7 Lessons MotherlandMoguls can Learn From Meghan Markle
Well, she is no longer just Meghan Markle. She is now Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Sussex. I love weddings, but boy I love a royal wedding. They happen once in a while but they always linger for long. Nobody could distract me as I watched Prince Harry and Meghan tie the knot in May. From the carriage to her page boys and little brides, spectacular floral arrangements, and silk minimal dress, everything. Meghan Markle was fascinating! The more I read about her, the more inspired I am by her story. She reminds me of two powerful women in the Bible, Queen Esther, and Ruth. Like the two women, her life is far from perfect- yet she is now the embodiment of royalty, purpose, and confidence. Here are lessons every woman can learn from Meghan’s page. Your Past Doesn’t Define You If it was up to royal protocol, Meghan wouldn’t be ‘Her Royal Highness’ now. She broke all protocols –she is a divorcee, raised by divorced American parents; one being African American. Yet that didn’t in anyway stop Prince Harry from marrying her. The past has got nothing on you. It can’t stop God from blessing you, giving you a new title and changing the course of your destiny. Stay Positive Meghan is the daughter of Doria Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor and Thomas Markle, a daytime retired lighting director. Maybe she never thought that she would one day end up in the palace; not even as a distant relative. You can imagine how awful her parent’s divorce must have been for her. She was just six years old and the youngest of her two older paternal half-siblings. But that didn’t stop her. Surely she was remarkably positive and that mindset paved the way for a bright future. Don’t Laze Around Waiting For Prince Charming To Sweep You Off Your Feet Meg wasn’t sitting around waiting for a Prince to find her. Before meeting Prince Harry, she was a successful actress, UN ambassador, and blogger. It takes a lot of guts and hard work to reach certain heights where the world can’t help but identify with you. Meghan Markle was literally a chaser of knowledge in every aspect of her life. Meghan’s humanitarian work and passion for helping people especially women and children align perfectly with her husband’s charity work. That’s a power couple if you ask me! Don’t Fall For The Pressure The media hasn’t been nice to Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother and only family member present on the wedding. Didn’t she have cousins, aunties, and uncles? In a world where numbers are deemed prestigious, Meghan only had her mum by her side. Sometimes all you need is that one person who has kept it real from day one. Don’t Give Up On Love Meghan had been in a relationship with Hollywood actor and producer Trevor Engelson in 2004 which resulted in a marriage in 2011. The marriage lasted only two years after which their divorce was completed in 2013. Since June 2016, Meghan has been in a relationship with Prince Harry, after they met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Last month, they made it official. I’d bet on my chocolate (Trust me, chocolate is the next best thing after my son) that her ex-husband wishes he hadn’t let her go. If only he knew what life had in store for her! She didn’t let the divorce stop her from falling in love again. And look what a fairytale ending it is! Keep Smiling Go ahead and have a look at that sunny smile. You would think that after being officially crowned a member of the British Royal family and the Duchess of Sussex, that she would show less of her teeth. Not Meghan! She is giving us the whole shiny set. If you ask me, that is how you know a confident woman who is truly being herself, not caring if she’s royal or not. You don’t know how much good a smile can bring your way. Apart from keeping you young and radiantly beautiful, you just might attract a handsome prince! Keep It Simple It’s a wedding! A royal wedding but Meghan isn’t moved by the fact that the whole world stood still for her. She appeared in a low bun, with pieces of hair falling out of place and proudly rocking her freckles. You could hardly spot any make-up and a dress that was simple but gorgeous. Do I have to add that her dress was modest and that there were no boobs or other assets on display? She wasn’t seeking to impress anybody. Except for her Prince of course. If he thought she looked amazing, it doesn’t matter what the rest of us think. Click here to share your story with us and get featured on our Facebook page.
How to survive The Big F word — Failure
The moment you hit rock bottom is not a very unique experience. Although the actions were taken after the realization vastly differs from one person to another. For me, it was while watching a very romantic movie, the kind of movie where the guy races through traffic to get to the airport so he can finally pour out his true feelings to his dream girl. He just manages to catch her at the ‘check-in line’, runs up to her, grabs her and begs her not to leave. She looks deep into his eyes, doubting him, doubting everything and then all of a sudden. BOOM! He gets down on one knee and proposes to her with his Grandma’s wedding ring. Romantic right? And yet, I couldn’t figure out why it was at this exact moment that I started to cry like someone stole my cat or something… It was a few light tears at first…then it turned to real sobbing. At that moment I realized that: This movie is so corny, no guy would make it through traffic in time to get the girl – not Kampala traffic anyway, plus we have only one airport! My tears, these tears, had nothing to do with the movie and everything to do with the fact that I was failing at life…with a capital F! I was exhausted and starting to hate this dream I’d been pursuing what felt like an eternity. I’d been working myself to the bone, but nothing seemed to be going right. I’d received negative client reviews, was behind on important production deadlines, my landlord was starting to begin all his messages with scary sentences like “If you do not pay by the close of business today…” It was hard, really hard but if you’re an entrepreneur, failure isn’t a choice, its part of the game, it’s how you learn and if you’re smart about it, it’s how you grow. Failure is the big “F” word one no one wants to talk about. The time you didn’t meet a client’s expectations so they decided to go with a competitor. That time you couldn’t make the payment. When you took the business loan and didn’t anticipate how the market would react to your product. That time your marriage fell apart leaving you with a broken heart and nasty attitude to boot! [bctt tweet=”As an entrepreneur you need to know failure intimately, take it out on a few dates and study it!” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Much has been said on the subject, some believe there’s only one correct way to fail in business. Fast and hard, get all the pain out as soon as possible and then try again. As an entrepreneur you need to know failure intimately, take it out on a few dates and study it! Why did you fail? How did you fail? Did you pass the buck or were you just distracted? Should you be in this business? Are you disciplined enough to handle the responsibility? Failure isn’t glamorous, often times, it’s ugly and it’s really messy. Kind of like your ex! So here are a few tips from someone who’s had a taste of it and still has a huge bowl to get through; 1. The x + y = z of it. The only way to get really good at something is to fail at it enough times that you finally get the formula. When you fail, you must have the courage to distance yourself from it. You must understand that you aren’t a failure simply because you failed at this thing. Understand that it’s part of the journey to becoming one of the greatest. You must get up, dust yourself off, cry a little, or maybe a lot, and then try again. 2. You must not wear failure as an identity. I’ve met a lot of people that have failed at something or the other in their lives and have turned it into an identity they walk around with. They pull it out at appropriate times when the gathering is big enough so everyone can see how well they failed. They have it at the ready to “warn” others who might actually try to pursue that same treacherous path. They have horror stories with examples all the way from China! Do not pay attention to that fear, use those horror stories as markers and pointers for your own journey. You’ll learn that like in all the Hollywood horror stories, you never ever go to the basement parking lot alone!!! Bottom line is you’ll learn. 3. Failure is evidence that you actually tried at something. Many would-be entrepreneurs are stuck in the zone between having a really great idea and having the courage to do something about it. For most, the fear of failure is stronger than the possible joy that could come from winning. You tried and you failed, now all you have to do is try again. 4. The F-word means you’re badass. The people we celebrate, the greatest entrepreneurs the world has ever known built their empires amidst great odds stacked against them, and most importantly, did not let failure stop them. So, why should you? A quote from the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo dedicated to all those entrepreneurs that have faced a few setbacks in the first half of this year and need a little more courage for this next half; “What you need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the soul of the world tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.” Want to become an SLA contributor? Send an
SAMANTHA MOGWE: I collaborate with other brands that share the same values as me
Samantha Mogwe is a Motswana singer/songwriter who brings a fused element of neo-soul/RnB. Raised to appreciate poetry and performing arts, she was exposed to music at an early age. She has had the opportunity to perform not only in Botswana but in South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Sweden. Sharing the stage with well-known artists such as Zahara, The Soil, Zonke, Joe Thomas, Kenny Latimore, Lira, Micasa, Hugh Masikela among others. Samantha is a 2014 YAMA award winner for Best Female Artist for the year and a BOMU Award winner for Best packaged Album, in 2015. She is a multifaceted individual who places great value on edification and re-inventive qualities. She holds a degree in Theology and has studied music with the Trinity College of London. Samantha is a wife and a mother, radio personality on local radio station Gabz Fm, a voice coach, fitness enthusiast and businesswoman who maintains her work-life balance by scheduling everything and prioritizing what is important. In this interview, she chats to us about personal and business branding qualities, new radio show venture and social entrepreneurship. Have you always wanted to be a musician? I come from a family that loves music and arts in general. I knew I loved music but I did not grow up thinking I would choose music as a career. It’s something that crept up on me when my best friend forced me to join My African Dream when we were 15. We came second in our category and then I would always find myself gravitating towards performing on stage despite fear and being shy. How have you steered clear of the ideology that doing music in Botswana is not a sustainable career? Like any career, the arts are unpredictable, and I say this because we now live in a time where a staggering number of our graduates are unemployed even though they are in fields that our parents assume would be safer when it comes to making an income. I personally have never been the type of person who was caught up in following the ideas and norms of what society expected of me. I think it’s because I remind myself that I came into this world alone, and one day I will SOLELY stand before God to give an account of what I did with the gifts and opportunities that He has given me. My faith and hope for being a successful musician are what also fuelled me to keep at it even when there were so many reasons to just simply give up and try something that seemed to have more certainty. [bctt tweet=”My purpose is clear in the lyrical content of my music, my radio show & in the conversations I have – @samanthamogwe” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Why was it important for you to transition into the radio realm and how did you prepare for it? How I got into radio was a bit of a strange one. Some people think it’s because I “knew someone” who gave me the opportunity but that is not how it happened. At the beginning of 2017, I had a deep inclination to invest in myself and learn the art of public speaking. I joined Gaborone Toast Masters and spent the entire year with the Club, learning how to speak in public without being afraid and how to articulate myself. Gabz Fm then put out an advert where they were looking for new radio presenters and I tried to ignore it. My husband and sister then convinced me to drop off my applications and demo. Three months later after they had gone through the applicants, I was shortlisted to join a group of ten who had potential. We began training in December of 2017 into January of 2018 and that’s how I got in. I have always known that I would love to be able to speak on a public platform because writing music can be limiting as you are working on sharing an idea on an instrumental that is less than 4 minutes. That’s quite limiting. I wanted to diversify my brand in a way that still maintained my purpose and vision and also challenged me so that I would keep growing as a person. Not only that, I found that it was important that I should try and reach people who might only see me as a performing artist, but often wouldn’t think that I have opinions on issues that we as Batswana are dealing with on a day to day basis. The “Sams Purple Lounge” among other things addresses interesting business and social issues. What encouraged you to address these? I want us to fix ourselves and in turn fix our immediate community in our own little way. This is what Sams Purple Lounge is out to do. To be honest, I have gotten tired of having us constantly complaining as a people. We have many problems in our society so why not show solutions. This is why I try to bring guests who are addressing various social concerns. Our conversations are geared toward fixing social issues, and also at times educating and challenging the mindset that often needs challenging and encouragement to look at life beyond ‘ME, MYSELF AND I’! I am overwhelmed by the response. So far people love it, and I couldn’t be happier because that encourages me to keep going and keep growing as a radio presenter. Can you tell us more about your social enterprises? I have aligned myself with two specific social causes: LOVE IS ART: The whole point is to use theatre and performing arts during the 16 days of Activism Against Women and Child Abuse. Here we tell stories aimed at creating dialogue and in the process, we raise funds for safe houses for battered women and children. This seems to be a big trouble area for Batswana as most times, we do not talk about the abuse that goes on in our homes. We see that women are daily
7 Personal Productivity Tools for every woman
With so much to do in your daily lives, you need some productivity tools that can make you better organized, work smarter, become more effective, and achieve optimal results. Here are a few personal productivity tools that can help you do better in your personal life, work and business. Google Drive Google drive is a cloud storage service by google with which you can back up the files on your various devices in the cloud and access them on any other device across various locations using your gmail ID. You are also able to share files and collaborate with others on projects across different locations. Google drive also helps you create various folders for files to save your files. When devices synced with the google drive app are low on storage space, you can easily save the files on the application and delete them from the device to free storage space. The google drive application gives 15GB free storage space, if you need to use more than this amount of storage space , you can upgrade to the paid plans. Evernote Evernote is an application that lets you collect your thoughts, track them, share them (when you want to) and organize your day to day activities and yearlong goals. With Evernote, you are able share notes with team mates as you brainstorm or work on a project, you can manage team access to your Evernote account. You can also access the app from any device connected to the internet and notes saved on it can be easily searched. The Evernote app has a scanning feature that can be used to capture and register business cards as well as search documents. This app comes with virtual post it notes which can be used to organize and set reminders. Moneyfy Monefy is a personal finance app that’s useful for money management. This app helps you track your spending habits and create charts that clearly show your spending pattern. You can even customize some features on the app to suit your lifestyle – expenses, currency and language. It is easy to create and update detailed transaction lists on this platform (daily, weekly, monthly). The app puts together reports of your transactions at intervals (decided by you); it lets you set monthly budgets, share access with others, back up and export data as required. The basic version of the app is free to use, however, there’s an upgraded version that comes with extra features and you can get access to it for as low as N500/month. Another personal finance app that can complement Monefy is Goodbudget – this app can be applied to help you save for big expenses. Quality Time App Quality Time App; this application lets you know how much time you spend on your phone (hourly, daily and weekly) and how you spend it. With this app, you can easily identify applications on your device that you are addicted to. You can use this app to curb/manage excessive phone usage. There are even features on this app you can activate to alert you (or someone else) when you are spending “too much” time on your phone. A Vision Board A Vision board is built as a representation of where you are going (vision/goal) using images, picture, quotes. It is a goal setting tool on which defined vision/goals are illustrated visually .In a world where there’s so much fighting for your attention, there’s need to define your dreams and focus on them and a vision board can help with that. It is best to place this tool where it can be seen regularly; this lets you constantly feed your subconscious mind with what you want to achieve and how you want to feel. This tunes your mind in on your focus so that it constantly works to bring these dreams to life (whatever you focus on expands). Famous people like Ellen Degeneres and Katy Perry have spoken about how they used vision boards at one time or the other to bring their dreams to life. The process of creating a vision board is engaging; it connects you mentally to your dreams and there are no strict rules to it. You can inspire, motivate and affirm your way to your dreams using this tool. Post It Notes Post it notes are small sticky sheets of paper for taking notes and setting reminders; you can use it to track and organize thoughts by pasting these notes where they can be easily spotted for the required timely action, it comes in very handy when multitasking. These notes are easily pasted or detached from surfaces and leave no stains or residue. Post it notes are visually invasive when compared to software applications but they help direct attention to where it is needed. Virtual post it notes now exists, but I doubt they can take the place of the physical post it notes. Adult coloring Adult coloring is simply coloring for adults; sometimes we need to calm our young, active and energetic minds to prevent burnout and increase focus and concentration. Research shows that coloring has therapeutic benefits for adults; It is said to improve mindfulness and reduce anxiety. This can translate to reduced stress levels as well as better focus and concentration on work. Consider this a good way to manage stress and increase productivity. Adult coloring apps like ColorMe is a good place to start, you can also go for hard cover adult coloring books if that’s your preferred option. Now, go and live your best life! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Revealed: The Secret To Staying Motivated
The year is almost halfway done, and chances are, the energy you started with is most likely not as powerful as it is now. Being motivated for a whole year can be quite challenging when life is constantly throwing us different surprises. Even then, motivation can only take you so far when trying to achieve your goals. So, how do you stay motivated amidst all? The secret is – drum rolls please – ‘Find your Vision’! Your vision will guide you and keep you going on your journey to success. Vision ensures that you don’t go around in circles and get frustrated when things go left. But how do you find your vision? The following tips offer a few steps on how you can find your vision and stay motivated. 1. Listen to your inner voice To have a clear idea about your vision, you must look inside yourself. Vision comes from within, from the spirit or subconscious, whatever you choose to call it. Everyone has a vision that is unique to them, and you are no different. When searching inside, you should yourself questions such as what stirs you? What is your greatest desire? What kind of dreams do you have? Once, you ask yourself these questions, chances are your vision will start become clearer for you. 2. Prepare yourself mentally Your vision begins in your mind and heart. It is something that burns within your soul. it should be greater than your all of your past memories, mistakes, and accomplishments. If you know what your vision is, you will have a purpose and won’t get lost on your journey. Sometimes, when you don’t have a distinct vision, it is easy to become distracted. If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, the journey will seem a lot longer and harder. To avoid this, make surer you prepare your mind for challenges ahead. 3. Surround yourself with people who have a clear purpose Greatness breeds greatness, and it is for this reason that you should seek out the company of others who can appreciate and support your vision. Network with winners and it will keep your motivation high. 4. Develop your vision Do you want to be the next Bill Gates but because of the way your bank account is wired it may seem impossible? The truth is, there are times when it is hard to understand how to apply your vision to your life in order to reach your goals. Don’t worry, all visions start from scratch! Your vision will grow from your experiences, talents, dreams, and desires. So don’t worry if your bank account is not growing as fast as you would have wished. Great visions take time to develop and perfect. Allow your vision to slowly but surely reveal itself to you. 5. Keep a notebook and pen handy All too often, we come up with great ideas and thoughts and by the time we want to write them down, they are forgotten. With that in mind, you never know when your vision is going to come to you, you have to keep a small notepad with you at all times. Even on your nightstand when you sleep. Write down whatever comes to mind, no matter how silly it seems at the time. You may write down a hundred crazy ideas but number one hundred and one just might be the vision you were searching for. Don’t try to filter right now, just write down everything that comes to mind. 6. Follow your vision The vision you are seeking will most likely come to you in ways that you won’t fully understand at the moment. That’s okay. Even your friends or family might not understand it. That too is fine. Just follow as much of your vision as you can right now, and more will be revealed to you as time goes on. All truly successful people have a vision that they follow, no matter what challenges they may face. Begin following the above steps to seek your vision today and remember that true, lasting success will never come to you until you know what your vision is and how you will follow it. And you will be unstoppable if you combine your personal vision with a healthy dose of motivation. This article was originally written by Tariro. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
How to avoid The Masquerade of Multitasking
[bctt tweet=”In today’s world, multitasking has become a necessary evil” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] The last time I wrote about our natural abilities to want to achieve more by doing more or taking more jobs, I had a number of people drop their comments. One particular one stood out. It read, “I can relate to this Sewa. I have so many of them around me, especially at work, and I thought how is it that a number of us do the work of a computer and expect to achieve more”. If there’s anything I know, it is that you can’t achieve more by doing more at the same time. Well, except you are prime in delegating duties accordingly. Before you misjudge me, you should know that I’m a fan of getting things done on time, however way I can. Multitasking has saved me many times whether it is about a task or an appointment. At least that’s about the most possible way to go around getting things done, especially if you live in a city like mine, where everything seems to be a competition. It just is not efficient. So, for my business people, this is something we brag about, “I’m multitasking”. It’s like a hard working to do. Cambridge Dictionary says this means “Multitasking is a person’s ability to do more than one thing at a time” but Merriam Webster captures my thought more by referring to it as “the concurrent performance of several jobs by a computer”. Without seeming too stiff-necked about this, I’ll explain a personal situation. Although it delivers, my computer slows down each time I put it to do multiple things at the same time. Which tells me, that, it’s ability to multitask does not validate its ability to deliver at an expected prompt time. This technically means also, that, even if you can take on so many things at the same time, you can be guaranteed that some other necessities are paying dearly for it. In today’s world, however, multitasking is almost a necessary evil, and if you’re like me, you’ll almost beat yourself each time you realize one thing is stalling the other. So, here are two things I recommend you do when there’s so much to do at a given time: Delegate Please don’t argue, just delegate. The major problem we have as humans are, we think nobody can do it like we can (especially detail-oriented people like me). We keep taking on more duties until we break down. How about you pick one person at a time. Take them through your way of getting things done. Let them have access to you through questions. This way, you can breathe when you need to. There’s a reason the word TEAM exists. Someone says it means ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’. Arianna Huffington of Huffington Post liked to do more work, but until her health was at stake, she didn’t realize her need to breathe or at least take a rest. I also watched some CEOs interviewed very recently. One of them was asked what part of his job makes him lose his sleep, his answer was none. The truth is, work has always existed and it would continue to exist with or without you. You gotta do it right – for yourself. Prioritize Even though some things need to be done at the same time, not everything needs your attention urgently. The difference between what’s urgent and what’s important is that one needs immediate attention while the other necessarily doesn’t. According to The Eisenhower Decision Matrix, there are better ways to have a progressive life than feeling sapped and strained all the time. Hence the theory of the 4 Quadrants of productivity. He says, People who spend most of their time working on Urgent but Not Important tasks often suffer from the “Mr. Nice Guy Syndrome,” and want to constantly please others at the expense of their own happiness. We all work at organizations and may be able to relate to this. The idea is to know what’s yours to do and do it right. Your ability to prioritize right would lead you to know what’s up for possible delegation and what truly needs your attention. My question is this, would you continue to allow the masquerade of multitasking hunt you? Will you continue to live through the façade of doing different things at the same time when it really is not efficient? Would you get out of the cloak of inefficient hard work to be more, by embracing efficient smart work? Here’s hoping you’ll make one of your best decisions in 2018 to make working more fulfilling. Ciao! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Chidiogo Akunyili: Be Kind to Yourself for Not Being Superwoman
Chidiogo Akunyili is a woman of many trades. She is the Founder of She ROARs – Reimagining Our Africa Rising. This pan-African platform seeks to empower women across Africa to unleash their full potential. As a writer, storyteller and movement builder, Chidiogo is impacting the global narrative with her belief in the power of people affecting change. Having lived on 5 continents and being able to speak 7 languages, Chidiogo’s philosophy is founded on the African concept of Ubuntu and celebrating our shared humanity. Beyond her work, Chidiogo Akunyili has been awarded multiple awards. These include ‘100 most influential Young Africans’ by Africa Youth Awards and ‘100 most inspiring women in Nigeria’ by the Guardian. She is also a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow. In this interview, we learn more about She ROARs and the impact it has been bringing. What led you to start She ROARS? After working with hundreds of women across Africa, I came to the realization that we needed more spaces to support women on their personal and professional journeys. Changing a community begins with enabling women to tap into their full strength and potential. Inspired by this, we started She ROARS. Through this platform, we support women by equipping them with tools to build bridges to fulfilling their potential. We do this by creating spaces for them to flourish, empower each and impact their communities. Can you tell us more about the impact She ROARS has had? To date, She ROARs has reached hundreds of women across Africa and the diaspora. Through events, we’ve created spaces where women have been challenged, empowered to realize their dreams and walk in their own truths. We see in all our gatherings the great value of stepping away from business as usual and truly connecting with a powerful circle of womanhood. Women have added that this platform gives them confidence and support from the group as a whole. We see the strength of space to connect with self and each other. Even if you take nothing else away, there is already a great power in knowing that you are not alone [bctt tweet=”@SheROARsAfrica challenges the notion that empowerment is big and strong. Sometimes it is soft and tender, and raises an awareness of oneself.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What have you learned since starting this platform? The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that, if you have an idea that inspires you, just start! What it will grow into is unknown. However, you should trust your curiosity to lead you to greatness. She ROARs was born out of a Women Advancing Africa Conference where Graca Machel challenged us to empower each other as women. As women shared their deepest wounds, vulnerability, and courage, I felt all that could be when women were given a space to share together. Though this idea came from an intuition, it soon turned into a business with a name, logo, website, social media presence, launch and finally a team to push things. We then started leveraging women gatherings to offer She ROARs seminars, workshops, events, and partnerships. What challenges have you faced with She ROARS? The challenges are real. But the most important thing I’ve learned is to be kind to myself despite not being superwoman. Starting She ROARs alongside a full-time commitment to write a book meant working on two things that needed my full discipline and drive. Despite spending over 10 years in the corporate world doing strategic consulting, I doubted my potential to deliver without the habitual external deadline. This fear soon morphed into a constant ‘you are not doing enough’ voice in my head. This soon became stressful. So, I learned to let go and take some time off every now and then. And above all, I needed to remind myself that if I wanted to go the distance, I couldn’t do it all alone. I needed to trust others talents to help me. Finally, I would write down everything I needed to do monthly, weekly and daily. This helped me declutter my tasks and achievements. Can you tell us more about the book you are writing? My first book has been such a rewarding project! It started as a simple idea, the story of a mother, Dora Akunyili. My mother is described by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as “radical because she had integrity in a system that was unfamiliar with integrity…kind and vigorous, and when she spoke, she widened eyes as though to better convey the force of her conviction.” Her life is a story of strength arising from the ashes of struggles — the deeper her scars, the stauncher was her fight and spirit of justice and truth. I want the reader to take away the power of conviction and the courage needed to follow through. What were the fears you felt you had to overcome with the projects you are undertaking? The deep fear of failure. Three years ago in the mountains of Peru, on the back of an extended retreat, I was held by 9 sisters as I shook and cried at the recognition of a truth that was calling to me, to leap. Ixchel, a most treasured guide who was holding this sacred space of sisterhood shared these words, “You keep getting that same message… what are you afraid of giving up my sister? The fear will always come in, when you see it, walk through it, that you may be free, that you might know what it feels like to be free falling from a cliff.” Dance has truly helped me overcome my fear. Dance is a space where I can explore the connection between my mind, spirit, and body. To me, it means freedom to live the life I want and be in an active space of creation. Dance is a reminder to let life flow. What is your biggest regret and achievement? I do not believe in regrets but rather in lessons. My biggest lesson has been to let things go. You find that so much energy is spent sweating on little things.
Olayinka Lawal: My Editing Experience Goes Well Beyond Grammar and Punctuation
Growing up, Olayinka Lawal absolutely loved reading. She would often choose reading over making new friends. In short, she was naturally drawn to the world of books. Her favorite classes were English and History and these developed her keen interest in historical narratives and writing. In her sophomore year, Olayinka embarked on a writing and editing venture as Editor-in-Chief of Idunnu Studios – a multicultural children’s content creator that celebrates diversity and girl power founded by Oladoyin Oladapo. To Olayinka, editing is about strategic conversations, consistency in tone, language, character, and authenticity. In this article, she discusses everything you need to know about being an editor. What is your process when editing? I usually edit in context. Well before the writers begin writing, I have strategic conversations with the founder to understand what we want our next set of books to demonstrate. These conversations guide my thoughts on the characters, their personalities, their talents, and the cultures we want to learn from them. Therefore, when the writers begin writing, we both have an expectation of what the books should be. Sometimes you find the characters are more colorful in either of our minds before it gets to the reading table. So then, we are either discovering a character or affirming their identity. If the character is not convincing enough, I engage the writer in readjusting the writing to communicate better. Therefore, my editing process goes well beyond grammar and punctuation. [bctt tweet=”When you write good quality content for an underrepresented community, the results will speak for themselves” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you look for when you are copy editing a story? Quality!. Authenticity, quality in the tone of its writing, and quality of grammar and punctuation use need to be factored into every story. Each of these is equally important for our target readers to take away from the story. Showcasing the story’s authenticity in an honest way is important for readers so that they do not leave with any misconceptions of the culture. As a result, how the story is written is very powerful and really guides me on what to look for in a piece of writing. As for choosing a topic, it often depends on the strategic vision of the company. We all have an array of groups we want to reach and we have to think about how and when to engage them. How do you measure the success of a content/story? In the editing process, the success of a story depends on how well it reflects a particular culture without coming off as either over-bearing or inauthentic. Post-publishing success really depends on how well the characters and stories are received. People tend to get excited about a particular culture because they can relate in one way or another. Ultimately though, the joy we see people have with the various characters and their support of the books through sales is the measure of success. So far, we have launched A (How to Arrange Your Azonto- Ghana), B (How to Beat the Bongos- Cuba), C (How to Crunch on a Cannoli- Italy), and D (How to Don a Dashiki- West Africa) and we will continue releasing two new letters every month. The response has been overwhelmingly positive thus far. I think when you write good quality content for an underrepresented community, the results will speak for themselves because this is not just something our community wants, it is something we need. What are the developmental concepts behind the AZ collection? After we launched our first collection, Girl to the World, we wanted to create a collection that would highlight as many cultures as possible. With “AZ, and Things in Between”, we were able to create a 26-storybook collection that celebrates 26 cultural phenomena in 26 different parts of the world. A-Z Collection is special because it quite literally teaches the reader how to do something from that culture. Our first book, How to Arrange Your Azonto, is a fun tutorial on the dance, but in showcasing the dance, we also showcase other elements of Ghanaian culture. How do you craft the mission of each collection and ensure the writing/illustration matches the mission? We identify needs within the field and tackle the ones we can fill. For the AZ Collection, we wanted to create something simple so that parents and educators could start introducing these cultural concepts to children as early as possible. For our activity books, we wanted to create something that would allow our readers to do the creating because we believed that there was a need for that. There is a specific style of illustration for each collection and we try to have the complexity match the age group and the depth of the story itself. The Girl to World series, for example, was illustrated in a very detailed manner because we wanted our readers to be fully transported to other countries. For the AZ collection, we created simple illustrations that focus on one piece of the culture throughout the book and make it easier for a toddler to grasp. Tell us how you design the books, the characters, and its aesthetic? We look at pictures, watch videos, and speak to people from that culture. We sketch ideas with our illustrators until we arrive at something that is representative enough of the people and the country that we are trying to depict. When we design the books, we just play around with the colors and fonts that match the illustrations and the mood of the story. What will kids take-away from the AZ Collection? I hope the AZ collection creates curiosity among toddlers. I hope they become curious about color and the ultimately begin to relate the excitement they get from the pictures with the excitement that comes with experiencing culture authentically. [bctt tweet=”As an editor, I interface with my writers frequently – Olayinka Lawal” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are your strengths and weaknesses as an editor, and how do you turn your weaknesses into strengths? As an editor, I interface with my writers frequently (some of who are
How to Invest Collaboratively with Friends: Tomie Balogun
[bctt tweet=”When you invest with others, you take advantage of the power of many – @tomie_balogun” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As a certified financial educator and Instructor, Tomie Balogun has a lot of experience in investing with friends. While pursuing her MBA, she and a few classmates started an investment club. Their passion to achieve financial freedom and make an impact on society saw them successfully invest in various small businesses and assets. However, investing with friends hasn’t always been that easy. Like Tomie, many people have had bad experiences either loaning money to a friend or requesting for a loan. The conclusion: money and friends are a horrible mix! However, the question many ask, is it still worth investing with friends or anybody else?. Tomie gives us tips on how to make this work. The Power of Many Think about the way you ask more people to contribute money to a party, so everyone can have more food options. Investing with other people helps increase the number of resources you raise and strengthens your financial future. Investing in Bigger Things Co-investing in an investment club gives you the opportunity to invest in bigger opportunities, share risks and share higher returns as well. For instance, while real estate is a great asset class that always appreciates, not a lot of young people can invest in it. However, if 5 or more people decide to come together and invest, they will have more cash. Over time, they can earn returns from their initial investment and continue to flip multiple real estate deals. That’s a better option than waiting till your 40’s to eventually own real estate. Choosing the Right Team You might be thinking, co-investing or starting an investment club is great but what about the emotional issues that come with investing with friends or colleagues at work? This can be tricky! The first thing you need to do while selecting partners is to avoid sentiments. You need to make sure that you choose your partners with clarity and objectivity. When identifying people, choose partners who are disciplined with spending money and more importantly, have a strong sense of integrity. Shared values are very important when co-investing. Details, Details, Details! First, you need a legal structure in place to protect everyone’s interest. When this happens, you limit liabilities in investment deals. You can register your club as a limited liability company or a limited partnership. What’s important is to make sure you have the papers to support your words if things go wrong. Secondly, they say the devil is in the details. In creating your legal documents and other admin paperwork, make sure you don’t skim through anything. Practice good financial bookkeeping, assign roles to manage tasks and create a constitution! Remember all information can be important! Make that Money Work Once you sort your membership and legalities, you can then start contributing money. Don’t set unachievable contribution rates, but set goals that everyone can work towards. If everyone believes in the goal, they will eventually build it too. At the end of the day, there are many options to invest. However, investment clubs are both great for collaborative investing and also fun! They are a smarter way to take advantage of the power of many to achieve your wealth goals sooner. So as soon as you can, get your motherland moguls into formation and start co-investing together towards your financial freedom.
Shathani Somolekae: My desire to make an impact as a lawyer has kept me going
After graduating from law school and becoming an attorney, Shathani Somolekae wished she would have had assistance during her journey. This then inspired her to help other law students in need of the guidance she never received. Shathani founded a Facebook community titled ‘How to Survive Law School’ (HTSLaws) where she mentors other young Lawyers. With her been-there-done-that and tutorials, she shares her experiences as a law student and provides advice on different things that law students would experience. Although tailored to Botswana’s legal system, the principles and lessons are essential to any law student. Shathani’s story is that of a young woman with the desire to blaze the trail, do what has never been done and make an impact in society. What inspired you to go into law? Numerous events, people, and experiences have inspired my legal career. I was firstly inspired by my mother who studied law at the University of Botswana and went on to become a Magistrate. I was fascinated by her tales of being a lawyer and the different cases she handled such as theft, assault, and abortions. When her colleagues came over for meals, they would also feed into my curiosity with their tales. From then, I knew I wanted to become a litigation lawyer and enjoy its unpredictable nature. My hero’s also inspired me to pursue law. These included Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela who all had some kind of legal background. It was clear to me that if I wanted to one-day national impact, I would need to study law to do so. How has your life changed since the genesis of HTSLawS? The most surprising and positive thing about the project is that it has actually deepened my passion for law and energized me in a way I never thought possible. Encouraging others to try harder, strive for more, be bold and unapologetic, has also motivated me to do the same. On the other hand, I am now busier than before. I now have to juggle work, HTSLawS, and other personal projects. This hasn’t been easy, but my desire to make an impact has kept me going. What challenges have you faced that are unique to your social venture and target audience? My biggest challenge is time. I don’t have as much time as wish I had to interact with law students as I also have work clients. Secondly, I have also witnessed different attitudes in the law students that keep them from succeeding. For example, there are law students who believe that just because they will probably not pursue a law-related career after they graduate that they should not apply themselves. My take is that first of all, you never know where life will take you. You could also merge your degree with other extra-curricular that will give you a competitive advantage. Even if you don’t practice law, you can provide assistance as many issues are often interconnected with the law. Ultimately the most important reason one must apply themselves. Not only is it important to finish what you started, but this also evokes confidence in knowing you are committed to complete something despite your lack of passion. What advice would you give a law graduate on next steps to take after graduation? My advice is, wherever you find yourself – be it in academia, government or private practice, it is often difficult but a necessary process of learning. Life and what’s expected of you will change so drastically post-graduation. However, if you accept that you are always a student, you will be more open to learning. That eagerness and desire to be relevant and competent in your field will be the springboard to your success. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.