call for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, but campaigns such as the most recent International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women highlight that there is much work to be done. The U.N. recently reported that nearly 20 percent of women surveyed said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous year. Originally conceived as a one-year media campaign to raise awareness about the role of men and boys in gender equality, the HeForShe website garnered more than 100,000 male supporters in its first three days. These males affirmed their commitment to the cause by declaring themselves “HeForShe” and saying that gender equality is not just a women’s issue. Early adopters included a clutch of celebrities and politicians, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and actor Matt Damon. Since then, 1.6 million men have signed up online, including at least one man in every country of the world, and its “Impact Champions” include the presidents of Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, and Indonesia, among several other heads of state. The issue has also been the subject of 2 billion conversations on social media. But HeForShe is not without its critics. Many in the gender equality community say they would like to see the movement make more concrete demands of its male champions, and have called for civil society to play a greater role in developing and monitoring the movement. “Now is a good moment for reflection and discussion about HeForShe, which has achieved high visibility, clear successes, and also drawbacks,” said Gary Barker, co-founder of Promundo, an NGO working to engage men and boys for gender equality, which has advised the HeForShe campaign since its launch three years ago. “Having that amount of reach and star power on board means there’s huge potential, but we need to harness it before the movement loses momentum … [and] we need to push UN Women to go further and ask more of men,” he added. Johannesburg : 9th October 2018. Sponsored Post.
Webinar with Chevening: How To Get Into The 2019 Chevening Scholarship Program (OCT 23)
Imagine yourself receiving a fully funded scholarship at your fave UK university that offers you a chance to achieve your academic goals and gives you the chance to develop yourself professionally or network extensively? Guess what? Chevening is bringing you a chance to realise that dream and more with their global scholarship award program! Want to know more? We are inviting you for a Webinar with Jibike Faborode, Program Officer at Chevening Awards, who will be dishing out tips on how to apply for a scholarship with Chevening on Tuesday, 23rd October. This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss ’cause you sure won’t find any of Jibike’s tips on Google! Yes, we went there… [bctt tweet=”Join SLA & @UKinNigeria for a webinar on October 23rd at 4 pm to learn how to get into the Chevening Scholarship Program @cheveningfco!” Reg here: bit.ly/jibikef via=”no”] Some of the topics we’ll cover What you need to know about the application process Do’s and dont’s for writing a quality application Preparing yourself for a successful interview process Scholarship troubleshooting Register below to access this opportunity and submit questions that you would like Jibike to answer. Webinar Details: Date: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018 Time: 4pm Lagos // 5pm Joburg // 6pm Nairobi Location: We’ll send you the link to watch once you register Watch the webinar here: About Jibike Jibike is a project management and strategic engagement professional, with over 4 years of experience working in the public diplomacy and international development space. She currently serves as the country programme officer for Chevening in Nigeria and also as Co-Chair of Her Majesty’s Government Women’s Network in Abuja. Chevening Awards is the UK government’s flagship global leadership programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. Young leaders are awarded merit-based scholarships and fellowships to study at any UK University of their choice, after which they are required to return to Nigeria to assist in the further development of their home country. The alumni network is structured to maintain lasting positive relationships with the UK and help to advance foreign policy objectives. Approximately 38 – 53 Nigerians and about 300 Africans are awarded are awarded annually. The Prime Minister recently announced an additional 100 awards for African leaders, starting in the 2019/20 cycle. Chevening in Nigeria aims to grow the representation of women on the programme from 39% to 50%, hence women leaders are strongly encouraged to apply.
TOMI ADEYEMI: The Nigerian-American Female Author Making Waves
Tomi Adeyemi is a 24-year-old Nigerian- American author and creative writing coach. She recently started making waves in the writing industry in America, and in Africa, at large. Her debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, a West African young adult and fantasy novel was released on the 6th of March 2018 and has since been the talk of the globe, literally. Now, let’s focus on the star, Tomi Adeyemi. A young, hardworking, determined and successful woman, who by all means, got herself to the beginning of a successful phase with utmost determination. She is someone who enjoys her passion, to be heard, to impact the lives of others, to change the game and be referenced, amongst others. [bctt tweet=”.@tomi_adeyemi’s first written novel did not yield a positive feedback but that did not stop her. She went ahead to write another after a year gap and guess what, that come back book was #Childrenofbloodandbone.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tomi Adeyemi is a graduate with honors from Harvard University as she studied English literature. Her quest and zeal to know more about her background and culture paved the way for the fellowship she got to study West African Mythology and culture in Salvador, Brazil. Tomi Adeyemi has been writing since she could read but only got serious about writing a book in 2010 and she wasn’t perfect at it on the first trial. She learned everything she could about writing. Things like reading books, talking to authors to get insights and one or two tips to guide her, going to conferences and so on. She even studied her favorite stories just so she could ‘figure out why they were so awesome’ she says. Her first written novel did not yield a positive feedback but that did not stop her. She went ahead to write another after a year gap and guess what, that come back book was Children of Blood and Bone. The book highlights the importance of a black girl being seen and heard, and the high importance of black people, in general. The scenes in the novel depict actual events that have been witnessed over the past couple of years. From brutal murders, treatments and vile issues that the popular movement #BlackLivesMatter brought to light. The book Children of Blood and Bone is the first of the series of the legacy of orisha trilogy and is yielding major positive waves. First, it’s No 1 on the New York Times Young Adult Hardcover bestseller list. [bctt tweet=”@tomi_adeyemi has literally broken the roof with her book #childrenofbloodandbone” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Secondly, it has landed a 7 figure movie deal with Fox and the movie is currently in development. Thirdly, she has changed lives with this book and ignited so much passion and determination in the lives of men, women, and children. I would say that she has literally broken the roof with her book. As we all know, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. If Tomi isn’t found writing, she will definitely be found watching Scandal as she loves it much, or blogging or teaching creative writing to her 3500+ subscribers at her website tomiadeyemi.com, which has been named one of the 101 best websites for writers by writer’s digest. Let us all watch out for her new book to be released, titled Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Tomi Adeyemi is an all-rounder. A successful black woman, a creative writer, an author, a writing coach and a mentor to many. We wish her the best in all she does. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
How I Became a Social Media Influencer
I started my Instagram page back in 2015 as a fitness inspiration account to keep me accountable while I was doing Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide also known as BBG. There were a whole bunch of girls around the world who started their guide around the same time as me so I gained followers relatively quickly because my page was a source of motivation for all the new girls starting. My page grew as BBG grew in popularity, and it eventually grew to where it is now. I became an ambassador for BBG Cape Town in 2016 and we hosted regular BBG workout events until the end of 2017. Over the years I continued to document my fitness journey and post relatable content. Workout memes, inspirational quotes, and transformation pictures really motivated me and seemed to connect well with people on similar journeys. I got into fitness to empower myself because I had no confidence in myself before I started working out regularly, even though I played sport throughout my life. I started my fitness page in 2015 but my health and fitness journey started in 2013 back when I used to use Twitter for workout motivation. [bctt tweet=”If you’re a blogger, photographer, fashion stylist, makeup artist. Read this…we’re spilling the tea” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Before you go on this influencer journey, follow these steps: 1. Decide your niche and stick to it It’s easier to grow a page if you specialize in one or a few things so people will know what to expect from you. Think about it, when you follow an account that’s not a friend or celebrity it’s usually because they post something specific that you like eg. make-up tutorials, fitness or fashion inspiration, food recipes etc. 2. Think of yourself as a brand If you’re building a brand, there has to be some level of self-reflection your page needs to be an honest extension of you. What do you stand for? What’s your vibe? Make sure your feed represents your personal brand. 3. Figure out your why What’s the purpose/aim of your account? Is it purely for fun or is it business? And then decide how much time you want to invest in it to match what you expect to gain from it. 4. Have a theme for your pictures Everybody likes things, make sure you have a flow going on your page. There are so many categories to pick from. You can use a consistent color theme or even have a particular object in all your photos to test your creativity. Even if it’s just the same filter, aesthetically planned feeds are nice to look at. 5. Work, Work, Work Put relative time and effort into your posts and try to be as creative as possible. Try having “content creation” sessions once or multiple times a week like you have study sessions. And/or take down any ideas that pop in your mind in your memo pad so you can use them for post and caption ideas later. 6. Socialize That’s the whole point of social media! Respond to your comments and engage with the accounts you follow so they are encouraged to engage with you too. The more engagement you have the greater the chances are of your page being discovered by people and brands. 7. Use hashtags The hashtag game is always changing but it doesn’t hurt to experiment with a few and see how it affects the engagement of your posts. Also, try to use less popular hashtags so ones that have less than 1M posts. You’ll have to search for hashtags in your niche and find the ones that people use but don’t abuse like #fitness or #love 8. Collaborate with people in your niche Follow and engage with accounts in your niche to let other people interested in your niche see your profile, the more your account has seen the greater chances you have of gaining new followers. You can also do story shoutouts with people in your niche for more exposure or even try to ask them out for coffee. 9. Track your engagement Pay attention to what posts people respond to best. Figure out what content your followers enjoy viewing. Track the times you get the best engagement, that usually helps get followers. 10. Have fun It’s really not that deep unless you see it as a business, then different rules apply but don’t let social media get to you. Remember, Instagram isn’t real life and real life has so much more to offer than aesthetics. That doesn’t mean I don’t love a pretty bowl of oats, just remember to keep everything in context. The Bottom Line Relax! When you focus less on structure after you’ve done your content planning, more ideas tend to come your way. If you are someone takes their own photos. I would recommend walking around with a portable camera or learn some tricks with your phone. People really do gravitate to someone they sense is genuine or can add value. I think you need to stay up to date with all the changes and continuously adapt your content (Try to think of ways you can make yourself invaluable) if you really want to slay the game. For more on Shalom’s fitness journey and amazing fitspo, find her on the gram. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Eva Warigia: Be mindful of your network, it is the base of your success
Eva Warigia is a jack of many trades with a passion for Africans and their economic advancement. As one half of the executive directing team of the East Africa Venture Capitalists Association, representing over sixty firms, she uses her knowledge of finance and strategy to position East Africa as a thriving investment hub. In this interview, she talks about her leadership position, and how she’s working with stakeholders to promote investment in East Africa. At what point in your life did you first learn about your field of work and what drew you to it? I probably came across private equity in 2011. At the time I worked for a technology and corporate advisory firm as a strategy analyst focusing on helping businesses fundraise. It was there that I got to interact with the different structures of funding. [bctt tweet=”My docket as one half of the leadership of EAVCA is in leading the advocacy and intelligence – @eva_hawa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You are one of the two executive directors of the East African Venture Capitalists Association (EAVCA) what exactly do you do? EAVCA is a member association for private equity and venture capital firms who are interested in deploying capital in East Africa. As a trade organization, we represent the interests of member firms deploying private capital in the region, which constitutes Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. We are the interface between the region’s stakeholders, the general public and the investors. Our activities largely involve advocacy for the private capital sector, research, and intelligence for investors considering the region for investment. Being the foremost networking platform for East Africa to advance thought leadership in the PE and VC space, and finally, conducting training for the sector. We also nurture the local professionals, as well as building awareness with the sector stakeholders. My docket as one half of the leadership of EAVCA is in leading the advocacy and intelligence. This entails working with the sector stakeholders to create partnerships that promote investment inflows in East Africa.Internationally, less than 10% of venture capital funds go to female entrepreneurs. Is this situation just as bleak in East Africa? This is also the case in East Africa. There was a time when female-led enterprises were not as visible as they are now, especially on the funding front. Emerging trends for conscious investment (particularly gender lens investing) mean that the tide is slowly turning to acknowledge that female-led enterprises are equally lucrative. Furthermore, women are more deliberate in their business planning and less likely to take investment capital for personal use. What does EAVCA do to ensure that besides women-owned businesses there is diversity in general in businesses being considered for funding? From 2018, EAVCA became more deliberate in local engagement by working with trade associations, incubators and accelerators to grow local awareness of PE and VC as alternative sources of capital. We are also ensuring we carry out industry-specific research showcasing opportunities that exist in East Africa. One such research was on the opportunities available for fin-tech investing in East Africa, which we launched in March this year. This allows investors deeper access to sectors that have probably been on their radar but whose information may be hard to come by. [bctt tweet=”I think it is important for technical entrepreneurs to find partners who will help them with the business side of their enterprise or product – @eva_hawa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are some of the mistakes you have seen female entrepreneurs make while interacting with venture capitalists, and what can they do to better pitch their businesses to investors? While I would not categorize this as a mistake, I think it is important for technical entrepreneurs to find partners who will help them with the business side of their enterprise or product. Far too many entrepreneurs are struggling to raise capital by themselves without the tools or skills to approach this. Thankfully, there are programmes and incubators that equip entrepreneurs with the skills needed to begin thinking of their vision as a commercial venture. There is quite an array of accelerators available for African entrepreneurs such as MEST Africa which is available in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Cote d’ Ivoire or Growth Africa for East Africans. There are also institution backed programmes like the Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) by USAID, which is available in East, West and South Africa, or the Stanford Seed Transformation Programme in Ghana and Kenya. Finally, we have philanthropy backed incubators also committing to support the initiative by Africa’s entrepreneurs such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation or Africa Netpreneur Prize by the Jack Ma Foundation. EAVCA has been led by women from its inception. Can we interpret that to mean Africa doesn’t share the same discouraging international statistics when it comes to women’s leadership in VC firms? As an association, we are privileged to have women as the champions of the industry in East Africa. For the VC and PE funds, the bulk of fund managers are still led by men although we have a growing number of women taking up that space. I believe it is important for women to support each other in male-dominated industries such as ours and share their journeys so that we can all learn from each other. How has working at EAVCA changed your perception of Africa’s potential to be an economic and innovation hub in the future? I have always been an Afro-optimist and firmly believe in Africa’s value and ability to influence the future! Working with EAVCA has furthered my confidence in our potential as a continent. I interact each day with people who are as passionate about Africa as I am and who are effecting positive change within their different spheres. I am able to see how it is all shaping out from my bird’s eye view at the Association and it just fuels me to want to do more! What is the favorite part of your job? Every day, I meet people that are clear about
Overpowering Gender Discrimination in Male Dominated Fields
Gender discrimination has been a major issue in Africa, and the world at large. Although, it’s reduced in the past years since we live in the 21st century and in the most real modernity. Unfortunately, it’s still an issue women battle. This happens in most industries, and especially in male-dominated fields like construction industries, politics, entertainment and so on. Most times, I wonder why or where the male superiority emerged from and I still don’t get it. Why?. Because I’ve heard of women’s success stories that men can’t even dream of attaining by going through the phases women do. As we live in an evolving world and in a modern time, gender equality should be essential in every society and economy. Although the past discrimination women faced has been changing, there are still a variety of challenges that women face, low-key and high key. Women that jump into positions predominantly held by men don’t have it easy. They seek support from colleagues, friends, and families and so on as they face challenges like mistreatment, incompetency, unheard voices, or bad comparison. African women have so little influence over resources which restricts befitting jobs and limits their earnings, hence the dependency status. That makes the voices of women remain limited and unfortunately, African attitudes, vibes, and customs extends many of these inequalities across many generations present and ones to come. [bctt tweet=”As we live in an evolving world and in a modern time, gender equality should be essential in every society and economy” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Let’s take a look at the agricultural sector which requires a strong manpower, so technically, we can tag it a male-dominated field. Research shows us that women contribute 60% plus, of labor into food production for household consumption and for sale. Yet they get no credit for their hard work. They are not recognized, visible, complimented, or rewarded for all the energy and passion they put into the work they do. In politics also, it was regarded as a man’s job to make decisions or make a difference. But from the 1990s, women started gaining freedom, the freedom to do whatever. The freedom to have a voice and stand up for what they want. Now, women have gained over 30% of the seats in the government and are making a difference and history. How sweet! In dealing with gender discrimination in male-dominated fields, what options do women have? Do they become a man overnight or take advantage of their natural qualities like nurturing and oozing empathy? I think not because psychologically, women can face a comeback for playing the feminine gender role stereotype, which isn’t cute, one bit. [bctt tweet=”Here are some practical strategies that can be adopted to help women overpower gender discrimination in male-dominated fields:” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Appreciate the feminine advantage This may mean relying on appearance to gain acceptance and it works to the advantage of women in male-dominated fields. When one looks smart and nice and works smart and nice, acceptance is just a second away. Embrace some male characteristics This may not accord to some personalities and it may also be a copying tactic, but when one embraces the male characteristics and monitor oneself, being self-conscious, opportunities present itself Mentorship Having a female mentor, in or outside the industry is a wonderful way to build knowledge and skills. One gets to align personalities and their reputation can help reinforce one’s reputation. Dwelling in the positive and ignoring the negative To succeed in spite of adversity says a lot about a person’s character and determination. This is in regard to focus. By dedicating oneself to the job at hand and getting accustomed to the role by focusing on the engaging and challenging nature of the job, one tends to overlook whatever politics is being played and in turn, recognition and success will be birthed. This would make a huge difference to women’s work satisfaction and effectiveness. Changing workplace culture It is very much possible to succeed in industries not typically associated with women such as mining or construction. Attitude adjustments can make a woman brave enough to fight the status quo. Also, one can influence the hiring policies or implement recruitment platforms that support fellow women in the industry. By this, workplace culture has evolved and shifted. With this, African women and women, in general, will be able to overpower gender discrimination in male-dominated fields. They can create a place for themselves and generation to come, and make history. Let’s make our voices heard and make a huge difference! Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Chioma Ezekwesili highlights the Essentials to Building and Growing Your Blog
“The main essential for starting a blog is to first have a passion for something”. – Chioma Ezekwesili Blogging is a great platform to express yourself, build a brand, and even make a source of income. Due to the diverse benefits of blogging, there is an influx of blogs and bloggers. This can make the process of building and growing your blog daunting. You might question whether it is worth it and how do you go about building this presence online? In this interview with fashion and lifestyle blogger Chioma Ezekwesili, she provides inspiration for prospective and current bloggers on her experience of starting and building her blog and brand. When and why did you decide to start your fashion and lifestyle blog and what were the essentials to beginning it? The main essential for starting a blog is to first have a passion for something. It could be cooking, fashion, gossip, politics, and other topics. You don’t have to be an English guru but you should always endeavor to read something new about your passion. This is significant because you can then provide your readers with new insights into your niche. In addition, you will be able to come up with new and diverse ways to relate to your readers. Secondly, you should draft a consistent timetable. It’s hard at the beginning but once you start, keep at it. Every day, have a topic you can write on. What will help you is approaching each day with an open mind? Also, make sure the photos, write up or videos are original because it allows your readers to connect with your originality. As for myself, I started my fashion and lifestyle blog in 2015 but I couldn’t keep up with it. This was because I started the previous blog with the sole purpose of making money. The blog was just alive for about three months and that was it. Then, I officially started www.yhitschioma.com in July 2016. This blog is out of my love for fashion. I also felt the need to express my opinion on lifestyle tips. I try to make my posts inspirational. I merge fashion styles to relatable inspirational quotes. I want to let people know that fashion is more than wearing designer clothes. Fashion is also a way of passing a positive message to the people around you. [bctt tweet=”I grew my 7k followers on Instagram by posting my Sunday bests every Sunday and tagged it #fashionforchurch – @Yh_ItsChioma” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the best platform for intending media influencers to be on and why? Instagram and Twitter are the best platforms, dependent on the type of influencer you are. Instagram is mainly for fashion, lifestyle, and style. It’s best for visual appeal through photos and videos. Then, Twitter is good for sports lovers, especially soccer. The discussions on Twitter around the leagues is something that anybody building his/her brand around soccer needs to be on. Twitter is also a good platform for having discussions about politics, sports, music, health tips and more. I advise that you be linked on both platforms. That way, whatever you post on one can reflect on the other. However, more attention should be placed on the social media platform primarily for your type of brand. Social media metrics are ever changing and for those looking to make an impact online, the competition is increasing. Is it possible to grow one’s social media organically? Yes, you can grow organic followers and I am a testimony to it. I grew my 7k followers on Instagram by posting my Sunday bests every Sunday and tagged it #fashionforchurch. Every Sunday, people were looking forward to what I wore to church. Once you find out what your followers like, stick to it and be consistent. Do not buy followers because interactions on your post will not match your followership. That matters because people and brand will immediately see through that. The first year might not be easy but keep posting. Also, make sure you use hashtags because they work like magic. What is your process of growing your brand presence? Building your brand starts with a conscious effort to actually build the brand. Find the social media platform that suits what you are trying to build Try to make your followership on any social media platform that you are on organic. If you are on Instagram, never miss relevant hashtags like #MCM #MondayMotivation #WCW #TBT #FBF or things like that. You can even come up with your own personal hashtag that people can follow through your post. For me, it’s #LifeOfAStartingEntrepreneur and #yhitschioma. If Twitter is your platform, be sure to check the trending hashtags and draft your tweets around it. Finally, you have to be consistent your post on social media. Be sure to have your contact details available for people to reach you. Reply and like comments so that there is a discussion around your post. How can one stand out and be unique online? You stand out by being real. Don’t try to be in competition with anyone. Rather, you should strive to be a better version of yourself. Keep doing what you love and don’t copy others. Be original with your posts. What steps should an aspiring media influencer take to attract opportunities to work with organizations, brands, and collaborations? Keep your profile open not private. Make sure you give credit to other brands you are wearing or using on your page. Then, you get other brands to notice that you are promoting other brands. They will then want to work with you. For blog collaborations, if you never reach out to people, you might not have anyone reach out to you. Last year, I sent about 5-6 messages to other bloggers like myself for collaboration. However, I got turned down by about 4 and I didn’t mind. I did a collaboration with the bloggers that wanted to. The result is that other bloggers saw it and then reached out to
Gugu Sithole-Tyali Shows Us How to Take Over the World of PR
As you know, we’re always so incredibly proud when we see amazing women who are not only succeeding in their respective careers but uplift other young women for success too! With over 10 years’ experience, Gugu Sithole-Tyali took her once small side hustle and turned it into one of the most respected PR companies in the creative industry. Sprout Creative PR is not only completely black-owned, but they also have an all-woman team, and together, they eliminate the misconceptions society has of women working together for a bigger and greater purpose. Below, Gugu shares a bit about her challenges, successes and how she is using her talents to empower other women on the come up. Tell us more about Sprout PR? We’re a budding, black-owned, creative boutique, specializing in brand communications. Our talents lie in strategic public relations, digital marketing, brand development, creative content creation, and event curation. [bctt tweet=”Turning a side hustle into a business has been interesting, to say the least – @ZuluGirl1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you think is the most challenging part of being in the industry? From the perspective of being a startup in the industry, the challenges are endless. I’ll stick to three that have been particularly pertinent to Sprout over the last couple of years. Carving a niche for ourselves: In the beginning, there was a temptation to do a lot of things, often more than what our business could handle. As soon as we stopped trying to be everything to everyone, and played to our strengths as a team, we were able to carve a space for ourselves. Currently, that’s working with brands in Fintech, Agritech, AI, etc. We also have a love for and wide-ranging experience in the lifestyle sector, so we’re excited to see that portfolio grow. Staying competitive: As a young and small agency, competing with the well-established agencies can be pretty tough. They’ve got long track records and name recognition going for them. We’ve found however that being small has its positives, so we’re working hard to take advantage of those. We’re adaptable, have a niche specialization, and I think we’re way more invested in our clients and their brands. We’ve also been lucky to get extensive exposure to design thinking and Lean Startup methodologies. Adopting and implementing those practices has allowed us to collaborate with clients in a way that harnesses our shared strengths, and has resulted in them viewing us as partners, rather than vendors. Assembling the right team: This one’s a biggie. Striking a balance between hiring experienced professionals and being a training ground for up-and-comers – something close to my heart – is tricky. We’re fortunate to work with clients who are passionate about entrepreneurship/startups, and so as long we’re working our butts off, staying accountable, and are passionate about their brands, they’re giving us the room to figure this part out. We’re working hard at it though. [bctt tweet=”As soon as we stopped trying to be everything to everyone, and played to our strengths as a team, we were able to carve a space for ourselves – @ZuluGirl1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] We have heard about your difficult journey, tell us a little more? Turning a side hustle into a business has been interesting, to say the least. Nothing could have prepared me for the hardships of this journey. But, it’s also been an incredibly fulfilling, and the best part is that it’s helped me find my tribe – smart, creative, hardworking, tenacious women (and men), who are overcoming similar challenges every day. They’ve helped me find the good in these hardships. I’m most grateful for them. We are so inspired by your All Woman staff, how has the dynamic been, and have you had any criticism? I’m proud of the fact that with each day we’re dispelling this myth around women not being able to work together. We live by one, simple rule: Collaboration over competition. It’s formed the foundation for how we deliver for clients, deal with conflict, and show support to not only the members of our own team but women in our broader network. It’s also a value that’s been extremely helpful in the hiring process. Have you had any challenges in the industry as a black-owned company? I think a lack of belief in our value is probably one of the biggest challenges faced by black-owned businesses in general, it’s not industry-specific. As a black business owner, I think I’ve often let this self-doubt negatively influence my decision-making. I’ve charged less for services, bent over backward for clients who didn’t necessarily deserve it, etc. I realize though that this made me part of the problem because it does us a disservice by diminishing our worth. I feel like I’m currently in a season of truly backing not only myself but my team and our ability to deliver. How is the future looking for Sprout PR? If the caliber of the brands in our portfolio (the likes of Standard Bank, DHL Supply Chain Africa, Switch Innovation, and the African Fintech Unconference) is anything to go by, the future is looking bright. We have a long way to go and lots of learning to do, but we’re up to the challenge. What advice do you have for anyone trying to break into the industry? I have a few pointers… Work on those writing skills, they’re key to your arsenal. Stay at it. Persistence is essential to getting over the rejection of your ideas and stories. Learn to network. You never know when a contact will help you land a dream job or client. Take good care of your online reputation. How else is a brand going to trust you to take care of theirs? Break into the industry with an agency that’s breaking into the market. Startups are a great training ground. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Dear Woman, It’s time to dance like no one is watching
The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, has recently concluded a three-nation African tour. Setting Brexit issues aside for a moment, in both South Africa and Kenya she joined some youngsters in dance routines and well her dance moves, or rather lack of them, set the Internet ablaze. A television host in the UK compared her dance moves when in Kenya to picking fruit from a tree. An ABC news article also compared her efforts to one trying to reach for groceries from a high shelf. As Africans, we have been bestowed with the gift of rhythm and dance is one of our things. We can all agree that Ms. May is not gifted in that particular aspect. While I can pull a few moves myself, I absolutely love and agree with Robert Davidson’s tweet on Ms. May’s moves: “Good luck to her. Throw yourself at it knowing you’ll make a bit of a prune of yourself in front of the world’s media or sit on sidelines looking aloof. I say right decision @theresa_may – who cares what the haters say, strut your funky stuff”. How true this is! Tell me, how often do we find ourselves sitting by the sidelines because we fear what people will say or think? How often do we wait for the perfect opportunity to come our way before we take the plunge? Do we first seek validation from our friends and family before we garner the confidence to step out? In the words of H. Jackson Brown Junior, “Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor”. If you are on the sidelines, watching, criticizing, doing nothing about your circumstances, then nothing in your life is going to change for the better. [bctt tweet=”Do not wait to be asked, ask for what you want” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] A Harvard Business Review article by Andromachi Athanasopolou, Amanda Moss Cowan, Michael Smets, and Timothy Morris on the outcome of a study of the leadership journey of twelve female Chief Executive Officers resonated with me a lot. It indicated the fact that as women and particularly with regard to leadership, we tend to play on the sidelines. The study had five recommendations that women who want to scale the leadership ladder ought to take, and one in specific reverberated with me. It is as simple as this, do not wait to be asked, ask for what you want. The words below from a male Chief Executive Officer who took part in a larger study on the same topic of leadership brought it all together for me. “I was actually talking with a young woman who was asking me something about an opportunity, I mean I had never met her before….we were chatting about career advice and she said, you know, I’m just not sure I have all the skills they’re looking for, I don’t know if I should , you know, go for that or not. And I said, you know that’s the last thing in the world you should be worried about, don’t take yourself out of something before you’re even in it.” When I read this, I was so saddened for the young lady in the story but upon further reflection, I realized that this is the story of my life and the lives of many other women across the world. How sad! As women, we seek perfection before taking the plunge. But common sense should tell us that circumstances will never be completely perfect. It is okay to make a complete fool of yourself as you try out your new venture. Whether it works out or not, you will have learned how to do it better the next time. It is okay to voice your opinion in that meeting, even if it’s contradictory and not so well put together. It may just be the solution that will move your company forward. But if you keep quiet and tell your colleagues later that you had an idea that could improve things, you are not helping anyone. [bctt tweet=”It is okay to make a complete fool of yourself as you try out your new venture.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] We have to get tired of wishing we were better, more courageous and that we could take more risks. Let us stop wishing and start doing! Really, what is the worst thing that could happen, if we dared more, if we risked more or if we tried more! Despite the whole world poking fun at her, Ms. May remains the second most powerful woman in the world and from her response to all the jokes about her dancing, she is perfectly aware she cannot dance. She shook off the criticism saying “I think the chances of Strictly Come Dancing (the UK version of Dancing With the Stars) coming calling are pretty minimal”. Our new mantra ought to be “Try Everything”. That is where the magic is, that is where the magic happens. In the discomfort of not knowing how things will turn out but with the exhilaration that we are slowly becoming the best version of ourselves. Transcend to your next platform, queen. Dance like no one is watching! Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.