Meet the 3 Kenyan Women in fashion collaborating for the culture
By Ruth Mbugua In 2009, Nelly Tuikong was a nurse in America but there was something tugging at her heart about makeup for the African woman. Her entrepreneurial instincts kicked in after looking around stores for makeup that suited her African skin and didn’t find any. With no prior knowledge in manufacturing makeup, but armed with a passion, Nelly started her journey that birthed Pauline Cosmetics (named after her mother) after three years of learning, research, and trials. Pauline Cosmetics is a makeup brand that designs, develops and manufactures makeup products with the African woman in mind. The brand has now grown to become an established makeup brand with a line of lipstick, lip-gloss, eye shadow, and mascara. Enter Caroline Mutoko, a celebrated renowned media personality, a woman of her own caliber. With more than 20 years of experience in the media, her name speaks for her in the Kenyan entertainment industry. Caroline Mutoko also has a YouTube channel where she takes the spotlight that is on her and shines it on you. In 2017, she was featuring Kenyan women who were making strides and shattering glass ceilings on her YouTube channel. One of these women happened to be Nelly Tuikong of Pauline Cosmetics. In November 2018, Caroline Mutoko challenged Nelly to work with her to come up with a lipstick line for all the women who are ‘becoming, women in different spaces and phases of their lives and for every woman in you. This brought about the I AM limited edition lipstick. To add more synergy to this powerful collaboration, these two amazing women, Pauline, and Caroline Mutoko, didn’t just stop there. They collaborated with Wandia Gichuru of Vivo Woman to distribute the limited edition lipstick in 8 of the Vivo Woman stores in Nairobi. Wandia Gichuru has rewritten the narrative of modern day fashion. She founded Vivo active wear in 2011 to offer comfortable casual wear for the sporty woman and official clothing for the professional woman. Here are the 5 things I have learned from the partnership of these three glamorous women. 1. Collaborate instead of compete An African proverb says “If you want to go fast if you want to go far, go together”. Nothing is better than working with other women who get your perspective and challenges you face as a woman in business. 2. Have a defined purpose and vision When you have every partner pulling in different directions, there is bound to be no progress. To collaborate, you need to have a clear and shared vision and an agreed direction on how to achieve it. 3. Bring a unique value Each partner should bring a differentiating factor into the equation. This helps to ensure that you do not view each other as competition. 4. Have mutual benefits The partnership should be beneficial to all partners. This removes the perception that one person is bearing a bigger load than the other. 5. There is room for more than one queen There is no winner takes all award in entrepreneurship. As women, we need to get over this attitude and view women as a community to help each other grow and not competition. “My advice to girls is always this: Be supportive of each other. I can’t say this enough. We have to be our best friends, each other. That means we cannot be catty, we cannot compete and see one person’s failure as our success. We can all rise together, we can all win! We’re sometimes taught in our societies that we have to compete and we have to hold each other back in order for one of us to succeed. That is not true. We need each other. And all over the world, we have to be a team of women and girls who love each other and value each other and cherish one another. Because if we don’t cherish each other, no one else will,” – Michelle Obama
Kenim Obaigbena: on becoming a Media Mogul – woman in film
“I wanted to tell stories that matter”. Kenim Obaigbena is a Nigerian-British-American filmmaker and entrepreneur. With a background in fine art painting, creative writing, photography and photoshop editing, Kenim began her film career in 2007, now she’s focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. She was raised in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Togo, and the USA. She has lived in many cities around the world, making her both a true global citizen and a versatile filmmaker. At the age of 15, Kenim founded Scoop Magazine with her two sisters, the teen publication was distributed across Lagos, Nigeria. While she formed a lucrative business in three years, she decided to focus on her studies and attended Tufts University. At Tufts she discovered her love for filmmaking and spent her summers interning for music video directing legends Chris Robinson and Benny Boom as well as the production company Anonymous Content. By her junior year at Tufts, she was producing and directing music videos for her fellow schoolmates and billboard artists like Timeflies and All Out. In school, she also covered high fashion events like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and global music festivals, including ThisDay Music Festival, which brought in pop stars like Beyonce and Rihanna. Graduating from Tufts in 2011, soon after the versatile filmmaker worked on big budget film sets, some including ‘Selfless’, and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’. For several years, she produced live news coverage and documentaries for the 24-hour news network, Arise News, and worked on various projects with high profile global leaders, from former US Presidents Obama and Clinton to Nigerian President Buhari. Kenim has dabbled in other business ventures from real estate investing, to tech and her pop-up bus service, Rainbow Shuttle. Now she is focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. [bctt tweet=”Making a film is like starting a new business – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]” Tell us a little about your background. Did you study filmmaking? I studied communications and media studies. But I did start making videos in college. I’ve been in film for 12 years and 14ish years in media. I’ve done every type of filmmaking under the sun, from News to music videos, commercials, Promos, docs, dramas, and even artsy film, you name it. Right now my focus is on docs, tv dramas, and features. A few years ago, I came to the realization that I wanted to tell stories that matter. Stories that inspire a progression of nature in people. That could be a documentary, a sci-fi, a drama, whatever it is, it hopes to inspire people to be better in their lives. Has filmmaking and storytelling always been your passion? How long have you been in the industry for? I’ve always loved telling stories. I started young. My sisters and I started a magazine when I was 15. I’ve also always done creative writing as a child. It runs in the family. When I was in high school I started taking painting seriously, it then evolved into photography and photoshop editing. But I wanted more so I moved into film. I’ve been in film for 12 years. As a filmmaker, do you always have a full picture of what the story is going to be at the start, or does it reveal itself to you along the way? It always starts out as a clear vision, but as I develop the story the vision can change, or become a more tangible version of its original state. With documentaries, it’s a bit different. Yes, the story reveals itself along the way. But with a doc its important to be focused. Have a hypothesis and stick to it as much as possible. Otherwise, you can easily fall into the trap of making a film for 10 plus years/. Your recent documentary – This is Nigeria, highlighted Nigeria’s culture of corruption and election rigging. Why did you decide to investigate such a sensitive socioeconomic topic? In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice. I also feel we live in a demokery, and more people in the media need to speak out. People should be encouraged to vote for who they believe in and not who they think everyone is going to vote for. It’s the only way to make real change in this country. What motivates you? How do you come up with ideas and stories to tell? Purpose. My best ideas come in intense and vivid dreams. I give God all the credit for that. [bctt tweet=”In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Besides -This is Nigeria, what other documentaries have you created? At this stage, I’ve created so many for broadcast tv and youtube. I’m always creating digital content as well which you can find on my YouTube channel. How do you go about funding your films/ documentaries? And what advice do you have for others wanting to fund their projects? Keep making DIY content until you either create enough wealth to self-fund or get someone to believe in your talent and business structure (because every film is a business) to invest in you. If you are creative and lack business acumen, partner with a solid producer that can bring in financiers. I’m designing an online course that goes into the practicalities of independent filmmaking. How to get funding, how to make films on a budget etc. I will announce it soon, but for now, I have a series on my youtube channel called ‘The DIY Filmmaker’, which also gives practical filmmaking advice. With a lot of Nigerian women in film coming out to create and show their talent, do you think the filmmaking
How to gain global work experience as an International Student
Having the opportunity to pursue your studies abroad affords you many advantages. In addition to the fun of being able to explore a different environment and culture, you can also build your CV. This is vital because the work experience you gain will help you after graduation. It helps you to set yourself up to have options for employment. Here are some of the ways you can do that: [bctt tweet=”The best way to start building your work experience while studying is to take internships – @isireflectdaily ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Visit the College/University Career Center It’s important you endeavor to visit your college’s career center in order to be informed and equipped about opportunities you can explore not just as a student but specifically, opportunities and resources for international students. Any information you receive from your college career center will help you to make the right decision on how to proceed to start building your CV. Take Internships that Are Related To Your Field The best way to start building your work experience while studying is to take internships. Even though you are an international student, you can still apply for and have paid internships while studying. This is truly necessary as it helps you build experience, learn and develop skills needed for the workforce. Also, it will help you confirm if what you’re studying resonates with the work you want to do because you will be in the environment to access things for yourself. Also, even after you graduate, for international students in the U.S. you can continue to build up work experience through applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT). This will enable you to extend your visa for a year in order to work. The OPT visa is not as complicated as the U.S. H1-B work visa process. Therefore, it is easily obtained after studying for students that want to work for a year. Volunteer For Causes You Care About Volunteering goes hand in hand with internships. Though you might not be getting paid to volunteer, you are still building your experience through it. This is because volunteering requires you to use your skills to make an impact. [bctt tweet=”You can put your volunteer causes in your CV as it will help future employers to know what causes you care about and how you want to make an impact – @isireflectdaily ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Build Your Online Portfolio While Abroad While studying abroad, it’s not only about taking fun pictures of parties, selfies with roommates and pictures of events happening on campus. You can start building a professional online portfolio while studying. You can create a LinkedIn profile and a website where future employers know who you are and what you offer. Post things that pertain to the skills you have. You can discuss the networking events and conferences you attended. Building an online portfolio will help you build your work experience because employers can reach out to you through your website and LinkedIn for internships, part-time/freelance work. If you’re set to travel abroad for studies, make sure you make the most of it by utilizing the vast resources and opportunities you have to build your work experience. Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.
Travel Hacks For The Budgetnista in You
Travel has become part and parcel of a millennial’s life. We prioritize traveling a lot more than we did over a decade or so ago. Why? Because travel life is the best life that’s why. Visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, new cuisines and making lifetime memories while you’re at it? What could be better than that? That being said, the jet set life isn’t something people willingly get into because of the cost. SLA has a few tips and tricks on low budget travel that can possibly help change your mind… 1. Save Smart It goes without saying that if you want to travel, you need to save for it. Travelling requires sacrifice and compromise and good financial management. So if it means ditching your daily coffee run and carrying your own lunch to work for three months then so be it – every little bit counts. We spend so much on little luxuries that we can actually do without if we think about how much we can save in the long run. If you have a financial goal to meet by a certain time – you will need to cut out some unnecessary spending habits. Save and save diligently. 2. Visas Check whether the country you are traveling to requires a visa on arrival or one to be acquired before travel or none at all. In regards to visas on arrival, be sure to check with the country’s consulate directly and not just Google. For example – I was travelling to Mexico last year and being a Kenyan, I immediately knew I needed to get a visa and when I checked the requirements on the consulate’s website, the list mentioned that if you have a current US visa, you can still get entry into Mexico – no need to apply for a visa. I called the consulate to confirm this and they did confirm it. Saved myself the process and the coins and had I not checked, I’d have paid for a visa I didn’t really need. Please do your research when it comes to visas. The UK visa, for example, gives you access to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The US, Canada, and UK visa do also offer visa-free access to plenty of other countries with an entry of up to 15 to 180 days, depending on the country. You do have to check whether your passport is eligible for such access though. All this helps you void visa fees and the entire process altogether if necessary. Some consulates require confirmed flight and accommodation bookings when applying for a visa. A trick to get around this – book your accommodation through booking.com, this site lets you book a hotel room without any payment required and you can cancel the booking within a particular timeframe. This helps you get through the visa process without losing any money in case you aren’t successful in the visa interview. You can also reserve tickets without paying immediately with some airlines or travel agencies. 3. Best Time to Travel It is always cheaper to travel during off-peak periods. Traveling during the holiday season such as Easter and Christmas will cost more than any other time of the year. The Summer season is also an expensive travel period especially to countries in the west. Here in Africa, peak times depending on the country. For example in Kenya, excluding the holiday season in December, other peak seasons include April (Easter holidays) and August (when the cold season here ends). Any other time of the year is off-peak season so perfect for traveling here. In Europe, off-peak times include January – March or September – Early November. For countries in South-East Asia like Indonesia and Malaysia, the best time to travel would be during their monsoon season, which starts around November until March. The weather is still hot and humid, just mixed with showers of rain from time to time. The best days to travel in terms of affordability are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Majority travel is done from Friday to Monday so those days will have more costly travel fares. For holiday travel, it would be wise to book a flight scheduled for a week before the actual holiday, i.e. a week or two before Christmas week or if you can’t leave that early, traveling on Christmas day is another option. It’s not ideal but it will be the cheapest ticket you get. Flying on Christmas day or Thanksgiving day will give you the best rates on the low. 4. Flight Hacks Searching for cheap flights is really an extreme sport sometimes but if you’re keen on various airline trends, you can find a loophole. First tip – when looking for flights, browse using an incognito/private window. Websites track your searches and you will always see the same rate on several different sites because they have picked up that you are looking. Either use a private browsing window or clear your cache every time you search so the sites have nothing to pick up on. The best time to search for flights is a good three months in advance, the rates go up the closer you get to your departure date. Flights with one or two stops tend to be cheaper than direct flights. As convenient as direct flights are, they tend to cost so much just because of said convenience. Picking a flight with connecting flights saves quite a bit of money and for some airlines like Emirates, if your layover is 10hrs or longer, they automatically give you a transit visa which allows you to get out of the airport and put you up in a hotel for that duration before your next flight. Join ALL the miles programs. Most programs are partnered with more than one airline, for instance, Delta SkyMiles program is partnered with KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways, Korean Airlines, Alitalia, China Airlines, etc… So you can get miles from any of these airlines and use them on
Joanna Steele: 2019, my year of return – from London to Equatorial Guinea
I was born in London in the 80s to Jamaican immigrants who arrived in the UK as young children in the 1950s. My mum studied and worked as a nurse for the NHS (UK’s national health service) specializing as a midwife before becoming a health visitor. My dad was a Ph.D. educated engineer, physicist, and researcher working for MI5 (the UK government security and intelligence agency). He was also an Open University lecturer. My early ambition was to be a lawyer. I began a Law degree at London Metropolitan University but discovered pretty early on that it wasn’t for me. I changed to Marketing and Spanish with the ultimate aim of working internationally. After university, I worked in a number of traditional PR and marketing roles and in the early 2000s, transitioned to a more digital focus. More recently I have been making my mark within the UK digital retail space leading award-winning teams, projects, and campaigns. I developed the content for the Mothercare (UK Mother & Baby Retailer) app – Winner of Best App at Paypal E-tail Awards – 2013 & 2014. I managed the social media team shortlisted for Best Social Media. In 2017, I was a Tech50 Women award nominee which acknowledges emerging UK female tech talent. “But I’m leaving London for Equatorial Guinea”. Why Leave? In 2014, I met my now fiancée – a self-taught digital designer and animator who had worked for companies including Google and Amazon. We would often get requests to design leaflets and websites – many from DRC and Angola where my partner originates. There was a clear demand for digital and design services but no-one local to fulfill. My partner went to DRC to explore the market and landed an opportunity in Equatorial Guinea where he teaches animation at a local school, has built their website and is working on other marketing collateral. Africa’s potential as a global leader in the world’s digital economy grows significantly every year. A growing population, increasing internet penetration and mobile adoption, already goes a long way towards overcoming infrastructural barriers to digital transformation and connecting people and services online. That’s why we’ve created Dimax – a digital agency helping businesses in Western Africa become more digitally focused to drive growth. [bctt tweet=”Relocating and establishing a business is exciting, but it is hard work – @MissSteele” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How am I preparing for such a big transition? Here are my top 5 ways to prepare for a huge transition such as this… 1. Visit the region multiple times. Read, research and understand the cultural and business landscape. Upskill if necessary. Current reads: “How We Made it In Africa” – compiled by Jaco Maritz & “Africa’s Business Revolution – How to succeed in the world’s next big growth market” by Acha Leke, Mutsa Chironga and Georges Desvaux. I’m also a student at the Oxford University Fintech Programme learning about how technology is disrupting financial markets. 2. Network. Get yourself known. I attend at least 2 networking events per month and am working on elevating my online personal brand 3. Get your finances in order. Reduce expenditure, increase passive income and have a plan for how your assets will be managed whilst you’re away 4. De-clutter – I didn’t realize how much stuff I had – most of which I don’t need or won’t be able to take with me 5. Focus on your physical and spiritual health. Your mind and body will be tested with all that you have to do, so step up your exercise and healthy eating regime. What am I looking forward to? Playing my part in Africapitalism. Driving financial returns and long term sustainable economic growth with social and environmental responsibility, education and community enrichment at the core. Living and working side by side with my partner in life and business Sounds cliché, but the weather – anyone who has ever lived in London knows the struggle! I will however definitely miss my family, friends and the fast-pace of London. Looking to make a similar transition? Follow these steps… Preparation is key. I’ve hired a business coach to help me plan and prioritize which has been so helpful because at times I get overwhelmed with what I need to do including holding down my day job whilst I’m still in the UK! Be patient. You’re going to want everything to happen quickly – know that everything will happen when it’s meant to. Allow yourself to be vulnerable: No need to always know your next move. Whilst we have short, mid and long-term goals, we still don’t have everything figured out. It helps not to overthink things. Once we made the decision to make the big move, things just started to fall in place. Tell people about your plans: you’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help you or connect you with someone that can. Be flexible: Whilst I aim to be in Equatorial Guinea by the end of 2019, nothing happens before its time. Following my most recent visit, I have been invited back to host a workshop and participate on a panel at TegCampus – an annual tech initiative for young people organized by telecommunications company GITGE in May. So, I will be back sooner than I had anticipated. Watch this space! Follow my journey on Instagram and read more about Dimax here: www.dimaxdigital.com Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.
What went down at Face Africa’s Annual WASH Gala – March 19′
Rewriting The Story of Africa through water. – Adebola Williams The narrative of Africa is changing, and (we) the offspring are joining hands in numbers, working towards a better tomorrow for generations to come. Africa has and always will be one of the richest places in the world with resources that can build many nations, nurture and develop talent in various sectors of life and most importantly provide clean water systems in every home and community. Having clean water may seem like the most accessible thing that everyone should have in 2019, but unfortunately, it is a struggle that millions of people are still facing. Like any math problem, the goal is to find the answer by solving an equation. Saran Kaba Jones’s answer to contaminated water in Africa is creating access to clean water systems for everyday people through FACE Africa. Saturdays are usually for Aso-Ebi, headwraps tied in perfect origami style coupled with highlights, contour, and lashes that completes the ultimate glam. Well, this Saturday was different. The African culture graced Guastavino’s with couture dresses, hand-stitched suits and ties made from fine textiles for the most prestigious event of the year, FACE Africa annual WASH GALA. The WASH GALA was an evening that captured and honored voices that want to and are changing the narrative of what home really looks like and their trials and tribulations in home improvement. FACE Africa’s keen eye to detail and prestige was felt from the moment people walked up to the stairs and through the doors of Guastavino’s. Africa is home when you invest your mind and soul the journey is built brick by brick with our hands and not by the colonizers. FACE Africa’s journey to supply clean water started 10 years ago and of course, it was no easy task raising hundreds of dollars in the beginning to now raising millions in its 10th year. There is power when we join forces to enhance our resources. Aqua blue, forest green, these colors illuminated the entire venue creating the vibe of taking in the fresh air that trees provide and drinking crisp water through clean water. What a feeling. This year’s WASH GALA honorees are Didier Drogba, Nomzamo Mbatha, Mr. Eazi, and Bozoma Saint John. Nomzamo Mbatha Rising Star Honoree Nomzamo Mbatha acceptance speech was filled with cries, laughter and the room responded with a standing ovation. “The credit and the bragging is so different nowadays. It is not about what designers you have, or the different houses you may have across the world. It is how many people that are on your payroll, and how many organizations we have started to make sure that the blood of our ancestors that were used as fertilization to grow the natural resource, and that the natural resource that we have as the African continent is not just the resources as gold or diamonds, it is us. Those that are scattered across the world”. Nomzamo told her story in a room that felt like home because home is where her heart lives. We all come from different sectors of the continent, some experiences different from others but we share a common fight, developing Africa. Adebola Williams Adebola Williams CEO of RED Media and WASH Gala Co-Chair touched on many successes on the continent such as three major banks in Nigeria having women as chairman and President Sirleaf paving the way for women in politics. But still, many women face challenges and are slowed down by fetching water when this energy can be put to good use by doing other things in society. Williams continued by shedding light on new millennial problems in the world. Back-aches and hands aching him from long texting, but Africa is still dealing with about two million water-related diseases. Bozoma Saint John A room full of advocacy, people who want to do better for our continent. We were reminded about the importance of voice by Bozoma Saint John CMO at Endeavor and WASH Gala Voice of Change Recipient. “Once you have been silent, you have been forgotten, it is important to use our voices to change the narrative”. Bozoma demonstrated what it meant to lead by example and using her voice for change and impact by sharing the stage and honorable moment with her daughter Lael Saint John. Didier Drogba Like the good old saying “If not us then who” exuded the room by Didier Drogba who was WASH Gala Humanitarian recipient. Drogba was unable to attend the gala in person due to an emergency in Côte d’Ivoire but left us with a beautiful video message. “It is our responsibility to bring awareness and change in Africa. Water is life, so invest in clean water for the community,” he said Caroline Wanga Caroline Wanga, Vice President of Human Resources at Target Corporation and WASH Gala 2019 keynote speaker commended all attendees in the room and noted that “Guastavino’s ain’t neva have these many Africans in here before”. For those that know the upper east side of New York City, the upper class and diplomats fill the area where the average rent is $2500 – $3000 a month, just imagine how much hosting an event on that side of town would be. Wanga key points were the importance buying and labor market, “ Africa Immigrants are the answer to developing our nation, rent to pay, Louboutin’s to wear, outfits to make, either way, someone somewhere does not have clean water”. Wanga also implored everyone in the room to “Get this Shmoney” and invest in Africa. Every day is another opportunity to be better and do better, technology has increased the number of collaborations between people and spreading awareness to causes at a fast pace. I can just imagine the impact and change that will occur between now and five years with FACE Africa clean water initiative. We are definitely on our way to a clean and thirst quenching society. Got a story to share with us? Click here to share.
Cynthia Jones: From Banker to Baker
Cynthia Jones born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She worked as a banker at some of the most reputable banks in Zimbabwe. She started her own business and transitioned from banker to baker.
Dear Entrepreneur. It’s time to develop a Global Perspective
I’ve called 2019 the year of global distinction, and I believe we are in the most exciting period in recent history. In fact, I’ve called this the era of creative distinction knowing to birth and leading with your innovation is a key to global distinction. One of the things which distinguish the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Facebook is their local influence and global impact. So, as an entrepreneur, leader or employee who now has to be entrepreneurial minded, how can your distinction be felt locally as well as globally? [bctt tweet=”Dear entrepreneur, start local, think global and constantly raise the bar of excellence – @Onyianyado777″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] From my message of Cutting Edge Distinction, I combined excellence and branding then created my 3 V’s of branding. So from now, anytime you see the word excellence, it actually represents your vision, your values, and your voice. What are you going to do in the next seven days that will cause your vision to be recognized, respected and regarded locally and globally? “Dear Entrepreneur. With the growth of social media and the global market now local, now is the time to grow your leadership brand. ~ Onyi Anyado” In this era of creative distinction, social media now represents your personal brand, your CV, your business card, your website, and résumé too. So, with this truth, if I went to your Twitter account, do your last 20 tweets represent cutting edge leadership or blunt ended leaderSLIP? One of the things which distinguish the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Facebook is the constant sharing of their vision, values and voice across social media knowing if they’re not doing that, their competitors definitely are. It is estimated that there are 7.7 billion people on planet earth. The components include different races, languages, cultures, and religions. But, isn’t it fascinating that an entrepreneur in Madagascar and an employee in Malawi both have to use their iPhone to login to Facebook to discuss why there’s such an issue of ordering products from Amazon. (Did you catch the irony?) [bctt tweet=”Dear entrepreneur, the world is now a global village, and your vision has to transcend different races with different faces in different places around the world – @Onyianyado777″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] So there you have it, we are now in the era of creative distinction, the global market is now local so, with this truth, how are you going to serve your vision, values, and voice with a global perspective? As a leadership speaker and workshop facilitator, there’s no way I’m not going to practice what I preach, speak and teach. “Dear Entrepreneur, it’s time to wave goodbye to average and say hello to a new wave of distinction. ~ Onyi Anyado”. Got a story to share with the world? Click here to share with us.
Erika Atienza: From solo backpacking through Africa to becoming a Digital Entrepreneur
This is not a success story of a freelance solo backpacker who became a digital entrepreneur. Not a story of someone who went from nobody to become somebody. This is a story of someone who used to live life passively, without a purpose other than to make it through the day okay, until finally realizing a dream, then realizing she can fulfill that dream, and eventually going after it. This is a story of how I finally came to understand a lesson I’ve heard many times over – That there is nothing in this world we cannot accomplish if we really put our heart’s desire into it. And it all started in Africa. [bctt tweet=”Erika shares how she became a digital entrepreneur and founded @whileinafrica by moving from the Philippines to backpack and volunteer through Africa. Read more…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] First, the Travel Bug… I had a typical life with an 8-5 job and everything about my life was “okay”. It’s not bad at all. I was fortunate but I was definitely not living life on the edge. But after being able to travel to a foreign country alone for the first time, I had an epiphany that I wanted to see the world. Since that trip, it was just never the same for me. That night, I finally understood what passion meant. And mine was to see the world. And so after 2 yrs of over-planning and some modest savings that were definitely not enough, off I went. I left despite the doubts because if I waited for the “right time”, I was afraid it wouldn’t come. Why Africa?… I was choosing between South America and Africa and somewhere along my research, I found cheaper flights to Tanzania. And that was really the main reason why Africa ended up becoming my first solo backpacking destination. Also, I thought it was exotic and I wanted to prove to myself that I can pull it off. Indeed, I was able to visit other African countries as well for the next few months. Budget Problem. No Problem… A few months before my flight, I looked for volunteering opportunities and ways to travel cheaply. I searched workaway for hosts but there’s really nothing in there that I found interesting. Couch surfing community in the cities I wanted to visit seemed dodgy and everywhere else, there was only voluntourism. A little deeper into my research and I had an “AHA” moment. I learned that safari tourism is big in Tanzania. In fact, all over East and Southern Africa. I did marketing in my previous job so I’m familiar with the whole concept of “Ex-Deal”. Hence, I emailed every one of them in a personalized manner, introduced myself like a pro, and offered to help in their marketing in exchange for food and accommodation. A few days later, I received another milestone in my backpacking career, someone actually replied and took me in. And so, with my heart full, I went to Tanzania and for the next few weeks, I was staying at their office helping them out with marketing while combining it with tours here and there. It was the perfect way to get to know the culture and experience the local life, just my kind of travel! I worked with Gosheni Safaris in Tanzania and experienced the local life From Freelancer to a business owner… After I left, my “boss” kept emailing and texting me about the things I have started while working for him. I carried on to politely help them and after some time of consistent demands, I had another “AHA” moment. I presented the best opportunity they can ever imagine… that I work for them remotely. They were thrilled with the idea and we came up with a fair price that later on increased to a modest amount that funded most of my travels. This idea fired me up and I basically traveled for the next 2 months in Africa, either looking for volunteering opportunities or trading off my skills. I continued to travel for a couple of years more doing the same thing until I finally decided to slow down a bit. As I had a lot of free time now that I wasn’t all over everywhere, I decided to take it up a notch and find a few more clients by emailing them and advertising myself. Eventually, in 2018, I took another major step and built my own website, made everything official, and registered my humble digital marketing service. It’s worth mentioning that until this time, the same company in Africa where I first volunteered is still a client and they have passed on a lot of referrals to me ever since. Looking back, I think the thing that made all the difference is that I always did my best while serving my volunteering time. Even though I was not getting paid, even though I know I wasn’t going to work-volunteer for that company for long, I gave it my best shot and I always try to have fun. And it paid off in better ways I can imagine. So always, always do your best. This is how you make impressions and build connections. A lot of opportunities can open by simply putting your best foot forward at all times. Here are some lessons you can learn from my experience… 1. There’s no one right way to do things You don’t need to have a big capital to start your own business. Especially in this day and age, even a kid can become an entrepreneur, all you need is creativity and courage. In my case, the right dose of luck and creativity allowed me to build a modest lifestyle of being able to work from anywhere in the world and where I was able to combine my skills and passion. But there is no one way right way to do things. The first things to ask yourself are: What am I passionate about? What am I good
3 ways to network in the diaspora
With the current online social media landscape, there is no excuse for not having a social network of people that you interact with and get inspiration from. It is becoming increasingly important to have a social network of people who you can get feedback from, especially if you are an entrepreneur or are running a business in the African diaspora. Understand that it is important to keep the contacts in your network up to date because people often move from place to place. There is a myriad of social media networks that can be used to build your network of potential business partners or mentors that you may need to get to the next level of success. On the other hand, there is always the old school method of going to workshops or conferences to build that network of support as well. Attend Local Conferences & Networking Events One of the ways for creating a networking relationship in the diaspora is by attending conferences or workshops where people who are interested in similar things as you are meeting. For example, there are Black Hair Expos that meet annually for people who are interested in all things concerning black hair. These expos and conventions make it easier to start networking with people who have similar interests and helps in keep that connection going by attending those conventions annually. Having a business card that you can exchange with people at these gatherings can be useful and a quick way to exchange contacts. Although it may be more difficult for people who live in the diaspora to attend such workshops and conventions, there are other ways of creating and building your network for potential future partnerships. Use the Social Media Toolbox Social media is now one of the most utilized tools for building a network. It is a crucial tool for keeping your network organized and up to date. One of the more popular networks, Facebook, offers the convenience of having both a personal profile and a business page. With this feature, you can separate your more casual social media network from your business and professional network. Other social media networks such as LinkedIn are tailored for business networking. This makes it easier to navigate your network of people who are connected to you in a more business relationship or partnership. For people like me in the diaspora, social media is vital in helping us to connect with people who far from us in distance. The opportunity to have a webinar or a “Google Hangout” to share ideas and discuss issues makes social media a handy tool. Keep Up with your Network In the diaspora, people in your network are prone to change location frequently. This can often make it hard to keep up with people and plan meetups. The challenge in keeping up with people in the diaspora is that people are not always online at the same time due to time zone differences and other factors. This becomes a challenge especially when you need to communicate or discuss a potential future partnership or need confirmation on a business deal in an instant. A good way to combat this challenge is by having a set time or schedule of contacting your network online and being consistent with it. Most people check their messages after work or early in the mornings. By sending messages or jumping on a call with your network of people at a certain time every week. This makes it easier to keep up with the network. Overall it is important to have an active social network while living in the diaspora. It can be helpful for building a business and having a network of mentors to communicate with What do you love the most about your country? Click here to share.