Jennifer Onwumere: I never take on any project just for the money!
[bctt tweet=”The most fulfilling aspect has been the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] A vibrant and exceptionally hardworking public relations expert, Nigerian-American, Jennifer Onwumere, is the brainchild behind the Dallas, Texas, based Jen-gerbread Marketing. A young woman who painstakingly proves that the business hustle starts and ends with hard work, Jennifer is graciously African, proudly wearing her Nigerian roots everywhere that she goes. Jennifer courageously embraces the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship, which guarantees that every day looks different and that every client carries a unique set of needs and expectations. With her a heart for the community, Jennifer continues to invest countless hours into the lives of others, and well understands that hard work can offer you the opportunity to do more for your world. Here, Jennifer shares her advice on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in the Diaspora. Thank you Jennifer for your wisdom and for your commitment to helping businesses grow! How would you describe what you do? That is a great question. I have worked on a variety of projects ranging from non-profit and entertainment, to lifestyle and more. If I had to summarize what I do, I would say that I create the strategy and visibility/marketing plans for brands. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? I have always been excited about the idea of being able to forge my own future. Being an entrepreneur allows me creative freedom as well as the chance to be innovative. What inspired you to start a business such as this? I have always been fascinated with consumer marketing and entertainment. It is interesting how different brand messages can attract customers and convert prospects into patrons. My business has allowed me the opportunity to work with some amazing brands and have some great experiences. It has also allowed me the opportunity to work on the type of projects that I want to work on, and has challenged me to take on new project goals. What do you love the most about being a marketing/ public relations expert? I love the fact that I am able to create effective messaging and strategies for brands that I believe in. For example, I produce an annual event called Be a Blessing Day. For this event, we collect much needed toiletries for homeless and domestic violence survivors. Working in my field as an entrepreneur has allowed me the opportunity to execute my vision and strategy in a creative way to achieve my project objectives. As a result, since its inception 5 years ago, over $10,000 worth in donated products, has been collected during Be a Blessing Day. [bctt tweet=”I am excited every time I have a success, it just reinforces the fact that the sky is truly the limit” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In the world of entrepreneurship, why is it important that brands like yours exist? In my business, I have taken a primary focus on working with start-up businesses. I think that this allows me to serve a small business customer base that needs strategy and marketing support, but may not have the funds to hire a large corporate agency. My niche allows me to focus on providing startups with the marketing assistance they need, at a rate that is conducive to their current financial resources. What has been the most fulfilling aspect about your entrepreneurship venture? The most fulfilling aspect has been the dynamic nature of entrepreneurship. I never know what is going to happen next, but I am excited every time I have a success because it just reinforces the fact that the sky is truly the limit, and that I can do anything I put my mind to. What have seen some of the challenges? Being an entrepreneur definitely keeps you on your toes. You are never off the clock. You are always prospecting new clients, managing current clients, and managing any problems that may arise. Despite the challenges, the joy comes in the fact that you are making your dreams come true, helping your clients achieve project objectives and educating consumers or prospects. What would you say to a young woman who wanted to start a business like yours? Don’t let fear stop you from achieving your dream. If you have a business you want to start, launch it but be sure to launch with a plan. You must have a strategy for anything you want to achieve in life. What do you think has been your greatest contribution to your work? I never take on any project just for the money. I work on projects that I am truly passionate about and that causes me to go beyond my role to do everything that needs to be done for the project to be successful. How do you ensure that your business remains relevant? Never get comfortable. Continue to create, continue to network and build relationships, continue to invest back into other people. As an African woman in the Diaspora, how do you maintain connections with other African peoples in the diaspora, and how do you make your work relevant to those living in the motherland? I handle the PR and Strategy for AFRIMMA (African Muzik Magazine Awards). This project is special to me because it celebrates some of the most influential music and political figures in Africa. As a Nigerian-American, this is very important to me because it allows me to play a role in an amazing event that celebrates the rich culture of not only Nigeria, but Africa as a whole. How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? I always make time to do something fun, whether traveling, social events and more. It’s great to work hard, but we are also working hard to enjoy life. So I try to never forget that. [bctt tweet=”It’s great to work hard, but we are also working hard to enjoy life” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you de-stress and/or unwind from a long day? I love music, so I listen to all kinds of music from Afrobeat to hip-hop,
Top-level website changes that will turbocharge your business SEO
[bctt tweet=”Every business needs an SEO strategy, why not share with changing how your website looks” via=”no”] Every business that will grow beyond the street corner needs an SEO strategy; a way for it to get found online. Why? Because online is where 67% of Nigerian buyers start their purchase journey [PDF]. So, your SEO and profitability are not only equally important, they also go hand in hand. What is SEO again? Why do you need it? If you can’t answer these questions, eead Uche Offokoja’s SEO primer; “Is your business ready for SEO?” to get a quick refresher. __ It’s impossible to cover the nuances of SEO in a 1000-word article. If we are being honest, 10,000 words, and we’d only be halfway there. What you’ll read in this article are fundamental aspects of your website you can improve to start ranking on Google, getting seen by your consumers and making more sales. Start with a website audit The first step to creating an SEO strategy is your website audit. Doing this lets you know the specific elements of your website to improve. A professional SEO service will provide a more in-depth outlook for your website complete with SEO competitive analysis, wireframe recommendations plus a search audit. But a great way to do this on a shoestring budget is to use the SEMRush tool. It’s a free tool that will give you an interactive snapshot of your current SEO efforts; your top organic keywords and their positions, what other sites are competing for your position, backlinks and more. A basic audit of one of my favourite websites; Copyblogger.com, returned this: (All traffic to copyblogger is organic and the leading keyword is “how to write an article.” The data points are interactive and you can dig further down to extract more insights). These insights are useful for your content strategy (more on this later) and possible website upgrades to improve usability. Optimize your site for mobile As an extension of your website audit, examine how you are doing on mobile. Google ranks mobile-optimized websites higher in SERPs (search engine results pages). But more important is the implication of this on your visitors. More than 55% of all searches now come from mobile, and if your consumers can’t use your site on mobile, they won’t stick around. To get a good sense of how your website does on mobile, use Varvy. (Copyblogger.com is optimized for mobile, although the site latency on mobile needs to be optimized.) The relationship between brands and customers is not an equal one. Customers have the leverage and you have to be there for them as they navigate their social and transactional realities. To do that is to be available on their mobile phones where they spend a third of their waking lives. I’ll leave Tom Fisbourne of Marketoon to drive the point home; “A well-loved brand that isn’t optimized for mobile may not be well-loved for long.” Speak to your developer about responsive website design to improve your mobile-optimization. Tweet: When last did you do a website audit? Never? Find out why you need one here Develop a content strategy The number of visitors to your page and how long they stay (their dwell time) also affect your ranking. Useful content with high production values is one of the most effective ways to attract and keep traffic on your website. A content strategy doesn’t mean you start a podcast, a webinar and an email autoresponder series at the same time. Start with blogging… Companies with blogs have 97% more inbound links (Source) B2B marketers using blogs generate 67% more leads (Source) Small business with blogs generate 126% more leads (Source) Start your content strategy with keyword research. This helps you figure out real questions and ideas that matter to your consumers. The Google Keyword Planner or the SEMRush tool will come in handy here. Some general ideas for your content strategy: – Develop content for humans and make your content helpful. – Your content strategy should include your content matrix, content calendar and an operational calendar. – Annotate your content with header tags, add outbound links, make your content readable (avoid walls of text), use alt texts for your images, and compress image sizes to reduce latency. – Finally, distribute your content. Suss out a robust distribution strategy that will ensure your content reaches your desired audience. You could, for instance, start sending weekly email to your list or create a social sharing strategy. Are you using popups? Pop-ups: online forms that keep you away from your heart’s desires. Only a few people are a fan. That’s why Google is cracking down on websites that have pop-ups. Such websites rank lower in search engine results pages. Speak with your developer to remove any pop-ups on your website and explore alternative lead-generation elements, including stationary banner ads, stationary sidebar ads, behavior-driven pop-ups or notification style ads. The idea is not to get rid of lead-generation, but to present decent usability. Improve your site architecture Finally, how easy is it to navigate your website? When visitors can’t find what they want on your website, they often leave right away; leading to high bounce rate, leading to low ranking on Google. As a general rule; your website should not take more than four clicks to get to the deepest level. LIke this: The fact is; site architecture is not only great for usability, it makes it easier for search engine bots to crawl and index your website. While SEO is not the goal in itself (sales and profitability are), you’ll often need SEO to get you there. The ideas here will get you right on your way. — This article was written by Gbenga Onalaja. Gbenga is a Content Strategist at Wild Fusion, Wild Fusion is Africa’s leading Digital Marketing Agency.
Khumo Kgwaadira: Sometimes I fall, I rise up, fall and rise up again
[bctt tweet=”I don’t sleep. I see the need to put in work and take advantage of my position.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Khumo Kgwaadira is an entrepreneur, radio presenter, a sought-after host, fashion designer and #MotherlandMogul in Botswana. Having studied IT in Malaysia, she still managed to dominate the entertainment industry working for Radio Botswana under the RB2. Khumo has been a television presenter on various television shows. She also runs a community organization called WHO AM I which is helping young individuals self-actualize and realize their true potential. What would you say led you to radio and entertainment? It is something that has always been in my heart. As a little girl I used to love watching television and imitating presenters as they did their job. I would always tell my parents and sisters that one day I would be a superstar…they thought I was kidding. As for radio, it’s a thought that came to mind while I was in college. When I have an idea I write it down and revisit all my ideas time and again but funny enough the radio idea, I put it on social media. I updated my twitter profile in college and wrote: student, upcoming radio presenter. I don’t know why I did but that was the beginning of my journey. Can you tell us more about your brand as a radio host and what challenges you faced? I work at RB2 FM and have worked there since October 2013. I currently host the breakfast show called Breakfast n’ Bold with T.H.A.B.O Weekdays 6-9 a.m. On Fridays, I read the 3pm news bulletin and on Saturday I host the TOP40 with Zandile Bawe. Radio is one of the highlights of my life and working for a national radio station truly is a blessing. I have learnt to connect to a wide listenership of different cultures, races and backgrounds. I have learnt to grow up funny enough, to be mature, to invest in my craft through reading, and to be better every single day. Also, I have had to overcome not letting the noise from outside shift my focus. [bctt tweet=”Radio is one of the highlights of my life @MissGeeKays” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What four skills have you found yourself using/learning frequently since starting in the business? Patience: I am the least patient person in the world I must confess but working with a team has helped me understand that not everyone is like me. More than that not everything or everyone will work as hard as I do so I leaned into being enduring with the people around me. Focus: I believe this is the greatest weapon everyone should have. Sometimes I fall, I rise up , fall and rise up again, I am learning every day to focus on what is important. This entertainment industry is unkind, complicated and harsh…focus is what has gotten me through. Hard work: I don’t sleep. I see the need to put in work and take advantage of my position in the industry because in the next 3 years there will someone better and more relevant in the industry. Commitment: I have learnt this early on in college, to stay committed to my work because I know for sure at the end of the day I will be reaping the rewards of the work I put in. What challenges have you faced working in a male-dominated industry and also being on television? Unfortunately, people take you for granted thinking you cannot deliver, that is the nature of the game. I have had to constantly prove myself that I can actually deliver. That has been and still is one of the challenges I face. You expanded recently to clothing with Faddic, what inspired that and what do you hope to achieve? My love for fashion started in college after I was exposed to the Asian fashion scene. The lifestyle in Asia is completely different from what we see in Botswana. I was especially drawn to Malaysia which is so diverse and the fusion of different cultures sparked my interest. I am one person who is always interested in knowing more, I gravitated towards fashion and being chic. I said to myself that one day when I am a powerhouse I would have my own fashion label and it would really be cool to have people wear “ME”.. and I didn’t want do it alone. I waited for the right time and One Motlhabane was the right person to work with together and our collaboration is black girl magic MISSGEEKAYSxFADDIC. We hope to change the fashion industry in Africa and take it by storm. What led you to start WHO AM I and what do you want to accomplish through it? This came from a tough place. A place of pain.. a place of self-doubt. It got to a point and a time in my life where I felt there was no reason to live. The stigma and insecurity was overwhelming. One evening in 2011 I wrote a proposal down and titled it WHO AM I and prayed about. I asked God to guide me and help me launch a powerful movement that will tackle issues of “self”. In 2015 we launched and now WHO AM I is changing the lives of many in a positive way. I’m thrilled to be part of that movement. How would you advice someone who looks up to you? Love and believe in yourself a little bit more. [bctt tweet=”I don’t believe in regrets …instead what I draw from that is my biggest achievement, living my dream” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Do you have any regrets? I don’t believe in regrets …instead what I draw from that is my biggest achievement, living my dream. Everything I am doing now is what I have always wanted to do since I was young. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
SheHive Toronto: July 13th – 16th 2017
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1448373453827{margin-top: -30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The SheHive train came to the 6 as part of a North America Tour! Check out the fun we had below and join our community to stay up to date on our next SheHive destinations.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=”20179″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1448373453827{margin-top: -30px !important;}”][vc_column][timetable id=”5″ columns=”19,20,21,22″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][instagram-feed type=hashtag hashtag=shehivetoronto][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Thanks to our amazing #SheHiveToronto partners [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”37882″][vc_column_text]SUPAFRIK is a travelling pop-up concept founded in 2011 to showcase contemporary African culture from music and food to art and fashion. Stops so far have included Toronto, Washington DC, New Orleans, Paris and London[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”33929″][vc_column_text]Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor Yorkville (280 Bloor Street West)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”35699″][vc_column_text]Our official accommodation sponsor Westmont Hospitality Group[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
SheHive DC: June 22nd – 25th 2017
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1448373453827{margin-top: -30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The SheHive train came to Washington DC as part of a North America Tour! Check out the fun we had below and join our community to stay up to date on our next SheHive destinations.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=”20179″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1448373453827{margin-top: -30px !important;}”][vc_column][timetable id=”7″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][instagram-feed type=hashtag hashtag=shehivedc][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”34515″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”35699″][vc_single_image image=”34516″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]Thank you to our accommodation sponsor Westmont Hospitality Group and The University Inn DC!![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Olwethu Mabumbulu: We have everything we need
[bctt tweet=”If we can leverage from one another, we can do so much towards growing prosperity within our communities” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] While we all sang along to Solange Knowles’ A Seat at the Table album, Olwethu Mabumbulu was propelled to create something that is for us, by us. By day, Olwethu helps people trade derivative instruments as a Sales Executive at a listed global trading company. She has gained four years of experience within the financial services industry, particularly investments and trading. The rest of the time, she nourishes her entrepreneurial appetite as founder of the subscription box startup, Heart of Brown (Pty) Ltd. Heart of Brown offers a bi-monthly lifestyle subscription box for women of colour, which features, natural and artisan products from local, black women-owned businesses. Olwethu’s subscription box aims to affirm young black women, and expose us to products that are great for our skin and hair, and helps us highlight the importance of self-care. Olwethu aims to make a difference in the lives of busy millennial women and lift up other fellow black entrepreneurs with great products and she shares how she plans to achieve this. Talk us through what Heart of Brown entails? Heart of Brown is a lifestyle subscription box for brown beauties. We curate lifestyle products spanning skin, hair, beauty, accessories and edibles based on our bi-monthly theme. Our purpose is to help busy young black women discover the best in local products. We have two boxes: a HOB box, which costs R400 plus shipping, and HOB mini box priced at R200 plus shipping. How do you choose the products for the subscription boxes? This is the part of the business that I thoroughly enjoy. I’m always on the lookout for good products. Firstly, I love visiting local markets and trying new products. I also spend an insane amount of time researching about local entrepreneurs. At any given time, I have a notebook with a running list of vendors and products I would like to feature in future. I then purchase and test the different products. If they meet the criteria in terms of the box’s vision and criteria then I will curate products that fit the theme and approach the vendors to purchase from them. Does innovation play a role in the course of running your business? Yes, in fact running a business successfully is a constant process of going back to the drawing board to come up with something new. In my experience, the quest for innovation has manifested in a new way to connect with local vendors, a new way to gain customers and frequently trying new products. Also, every second month, the box has a new theme. For example, the theme for the box running between April and May is ‘’Autumn Renewal”. [bctt tweet=”Running a successful business is a constant process of going back to the drawing board ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Are you looking to expand beyond the South African market? In the short term, my goal for HOB is to increase our customer base and dominate the subscription box market locally, while really showcasing and uplifting brilliant products made by independent entrepreneurs. In the medium term, I would love to expand our reach by collaborating with other African entrepreneurs and shipping our box to brown beauties across the continent. A friend of mine encouraged me with these wise words just the other day, “we have everything we need”, I believe this is true of us as Africans. If we can leverage from one another, we can do so much towards growing prosperity within our communities. So far, what happy days have encouraged you? The day I registered the company was a milestone for me. Heart of Brown really started its humble beginnings as a “Eureka moment” brainstorm I had while studying for my exams late last year. I had been researching the subscription box concept, particularly prominent in North America and the UK. I had a clear vision -to localise the concept and offer products to women who are like me. Once I actually registered the company, then got the logo done it really started to click that the vision was slowly becoming a reality. The real challenge that lay ahead though, was getting my first customers. After much trial and error, when I got that first sale I felt happiness and validation all wrapped in one. This still encourages me to keep going on a daily basis. Tweet: when I got that first sale I felt happiness and validation all wrapped in one What tools and skills have played a vital role to support and grow your business? An array of online tools have proved to be time saving and invaluable to my business (the great news is that they all have free versions) -Evernote, MailChimp, Hubspot, Canva, Google Ads express, Reddit, and of course, social media platforms as well. Skills needed to survive include passion, voracious reading, keeping abreast of industry developments, adaptability and people skills. Tell us about the Solange Knowles song being inspiration for you I have been a Solange Knowles fan for a long time; what I love most about her is her ability to honour her own path and not conform. A Seat at the Table, to me, is actually the pinnacle of her following her truth and this paid off. The whole album was a meditation on being unapologetic and proudly black. Having this message on rotation became a catalyst for me to ask what I can do to express my own truth. My favourite songs on the album are “FUBU” and “Don’t Touch My Hair” these songs resonate because they empower the black community, especially black women. What has been the greatest challenge so far in the course of the business? As a bootstrapping business, the number one challenge is making the best possible use of a limited budget, but I’m quickly learning to be creative as I go and that is also the fun part. You learn to let go of perfectionist inhibitions
Johanne Affricot: I have no memory of working on a project I didn’t feel passionate about
[bctt tweet=”You will quit only when there is no more room for one last try – Johanne Affricot” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Johanne Affricot is a freelance consultant working in the field of communication and events. She was born in Italy to a Haitian mother and a Ghanaian-American father. Two years ago she founded GRIOT, an alternative hub celebrating an aesthetic, creative and cultural diversity through arts and style. With her team, Johanne also designs and develops projects for companies, brands and institutional organizations related to culture, art, music and fashion. Johanne is proud of her team and isn’t shy to shout out to them. Celine Angbeletchy, the editor in large of GRIOT mag supervises the English version and she is an Italian-Ivorian based in London. There’s also Janine, who writes content, edits French texts and develops relations. Gaylor Mangumbu, is the only man on the team and he is Italian-Congolese, writing GRIOT mag articles. May you introduce Johanne Affricot to SLA readers. Sure. I was born in Rome, the city where I live, to a Haitian mother and a Ghanaian-American father. Once someone told me that I am an activist. I prefer not to be associated to an activist. I would love to but I am not. I know some activists in Italy, they put all their energies on a cause. I do really admire them, so compared to what they do I can’t say I’m an activist. If I had to define myself, I would say that I’m a “culture activator” and a networker. That’s the only definition I feel comfortable with, that makes me feel like I’m not stuck in a box. I can be a filmmaker, a writer, an entrepreneur, everything that is devoted to spreading culture. I’ve been working in the field of communication and cultural-art events for almost ten years. I started with a short but important experience in the former Communication Department of the General Direction for Cooperation and Development of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which I travelled to Mali for). Since then, I’ve always worked for communication and creative agencies. Four years ago, I decided to pursue a freelance path, working for artists such as William Kentridge (South African) and organizing exhibitions and music events. Beside this, I’m also running and trying to grow this project, GRIOT. The goal of GRIOT is to collect, recount and share stories that can inspire people and “activate” culture. When you moved to NY what exactly did you expect? And can you say your expectations were met? I haven’t moved to NY. I often travel to the Big Apple because I have many relatives there. Last summer I went to visit them and to shoot The Expats, a web documentary series (in Italian, English and French) that explores the lives of Italian creatives with African (and Caribbean) origins who chose to leave their motherland in the search of new opportunities, as their fellow white Italians do and as their parents did in the past, from Senegal, Haiti, Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, etc. The title of the series is meant to be provocative, seen that in the international community this term, expat, is often associated with white people who emigrate for work-related reasons and are privileged because of that, while Africans and other nationalities are called migrants or immigrants. But above all, I wanted to encourage a reflection not only about the existence of black Italians in Italy and abroad (when I travel many people still find incredible that there are “black” Italians), but also Italians who do not know this “different” or “diverse” Italy. In two weeks I’m launching two new episodes shot in London. Let’s talk about GRIOT! Take us through the first 6 months. The first six months were of discovery. I felt the need (I still do today) to see and spread a different image of everything related to Africa and its diaspora, without necessarily excluding other realities I’ve grown up with. I created GRIOT for myself, for the people who feel the same as me and for my children (even if at the time I wasn’t a mother yet). GRIOT is for all those people who wanted to discover different stories or share their stories. I grew up in a “white” country, and most of my family lives between Haiti and the US. While growing up, without giving the same importance I’m now paying to it, I always missed an aesthetic and cultural diversity, something that I’ve always enjoyed and experienced in my trips. But every time I got back to Italy, I missed it. And so I created GRIOT. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to work and I had never written for a magazine before. Furthermore, I was afraid of ending up writing boring stuff, or experiencing a “cultural clash” with a world that was mine but truly not mine. You know what I mean…but in the end everything has become so familiar… maybe because it has never been something alien…it was just asleep somewhere at the back of my mind. Four months after I launched GRIOT, I designed and developed the first Italian event for African-Caribbean-Italian creatives, and proposed it to the American Academy in Rome, which is the most important American art institution outside the States. The American Academy in Rome was organizing an exhibition called “Nero su Bianco – Black on White”. 27 artists (African, African Americans, and Italians) were invited to explore the radical shifts in perceptions of the Afro-Italian identity and subjectivity in contemporary Italy, from cultural, social and political points of view. So, on that occasion I organized “AfroItalians in the Arts Today”. How is it looking at the moment? It is growing. After the first episodes of The Expats came out I was contacted by a media agency to develop content for some other projects. Same thing happened three weeks ago. Let’s see. It’s not easy, because GRIOT is self-financed and everybody involved in GRIOT, I’m talking about the core members, is investing in
Emefa Quashie: From beauty queen to farmer and social entrepreneur
[bctt tweet=”Mamagah Farms is an agricultural social project run by beauty queen Emefa Quashie” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] It’s not every day that you hear the story of a beauty queen owning a farm. But the story gets bewildering when you notice that instead of just employing people to work on the farm (like some “modern” farmers do) she goes hands in and knee deep -getting her well-manicured nails in groveling dirt as she furiously uproots and plants, as she waters and nurtures and as she satisfyingly harvests and reaps. Meet Emefa Quashie. A present farmer, social entrepreneur and an erstwhile beauty pageant winner. When she’s not furiously uprooting and planting on her farm (Mamagah Farms), she is lost in her studies for her MBA in Marketing or running Universal ChildCare Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports needy children. SLA contributor Emma Kwenu Smith caught up with Emefa to get some insights on how to dominate in an unpopular agriculture career for modern young women and simultaneously use it to make a social impact. Tell us about Mamagah Farms. Mamagah Farms is a social project that mobilizes and empowers rural women farmers to adopt modern technologies in farming. We want to commercialize agriculture in rural communities in southern Ghana. Mamagah farms was established in 2015 with the main aim of empowering women economically through commercial farming and creating support schemes. These schemes create opportunities for smallholder farmers to improve their livelihood. Currently, we work with female smallholder farmers in rural communities within the Southern part of Ghana. Simply put: We farm, we train and we support. There are so many avenues for social entrepreneurship -why agriculture and what was the innovative idea behind Mamagah Farms? I was born into a farming community, and my mother was a small holder farmer so I spent a lot of my days on the farm assisting her. Unfortunately, along the line I grew up with a warped misconception about agriculture. Growing up in a rural community, I always thought farming was for the poor and uneducated -after all, many folks there turn to farming to be able to feed their families and also make an economic living. However, over time I came to appreciate the relevance of agriculture and numerous opportunities it presents to the youth. Mamagah Farms was born out of this realization. This is why I decided to take up farming –to send a message to the young women. Do you plan to diversify what you produce and expand to include other parts of the country? How are you preparing for this? With over 200 acres of land in the Volta Region of Ghana, we specialize in growing and harvesting in maize and pepper. Unfortunately, and as is the same with any start-up, not having enough funds can slow down plans of scaling up. We are pitching for investors and hopefully, we would be able to work at optimum capacity, making full use of the land. This way, we will be able to diversify our produce and grow a variety of crops to suit both local and international demands. Funding is everything especially for an entrepreneur who wants to leverage on technology to make farming simple and easier. There are plans to expand to other parts of the country and even West Africa. [bctt tweet=”Funding is everything especially for an entrepreneur who wants to leverage on technology” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How does your business as a social venture empower local women farmers? Mamagah Farms is just like social entrepreneurship project. We apply business principles to solve societal problems. What we noticed is that there is potential for rural women farmers to cultivate on a bigger scale and learn the best farming methods which would ultimately impact their economic livelihood. Realizing this, we use the profit from Mamagah Farms for investments. Apart from financially supporting these farmers to purchase inputs and commercialize their farms, we also partner with local organizations to provide training and extension sessions for these women. Most of the women who work with us are single mothers and while we want to fight poverty and promote empowerment, we want these women to have enough to afford to educate their children. An empowered woman means an empowered family and ultimately, an empowered nation. What challenges have you faced with Mamagah Farms and its related social projects? My biggest challenge has been reorienting the minds of the local folks. As hardworking as they are, the tradition has created a certain mindset towards change. A typical example is technology. When you suggest the use of tractors, some believe that using tractors may disturb the peace of their ancestors. With such a mindset, how can we grow? But it is not enough to recognize a challenge and leave it there. We take the women farmers through training programs, where we address these challenges. We show them concrete examples of how farming is done in first world countries and how we can get there. Culture and tradition can have a hold on people’s mindset, and it is important to give them the needed exposure in order to disabuse this mindset. Why should more women explore the prospects in agriculture in Ghana, and Africa? In recent times, women are defying the odds and taking more risks in their careers. Why should agriculture and agribusinesses be any different? Can a woman not own a 10,000 acre farm and work on it herself, while managing others to work as well? Agriculture has never been and is not a reserve of men. Our natural disposition as women makes us more inclined to be the better farmers, we are nurturing and detail-oriented. This is an important quality. There are several opportunities in agriculture we can take advantage of. From crop planting through to the distribution of produce, there are endless opportunities to explore. Food is a necessity. Africa has arable land and other resources, and there are always opportunities to meet the need for food produce. If you get such an opportunity, why say no? [bctt tweet=”Agriculture has
5 enemies of success you need to be aware of
[bctt tweet=”What do you know about enemies of success? Learn how to overcome them here” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As we know, success is not a destination but a journey. In our road to climbing up the corporate ladder or building our businesses we will face obstacles that try to discourage us from moving forward or to derail our success. Sometimes these challenges may catch us by surprise, but at other times they are of our own making. Here are 5 enemies of success you need to be aware of: Pride There is good pride, which is a consciousness of worth and a feeling of happiness about yourself or accomplishments. But there is also bad pride, which comes from thinking you are better than others and results in arrogance – many great men and women have fallen because of pride. As you climb up the ladder it is important to remain humble, never look down on others or reach a point where you begin to think of yourself more highly than those around you. Pride is a silent but powerful enemy that can hinder you or bring you to downfall. A #MotherlandMogul we can learn from in this area: Oprah Winfrey For two decades Oprah was the most watched daytime television host. It would be easy for such fame and success to get to anyone’s head; however, no matter how successful or famous she became Oprah remained grounded, as she still is today. Here is one of her most famous quotes on remaining humble: “I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.” Losing focus Why do some people start well but sadly you wonder what ever happened to them? You must know of someone who was doing so well in their studies or career, and then suddenly their grades or career went downhill. In several cases that is as a result of losing focus. If you’re aiming for success, you can’t allow yourself to be distracted A #MotherlandMogul we can learn from in this area: Bonang Matheba On the topic of success Africa’s leading lady of entertainment has shared that one of the things that will help you remain focused. One is to remind yourself of why you started, on her blog she wrote this as one of her life lessons learned: “The most important rule for any person that’s passionate enough to see their dreams come to fruition is to BE FOCUSED!” Lack of preparation While there may be a few instances where you get away with sitting in a meeting with little or no preparation, the truth is no matter what you’re doing, if you fail to prepare then you sabotage your chance of success. There is a reason successful people put a lot of thought into planning and making preparations for what they want to achieve – it works. #MotherlandMogul Aminata Dumbuya said: “When preparation meets opportunity, success happens.” Lack of discipline Lack of discipline or self-control is an enemy that has led to many successful people’s downfall. In order to obtain what you want tomorrow, you need to be willing to suffer a little for a while and to sacrifice or delay what it is you want today. Athletes know this well. In order not to be taken out by the enemy called “lack of discipline”, write down a list of disciplines you need to keep and make a commitment to yourself to keep them. “Lots of guts and discipline are needed to increase patronage of your brand.” – Idonrenyen Enang dropped this wisdom at #SheHive Lagos Showing no gratitude If you kept on doing something for someone and they never once came back to say ‘thank you’, chances are you would think twice about doing something for them again. Without a grateful attitude, you may not go very far in life. Successful people have a sense of gratitude. You destroy this enemy by showing gratitude for everything you have and have accomplished. You know the saying “Count your blessings one by one”, you can fuel your career just by showing gratitude. A #MotherlandMogul we can learn from in this area: Oprah Winfrey She said: “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Can you think of any other enemies to your success? Deal with them before they sabotage your progress in life.
Lovette Appleton: An entrepreneur should have the courage to embrace failure
Lovette Appleton knows what it means to chase dreams and make use of opportunities. She did exactly that when she went from being an accounting executive in a manufacturing company to owning her own brand. Lovette used her experiences in travelling across continents to create patent bags that are versatile and savvy. She believes that an entrepreneur should be able to adapt to situations and have the courage to embrace failure as a blessing in disguise. Lovette wants to develop the passion for skills and empower Liberian women and the less fortunate by opening a factory and a training school that focuses on making accessories with an African twist, to empower women and young people who are less fortunate. What inspired you to start your line of patent bags that make the ideal travelling companion? I worked as a wholesale account executive at a company that designed and manufactured slippers shoes that had interchangeable straps and snaps. I thought it was a brilliant idea and I guess it just inspired me. Having lived on 3 continents and am always traveling to new countries so the need for functionality for the modern day jet setter came naturally to me. The modern woman is so versatile, why not give her fashion accessories that can match her lifestyle! What three words, can fully describe you and why? Beatnik, Determined and Industrious! Beatnik because I march to the beat of my own drum! I never follow or want to be like anyone else. I love being me and that’s ok! Determined because I will never give up on myself! My faith depends on no one else but God and myself so no matter the circumstance, I keep pushing. I am industrious because to come this far in life, you have to be! I remember when I graduated from university, I moved to New Jersey with less than $2000 in my account and we all know that’s not enough for one month in the New York metro area but I stayed with relatives, got a part time job and freelanced in addition to a full-time job, the hustle was real but I was able to pay the legal fees to get my patent this way. There is always a way. [bctt tweet=”The hustle is real but there’s always a way, one lesson learnt from the inspiring Lovette Appleton” via=”no”] What life-changing principles do you think every budding entrepreneur must cultivate? To want to open one’s own business takes guts and defiance! Those qualities are admirable however; the most important principles that an entrepreneur should have are adaptability and the courage to embrace failure as a blessing in disguise. I say this because one feels accomplished after setting up a business, doing the business plan, balancing the books etc. You feel like an adult, you are on your way and you hope that if you put in the work, the rewards will come. Unfortunately, I have been around the block for long enough time to know that we can’t control everything and whatever can go wrong, will! The question isn’t will anything go wrong, it is what will you do to ensure it has little impact on your business and how will you learn and grow from the experience. How do you intend to use your patent brand to inspire growth and development in Africa? As a Liberian and most importantly, an African woman, my thoughts never stray from home. I constantly think about how my life abroad will translate and contribute to others back home. Although my company is currently based in the US, I hope to use the opportunity it presents to open a factory as well as a training school in Liberia, to empower women and young people who are less fortunate. Does your business do the production in Africa, If so how do you manage your team abstractly? Since the business is still in start-up phase and the products so novel, It is necessary for me to keep production close to where I am. It’s like a baby, You have to carry it and keep it close until it starts to take its first steps then you step back and give it some free room. Once the brand gets more established, I plan to start working with artisans back home to bring that African touch to my collections. What advice would you give women who are about to launch their own start-ups? Believe in yourself and never let any challenge keep you down. The only person responsible for your success is yourself and you must be prepared to do whatever it takes to make your dreams a reality. If you were given the chance to re-launch your start-up, what would you do better and why? I would focus more on my marketing plan. Having a great product and believing it will work is great but one always needs an extraordinary marketing strategy because today’s business environment is so full of options for consumers that an average marketing plan doesn’t do justice to a great product or message. If I could go back in time I would have concentrated on my marketing plan as much as I concentrated on the product. I am not saying I would have had a bigger marketing budget but I think concentrating on free yet creative ways to let people know about the product and also giving them enough time to actually absorb the message of the brand before even driving the sales pitch. The collection will launch in about a month so I am slowly building up the social media following through my Instagram and Facebook, cross promoting through Linkedin articles as well as my lifestyle website. To reach more people I will launch online ads but in general, marketing doesn’t have to be expensive but it takes time and creativity! [bctt tweet=”If I could go back in time I would have concentrated on my marketing plan – Lovette Appleton” via=”no”] If you’d like to share