Webinar with FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT: How to Save and Slay (Aug 3)
How exactly do you indulge in sipping champagne on a beer budget? You gon’ learn today! First, we’ve taught you How to make your first investment, now its time to learn how to save and SLAY simultaneously. Saving money may sound like one of the hardest things to do when it comes to your finances especially if your income isn’t breaking the bank. But hey, you only need as much as you have right now to save! If you’re wondering how to save money without your slay mode depreciating, then this webinar is for you. SLA in partnership with FBNQuest Asset Management is inviting you to a 45-minute webinar with skilled wealth advisor and financial planner – Emmanuella Ekhaguere, on Friday, August 3rd, 2018. Emmanuella will be giving some tips on how you can to start planning and investing for your future with your current income. [bctt tweet=”Join SLA & @FBNQuest for a webinar on August 3rd to learn how to save and slay.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover: Understanding the psychology of money Living your best life through personal finance management Saving hacks for motherland moguls – daily, monthly and long-term Getting S.M.A.R.T about goal settings and how to achieve them Watch Video here: About Emmanuella Emmanuella Ekhaguere is Investment Advisor with at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc. She has over 15 years of Agricultural banking and financial planning experience from various Financial Service Institutions. Emmanuella started her career at Kakawa Discount house Limited as a Client Relationship Officer. She later moved to Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank Nigeria). In deepening her passion and experience in Wealth and Investment Banking, Emmanuella joined Metro Capital Advisory Group in 2008. She has an MBA from Aston Business School Birmingham, United Kingdom, and is a certified financial Planner (CFP), from Florida State University (FSU) FBNQuest Asset Management is a subsidiary of FBNQuest Merchant Bank, one of the strongest and most dependable financial groups in Africa. They work with individual and institutional investors to provide a strategy best suited to your investment goals and portfolios, from mutual funds to liquidity management etc.
Ekemini Dan Abia: I decided to help people identify potential abusers through Abuse survivor
Ekemini Dan Abia is a legal practitioner who got inspired by her work in the criminal justice system to create a community which supports and educates victims of domestic abuse through her Instagram page, Abuse Survivor. Abuse survivor aims to create awareness of the damaging effects of domestic abuse by educating members of the public, using Narcissism as a subject. She believes that helping individuals understand narcissism can greatly reduce domestic abuse in the home and its result in the larger society. Through Abuse Survivor, she identifies potential abusers and identifies abuse dynamics. She also provides materials and support for the recovery of survivors and counsels victims of all forms of abuse. What has been your biggest achievement as a prosecutor? Watching adults, children, as well as pre-teens who are victims of sex offenses, look their abuser in the eye and testify against him or her in open court. I am filled with a sense of accomplishment because I know that the person is taking back his or her power and getting out of the abuser’s control. What prompted you to start the platform Abuse Survivor? I was deeply shaken by the death of Ronke Shonde in 2016, who was allegedly murdered by her abusive husband. Reports of spousal abuse/homicides seemed to increase in 2017, and I recall asking myself “why couldn’t they heed the red flags before walking down the aisle”? So I decided to help people identify potential abusers and also highlight the long-term effects of remaining in abusive relationships on adults and children. I came to realize that a large percentage of those convicted for violent crimes are products of dysfunctional home environments and are people with unresolved childhood trauma. The pain and anger they carry around makes them gravitate towards crime or other anti-social behaviors. Knowledge of the above facts propelled me to create Abuse Survivor. Are you an abuse survivor yourself? Yes. I have been a victim of malignant narcissistic abuse. How do you vet the authenticity of the stories people send to you since its all done virtually? Most stories sent to us are accompanied by imageries which are very compelling with the victims pleading for their anonymity. I ask certain question which aims to validate their assertions without leaving them feeling we disbelieve them. It calls for tact and sensitivity, else we could leave a victim of abuse with invalidated feelings which is against everything we stand for. Would you consider yourself to be a social entrepreneur and if so, what would you say is the most challenging part of this role? Yes, I do. We live in a society where an in-depth discussion of abuse is given a passing interest, thus accessing funds to have more impact has been really challenging. Like most start-ups, this is the biggest challenge I have faced so far. You use NARCISSISM as a subject to educate your community. How has this impacted them positively? Lots of people have undergone narcissistic abuse without knowing it. As a result, they lived in utter confusion, depression and other health complications which is characteristic of victims of narcissistic abuse. Watching some members of our community gain clarity, stop blaming themselves and take control of their lives has been very fulfilling. Since starting the platform ‘Abuse Survivor’, have you had any support from anyone? And how has this contributed towards your success? A survivor of narcissistic abuse, who is also a member of our community reached out to me sometime in February 2018. Although living in the UK, she volunteered to build a website for our community. I am very grateful for this gesture. She has also become one of our resource persons. She is always on standby with brilliant and innovative suggestions. Having her as a support system right now propels me to keep doing what I do. What is the one motivation that gets you up every morning? I wake up every morning with the zeal to put out more information in order to reach more people. The knowledge that far too many people in our society are ignorant about narcissism motivates me. What is one piece of advice you would give to a woman suffering from domestic abuse? I would tell her that she is stronger than her abuser is trying to make her feel. All she needs to do is to see herself the way God sees her and learn to love herself. Only then will she have the strength to walk away for herself and to provide a better environment for her children (if she is a mother). How do you juggle your full-time job with managing your platform? To be candid, it is very tasking. However, it is easier because I am passionate about this topic and my full-time job inspires me too. I make time in the early hours of the day from 4 am to 6 am to plan my content. That way, members of our community never experience content drought. You currently run Abuse Survivor solely on Instagram. Any plans to move it to another platform? (Website, blog etc). Right now, we are working on our official website. We plan to make use of other social media platforms while retaining Instagram as our primary means of reaching out to members of our community. Do you ever meet with the women whose stories you share? The vast majority of those who share their stories in our community are impossible to meet geographically because they do so from all over the world. However, I have met a handful of them and they are the most resilient women I have ever met. What future plans do you have for ‘Abuse Survivor’? My vision is for Abuse Survivor to become the number one support system and resource outfit for victims of any form of abuse in Africa. We plan to innovate along the way. What’s your favorite book / Ted Talk of all time? My favorite book is Chimamanda Adichie’s ‘Purple Hibiscus’. I think that is where my interest in domestic abuse was
How to set goals like the motherland mogul that you are
To me, setting a goal is like aiming that bowling ball at the white pins; the amount of effort and calculation put in determines how many bottles will be cleared which is why your goals do not matter more than the mode of setting them. I’ll give you a better illustration. Setting a goal is similar to aiming a missile at a spaceship from this planet, you don’t know for sure if your aim is going to bring results but you just close your eyes and do it anyway! IT MUST SCARE YOU The number one lesson which is fundamental to setting goals is going way beyond your limit. Now I’m not asking you to be unrealistic, set a goal within your human capacity just let it scare you a bit. How does your own goal scare you? You know you’re scared of your set goals when: I. It’s within the limits a motherland mogul like you does not have II. It’s something you can do even though you think that you cannot attempt it III. You don’t believe it’s something you can do or someplace you can get to BE REALISTIC When it comes to the art of setting goals, my dear you must be very realistic. For instance, you shouldn’t submit your CV for a job which requirements are higher than your professional level knowing fully well that you cannot get those papers before the interview. You must meet the requirements of your requirements! You have to strive to reach the eligibility level and never relax on your oars. UPGRADE YOUR OS I know this is 2018 so everyone probably knows OS means Operating System right? Right. Ever wondered why Apple keeps upgrading the performance level of their gadgets? To keep up with the consumer market! Same way you cannot stop being eligible! You have to continue being the best person for that position, the one they are losing out on if they don’t put their monies on! How do you do this? I. Get professional The ‘masters syndrome’ in today’s Nigeria has ravaged most appointment seekers. What they don’t know is that professional certification singles you out of the master’s multitude. You need to attend a course today, start from somewhere, be it WIMBIZ or a Nigerian Women Techsters training just do something! II. Build your experience Fill your resume with internship/externship experiences, work for free if you have to! III. Get out of your comfort zone Your comfort zone is that place in your existence where you feel totally at peace, rested and fulfilled. I will tell you a secret today (promise not to tell nobody?), your goal will never be in your comfort zone! Beyonce had to go solo, leaving behind friendships and carbs to become who she is, Malala went over the fence of children and women not being heard in a rather conservative state and Joe Okei-Odumakin had so many visits to detention and prisons to be an activist. None of these people felt entirely happy leaving the comfort of friendship, being obedient to repugnant laws and the comfort of their bed and peace to be moguls but they did anyway! That’s my point exactly! Don’t reject offers in other regions! Stop telling yourself you’re too young! Stop telling yourself you’re a woman! Just stop! Learn something outside of your known area of specialization, think of a business idea someone in your society is not taking up, be creative. IV. Don’t try to be regular Try setting goals negating what you were expected to do. For instance, in the legal profession, most ladies decide to work in the civil service to minimize stress in order to combine law with making a home but some outstanding ones still take up jobs as company secretaries, private practice, maritime legal experts etc. Sometimes our purpose lies in our ability to think outside of the box, in order to get the honey out of the rock, you might have to roll up your denim and begin to cut it out instead of just taking your mind off it totally. These tips are great life builders and I hope they help someone. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Quick Maths (2): How to diversify your funds with FSDH Asset Management
Money is a tool…Use it wisely! Welcome to the second part of our Quick Maths series. We’ll be sharing with you financial terms, tips, and tricks to get you ahead of your financial game. In the first part, we discussed various ways for you to generate capital to start your business. In this downloadable guide, we highlighted high-level options you can explore to get capital. Catch up on part one by downloading it here. Now, let’s talk about diversifying money. It’s important to keep tabs on your money, know where each penny is going, and how it will bring you more money because today’s economy is not smiling at all. In this guide brought to you by SLA, in partnership with FSDH Asset Management Ltd, we’ll be showing you different ways to save, protect your savings, and why you shouldn’t have all your eggs in one basket. If you’re wondering how to improve your finances, this guide will help you with some practical ways to get started. Topics this guide will cover: Diversification for low-income earners How to diversify within an asset class It doesn’t matter whether you are a salary earner or a business owner, as long as you have financial goals that you’re looking to achieve, diversifying can help you reach those goals. Roll up your sleeves, tie your hair in a ponytail, grab your pen and journal and get down to work! To keep getting your finances all the way to the top, make sure to follow up on the next guide. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 2, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Prof Remi Sonaiya: Why I ran for office of the President of Nigeria
Professor Remi Sonaiya, the only female presidential candidate for KOWA Party during the 2015 presidential election, is an educationist and an International Ambassador Scientist of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She has a career that exemplifies passion, consistency, and selflessness. SLA contributor, Añuli Ola-Olaniyi, in her interview with Professor Remi, learned key principles that have made Professor Remi have a fulfilled career path and shares this learning with everyone. [bctt tweet=”Don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t get sucked into the prevailing corrupt system which needs to be changed- Prof Remi Sonaiya” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How did you begin your career? My first job ever was… As a teacher of French and English at the Nigeria Military School, Zaria. That was during my youth service year. What would you advise your younger self? I would tell my 20-year-old self… To read much more widely. Being a student of the Arts meant that I read a fairly decent amount of literature, but I could have ventured more into other areas – philosophy, biographies of great people, etc. Of course, I’ve done a bit of catching up, but there’s no doubt that some ground was lost. What prompted you to run for the office of the president in 2015? I decided to run for office because the people who were running our affairs over several decades were not doing a good job of it. We were living through a shameful and incongruous situation where we were known to be a country with huge resources, but where the overwhelming majority of the people lived in abject poverty. Specifically, I was lecturing in the same institution where I had been a student, and before my eyes, things got worse year after year. It weighed on my heart that the students I was teaching could not enjoy the same standard of education I had. What’s been your boldest move so far Deciding to abandon my job at the university and moving into politics was a bold move. And then, taking the decision to run for the presidency. I am aware that I could do so only because I had the opportunities – which were not a result of any particular effort on my part. [bctt tweet=”taking the decision to run for the presidency has been my boldest move – Prof. Remi Sonaiya” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What’s your best advice to people starting a career in politics For people starting any career, I would say, ensure that you really like and enjoy the job you’re going into. I know that might be somewhat of a luxury these days when there is a lot of unemployment, which means people are happy to get any job at all. But I personally wouldn’t be happy being at a job I don’t enjoy. Once you have accepted a job offer, give it your best shot. Work hard. Be diligent and conscientious – you’ll be a better person for it. [bctt tweet=”Slothful people end up wasting their own lives – Prof. Remi Sonaiya” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] For those starting a political career, my advice is, don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the prevailing corrupt system which needs to be changed. Be a change agent. Do something worthwhile and significant with your life as a politician. Ever had any setbacks in life? Honestly, I don’t see any. Losing my father at the age of ten could have been a setback, but God stepped in to help us. I often say that I don’t know what else my father could have done for me – I had scholarships to attend the best schools both in Nigeria and abroad, and I have had wonderful opportunities come my way I overcame it by trusting in God. Early on, in childlike faith, I told God that He was now the only Father I had. He didn’t disappoint. [bctt tweet=”I believe that things will change for the better if we Nigerians begin to take seriously the job of choosing good leaders for ourselves – Prof. Remi Sonaiya” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As a politician, how do you stay inspired? Do you have any hobbies? That I’m a pretty good singer who loved to organize concerts, mostly at Christmas. I haven’t been doing that for some years now, but I dream of going back to doing it. On the other hand, I stay inspired by reading my Bible and praying, reading books by or about people who have stood for something worthwhile in life (Obafemi Awolowo, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, etc.) What’s next for you? I’ll only know that after the elections have been conducted. Of course, the outcome would determine what options would be available to me. But in all sincerity, I would love to be able to take a one-month holiday at least. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
5 life Lessons to learn from Toke Makinwa this year
[bctt tweet=”“It’s not about finding your voice. It’s about giving yourself permission to use your voice” – Kris Carr” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Toke Makinwa is a Nigerian media personality, television host, vlogger, and author. She might not be everyone’s favorite but she’s done pretty much for herself. Her book On Becoming tells of her journey in life – her struggles after her parents died, her marriage and her faith in God. Hate or like her, she’s not letting whatever life throws get the better part of her. She’s simply living her TM baby girl life. Here are five life lessons we can all learn from Toke Makinwa: Resilience It doesn’t matter how many times life knocks you down, what matters is your comeback. If there’s one thing I admire about Toke is her ability to bounce back. She knows how to keep her head up and remain true to her goals. Life has sure dealt her some cards but she’s still standing strong! After a bad divorce and shaming from the media, she went on to bag some endorsements and even wrote a book titled On Becoming. Life’s gonna throw some curve balls your way! Never let a bad situation keep you down. Rise above it! [bctt tweet=”Don’t let the many slip-ups and downtrodden moments get in your way” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Hard work “Hard work does not necessarily guarantee success, but no success is possible without hard work” – Dr. T.P Chia” Some will argue that being hard working doesn’t guarantee success. But you’ll agree that every success has a trace of hard work in it. Success doesn’t come easy; you’ll have to work your ass off (well, for some of us). She’s s symbol of a career driven lady. A real boss lady. Drive and Passion As Oprah Winfrey said, “Let passion drive your profession”. To truly enjoy your career, to feel fulfilled in whatever field you find yourself in, you have to have some amount of passion and drive in you. There’ll be days you want to quit; the day you’ll feel like giving in to naysayers. But, that drive and passion right there? That’s what will give you the nudge and push. As a media personality, Toke is passionate about impacting lives. It’s your duty to educate and touch as many lives as you can. And that’s what she’s all about. Let the naysayers talk Oh yes, they’ll talk! They’ll be the ones whispering “you can’t do it”, and then they’ll try so hard to pull you down. They’ll criticise your every work and misconstrue you. Trust me, there are always naysayers who say it can’t be done. But you know what darling, let them talk! They can’t stop your shine. If you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks, you won’t reach your destination. It’s never too late Who said it’s too late to turn a new leaf? Or pick yourself up from where life knocked you down? Who said you can’t get another job or live the life you so desire after many trials? Who said you can’t date again after a bad breakup? Listen up motherland moguls, it’s never too late to live the life you want or to become the lady you hope to become. You have so much passion and talent waiting to be unleashed. There’s so much you can do. Don’t let the many slip-ups and downtrodden moments get in your way. Just shake it off and pick yourself up. When life knocks you down (and at some point it will), don’t get a mat and camp there. No! Rise above it, pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes and do better. Become better. Know that it’s never too late, let the naysayers talk, follow your drive and passion, work hard and be resilient. To get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Wennovation Hub: Empowering African Entrepreneurs by solving socio-economic challenges
Wennovation Hub is the pioneer innovation accelerator in Nigeria since 2011, with offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and recently Kaduna. It was co-founded by the dynamic quartet of Wole Odetayo, Michael Oluwagbemi, Idris Ayo Bello and Dami Agboola; four young Nigerians who believe in the power of technology innovation and youth entrepreneurship for the economic emancipation of Africa. The vision of the hub is to achieve sustainable development in Africa by fostering innovation among the youth population. They also focus on social impact sectors including Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, Clean Energy and Social Infrastructure. Wennovation Hub emphasizes the need to inspire and empower entrepreneurs to solve socio-economic challenges in their communities by leveraging technology resources and networking. Up till date, they have supported over 300 startup teams and well over 6000 youths physically with as much as $2.5 m. The money was raised by startups within their network and over $66M raised as follow-on funding by startups within the founders’ network. As Nigeria’s first privately run incubator/accelerator, Wennovation Hub has incubated more than 60 teams. They have seeded over a dozen companies and directly impacted more than 300 high impact entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs . They collaborate with these entrepreneurs to build commercially viable businesses that have high impact solutions to some of the most resilient challenges in different communities across Africa. “Our efforts have been recognized by World Bank – Infodev by sponsoring Lagos Angel Network which we convened in 2013, McKinsey who mentioned Wennovation Hub severally in their “Lions Go Digital” 2013 report, Ashoka Global Institute and SAP by giving Wennovation Hub a “Changemaker – Power of Small” Award in 2012 amongst many others”. [bctt tweet=”@wennovation Hub emphasizes on social impact, job creation and the importance of youth capacity development in all programmes” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “Today, our active portfolio companies account for tens of direct jobs and over $150k in sales annually. Wennovation Hub, as a leading accelerator, in achieving impact has forged strategic partnerships across the global entrepreneurship ecosystem with the likes of CTA Netherlands, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Spring University Canada, Village Capital Atlanta, Kick Incubator USA, Covenant University, Tony Elumelu Foundation, USAID, Obafemi Awolowo University, Total Nigeria Plc, PIND, FMARD, IITA, MIT, AfriLabs, MIIS, University of Ibadan – Centre for Entrepreneurship Institute, University of Lagos, and a host of others in our partnership portfolio”. The hub also supports startups operating in any sector with particular emphasis on those that leverage technology due to the huge potential for scale and growth. Their dedication to innovation and tech-enabled entrepreneurship is in line with our strategic goal of being positioned as Africa’s Topmost Technology Startup Accelerator promoting innovative ideas, building high-impact entrepreneurs and nurturing top businesses in the process. The Co-Working Spaces in Mokola Ibadan, Ikeja Lagos, and Jabi Abuja are open to all entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, start-up/business owners, innovators, inventors, freelancers, creative entrepreneurs and techies/tech-preneurs. Registration at Wennovation Hub provides the following opportunities: A beautiful and serene workspace environment Access to internet facilities and uninterrupted power supply Access to our various training programs that improve technical skills for tech-preneurs, Business skills development programs for entrepreneurs and growth acceleration programs. Opportunities to access numerous funding opportunities and connect with potential business investors/consultants. Free invitations to our various social and networking events Opportunity to interact and network with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs for personal and professional growth. [bctt tweet=”Through collaboration, we can leverage technology innovation to solve major socio-economic challenges – @wennovation ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] We are proud to be a pioneering force in the Ecosystem pushing the frontiers of Technology Innovation and supporting Entrepreneurship across the continent – inspiring, creating and promoting innovative and sustainable solutions to the socio-economic challenges of Africa. This is Wennovation! Our Focus Areas Ibadan Hub – Ecosystem Development Programs – Entrepreneurship Development Program Fully Serviced Co-Working Space Lagos Hub – Proto Lab and MakerSpace – Markers Ecosystem Engagement Market Acceleration and Rapid Prototyping Lab Abuja Hub – Public Sector Incubation Programmes – Public Sector Policy Advisory and Consulting Public Sector Engagement Programmes At Wennovation, OUR MISSION To inspire and empower African Entrepreneurs to solve their immediate socio-economic challenges by leveraging technology, resources, and network collaboratively. OUR VISION To achieve sustainable development in Africa by fostering innovation among the youth population. Sponsored Post.
Chichi Equomah: Your experiences in the corporate world are relevant in your journey as an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship seems to be the new career wave. Do you agree? More folks are beginning to quit their corporate work to own their dreams, become their own bosses, and above all, do the things they love! This is particularly true of ladies who are brave enough to quit their job for their dream jobs. Chichi Equomah is one such lady. Chichi Equomah, now Chichi Yakubu is the CEO of NyoNyo Essentials, a food brand that celebrates Ghanaian food in style! Just google the top eateries to look out for in Ghana and NyoNyo Essentials is definitely one to pop up. From the humble beginnings of a food catering service, Nyonyo has expanded to a restaurant and the corporate go-to food services firm in the industry within a span of 3 years. Their client portfolio is already impressive, having catered to clients such as MTN Ghana, Cummins Ghana, National Petroleum Authority, Eische Life, Ghana Water Company, EIB Group of Companies and Cocobod to name a few– and with the recent opening of a restaurant, one can only imagine the way to the top. As an erstwhile HR practitioner at TNS, a multinational market research company, Chichi leveraged on her skills in communication and project management, and her lifelong passion for cooking and creating to develop NyoNyo Essentials. But that can’t be all. We caught up with Chichi to tell us about the relevance of her former traditional corporate jobs in her day to day running of NyoNyo Essentials. She talked about the lessons she learned and what existing and future SLAyers can pick up from their existing jobs before they make that full time transition into entrepreneurship. The mastermind behind the meals: How did the story of Chichi and NyoNyo Essentials begin? The story of NyoNyo began with my mother. My mother is an amazing cook, and she owned a thriving food business. I picked up after her when it came to cooking and I am a foodie too, so naturally I also wanted to venture into the catering industry. I grew up determined to start a restaurant, but life happened and it became a dream deferred. In 2014, I felt the inkling to pursue this dream again. I took some time off social media to lose weight, rebrand myself and strategize for this dream, and a year later, NyoNyo Essentials was born. How did you know the time was right to leave your job and fully invest yourself in NyoNyo Essentials? It was a rather gradual process. I worked full time at TNS at the time, when I started this food business. I spent my spare time catering to NyoNyo, but the business was growing bigger by the day mainly because of our social media marketing and excellent recommendations. It was becoming challenging to adequately balance the two. So one day after careful consideration, I packed my bag and baggage and decided to fully dedicate myself to NyoNyo Essentials. I have never looked back. There comes a point in life where you really have to decide what you want to pursue. It’s a decision you can only hold on for so long, but deep inside you know what your guts want, what you are yearning for and what fuels your passion, and eventually, you will have to choose. And I did. Looking back, what are the top 3 lessons you have learned from your roles in the traditional corporate world that have proved useful today? I spent four to five years in typical 8-5 jobs and I feel that’s enough for me to have pursued my dream now. My time and experience I garnered there are still very relevant and extremely beneficial to what I do today. The first thing I learned was to be accountable to a superior. I strongly believe that everybody has to be accountable to someone; accountability makes you upright and productive. I have also come to fully appreciate some other attitudes I learned during such time. [bctt tweet=”Be conscious of your time. It’s a priceless gift – Chichi of @NyoNyogh” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I learned how to be punctual. From reporting to work on time and managing my work schedules, I learned how to be consistent with my time and also manage it efficiently so that I deliver on tasks promptly. Today, it’s one key trait that drives NyoNyo Essentials and how we operate. I still work at Nyonyo Essentials as though I am still being monitored by a superior and I encourage my staff to also work in the same vein. If we have a delivery at 2 pm, and you show up even 15 minutes late, your client is not going to be pleased. Besides, we deal with food so soothing a hungry and an angry client is double the work. [bctt tweet=”Another big lesson for me is that we are all replaceable, don’t get too comfortable – Chichi of @NyoNyogh ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I am not the only employee at work. If I goof today, I am replaceable. If I make a big blunder, I can be replaced easily. The question that makes the difference is that what am I doing to be excellent and to constantly upgrade myself? This is same for Nyonyo Essentials. We are not the only one in Ghana’s culinary space- there are others chasing their dreams like just ours. This is why we are always challenged to be better with our food and our customer service. It also spurs me on to continuously set milestones for Nyonyo and find answers to this burning question at all times. “What can I do to make the NyoNyo brand relevant to our customers always?” [bctt tweet=”You can only do so much. Learn to delegate – Chichi of @NyoNyogh” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Before entering the corporate workforce, I found it difficult to ask others to assist me with basic tasks. The one thing I learned while working was that there is always a lot on my plate and I couldn’t do it alone no matter how hard I tried to multi-task. We work in teams, and it is
You’ve got 6 More Months To Slay and Conquer this year
January through June have come and gone. Yes, these past months may have come with lots of setbacks, perhaps in achieving our personal goals and dreams or in advancing in the corporate world. It may have been six months of moving in circles. Six months of going below both personal and general standards. Six months of bewilderment crawling up in between high hopes and a positive stand. Here’s my own little story… Personally, I tasted the true meaning of depression. How or where it came from, who knows? But hey! The good thing is I’m out of it now! Like out for good! I never even remembered I had suffered from the disease of the mind (as I like to call it) until just a few weeks back, on different occasions, I encountered different individuals slowly sinking in the depth of this same ‘depression’. Indeed, it’s been a battle thriving beyond all odds these past months and for the first time, I was glad I went through what I went through to better understand the situation of those that came around with the same ailment and help them gradually scale through. [bctt tweet=”Your confidence is one of the main weapons of emerging as a conqueror at the end of the year – Eden Benibo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Perhaps this is your own story… Maybe, just maybe, you had achieved a reasonable number of your goals and aspirations during the first half of the year. Awesome! Have all or majority of your inputs fallen in alignment with your expected result? Great!! Whichever category you had fallen into, just know there are six more months to slay and conquer. In duality, we would be looking at two categories in this article. Let’s say – Slayers 1 & 2. Slayers 1 are the people who went through a relative number of down times during the first half of the year. If you fall into this category, here are a few tips for you: Regain your confidence Your confidence is one of the main weapons of emerging as a conqueror at the end of the year. Without confidence, a soldier is nothing but a loser even before the war begins. Without confidence irrespective of the cash at hand or even your skills within, one will have a very low chance of succeeding. Face the phase Of course, it’s good to reflect on the past sometimes, to retrace your steps and know where to improve on, but what we do most times is that we get so engrossed with past failures and pain that we allow a replay of these negativities in the future. Have the failures of yesterday boxed you in? Or built a shell in which you have crawled into? It’s time to come out! And face the now. This phase. Bill Newman rightly said “you must be willing to fail. Don’t fear other people or their opinions. Don’t just sit there and wonder, you should be doing. Act, start today, make it happen”. He is not trying to say we should set our minds on failure, no! All this is trying to convey is that we should not allow the mere fear of failure to be an obstacle to us succeeding in our business and life in general. [bctt tweet=”Stop agonizing and organize what you’re doing – Eden Benibo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Newman further stated “stop agonizing and organize what you’re doing. Not to decide is to decide not to.” In other words, not making a decision is a decision on its own. Not acting is a move. A wrong move though. A move of stagnancy. Break free today! Slayers 2, on the other hand, are also known as the already Slaying Gang! It’s important to note that no one prays for a ‘bad beginning’, but it’s better to have a rough beginning and a smooth end than experiencing the reverse. Therefore, this is a call for unrelenting zeal to keep thriving. Thrive on! Ask yourself some questions. What did you do to get you to this point? Build on that. If possible, I advise you increase your general input, because it is very easy to remain in your comfort zone. Remember, never to be trapped within the confinement of living in past glory. Most importantly, learn something new every day. Now listen. If inexplicably you belong to the two categories, it’s all good. Here are some tips for you to explore. Breath Break free from the norm. There’s more to explore! Smile and say a warm hello to July and the next few months at your disposal. Remember your future is all in your hands: handle with care. Finally, here’s a piece of advice from an all-time scholar which applies to everyone, regardless of the level of such an individual at work) “If you are a senior executive, don’t take yourself too seriously. It is essential to hold on to our sense of humor throughout our lives if we want to remain sane, as has been shown by research into psychological cognition, and especially in the later years”. So go ahead and break free, slay and conquer it all, starting with your fears! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka: Pitch your business proposition from the ‘why’ perspective, not the ‘what’
Chidinma Emodi Chukwuemeka is a seasoned entrepreneur with a specialty in Brand and Digital Marketing. In July 2017, Chidinma and her husband, Mr. Bentley Chuwkuemeka officially launched The Footwear Academy. The Footwear Academy is a footwear training and production school for individuals interested in the art of footwear production and sales. Their vision is to enable shoemakers in Africa starting with Nigeria produce exportable standard products. Her Start-up The Footwear Academy has pitched and participated in various local and international startup competition. They are the recent winners of the Proudly Made in Aba Hackathon – winning a grand prize of $50,000 from Ford Foundation. They also took 2nd place in 2017 at the Open Mic Africa startup pitch competition organized by Techpreneur Africa and MIT Legatum. Chidinma is an Alumni of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI Regional Training Center) – Onsite Nigeria Cohort 4. She was awarded star of Business and Entrepreneurship for her cohort. She is self-driven and very passionate about helping brands and people succeed. [bctt tweet=”You have the ability to be anything you want to be ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]