Your Self Care shouldn’t suffer at the expense of Career Excellence – Nnennaya Udochu
Female engineers have been branded to be nerds and unattractive. It is a common belief that female engineers have no sense of style, not feminine enough and probably too strong for the average man. Contrary to this widely held bias, Nnennaya Udochu is a firm believer that female engineers can be trendy, decent, and elegant. Nnennaya’s life and style is full proof that women are going against this bias. As an analog engineer, she doesn’t fit into what you’d typically call your hard hat-wearing engineer. She has held the office of a Professor Faculty in the Mathematics department at the University of Portland, Oregon., and she balances career with self-care. Nnennaya doubles as a fashion blogger and also motivates ladies who fear that taking a career in engineering or any career in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) would impede and perhaps limit their chances of a relationship. In this article, she shares her experience in the profession gives her insights on the misconceptions placed on women in STEM. What prompted you to want to become an Engineer? I enjoyed solving a lot of Math problems and enjoyed a particular topic in my physics class, Electromagnetics. It was from that course in Secondary School I decided I wanted to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering. What setbacks did you experience pursuing this dream? Taking some engineering courses that would make me think, “why me” or “God help me” because I found them very challenging. For example, Thermodynamics and Statics. Aside from those challenges, the fear of self-doubt. Sometimes, just believing in yourself regardless of what people think goes a long way. I remember being in a study group where we were discussing our prospective first jobs and I said Microsoft or any Fortune 500 company. The whole group burst out laughing but today here I am staying in the course of what I want for myself. Did you have a hard time proving your credibility to your male lectures/superiors? Yes, I did most of the time. It took a lot of hard work and proving myself but I would always let the quality of my work delivery speak volume. Once you’re very knowledgeable about your expertise and firm about making decisions, it would be difficult for anyone to question your abilities in the workforce. Females in #STEM tend to recline to the background whenever leadership or academic roles are called for. Was this your experience? No this isn’t my experience. I am very tenacious in the pursuit of leadership or academic roles in my career; certainly not shying away from it. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Portland, Oregon and I’m continuously getting mentored by senior leaders in my industry. As an Analog Engineer, what does your typical workday look like? My workdays are very busy and a lot of critical thinking is involved. Every day I am faced with new challenges on addressing power issues and honestly, everything I learned in Physics II (especially applied principles of electromagnetics) are applied from day to day. Basically, I am mentally tasked each day. You are also an Instagram blogger. Tell us about your journey. The journey so far has been great! I continue to curate content on my platform to inspire people across the world through my travel shots, beauty, hair and showcasing different fashion looks ranging from street style to guest inspired looks at a wedding. I’ve collaborated with brands such as Pitusa, Chi Chi London, Res Ipsa, Palmers, Victoria Emerson just to mention a few and my work has been featured on various Instagram and media platforms. The most exciting experience I’ve had from my journey so far was being privileged to have featured on a fashion segment on Fox News (Fox12 Oregon) discussing the latest Fall fashion trends in 2018. In your opinion why do you think women in #STEM do not take self-care as a top priority? I feel it’s because they don’t want to appear unserious for their jobs and have their co-workers not take them seriously in a meeting or on a project. The perception of a woman figure in STEM is always painted wearing dirty clothing, or plain tops and jeans and this have clouded some women’s judgment on how they would like to present themselves. What advice do you have for women starting out in #STEM? Stay persistent and confident in the pursuit of your career goals. Don’t let the presumptions society has about women in STEM be a reason you get discouraged in achieving your career goals. Who you are or aspire to be shouldn’t be limited by someone’s experience. What’s the look on people’s face when you’re all dressed up like a diva and you tell them what you do?. They are always astonished and perplexed. Some make decent remarks like, “Beauty and Brains” while others find the need to argue. Once a co-worker said I was in Finance and I said, “No”. Only for him to turn back around still amazed and say, “I always thought you were in Finance and you were a spoilt brat because of the way you dress”. Between anger and range, I managed to get my emotions in check and simply responded, “For someone educated that is quite shallow of you to say”. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Busayo Oladiran: Changing the lives of Girls Living in Slums through The Ìgboyà Project
According to UNICEF, 13.2 million children are out of school in Nigeria, 60% of them are girls. This figure puts Nigeria as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. This proverbial gun powder poses a serious danger not only to the present day Nigeria but also the future of the nation. Notably, one patriotic Nigerian is doing her bit to stop this gun powder from exploding. Her name is Busayo Oladiran. Busayo is a graduate of Microbiology from the University of Ilorin, co-founder of Pep Naija and 2018 YALI fellow. She grew up in an average Nigerian family where she didn’t lack basic needs. She was, however, treated unfairly at some point because she is a girl child. So she vowed to create opportunities for girls, especially those who are underprivileged. This was why she founded The Ìgboyà Project to help girls living in slums/underserved communities become role models worthy of emulation. In this article SLA contributor, Kofoworola Ayodeji highlights some of her achievements in helping Nigerian girls living in the slum. Hope emerges for girls living in Dustbin Estate… On a bright Saturday morning, Busayo and her team made a triumphant entry into the Dustbin Estate in Ajegunle, Lagos Nigeria. As they alighted from the car, the four-person team was swarmed by a group of enthusiastic girls who have been waiting eagerly to start a journey that would change the course of their lives in the weeks ahead. That moment birthed The Ìgboyà Project in Ajegunle. The journey began. And then the sad moment ensued. “I heard stories that made me shed tears for days. There’s the story of a girl who was doing well academically on scholarship. Then she was molested, got pregnant and lost her scholarship. Her education stopped. She lost her dad in the process and had to sleep in an uncompleted building with pregnancy for months.” -Busayo said in a low voice. “Another of the girls lost her two parents and had to stop going to school because her guardians couldn’t send her. It was such an emotional moment for me, for all of us. They broke down in tears while telling their story. They cried. I cried too. I couldn’t help it. But I’m happy that with our coaching and investment in them, they have braced up to get the best out of life.” She continued. Why it was called -The Ìgboyà Project… “The name ‘Ìgboyà’ is a powerful word in my native language, Yoruba. It simply means courage, confidence, or boldness.” says Busayo as she thrusts her fists into the air with so much passion. “The Ìgboyà Project was created to help girls living in slums or remote communities. Basically, we’re working to help them build their self-confidence, self-esteem and communication skills. They are also trained in public speaking, branding, sexual and reproductive health. [bctt tweet=”I really want our girls to be bold, and to believe in themselves – @OladiranBusayo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The project has so far empowered a lot of girls currently living in Dustbin Estate, Ajegunle Lagos. The Ìgboyà girls, as the participants are called, get trained over a period of six weeks with intensive classes, class exercises and simulation. After that, they were organized into a brainstorming session during which they analyzed and highlighted some of the key problems facing their local community. They are then mentored and supported by the Ìgboyà team to solve these problems. “When we arrived at Dustbin Estate in Ajegunle, my eyes were welled up with tears. It was unbelievable that some people live in this kind of environment. I began to think about the girls who grow up in a place like this. I knew we had no choice but to rewrite the story of some girls living around here. Thank God for LOTS charity that has been doing so much to groom the kids in that community, ” says Busayo “After six weeks of rigorous training sessions, I knew the change had finally come. Our girls have now become so bold that they can take on anyone on any issue about their community or nation. They are now doing their community project and we will continue to mentor and expose them to life-changing opportunities. I recently went with four of the girls to #TLC2018, a speaking event which held at the American Corner, Yaba Lagos. This inspired them and exposed them to many more opportunities. Our next stop is Mushin in Lagos and we look forward to having a great experience there.” [bctt tweet=”My dream is for the @igboyaproject to reach millions of girls living in slums/underserved communities across Africa – @OladiranBusayo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] That you were born a girl child in a particular community should not limit your potentials in life. Every single girl in the world deserves to live a fulfilling life of purpose. Dear Motherland Mogul, make your life a story worth telling. Within every person lies an extraordinary story waiting to be told. How are you making a difference in your community? Click here to share your story.
6 ways to work towards your BIG dreams: DIANA MGENI
They call me a dreamer as I live in the world of fantasy, devoid of impossibilities. Several ideas that constantly run in my mind have not always matured to fruition, and for this reason, they have constantly reminded me to re-evaluate my view regarding the dreams and come back to what they consider as reality. They laugh at me and talk behind my back that one day I will get tired of dreaming and stick to the fact that I can never make it out. With all these hindrances trying to make me give up. I never stopped dreaming. So I decided to do something about it. Here is my strategy… List down my dreams I will come up with a table that will contain my dreams, how I intend to work towards accomplishing them, the benefits and the challenges that I would face and how am going to overcome them. I stand to derive from doing them, complete with the targeted start and end time for each of them. Tell my friends how I feel My friends are not going to stop me from achieving my dreams. I will tell them this in no uncertain terms that I am tired of their mimics and nothing will stop me from dreaming big. I wouldn’t care if I lose them as friends or not because I believe real friends are supposed to give you support or encourage you in what you do. I’d rather walk alone believing in myself than walking with people who discourage and see failure you in whatever you do or want to do. Attribute myself Going forward, I will put more emphasis on the below attributes as the guiding principles towards achieving my dreams: Believe – I’ve to make the decision to start believing in myself that my dreams will come true no matter how long it will take all I need is to give out my best with full of optimism. Trust – It’s written in the good book of life that we need to trust in the Lord with all your heart and soul and He shall make our paths straight! I have to always put lots of trust in Him and include him in each and every step that I take knowing that God helps those who help themselves. Focused – I am going to remain focused on the task at hand towards achieving my dreams and take each step with positivism without wavering. Am never going to stand or turn around and listen to the barking dogs to disrupt my mission to remain focus in what am doing. Competitiveness -The current world is very competitive. I am going to remain a life to the challenges that come with it while at the same time be ready to be challenged. The need to rise with every fall, learn from my mistakes and those of others and be ready to change in doing good is also going to be key to ensure my dreams succeed. Perseverance – Success does not come overnight and neither is the road to it straight. I need to be able to withstand each storm that comes my way and overcomes it with full of confidence and never accepts to remain down since every successful person has a story to tell. Research Constant research on the subject of my dreams is now going to become an integral part of what I do towards achieving my dreams. [bctt tweet=”The current world is very competitive.” username=”Diana Mgeni”] Reading how the people who had the same dreams as mine how they were able to manage to get through their storm and be able to succeed in what they do. I will seek to find out the best way to actualize my dream and build an understanding of the same with the interested parties. Ask for help This help can take the shape of; financial, knowledge base and social input. I wouldn’t be shy to try to ask for any assistance from the people around me or my role model. This is from the realization that there are other interested parties to the success of my dreams whose input will always remain valuable to me. A step in the dark As I embark on the tasks towards achieving my dreams, I need not to be scared of the outcome provided that it has come from my very best of input. I must be prepared to showcase to everyone my work and be ready to accept both the critics and compliments from them full of positivism bearing in mind that you need them to grow since not everyone will like or support you in whatever you need. Even if my crowd is small those that will listen to me; it is an achievement and will always appreciate them. With all these, I believe that I can make my dreams come true! So let’s keep dreaming! This article was written by DIANA MGENI. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
UCHE ENWEUGWU: I want my cosmetic brand to capture and include all nuances of color
The cosmetics industry has become diversified and increasingly competitive with different brands of make-up entering the market every year. Each brand offers a new feature in enhancing beauty in different ways. Nigerian-born, Uche Enweugwu is a young African entrepreneur who is launching her new cosmetics line after being in the makeup industry for a few years. She began her makeup career in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada and is now looking to expand her brand/expertise worldwide. Initially, she started out by launching her own YouTube platform – MakeupbySwift and is now launching her own cosmetic brand – CUE Cosmetics. Her experience in the industry has given her an inside look into the process of launching her own cobrand. She spoke with SLA contributor Esther Manuala Shem, and gave her some insight on her progress thus far. When did you first discover your love/passion for Makeup artistry? It all started when I was 17. At the time, I struggled with acne and dark spots. I was on a mission to find products that worked for my skin when I stumbled into make-up. Then I fell in love with how make-up enhanced my beauty and gave me the confidence to face the world. I found joy in doing my make-up and the make-up of others which eventually led to my career in makeup artistry. Also, I was motivated to improve my craft, so I went to a makeup school where I became a certified makeup artist. It’s been over 5 years and I still feel just as excited and motivated as I was when I first began my career. What do you enjoy the most about being a Make-Up Artist? I love being a makeup artist. I find pleasure in enhancing people’s beauty. I remember my first bride. When I was done with her makeup, she looked at the mirror and started screaming. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or angry. I was nervous and too terrified to ask. Eventually, I summoned the courage to asked her if she liked or hated it? She looked back at me with teary eyes and said, “I have never looked this good in my entire life”. That statement resonated with me because that’s exactly why I do makeup. It so that people can look at themselves and be marveled by just how beautiful they can become. I left that day feeling grateful knowing that I wanted to continue making people happy through makeup. My happiness comes from the fulfillment of making people feel beautiful and happy. What do you think is the biggest challenge in turning your passion into a career opportunity? My greatest challenge so far has been the entrepreneurial stride that comes with making my passion a career. Trying to start and run a small business myself has not been easy but I would not have it any other way. It has been a learning curve and I appreciate every bit of it. How did you manage to dive into the cosmetic industry and launch your own MakeUp line? It was a gradual process. I worked in the industry for about 5 years before I decided to start my own cosmetic line. It took a lot of research and years of identifying gaps in the industry that I felt needed to be filled. After 3 years of research and planning, my dream is finally becoming a reality. I will be launching my cosmetic line early this year. The first products to launch are the lash series and it launches at the beginning of January. The beauty of it all was paying my dues by working in the industry before deciding I wanted to create something to contribute to the community. Tell us about the name of your brand and how you came about it. The name of my brand is CUE. It is simply my initials put together. The “U” stands for Uche which means intention. Regarding my brand, I like to think of the “U” as standing for Ucheoma, which means beautiful intentions in Igbo. I wanted something easy to pronounce that also spoke to my passions and intentions for the brand. I want anyone wearing my brand to feel their best and above all be themselves. What sets your brand apart from others in the industry, in terms of servicing women of color? As an African woman, I want my brand to capture and include all the nuances of color. Our goal as a brand is to be inclusive and diverse. I remember working at a beauty retail store and having to watch a lot of disappointed African women leave the store because they couldn’t find their shades. I would often offer the option of mixing it with other shades to find the perfect match and that itself is not cost effective. It motivated me to want to do better when I start my cosmetic brand, which is my goal. With more African women starting businesses in the diaspora, do you plan on offering more selection for women color across the board? Absolutely! We cannot be inclusive and diverse if we don’t provide more options for women of color across the board. That’s certainly the goal and we intend to achieve it. I’m excited about the products in the making. What is the long term goal of your makeup line? The goal of my makeup line is to be inclusive. Nothing would make me happier than to know that I participated in serving a world where women and men come together to have fun and feel beautiful with makeup. Being able to express themselves while wearing CUE in the beauty community would mean everything to me. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Do what makes your heart sing – Tumi Sebopa
Tumi Sebopa is the powerhouse brand manager behind one of the continents leading food brands under the famous brand’s umbrella. Having worked extensively in the FMCG industry, Tumi continues to lead in her chosen field and is an inspiration to marketers across the continent. She is also leading the culture of reading on the continent through founding Inception Book Club which has the vision of bringing women and men from all walks of life together in celebration of words through books Tell us about your professional journey I studied marketing and started my career as an intern, after my internship I moved to the FMCG industry where I worked in client services as a Franchise Specialist for a couple of years before moving to a branding role. After a few years in the FMCG industry, I moved to a position as an Assistant brand manager for a global fast-food brand. I later moved to my current role, where I am a Brand Manager at Famous Brands. What lesson guided you through your career professional path? The 2 biggest lessons I learned along the way were: • To always be open to learning: When I started out in the FMCG industry I wanted to be a marketer but my director at the time told me that in order for me to be a great marketer one day I would need to understand the field/in-store environment. I had to promise him that I’d work with clients and in an in-store environment for at least 2 years before moving on to a marketing role. At the time, I made the promise even though at times it felt like I was delaying my career progress in marketing. I kept my promise and ended up staying longer than 2years. Today I am super grateful for his advice because the experience taught me so much about the in-store environment, understanding the end consumer, learning to work with different people on the ground and understanding different consumers segments and their needs. I eventually moved on to a branding role and to this day when I work on any marketing campaign I always consider the implementation on the ground because I understand the challenges and opportunities in a store environment. [bctt tweet=”Every bit of experience will be beneficial in your career – Tumi Sebopa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] • Invest in yourself When you first start working and getting a salary it’s so tempting to want to buy all the nice things money can buy but I would advise any young person to invest in their skills because that is what will help you grow in the long run. Tell us how you started your book club – Inception book club, and your long-term expectations for it? A few years ago I’d often post the events I’d attend and the books I was reading. I noticed that a lot of women would ask me about the books or events so I started thinking of ways to bring women together to network on a monthly basis without breaking the bank. I wanted to create a platform that anyone could come to whether you are a student, unemployed or a Director. That is where the idea of Inception Book Club came from. I simply wanted to create a platform that allows women to continually learn and network, regardless of your background or life stage. The first book club was in Feb 2017, we read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and there were 11 ladies who attended. What I originally created as a platform for other women has taught me more about myself and has become one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I have loved seeing the networking that has happened between the ladies, new friendships have developed, some of the ladies have gained new clients and we get to read so many different books that teach us about ourselves and other people as every month brings an opportunity for a new topic. What has been your top book club read so far and why? That’s a tough one because we have read over 20 books. If I had to choose I’d go with Equal But Different by Dr. Judy Dlamini. The book covers the stories of 14 women who have succeeded in their careers and they share stories of their career journeys. I am very passionate about the empowerment of women and that book spoke to that. What I loved is the fact that it covered the stories of different women to show that there is no one way to success, everyone’s journey is different and that is something that I truly believe in. The cherry on top at the book review was having Dr. Judy Dlamini join us, she is such an authentic and inspirational woman. Discussing the book with her made an already great book even better because she shared her journey and life lessons with us in an intimate setting. Who are some of the dream authors you’d like to read at your book club? We have read most of my favorite authors so I can’t think of any more authors I’d like to read, however, there are still many books I’d love to read. One thing I love is having inspirational guests or authors join us. We have been joined by the amazing Khanyi Dhlomo to review Marianne Williamson’s – A Return To Love. That was a breathtaking experience and very different because most times when you read about Khanyi Dhlomo or watch her interviews you get to know about her career journey and she got to share some pearls of wisdom about spirituality and self-awareness with us. I would still like to be joined by Redi Tlabi, Dikgang Moseneke, Wendy Luhabe, Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka and Phuti Mahanyele. It’s always amazing being joined by people who bring different perspectives to the book club and the people mentioned above would allow us to discuss politics, business, women’s issues and the justice system in SA, which are topics
HOW TO OVERCOME THE STRUGGLE OF BEING MULTI-PASSIONATE
Are you that person who does many different unrelated things and you are criticized for not being focused on one? Do you feel lost when people you know have a particular thing they are pursuing, while you juggle different hats without a possibility of finding a job title that contains all your passions? You are multi-passionate. It is alright to change your mind every now and then. Don’t beat yourself up for going in different directions; be open to trying new things. If you embrace it, you will find new systems to help you do all things you are interested in, while remaining focused and productive. A multi-passionate individual is a person who has various passions and often finds answering the question, “what do you want to become in the future (or when you grow up)” difficult as they feel they have to settle down to one thing only. Such an individual is also known as a renaissance person, multi-potentiality, polymath, or scanner. In today’s business environment, Steve Jobs, Tim Ferris, and Richard Branson are good examples of multi-passionate people. Other historical examples include Maya Angelou, Aristotle, and Sir Isaac Newton among others. Wondering how to be okay with being multi-passionate? Here are the steps to take: 1. Accept who, and where you are As with some many other things in life, you have to accept who you are, then devise a strategy or strategies that will help you through the journey. Speaking about his own journey of finding self, Nick Maccarone observed that by not limiting himself or attempting to dupe his heart into some “conventional path it knew better than to follow” he allowed himself to “take a little bit from each experience and lean into the intricacies of my being”. “I am not defined by one thing or by anything,” He wrote on Medium. “I follow where my heart and curiosity beg me to consider. I pursue each path as wholly as I can while not exhausting the possibility of doing the same for another.” he continued. [bctt tweet=”Clarity comes from engagement, not thought. – @marieforleo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 2. Keep a record of all your ideas Often, an idea will pop in your mind and sometimes it feels like the calling that you have been waiting for. However, it changes and you are back to the drawing board. Without a doubt, it will be difficult to be knee-deep in one project for too long. As such, keep a record of all interests and ideas that come up. In addition to writing, reviewing the ideas is also important. Assign yourself time to go through the ideas to track what you have tried, and what you will try in the future. Keep a small book with you to write random thoughts. Establish a day in a week or month when you can sit down to review them. Stephanie Medford an artist, designer, writer, and traveler notes that she keeps a ‘for later’ list of books she wants to read in the future. “On the rare occasion when I have nothing to read, I turn to that list,” she adds in her article called ‘the joys of being multi-passionate’. [bctt tweet=”The best way to go about unveiling your ideas is by acting on them. Pick something on the list, anything- and jump right into it.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] 3. Act on decisions, don’t just think about them When uncertain about an idea, don’t wait until when the choices seem clearer in your mind.”Clarity comes from engagement, not thought,” says Marie Forleo, an entrepreneur, writer, and philanthropist. The best way to go about unveiling your ideas is by acting on them. Pick something on the list, anything- and jump right into it. It is by doing that you discover if the idea is something you want to put your energy into or move to the next thing. All in all, you don’t have to feel bad for not having one specific passion that you follow. Franchesca Ramsey, an artist, comedian, activist, TV and YouTube personality and actress advises other renaissance people to keep a calendar. Additionally, she tries to stick to the schedule and also keeps a personal day to explore things that she was not able to do during that week or work on personal projects. “My team knows that if it is on the calendar, that’s the time that is blocked off.” “You kinda have to set those boundaries for yourself,” she adds. Below is a link to the 31-minute interview Ms. Franchesca did a while back to help you get started and re-discover yourself as a multi-passionate individual. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Marilyn Oma Anona: I’m more than “just a TV girl”
Marilyn Oma Anona was a student of the sciences who studied to become a doctor. But her passion and drive for the field of media and communications motivated her to later switch paths. You can say she’s made the right decision as she’s building a media empire as a TV Talk Show host, public speaker, and an award-winning multimedia and social entrepreneur. In addition to her media pursuits, she’s also a humanitarian as she runs a foundation – THE RIGHT STAGE, which seeks to help the less-privileged youths, children and women in our society. Her compassion and dedication also extends to the area of mental health awareness as she leads the initiative for the Suicide, Anxiety and Depression Campaign (S.A.D.) In this interview, we discuss her start in media, her vision, and goals. Marilyn also highlights the challenges she overcame, the impact she has made and the legacy she intends to leave on others. What media outlet gave you your first big break and what did that beginning process teach you? I can’t boast of having any big break yet but I am a fan of appreciating every step of the journey. For starters, I studied medical sciences. Switching from that field to media in a society that is mainly about paper qualification was significant. I heard things such as “but you did not study mass communication or anything media related.” Regardless, I know I am both multi-talented and versatile. Therefore, I was not suppressed by any of that. I’m always eager to showcase my gifts. I’m always eager to show all that I have to offer. I had my first big exposure with MYTV AFRICA. I also received a slot to be a presenter on a show produced by “Media Option” which was aired on NTA. Through those opportunities, I was also able to speak at several important events. I was most often the youngest speaker at such events. I also reported for “Dailies” and I was a contributor to some papers. The experiences helped me to be tenacious, as well as gain a lot of confidence. I heard people say things such as “that’s another Oprah in the making”. [bctt tweet=”I know what I am called to do and I face it squarely – @Omalivingshow_” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What has enabled you to build your successful career and brand? The knack for excellence, to make an impact, and to make the society more beautiful than I met it with my gifts. I stay true to my calling. I know what I am called to do and I face it squarely. That is my niche. My wow factor and my uniqueness. Staying authentic has made me and my brand distinct. As a TV talk show/event host, public speaker, multimedia and social entrepreneur, how would you advise people coming into this field after you? For those aspiring to venture into the field of media, please sit and have a thorough reflection. Don’t only delve in because you perceive glamour. Please be very sure that you are passionate about what you want to dabble into. Make sure to have someone in this sector as a mentor or friend in order to learn from them. Multimedia entrepreneurship is tasking but with tenacity, passion, and consistency, it will pay off in the end. What should aspiring female media influencers be most aware off when it comes to the world of media? The media is for highly intelligent and flexible women. Media is a tasking aspect in terms of a career. We also need to know that we play a big role in society. The world is built and moved through information and content, therefore, female media influencers need to be mindful of what they put out. This way, we are seen as tools for positively transforming the society. What challenges did you encounter when you first started producing your TV show – Omaliving, and how did you rectify it? The major issue I had was that I did not know much about production. That experience later turned me into a production guru. I am better now. I have gained more knowledge. Fewer people are consuming traditional media (TV, Newspapers…)these days. Is this a positive change for you? How do you see the field of media continue to evolve and your role in it? We are in the digital world now and personally, I hardly do TV. I am mostly on social media or YouTube. That’s why I am not in a hurry to get OMA LIVING SHOW back on the conventional TV. Though it is capital intensive to build up a highly visible online TV, it’s part of the process. Social media is helpful because you get visibility quickly if you know your onions. However, my brand is mainly focused on young people and they are mainly on the New Media. I believe in innovation and my brand will continue to move with what may be the latest trend. It is media and if you want to succeed, you can’t be laid back or stuck in the past. What legacy do you want to leave as you pursue multimedia and social entrepreneurship? I will be remembered as OMA, the one who fought for many causes and tried her best to inculcate positive values and give entrepreneurs and humans hope. Currently, I have many goals on the multimedia aspect. I envision feature films, an institute for grooming the best, as well as getting the best multimedia contents across the world. Also, I intend to have a proper therapy center for the Suicide, Anxiety and Depression Campaign (S.A.D) campaign which I am leading. Who are some women that inspire you in media? My inspiration comes from within. There are many women I like and admire but my inspiration is from my soul and divinity. Something in the universe just pushes me to align with my purpose. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
DAMI ELUYERA: HOW I FOUND MY WAY
Late November last year, I spent time at Aunt Olivia’s vineyard. After a week of living in luxury, I was forced to review my life and identify opportunities for change. I was on a mission. I narrowed down my goals for 2018 and subconsciously carved out life just like Cindy’s, Aunt Olivia’s daughter. Prioritized on my list were: Marry Chike Quit Karte Carbon and become my BOSS. Move to the U.K. I was pumped. As January 1st, 2018 rolled around, my resignation letter was prepped and ready to be sent. Plus, the advertising industry was so not my thing. Drowning in my misery, I booked a late lunch with an old friend, Dorcas, who had just flown in from New York. To keep this story short, lunch with Dorcas taught me a few things that changed my life forever. COMPARISON For too long, I had compared myself with online/Instagram personalities, which is probably why Chike left me for Suzana, but that’s another story altogether. I was so desperate to shine that I hadn’t realized that my light was hidden in my purpose. If I lived within purpose, building on my passions and sharpening my skills, I’d shine in my own “little corner.” However, if I chased glam, copying everyone else, I’d never be the best but at best, second best. When I finally figured out that pottery was my thing, I still couldn’t take action. Think about it for a second – Who was going to buy my pottery? [bctt tweet=”If I lived within purpose, building on my passions and sharpening my skills, I’d shine in my own “little corner.”” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] FEAR I wasn’t a trailblazer of any kind, but I knew failure didn’t go well with my character, so Karte and I were in this for the long haul, I guess. After pouring out my heart to Dorcas on my “inability to fly,” she took a chance on me and placed a pottery order. It was just for fun, but I was so excited, I think I outdid myself. Sometimes, we’re afraid of taking action because of the unknown. What if we bet on ourselves, take action and discover the UNKNOWN? VISION [bctt tweet=”When you clarify your vision, you kick out your fear” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] After that initial experience, I began to chase a new dream. I mapped out my vision and set goals for myself. Today, Karte is history, and I’m living a life I always dreamed. Listen, Oprah, Beyonce, Jim Carey and others who have visualized their success never lied. Visualize your future. Pencil it down and watch it become a reality. “Stop comparing yourself to others. Your magic is like none other. Start chasing your dreams and thrive in the presence of fear.” This article was written by Dami Eluyera. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Funmilola Awosanya: Volunteering helped me become part of something big
Funmilola Awosanya has dedicated her free time to volunteering. She has over five years of experience as an insurance broker, advocate for women and girls development, and business development in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Higher National Diploma in Insurance from Lagos State Polytechnic in Nigeria. Being the founder of an online one-stop forum, she’s trained youths on vocational skills, entrepreneurial skills, and business development, and also advocated for quality education. As the Founder of oppourtunities.com, she led entrepreneurship programs that equip young women and men on hand skills and empowered them through entrepreneurship, business, career, leadership, and advocacy. Funmilola has volunteered as a lecturing and overseeing committee, youth advocate, an agent of change, for diverse organizations including the Young African Leadership Initiative West Africa Region, Makoko Dream Project, and Young Transformation Initiative. Through these experiences Funmilola has developed skills in capacity building, leadership development, mentoring, community service, business development, and project planning and implementation. In this article, she highlights how volunteering has played a big role in her career and personal growth. [bctt tweet=”When you volunteer for either small, local or international project, you change something the world. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] On becoming a volunteer… I started volunteering in 2017 after joining the Yali Network Face2Face Facebook group. It all started when I began to connect with members from different parts of the world. One day, the founder of Makoko Dream Project – Emmanuel Agunze posted a volunteering advert for people who can join him on his quest in advocating for quality education which I saw was in line with what I do. I joined his volunteering team and haven’t looked back since then. Why volunteering is powerful… Volunteering is a powerful tool for you to gain new skills which can be used for your academic and professional careers as it gives you the opportunity to be part of something big. When you volunteer for either small, local or international project, you change something the world. Winston Churchill said we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. Volunteering is powerful as it allows you to be part of a team who put smile and hope on others. Most local and international opportunities like scholarship, conferences, summit, and others request for working experience in which volunteering is also accepted as a working experience so you can see how powerful volunteering is. Most people acquire their working experience through volunteering. On where and how to volunteer for a social cause… You don’t have to be in a group before you can volunteer. Most youths are just lazy to make use of their phones to search for opportunities. You can follow or check some certain websites to get new and current volunteering opportunities. Subscribe to their websites/ newsletters to get updates and also follow organizations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as they post most opportunities their too. On balancing volunteering with a full-time job… Most volunteering gigs are not full time. If you have a full-time job and the passion to volunteer, all you need to do is to identify part-time volunteering programs/ project you can get involved with, which will not affect your job. I for one, always go for volunteering programs during the weekends and holiday time. On impacting people through volunteering Through volunteering have been able to make an impact in the Makoko community through the Makoko Dream Project. Volunteering for the Makoko Dream Project has given me the chance to partake and contribute to various educational projects, Christmas party project, Medical Outreach in Makoko which has impacted over 100 children and women. I’ve been able to make an impact also while I was volunteering as a mentor for the Young African Leadership Initiative West Africa Online Cohort 5, I was able to mentor over 2 participants intensively, encourage and motivated them in completing their various community projects and program at large. Also, I mentored over 80 participants of the Young Transformation Initiative where I was volunteered as a facilitator. 5 things I’ve gained from volunteering… Becoming part of a community of young change makers Having a sense of fulfillment Its opened my eyes to things happening in my community which needed extra help I’ve learned new skills Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Salma Abdulatif – The Hair Nurse: I kept trying till I got Salummy right
Salma Abdulatif was born in Malindi and raised in Mombasa, Kenya. She studies Marine Business Management at Moi University, and she is a Cohort – 15 graduate of the Young African Leadership Initiative, a programme initiated by former President of the United States, Barrack Obama. Apart from that, writing and poetry have been her forte all through her life. She also enjoys motivating youth and creating innovative solutions to complex problems which she does through her Community-Based Organization, Motivational Talks for Youth (MTY). Salma recently ventured into Natural Hair Oil business – Salummy and she takes us through the journey of being a hair nurse. Why did you decide to create natural hair products and how did you transform that into a business? After listening to my friends complaining about stunted hair growth, dandruff, ‘rough hair, weak hair etc…. You know all those problems girls have with their hair. The problems did not just end there, there was also the issue of hair products which promised to take care of the mentioned issues but most of them failed. Personally, I have tried all types of hair oils that I could lay my hands on and I found it difficult to get that one particular oil that I could constantly go back to and this was when I realized that I could be the solution to this problem. After a number of trials and errors, I was able to come up with a particular oil that I used for some time and there was a tremendous improvement on my hair in terms of texture, color, size, volume, and strength. I am a Muslim, so I cannot carelessly flaunt my hair all over the place. One day, as I washed my hair, my cousins noticed the change and asked for the secret behind my beautiful hair. After sharing it with it them, they also tried it and it worked! That is how Salummy hair oil was born. Friends kept on asking for the oil, and I realized I couldn’t keep giving them my oil for free, and I slowly transformed it to my side hustle. I moved from making the oil to shampoo, hair conditioner and even beard balm for the men. Where do you get the ingredients for your oils? Are they natural? I mostly use organic products ( chemical- free)which is a combination of carrier oils, herbs, and essential oils which when mixed together can be a perfect combo to more moisturized, longer, softer and thicker hair. I use black Jamaican castor oil, curry leaves and lavender essential oil as part of the products I use in my combo. I source all my raw materials locally and I get my bottles from Nairobi, in a plastic industry. Who are your clients, and where are they located? Most of my clients are natural and transitioning ladies but I also have a significant number of relaxed ladies who still find my hair oil helpful to their hair mainly in terms of reducing on hair loss. I have a big market base- I have clients from Mombasa, Kajiado, Nairobi, Kilifi, Lamu, Zanzibar, Daresalaam, Nakuru and even England. What has been the feedback since you launched Salummy Hair Products? The feedback has been overwhelming. When I first started, I did not have a good response and I had to go back to the kitchen time and again to work on my recipe and to keep trying until I had the right proportion for all hair types. There are so many entrepreneurs out there selling natural hair products, what makes your brand unique from the rest? My brand is unique because I give the clients exactly what their hair needs. You will find most brands promising so much and delivering little but I have always tried to test my products with my own family and friends before taking them out to the market so that I give the people what they really want and not what I envision for them which might sometimes come out as an illusion of expectations not met. The first time you use a natural oil, you already can feel and know if it works or not. This is the beauty of it. [bctt tweet=”If you are passionate about what you do, you can never fail – @salummy_salmun” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What challenges do you or have you encountered? The main challenge has been to grow the business by myself. I have so many suppliers and ambassadors but I am still the entrepreneur and the head and it can sometimes come out as overwhelming especially since I have to deal with so many orders. The other challenge I face is introducing new products that my clients need like shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, and even soaps. I am really trying to take it easy and go as per my capacity. But I eventually know that I will have all these products out sooner or later. I am also thinking of adding partners in the company and a personal assistant to help me in distribution and marketing. What is your advice to young women entrepreneurs who keep dismissing their business ideas with doubts and fears? If you are passionate about what you do, you can never fail. Businesses do not grow in a day, it is a combination of effort, determination, consistency, and creativity. If you have all these with you, your business will speak for itself. Article by Rumona Apiyo. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.