How To Launch & Get Paid for Your Freelance Writing Career
Anyone can be a freelance writer. You don’t need any experience or degree. So, you want to dive into freelance writing? I get a lot of emails and DMs (on Instagram) from people asking me how to successfully start a career in freelance writing. With the fact that there are tons of wrong advice out there ranging from excuses like the need for formal training to owning a website or blog, I thought to share my experience and sales strategies on this platform! Here’s one thing though! If you think that you can’t begin a career in freelance writing as a result of no experience; well, it’s about damn time someone told you that: IT IS POSSIBLE! My Story It’s been almost four years since I became a freelance writer. When I first learned how to become a freelance writer, I made the mistake of thinking that I needed a blog or website. I also thought that the only way to get gigs was to sign up on freelancing sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, etc. Content mills provide cheap content jobs and they usually batch orders. Their goal is to get a lot of content for cheap. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to sign up on these platforms, I gave up. Then, I switched to scouting for gigs on Nairaland. Most of them paid peanuts. Three years down the line earning little to nothing, I realized that this wasn’t for me! I was worth more than that! I felt like giving up! But, I didn’t. I re-grouped and started afresh. I signed up for training, pitched for freelance writing jobs; and gradually began to land high-paying clients. The rest, they say, is history! If you want that for yourself, here are the steps on how to become a freelance writer you need to get started. 1. Research About Freelance Writing When I first started, I did a lot of research. I found other freelance writers, read their blogs and learning as much as I could about this business. While I had some clues about how to write blog posts, I didn’t know the kinds of jobs for freelance writers. 2. Become Familiar With the Writing Skills and Tools Required While I’ve mentioned that you can start a career in freelance writing with absolutely no experience, you can increase the odds of success by learning a few skills and tools. Some skills you should definitely have for freelance writing include: > Organizational Skills Having a system in place for your projects is key to growing your business. You don’t want to make a mistake or forget to do something. I use my calendar to keep track of events, Evernote or my phone’s memo to jot down ideas and a list of things I want to do. > Writing Skills Writing for an online audience is different than writing in your diary or texting a friend. Know how to captivate readers with your blog topic and introduction. You need to be able to create insightful, entertaining and educating posts. > Confidence Putting yourself out there and trying to land writing gigs is tough. You’ll get rejected, turned down or you may have a client walk all over you. To become a successful freelance writer, you need to be confident and overcome your fear of pitching (I can’t begin to count how many clients I’ve landed via cold-pitching!) > Graphics & Design skills There is no excuse for ugly photos, therefore this skill is very important to have. My favorite image editing app is Canva. > Proofreading While I offer proofreading services as well, it doesn’t hurt to use Grammarly or Hemingway app to give that document a final polish before it gets sent to your client. 3. Practice Writing While you don’t have to be the best writer to become successful, you need to be able to write sentences and get your message across. Improving your writing will not only help you become a better writer, but it will also help you market your freelance writing business because it makes you more credible as a professional writer. 4. Create a Portfolio of Your Work Most job ads you’ll apply for will ask to see your work. They want to see samples of published work. If you’re new, you won’t have any published work – unless you already have a blog. So, how do you show prospects you can actually write? Besides starting a blog, you can create samples. Draft up a few pieces and either upload them as a Google Doc or publish them on Medium, LinkedIn or Quora. Another alternative is to guest post. Search for blogs or websites in the niche you’d like to write about and pitch your blog idea to them. Don’t think it’s possible? What do you think I’m doing here? Guest posting on She Leads Africa, of course! 5. Start Pitching to clients Now it’s time to actively search for freelance writing jobs. But where do you go and how do you do it? Go check out job sites like NG Careers, Jobberman, MyJobMag, etc for content writing positions. When you find a job you are interested in the important thing to remember is to be one of the first few to apply and make sure your pitch stands out. Are there other ways to find freelance writing jobs? Yes, there are tons of ways! 6. Hustle Queen! Being a freelancer means you gotta hustle for work. But, this doesn’t mean you ALWAYS have to hustle. The goal is for clients to come to you. However, when you’re new in the business, you have to get your name out there. Get on social media and network. Guest posting not only to builds your portfolio but attracts potential clients as well. 7. Stay Learning! The best thing you can do as a new freelance writer is to continue to learn. Whether it’s writing tips, business tips or pitching tips, hone your skills by learning from those
Young women should benefit from the growing impact investment market: Ujunwa Ojemeni
Ujunwa Ojemeni is a financing, business development and clean energy expert with experience in the areas of opportunity maturation, project financing and impact investing. She has been in the energy sector for over five years now. She was in project development for a while before transiting to impact investment. While in energy project development, she coordinated several gases and power development opportunities valued at approximately $300 Million. In energy impact investing, her work has involved working with partners to catalyze funding to the clean energy sector such as the $100Million Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (OGEF) along with the African Development Bank and others, as well as driving investments in and managing investments in various clean energy companies. She is currently working with project developers by structuring and arranging appropriate financing for their businesses, working with partners to deploy innovative energy solutions and providing long term strategic support to key energy enterprises. Tell us about some of your projects Earlier this year, I was selected as one of the 60 young African Clean Energy Leaders for the Open Power Africa 2019 program by Enel Foundation in collaboration with top African and Italian academic institutions. I was one of the 16 finalists of the program who proceeded to complete the final module of the fellowship based on the quality of our capstone projects. I also emerged as a finalist in the IFC Sustainability Exchange Ideas Contest for Youth Innovations 2019. To promote the participation of more women in the energy sector, I recently launched “The African Women in Energy Development Initiative – AWEDI Network”. It is the pioneer African organization focused on women across the entire energy value chain to offer mentorship, career sponsorship (acceleration), capacity building, and leadership training for women at all stages of their energy careers and for female students at the secondary and tertiary levels. I have always been passionate about helping SMEs to be successful and founded the “SME Transformation Project” through which I provide business advisory and funding to women-owned SMEs in low-income communities. I help them navigate through basic business challenges such as marketing and distributing channels, product line expansion, and most importantly, funding, which they have difficulties accessing from traditional financiers. In addition, I am a mentor at the Cherie Blaire Foundation where I provide support to women entrepreneurs to help them grow as they build their businesses in different parts of the world. Before all of these, I worked in the management consulting unit of KPMG where I focused on startup advisory and process improvement for such enterprises. Share your experience with female inclusion in the energy sector? In 2014, when I started my professional involvement in the energy sector, there were only 2 women on the team, and I was unclear how to navigate or how to find suitable mentors within or even outside the organization. Although the numbers are gradually improving as more attention is being given to the subject – more women are coming into the sector. However, if you look at the management of most companies, it is mostly dominated by men. In fact, although female representation is improving globally, it remains considerately low. In fortune 500 companies, only 6.6% of CEOs are female and 25.5% of board seats are held by women. This was one of my motivations to launch the African Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI Network). Being a woman in any sector let alone a male-dominated sector is generally tough and there is still significant room for improvement to make it more conducive for women to thrive. As I always say, we are equal but different. Women are saddled with the responsibility of childbearing and a lot of times childbearing and home keeping. Issues such as not employing pregnant women or newly married women are really sad and worrying. Organizations are typically worried about the gaps caused by maternity leave but the evidence is clear that a diverse workforce is good for the bottom line. Furthermore, returning to work after maternity leave is not always smooth especially when you have been sidelined and not promoted along with your peers who may not even have performed as well as you. In some other organizations, there is no provision for things such as nursing rooms for nursing mothers. Another issue is the ‘flexible working myth’. Some organizations do not make any provisions for this, while others allow it in principle but in reality, it is difficult to utilize it as you might be considered unserious and penalized for it. As a society and as corporate bodies we must institute policies and implement the same to enable both men and women to perform optimally – paternity leave is still not taken seriously by many. What were your major challenges in the industry and how can African women manage it? One challenge is being undermined maybe because one is young. It is an interesting combination to be young as well as an African female committed to achieving big goals. Nevertheless, I believe that being an expert in your craft is most important and clearly demonstrating this expertise by being visible. At meetings, there is always something you can contribute – most times we know more than we realize. So I always encourage women to be bold and speak out more. In addition, we have to network sensibly; unfortunately, we usually do not have the luxury of time to attend all networking events due to other responsibilities but we should pick the most relevant events to attend. We should also network horizontally and vertically i.e. with our peers and with those in higher cadres. Another tricky challenge is finding the balance between being confident and people thinking you are self-promoting. I have learned to ignore any naysayers and self-promote because if you don’t talk about what you have done and what you are doing and keep waiting for someone else to notice you, you will be waiting a long time. So tell your managers what you have accomplished; share
Catherine Lesetedi: Botswana’s Boss Woman
Catherine Lesetedi is a graduate of Statistics from the University of Botswana. She has built a career in the insurance industry since she joined it in 1992. Currently, Catherine is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL). She has built her career from scratch, and over the years, she has been adamant that adopting a flexible style of leadership is beneficial for leading an organization and getting the best out of her team. Her career so far… Looking at Lesetedi’s career, nothing about her story and her leadership principles and philosophies are ‘textbook’. Her style of leadership is pliable and acrobatic. It lends itself to whatever situation she and her team are in. She’s extremely driven, open and open-minded, preferring to lead from behind, pushing her team forward, encouraging their gifts and honoring their intellect, allowing them to innovate, to grow and give to the business what she cannot. Catherine maximizes on their strengths and makes sure that wherever there are gaps, there are people who are passionate, willing and able to execute and fill them. Her journey there… There is nothing predictable about Catherine Lesetedi. Even her choice of Statistics as a field to study at the University of Botswana (UB) was a bit of a wild card, even for her. She describes it saying, “when we were making choices about what to study at varsity, we didn’t really know much about careers, to be honest with you, I didn’t know anything about Statistics until I got to the Department of Student Placement at the Ministry of Education.” “I was late; my father and I had run out of fuel. By the time we arrived, I was out of breath, and I had forgotten my initial course choices. My brother, who I really admired, had studied Public Administration and Political Science, and that’s what I wanted.” “They said that that weird combination didn’t exist, and told me that I was going to do Statistics and Demography.” “If you think something is difficult, it becomes really difficult. If you think you can do it, sometimes you even surprise yourself.”– Catherine Lesetedi, CEO, BIHL Group Her life experiences… She studied Statistics at the University of Botswana, and even though her journey into that field was incidental, once there, she made the best of her situation, excelled and gleaned many things that she took forward with her into the rest of her life. Certain experiences and her mindset set the stage for her early career and propelled her forward. According to her, “in terms of decision-making, logical thinking, the confidence, and aptitude to learn; the program grounded me.” “I may not use the formulas every day, but there are skills that I gained that I apply on a daily basis, even if I don’t recognize that ‘this is Statistics.” The mathematical element empowered her to be able to engage with budgets and numbers, and not shy away from that aspect of whichever job she did. Her philosophies for life… All of the disciplines in the world are interrelated, so having a good understanding of what is going on across the board is beneficial for one; especially if a young woman wants to build herself up and build her career. This is something she practices herself because, throughout the course of her career, she has gradually improved upon her leadership skills, attending leadership courses and taking on the responsibility of self-improvement. Doing this has encouraged her to take a deeper look at herself; what drives her and pushes her beyond her own limitations. This outlook has put her in good stead as a leader, as someone who encourages others, ensuring that they are able to get the best out of what they need to do. As a mentor, both personally and professionally, the story that she tells, theexample that she sets, is one of “show up and do your best.” Ms. Lesetedi is big on recognizing talent and putting it to good use within the BIHL Group. These are some of the elements that make her up as a woman, as a leader, and these are some of the things that she has imparted to her mentees. Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories, from one of Africa’s poorest countries to a vibrant, developed, middle-income African state. Sponsored post
Can Your Business Survive Without You? Here’s How To Be Sure
If we were sitting down for coffee and I ask what you believe to be the most important factor for success in business, what would you say? If you’re like most people, you might respond that it’s something along the lines of perseverance, determination or talent. What if I told you that while these things are valuable, they do not determine success? There is a more telling factor. But, what exactly is infrastructure? The simple answer is that it’s your design and blueprint. It is made of the basic facilities and structures of the business and includes everything from software and services, to operational procedures. It is the work you do on the business that allows you to work in your business. Imagine taking a one-week vacation. What happens to your operations? Would your team know what to do in your absence? Would your customers panic? If the answer to the last two questions is yes, then you’re currently lacking a sustainable infrastructure. I get it: most of us do not like creating systems. They can be boring, tedious, and may appear unnecessary. If you’re a clothing designer, you went into business to bring your designs and creativity to life. However, if you’re a life coach, you want to help others improve their quality of life, not to work on systems. Again, I get it but imagine not being able to do the thing you love because most of your time is spent putting out fires, experiencing burnout, or making up procedures on a whim. For example, think about the transportation and tax systems in our country. While we may not like it, we have to pay parking meters, tolls, and vehicle taxes to commute within our communities. The expectation is that the money is used to build and maintain our streets and neighborhoods. Similarly in your business, developing an intricate infrastructure creates sustainability through interdependent processes. There is a common adage that is not wise to put your cart before your horse. That has never been more relevant than in this context. Your cart is your thriving business—in a state that allows you to do what you love to do. Your horse is your infrastructure. The more robust it is, the more likely your business can go the distance. I have had the pleasure of consulting with hundreds of entrepreneurs. The concern I hear most often is that people feel like they are reactively going through the motions, rather than positioning themselves for proactive oversight. My advice is always the same: build your business from within. The time and resources spent on this approach will determine the health and success of everything else. How are you improving your spending habits this month? Click here to join the SLA #SecureTheBag challenge.
Join the SLA #SecureTheBag Challenge
Hey Girl, End your Hot girl summer by securing the bag and getting your finances in order. Our 30 Day #securethebag calendar helps you: save, invest, and live your best life! So without too much talk, enjoy your calendar as promised! #SecureTheBag this September Sign up to download the FULL 30 days calendar! Get It Thanks Girl…We’ve got you! Click here for your calendar! http://bit.ly/securethebag09 And, if you’re new to our community, starting tomorrow you’ll get more information on what She Leads Africa is and how you can boost your personal and professional development as a part of our community! Otherwise, it’s business as usual. ? Can’t wait to see how financially stable you become this season, so ensure to share your progress/ journey to getting the bag with us, every day on our social media @SheLeadsAfrica. See you on Instagram!Lola Naija Share this with your friends and family, let’s get the bag this September.
3 Reasons why you are an impulsive spender and what to do about it: Lydia Chinery – Hesse
This September, we’re out here on these streets trynna secure the bag. If you’re an impulsive spender, this one is for you. As a financial advisor working with Holborn Assets, Lydia Chinery-Hesse has helped clients put measures in place to control their spending while increasing their savings and growing their wealth. She has been working with various nationalities to help them plan their financial future by giving them transparent, objective and honest advice. Lydia helps them visualize their personal (and business) goals and structure a plan towards achieving them. Earlier this year, she created a Facebook group called Love Yourself Financially, a community of global women who are dedicated to being the boss of their finances. Their goal is to be financially secure and free – which has a different meaning to each member. The Scenario You’ve just finished a successful meeting and decide to take a short walk through the mall, for some window shopping. Before you know it, you’ve spent money shopping for more clothes you don’t need! It’s 4:15 pm and you’re absolutely famished. While you could wait another hour to get home and eat some leftovers from last night’s home-cooked supper, you decide to order food that would cost the same amount as your groceries for the week. Even if you haven’t found yourself in one of these situations before, you’ve definitely spent money impulsively in one way or another. Why is this? Why are we so impulsive? More importantly… What can we do about it? Here are the three main reasons for being an impulsive spender, and a few ways you can improve your spending habits. 1. You’re using a credit card Studies show that when we pay using our credit card, we’re more likely to spend money. With a credit card, your thinking will be more along the lines of “out of sight, out of mind”, as you don’t see the money ‘leaving’ your wallet. Conversely, when we spend with cash, it hurts a little, and you tend to think twice before spending it. What should you do about it? • Until you get to a point where you have significantly improved your discipline in this area, ditch the credit card. • Ditching the card means spending cash only. • Withdraw your cash allocation for the week, and carry only what you need on a daily basis. 2. Because money should be spent If you’re able to spend money impulsively, consider yourself fortunate to have the money to do so. That being said, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. As an impulsive spender, It’s likely you’re not tracking your expenses by writing them down or through an app. If you did, you’d be less likely to spend mindlessly as you’d always be aware of what you’re spending on and how much you’re spending. What should you do about it? • Before you’re about to buy something, you want, pause. Wait a day, a week, a month or longer to determine if you really need it. Chances are you don’t. • Track your expenses, create a budget and live by it. • Get an accountability buddy. When you’re itching to spend, call a friend you trust who will talk to you straight. • Meal prep. Don’t give yourself an excuse to buy a meal. • Try no-spend days a few times per month. In addition to all of these, it’s worth considering…what else could you be doing with that money? This brings me to my last point: 3. You are not thinking long-term Living for today will most likely mean scrambling or struggling in the future. Perhaps it would be wiser to live according to this African Proverb, “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. What should you do about it? • Set your savings goal and reward yourself for achieving them (without spending money – be creative!) • Save towards future plans. Put some money aside monthly towards that goal, whether it’s a vacation, car purchase, etc. • Be intentional about your long term goals. This begins by figuring out how much you’ll need to either live comfortably in retirement or to reach financial security (where passive income pays for your expenses). Once you have that figured out, work backward from there to determine how much you should be saving (and investing) in order to reach your target. It takes some self-reflection and being honest to admit that there are areas in which we need to be more disciplined in order for the impulsiveness to end. How are you improving your spending habits this month? Click here to share your story with us.
Think, plan and intentionally work towards your career goals: Jane Egerton-Idehen
Jane Egerton-Idehen is the founder of womenncareers. A platform that supports women globally in growing their careers through career advice, practical tips, tools and resources from different female executives She is an accomplished Executive of thriving divisions within two Fortune 500 firms, as well as an advisor, spokesperson, and board member of nonprofit organizations. Jane Egerton-Idehen is also an expert in the Telecommunication industry with over seventeen years of experience. She is currently the country manager Nigeria for an international satellite company, Avanti communications limited. Recently she was celebrated as one of Nigeria’s “50 Leading Ladies in Corporate Nigeria” by Leading Ladies Africa. She has an MBA from the University of Warwick and an Executive Education from Havard Business School. In this article, SLA contributor Anwuli speaks to Jane Egerton-Idehen as she talks about her impact on young women as she’s helping them in their career growth. Since founding Women and Careers, what unique challenges have you helped women tackle in their growing careers? Since starting Women and Careers, we have seen a lot of awareness about issues facing women as they grow their career. Most women in their mid-careers, are seeking skills and a support system to help them grow their careers while they manage their home and family. While the single ladies are seeking to combine a career with building family relations and obligations. I have noticed that most women in the early part of their career need guidance and some form of mentoring to guide them as they grow. To consciously invest in developing themselves and maneuvering the dynamics of the office place. These challenges form a wide spectrum from like microaggression at work to lacking sponsorships for leadership roles. We also have the impact of the patriarch in the workplace and society at large. There are also common ones like work-life balance. I recognize that we need to talk more about these issues, share our stories and support each other through the journey What level of progress has Women and Careers achieved in reaching out to women globally? Since officially starting in 2017, Women and career has taken our passion to a larger audience. Our passion is to support women to grow their careers and encourage young girls to start one. We have touched a lot of lives through our events and activities. We also celebrate a lot of women who are successfully paving a way in their fields no matter how unpopular those sectors or industries are. WomenNcareers has worked with outside organizations to discuss these challenges women are facing bringing awareness to them and making sure relevant stakeholders are involved to support in addressing these issues. We have co-sponsored events like TEDXAjegunle women, Sozo Networks Before I Turn 18 program for teenagers. To reach out to women and young girls in underserved areas. We have just finished a mentoring program for young female undergraduates at the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa Ghana. Our hope is that this can inspire and motivate a lot of women to work their paths as well. What kind of support would women starting their careers in STEM fields need from professionals in the field? Firstly Organizations need to be more deliberate about the pipeline problem especially in STEM fields. Data shows that women are still underrepresented at the entry levels. This requires that companies relook at their hiring process. A study by Women Matter states that; Men are often hired and promoted based on their potential, while women are often hired and promoted based on their track record. This may be particularly acute for women at the start of their careers when their track records are relatively short. Secondly, we noticed a lot of leakages when it comes to female talent in the STEM fields. Women starting their careers in the industry need a lot of support from the organizations they work to ensure they grow their careers in the field. Quite a lot of them leave the field when they start getting married and probably having kids. One of the main challenges is managing their young family with the continuously demanding professional life. Organizations can consider flexible working hours. They can consider maternity and post-maternity policies that are supportive of such women. I would also recommend women in this phase seek a lot of support from loved ones and seek mentors that can guide them to navigate this phase. Metaphorically I would relate the discussion about Women in STEM fields to what Charles Blow, an American Journalist for the New York Times, once said; It requires that you fight on two fronts; trying to reduce the size of the hill and climbing the hill – Jane Egerton-Idehen This is how I have always felt about women who try to grow their careers in the STEM fields. I have come to acknowledge that it is a constant battle to have this. With all the challenges, they must face, it feels like climbing a hill. It needs to be recognized that we ( Policymakers, Corporate organizations, etc) need to reduce the hill for women who in the past century have started to branch into these fields where the rules of engagement were created with male folks in mind. What lessons can other women take from your journey when they feel discouraged? I would say “your career is a marathon and not a race so don’t beat yourself up”. Life will throw you curveballs, There will be highs and lows. There will be upward movement and sometimes lateral career moves. Learn to keep pushing forward no matter what. Be in the driver seat when it comes to your career. Most times we look for a boss, organization, etc to cart our career path. We should learn to intentionally think, plan and work towards our career goals. How do you effectively combine work, pursuing your passion and the home front? Whatever we feed or spend time in, grows. One of the secrets is daring to be bad at somethings
SheaMoisture Spotlight on Finance Queen: Anie Ufia – founder of Kolo Lagos
SheaMoisture is the enduring and beautiful legacy of Sofi Tucker. Widowed with five children at 19, Grandma Sofi supported her family by selling handcrafted shea butter soaps and other creations in the village market in Sierra Leone. Sofi became known as a healer who shared the power of shea and African black soap with families throughout the countryside. She handed down her recipes to grandson Richelieu Dennis, who founded SheaMoisture and incorporated her wisdom into the brand’s hair and skin care innovations. SheaMoisture products and collections are formulated with natural, certified organic and fair trade ingredients, with the shea butter ethically-sourced from 15 co-ops in Northern Ghana as part of the company’s purpose-driven Community Commerce business model. SheaMoisture has partnered with She Leads Africa to support and showcase Nigerian women who support their communities. About Anie Ufia 22-year old Ufia Aniebietabasi is the CEO and founder of Kolo Lagos. She is a Mass Communication graduate from the University of Lagos. After an experience where she was shocked to find out that she had no savings of her own in a bank or anywhere else, Anie made up her mind to create a system that will make savings fun and a priority for her. Seeing the immediate results it had on her finances, she was determined to help other young people like herself, take control of their finances. You are sure to either catch Anie preaching the gospel of financial freedom or on the lookout for opportunities with which she can drive social change. Connect with Anie and her business here Website, Instagram, Twitter Tell us about Kolo Lagos. Kolo Lagos is a proudly Nigerian brand that is passionate about bringing back the saving culture in a unique way. We aim to achieve this by encouraging people to save money in a piggy bank, popularly called “Kolo” in Nigeria. Our kolos are made from quality tested wood and specially handcrafted with love in Nigeria to help people curb overspending, grow a saving habit and stay disciplined while at it. How did you turn this habit into a business? I started Kolo Lagos during my final year at the University. I suddenly realized that I had zero savings, not in the bank or even in a piggy bank. This made me buy a piggy bank for myself and discipline myself to save money. I bought one from a carpenter that was introduced to me by a friend. Since it worked for me, I told my friends about it and everyone wanted a piggy bank so they could save money as well. That was how the journey began! Having a niche business, how do you make your brand stand out? At Kolo Lagos, our kolos are crafted and designed to promote the rich and beautiful culture in Nigeria and Africa. They have also added an innovative touch to an old approach of saving money which was used since the days of our forefathers. The reusability of our Kolos has also added a modern twist to it and is the ‘WOW’ factor that attracts our customers. Can you share with us 3 things you struggled with at the start of your business, and how you overcame them? The major challenge I struggled with at the start of my business was building brand loyalty. It was a new business and with the prevalence of online fraud, most people are scared to make a purchase from an online store. However, as the business grew, people began to trust us enough to refer us to friends and relatives. I have now moved from selling kolos to just friends and family but to people who discover us via the internet. Another big challenge I struggled with was finding artisans who knew their onions, could deliver neatly done jobs, and deliver them on time. I am glad that I have overcome that challenge since I have a particular one I now work with… Tell us about a personal experience that translated to a business lesson for you. My first business lesson was before I even began my business. I had given a fashion designer a fabric and style to make an outfit for me. I decided to come to get it at the allotted time the tailor gave me, but despite the sufficient time I gave, my dress wasn’t ready. It was quite annoying and frustrating, to say the least. So I took that lesson with me to Kolo Lagos when I started it. Working with artisans means that I constantly have to follow up, make calls and even go there physically if need be, just to ensure that everything is done well and on time. That experience stayed with me and has been a major lesson that has helped my business. What impact have you made in your community since starting your business? Since starting my business, I have impacted my community by speaking at workshops and seminars to both young and old people about money, and why it’s important to maintain a healthy saving lifestyle. What is your 2019 goal, and what have you done so far to achieve it? My goal for 2019 is to get more local distributors within Nigeria and at least one international distributor in order to achieve the goal of selling 2,000 kolos this year. I am currently speaking with someone who is interested in becoming an international distributor. Share with us 3 fun facts about yourself I love food. Food loves me. Food makes me happy. I know how to play drums. What’s your fave skin care routine? My skin care routine is done at night when I get to nicely cleanse my skin with my organic skin products, and prep for the night before going to bed. How do you feel about promoting your brand on She Leads Africa, courtesy of SheaMoisture? To be totally honest, I am still in utter shock even as I type this. I remember when I applied for it and a part of me
Five African Women in the Creative Industries You Should be Following On Instagram
The modern African woman is not just a doctor, lawyer or UN project manager. She is in true millennial style – an artist at heart, who crave side hustles that doubles as her creative outlets. More than ever, African women on the continent and of the diaspora are slaying roles in writing, art direction, creative marketing, architecture, and design. If you’re looking for jobs at agencies who work on projects that reflect your home or want to stay posted on artistic journeys in the continent’s creative hubs, keep reading this article. Asiyami Gold Asiyami Gold is one of the continent’s most notable Instagram influencer’s who is consistently revered in hundreds of comments for being authentic and inimitable in her storytelling as well as her work. Her personal storytelling does not hold an essentialist, romantic nor exotic gaze of the continent. Rather, everything she does, from her presets to her consulting, shows the continent the way it is— a mix of technological innovations and idiosyncratic socio-economies, with a shared political history. Gold is the Founder and CEO of the creative agency A Gold Studio and has worked with clients like Furla, Pantene, HERE map and Christian Cody. Amy Sall Amy Sall is the founder of digital magazine SUNU: forthcoming print and digital publication. Even before the launch of the Journal, Sall’s tens of thousands of Instagram followers have known her best for making pre-colonial and historic media (film, TV, photography, interviews, reports etc) from the continent accessible by sharing images and stories that scream “for us, by us and of us”—foreshadowing the meaning of “sunu”, the Wolof word for “our”. Chidera Eggerue AKA @theslumflower Chidera or @theslumflower is the award-winning author of the book What a Time to be Alone, a speaker, and an all round epicentre for inspiration, tough love and ultimately self-love. A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested that I follow @theslumflower on Instagram, and my life has never been the same since! Sis is all about being unapologetically self-loving, creative, independent and successful. If you want to write, design or create but you’re feeling like as an African woman, there are certain worries that you work through alone, then following @theslumflower will give you enough inspiration to turn your #hotgirlsummer into a #hotgirlyear. Mamy Tall Mamy Tall is a Senegalese powerhouse, an architect, a photographer, and art director whose work has been featured on Livingly and Le Petit Journal In December 2018, Tall’s art direction for the music video of Nix’s Highlander, won Video of the Year at the Galsen Hip Hop Awards. Mamy Tall’s instagram content is a mix of architectural design and inspiration, art direction, photography, fashion, a non-replicable tourist eye and all round African excellence. Nadia Marie Sasso Nadia Marie Sassois an unconventional digital storyteller from Sierra Leone based in Los Angeles. She often combines critical writing and research with digital media in film, music, and fashion. Named among Katie Couric’s “Next Generation of Female Leaders”. Sasso’s recent film Am I: Too African to be American or Too American to be African? has been featured on media platforms, such as Centric, Jet, The Huffington Post, Blavity, The ColorLines, OkayAfrica, Black Enterprise, and AfroPunk— and recognized by film festivals nationally and internationally. Sasso’s journey is one of triumph— one quick scroll through her IG, and you’re bound to overcome any mood you’re in and want to slay your start-up goals. Missed our Facebook Live on August 22nd on how to drive social change through your business/ Career? Click here to watch.
High-Level Networking 101: How to Spark a Conversation that can Lead to Long Term Impact
Everyone knows that high-level networking is a critical part of building a successful business, project, or brand. Decision-makers at all levels want to feel confident in the person they are hiring or bringing on board for their projects, and in many cases, all it takes is one chance meeting to seal the deal. It is also common knowledge that high-level networking is awkward. That uncomfortable feeling of scanning a room and deciding who to walk up to, what to say, and how to present yourself. High-Level Networking is a true art form, that requires both practice, and trial and error in order to find your own secret sauce. I attend lots of events, so I am always on the giving and receiving end of that first greeting. Dress your best, be unique and spark confidence: Simply put, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, your confidence shines through. Need I say more? I also recommend wearing something unique that grabs the attention of others. In my case, I typically wear one of my custom made African pieces because it’s both flattering, and also always acts as a conversation starter allowing me to share a bit about myself right off the bat. You may have an article of clothing or accessory that always gets complimented, wear that and it will almost always serve as an icebreaker. Do your homework Make sure you find out as much about the event as you can before going. Who is organizing it, who is attending and what opportunities are you looking for? Prepare different pitches you can potentially deliver to attendees, bring the appropriate materials (brochures, pens, business cards, etc), and focus on your goals. Knowing what you want to say and showing up prepared will increase your confidence, showcase your level of seriousness and leave little room for frivolity. Be natural, not transactional and pushy People like to joke, smile, converse and mingle without feeling pressure, and the most impactful connections start like that. You want people to be attracted to your personality, and not feel hounded by business right from the get-go. The key is to place an emphasis on relationship building. Earlier this year at a crowded event, I ended up sitting next to a lovely woman, sharing a few laughs over coffee while the event carried on. Later, I learned that she is a very high ranking official at the UN, but our relationship had already been solidified in a friendly, convivial tone. When you get to the event, go get yourself a drink or a snack, relax. Don’t focalize on the VIPs. Please, you do not want to be the first one to bumrush the speakers after they immediately after they finish their presentation- they will not remember you. I have watched attendees wait fifteen-thirty minutes for their chance to simply say hello or offer their praises to my clients, wasting an opportunity to make more meaningful connections in the room. If you would like to introduce yourself to one of the heavy hitters, patiently wait your turn. Know what you want to say, find a reason to follow up, and find the best method to get in touch. Have an appropriate business card etiquette. Effective networking is not about collecting or distributing a million cards, so the first thing you do should never be to hand out or ask for a business card. After you have established a connection and potential for collaboration, that is a good time to hand them your card. If they do not have one, but you wish to follow up, ask them for their email address or phone number on the spot. If that does not happen, connect immediately following the event on social media with a follow-up message. Follow up within 24 hours Most people forget that networking does not stop at the event, it requires diligent and thoughtful follow up. Jot down notes during the event about the people you have met, and write them the next day to recap your conversation and propose a next action point. This could be as simple as staying in touch, suggesting a meeting, or a direct ask about something which was discussed. Since people are busy and attend many functions, it needs to be done within 24 hours to ensure they remember you and your conversation. Finally… Always remember to stay calm and cool. Chances are slim that you will land your dream job or sign a big investment deal at a high-level networking event, but they are great places to plant the seeds that can grow into your next opportunity. Always remember your value, make friends, and have some fun. It may turn out that people start lining up to hand you their business cards! Missed our Facebook Live on August 22nd on how to drive social change through your business/ Career? Click here to watch.