How Tamiko Cuellar monetized her gift and launched her business
Tamiko Cuellar is the CEO and Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC, – a global coaching, consulting and training firm for emerging entrepreneurs, corporate intrapreneurs, and leaders. She spends at least 6 months each year traveling throughout the continent of Africa where she speaks, coaches, and trains leaders, entrepreneurs, students, and women. In addition, Tamiko was appointed as a mentor to emerging entrepreneurs in Africa as part of the Tony Elumelu’s Entrepreneurship Programme in 2016. Tamiko has been a guest contributor on Forbes, The Huffington Post, amongst other publications. In this article, Tamiko shares with us her journey to becoming a smart boss lady, and how she’s helping ladies on the continent do the same. What made you decide to launch your own business? There were multiple catalysts that compelled me to launch my own business I had survived three rounds of layoffs (retrenchments) at my corporate job in the United States as a result of the 2008 economy. My job was becoming more stressful and adversely impacted my health, and I was only given a $700 bonus after helping to acquire a $30 million client for my company. Besides all of that, I felt that my potential was being stifled and I was not fulfilled. I then decided to monetize my gifts and skillset on my own terms, by launching my business to help other women transition from corporate and grow their businesses. On your journey to becoming a Smart Boss Lady, What are some exciting things while launching your business? Since there weren’t many coaches that were doing what I was doing when I first started, I looked for as many existing coaches as a template and tried to emulate them. I later realized that it was my uniqueness that caused my brand to soar internationally. I would encourage aspiring and emerging boss ladies to harness what’s unique about you. That’s your sweet spot. People don’t need a clone. They need you to show up in your authenticity What are some of the common problems entrepreneurs hire you to solve? The most common problems that women hire me for are helping them to narrow their focus, defining their target market, creating/refining a brand that attracts their target market, and also how to sell and make money consistently Established larger organizations usually hire me to develop their leaders. Why did you choose the business name – Pursue Your Purpose LLC? My company’s name was birthed from a common answer to a question that I would often ask people, which is, “What would you be doing if you could do something other than your current job?” The answer was always something different than what they were currently doing! Then my follow-up question would be, “Then why aren’t you doing that?” This was usually followed by a blank stare because people didn’t know why they weren’t getting paid to do what they love. It was then that I realized that most people that are working are doing what they have to do rather than what they want to do. I’ve mastered a system that creates entrepreneurs who get paid to do what they love and I simply coach others on how to profit from their God-given purpose. Tell us about your experience working almost exclusively on the continent of Africa. I absolutely love it! I am called to Africa. The Africa I see is very different than the Africa that is portrayed in the media. Africa is rising It’s ripe with potential because the majority of the population in many African nations is very young (ages 15-25) and emerging leaders are going to be at the helm of solving Africa’s problems very soon. Someone needs to develop and train these emerging leaders. I also feel a deeply personal and cultural connection to Africa being an African-American women of the Diaspora who can also bring a high level of skills to the continent that I’ve acquired in the States. Who is your dream client/partner? First and foremost, my dream partnership would be with SLA in some way to build capacity in its community of professional business women from a global perspective. As a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management in the U.S., I also love working with Universities throughout Africa on entrepreneurship curriculum development as well as being a guest lecturer to business and entrepreneurship students. Additionally, I love working with agencies and the Ministries of Trade & Industry to teach sub-Saharan African businesses on how to export their products into the U.S. duty-free. Lastly, I love training corporate leaders and HR managers on how they develop innovative entrepreneurial thinking in order to be on the cutting edge of what the rest of the world is doing. I would love to do more of these three types of training and coaching. I’m very open to being contacted by your readers for partnership and speaking opportunities throughout Africa. What’s the most exciting project you’re currently working on? I’m very happy to say that my fourth book, “Cultivating An Entrepreneurial Mindset” should be out by the fourth quarter of 2019. This will help thousands of aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs both inside and outside the classroom to develop the right thinking that leads to having successful, profitable and sustainable businesses. My calendar for 2020 is filling up quickly with organizational partnerships, speaking and training opportunities with universities, corporations, and government agencies throughout Africa, so I welcome as many strategic alignments as my company can accommodate. I am also adding new Global Brand Ambassadors to my team all over Africa who are highly influential and can help us impact more people. This article was put together by Lungiswa Mzimba
WANT TO BE A BETTER MANAGER? KEEP THESE 3 THINGS IN MIND
Being a boss babe leader and managing others is not easy. I remember when I was first starting off as a manager, and I had to make my first hires. I overthought everything. I did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but at the same time, I wanted to get the most out of the people I hired. Here are three basic statements I kept in mind when reflecting on my ability to engage and mobilize anyone working with me. They are useful to think about whether you manage one intern or twenty individuals. 1. Understand the goals and aspirations of each member of your team. I used to think that I had to approach each member of my team the same. I would provide them the same information and respond to them in similar ways, expecting the same output from each. It did not get me very far. Each person needs to be treated as an individual. Understanding how each member of your team ticks will help you get the most out of them. If you know how to acknowledge and recognize each member, you will know how best to motivate and communicate with them. With just a bit of work and understanding, you can get a lot more out of a team member, because you will be speaking their language. No two people are motivated the same way, so you cannot always expect the same result from different individuals. If you are an employee… Tell your manager what motivates you. Tell them what you want to get out of your experience working with them and how you prefer to be approached. If you are confused about your role or objectives, ask or show them what you think they should be. They might not always listen, but you can at least demonstrate how self-aware you are. Some managers will appreciate it. Those who don’t probably shouldn’t be managers. 2. Each member of your team knows what you expect, and where they are in terms of performance I was notorious and continued to have issues with communicating what I want from others. Even when we think we have done an excellent job, we usually have not. Making sure each member of your team understands their place (even if it changes monthly) is key to making sure you are getting the most out of them. They should be getting feedback from you regularly, and you should periodically inquire about making sure they are on the right track. If they are not, its either you haven’t done an excellent job being explicit or the role does not suit them. If you are an employee and your company has a formal performance review process, nothing your manager says during the performance review process should come as a surprise. Ask for regular feedback and make sure you get clarity if you are confused. Send your manager an email with what you discussed, even if its feedback, to make sure you both are on the same page. 3. You actively act on advice and feedback on how you come across to your team, and how you can be a more motivating leader No one is perfect but spending a few hours a week on seeking and receiving feedback can make you a more effective leader. You can ask for input in various ways: informally at group meetings or formally through surveys. Take some time to read about different approaches to leadership and reflect on who you admire as a manager. Write down the traits and feedback you want to embody and try them out. Want to check how you are doing? Continue to ask for feedback over time. If you are an employee… Ask your manager if you can give them constructive feedback. Think about what you can learn from your manager and make the best of the situation. If there is something that doesn’t sit well with you, keep it in mind for when you have a chance to manage others. How can you use these statements to make a change or move forward? With each element, try to rate yourself. I would suggest on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 meaning disagree strongly and 10, strongly agree. Ask your teammates for feedback to help you decide where you stand. For the statements you rate less than 5, you might want to spend some time thinking through how to bridge the gap. You can start by asking yourself these questions: Where do you want to be? What is the first thing you can do to make progress in that particular element? That one small step you take can help you get closer to the leader you want to be and get even more out of your team. This month of July, we’re telling stories about boss ladies breaking boundaries, and how you also can hit your #BossLadyGoals. Got a boss lady story to share with us? Click here.
Why Your Business Ideas Aren’t Working
By ensuring that your goals are S.M.A.R.T, you set yourself up to experience the thrill of an achievement that will become a motivation for future successes. Did you know that you can give 110% effort and fail miserably, even with a good business idea? I’ve seen it more times than I can count. An eager entrepreneur has a brilliant idea and quickly forges ahead, only to come back disappointed that things did not work out. By the time they come to that realization, they have likely invested a lot of money, energy and time that they will never get back. Entrepreneurs going through this experience usually assume that they are simply not cut out for entrepreneurship. It is at this point that I dig a little deeper into their execution process and I find that the real problem was that the idea or goal was underdeveloped, leading to poor execution. It was a set-up for failure from the start. I then have the task of talking the entrepreneur off the ledge by explaining that there may have been nothing wrong with their effort, resources or intentions. The reason for the apparent failure was likely that the goal was an inherently bad goal. When it comes to execution in business, a good goal is not just noble in its intention, but it also S.M.A.R.T. It is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Ensuring that your goal meets these criteria increases the likelihood of success. It eliminates wasted time and hones in on the best strategy for success. Specific goals break down your general goals into manageable pieces so that they are easier to achieve. A great example of this might be to increase your annual revenue. “Increase revenue in 2019” is a noble general goal. An even better goal is to “increase revenue in 2019 by identifying profit leaks and creating monthly marketing campaigns in order to obtain new clients.” Using that example, it’s easy to see how an entrepreneur can go from casting a wide net and taking a chance on what sticks, to identifying a specific strategy for success. Even that specific goal can be further developed as you think about other factors that will affect the outcome. By adding metrics and changing the goal to “increase revenue by 40% in 2019, by identifying profit leaks and creating monthly marketing campaigns in order to obtain new clients,” the direction and initial action steps are even clearer. This way, there is little room for wasted resources and time. The attainable and realistic factors in the S.M.A.R.T. formula are subjective factors determined by the individual’s readiness to start working on their goals. An entrepreneur who does not have a marketing budget needs to first raise the money or create a budget for marketing before embarking on the goal above. It seems obvious enough, but many entrepreneurs still do not count the cost before they set their foot on the pavement. The last piece of the formula is timeliness. This ensures that the person setting the goal has a sense of urgency and can fend off complacency when working toward their goal. It is easy to overlook this final piece, but it is just as critical as the others because it has two extremes: too much time allotted for the goal, and not enough time. When there is too much time, it is easy to fall into traps of procrastination and complacency. These are traps that force individuals to believe they have more time to do the work than they actually do. They lose their sense of urgency, which opens the door for others to leverage their ideas, or for a competitor to get to a product launch before they do. The other extreme is not to give yourself enough time. By rushing toward the goal, entrepreneurs stand the risk of sabotaging by not properly assessing the risks and all of the factors necessary for success. After all, there’s value for the entrepreneur in trial and error and even failure. However, by ensuring that your goals are S.M.A.R.T., you set yourself up to experience the thrill of achievement that will become a motivation for future successes.
Travel Hacks For The Budgetnista in You
Travel has become part and parcel of a millennial’s life. We prioritize traveling a lot more than we did over a decade or so ago. Why? Because travel life is the best life that’s why. Visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, new cuisines and making lifetime memories while you’re at it? What could be better than that? That being said, the jet set life isn’t something people willingly get into because of the cost. SLA has a few tips and tricks on low budget travel that can possibly help change your mind… 1. Save Smart It goes without saying that if you want to travel, you need to save for it. Travelling requires sacrifice and compromise and good financial management. So if it means ditching your daily coffee run and carrying your own lunch to work for three months then so be it – every little bit counts. We spend so much on little luxuries that we can actually do without if we think about how much we can save in the long run. If you have a financial goal to meet by a certain time – you will need to cut out some unnecessary spending habits. Save and save diligently. 2. Visas Check whether the country you are traveling to requires a visa on arrival or one to be acquired before travel or none at all. In regards to visas on arrival, be sure to check with the country’s consulate directly and not just Google. For example – I was travelling to Mexico last year and being a Kenyan, I immediately knew I needed to get a visa and when I checked the requirements on the consulate’s website, the list mentioned that if you have a current US visa, you can still get entry into Mexico – no need to apply for a visa. I called the consulate to confirm this and they did confirm it. Saved myself the process and the coins and had I not checked, I’d have paid for a visa I didn’t really need. Please do your research when it comes to visas. The UK visa, for example, gives you access to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The US, Canada, and UK visa do also offer visa-free access to plenty of other countries with an entry of up to 15 to 180 days, depending on the country. You do have to check whether your passport is eligible for such access though. All this helps you void visa fees and the entire process altogether if necessary. Some consulates require confirmed flight and accommodation bookings when applying for a visa. A trick to get around this – book your accommodation through booking.com, this site lets you book a hotel room without any payment required and you can cancel the booking within a particular timeframe. This helps you get through the visa process without losing any money in case you aren’t successful in the visa interview. You can also reserve tickets without paying immediately with some airlines or travel agencies. 3. Best Time to Travel It is always cheaper to travel during off-peak periods. Traveling during the holiday season such as Easter and Christmas will cost more than any other time of the year. The Summer season is also an expensive travel period especially to countries in the west. Here in Africa, peak times depending on the country. For example in Kenya, excluding the holiday season in December, other peak seasons include April (Easter holidays) and August (when the cold season here ends). Any other time of the year is off-peak season so perfect for traveling here. In Europe, off-peak times include January – March or September – Early November. For countries in South-East Asia like Indonesia and Malaysia, the best time to travel would be during their monsoon season, which starts around November until March. The weather is still hot and humid, just mixed with showers of rain from time to time. The best days to travel in terms of affordability are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Majority travel is done from Friday to Monday so those days will have more costly travel fares. For holiday travel, it would be wise to book a flight scheduled for a week before the actual holiday, i.e. a week or two before Christmas week or if you can’t leave that early, traveling on Christmas day is another option. It’s not ideal but it will be the cheapest ticket you get. Flying on Christmas day or Thanksgiving day will give you the best rates on the low. 4. Flight Hacks Searching for cheap flights is really an extreme sport sometimes but if you’re keen on various airline trends, you can find a loophole. First tip – when looking for flights, browse using an incognito/private window. Websites track your searches and you will always see the same rate on several different sites because they have picked up that you are looking. Either use a private browsing window or clear your cache every time you search so the sites have nothing to pick up on. The best time to search for flights is a good three months in advance, the rates go up the closer you get to your departure date. Flights with one or two stops tend to be cheaper than direct flights. As convenient as direct flights are, they tend to cost so much just because of said convenience. Picking a flight with connecting flights saves quite a bit of money and for some airlines like Emirates, if your layover is 10hrs or longer, they automatically give you a transit visa which allows you to get out of the airport and put you up in a hotel for that duration before your next flight. Join ALL the miles programs. Most programs are partnered with more than one airline, for instance, Delta SkyMiles program is partnered with KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways, Korean Airlines, Alitalia, China Airlines, etc… So you can get miles from any of these airlines and use them on
Erika Atienza: From solo backpacking through Africa to becoming a Digital Entrepreneur
This is not a success story of a freelance solo backpacker who became a digital entrepreneur. Not a story of someone who went from nobody to become somebody. This is a story of someone who used to live life passively, without a purpose other than to make it through the day okay, until finally realizing a dream, then realizing she can fulfill that dream, and eventually going after it. This is a story of how I finally came to understand a lesson I’ve heard many times over – That there is nothing in this world we cannot accomplish if we really put our heart’s desire into it. And it all started in Africa. [bctt tweet=”Erika shares how she became a digital entrepreneur and founded @whileinafrica by moving from the Philippines to backpack and volunteer through Africa. Read more…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] First, the Travel Bug… I had a typical life with an 8-5 job and everything about my life was “okay”. It’s not bad at all. I was fortunate but I was definitely not living life on the edge. But after being able to travel to a foreign country alone for the first time, I had an epiphany that I wanted to see the world. Since that trip, it was just never the same for me. That night, I finally understood what passion meant. And mine was to see the world. And so after 2 yrs of over-planning and some modest savings that were definitely not enough, off I went. I left despite the doubts because if I waited for the “right time”, I was afraid it wouldn’t come. Why Africa?… I was choosing between South America and Africa and somewhere along my research, I found cheaper flights to Tanzania. And that was really the main reason why Africa ended up becoming my first solo backpacking destination. Also, I thought it was exotic and I wanted to prove to myself that I can pull it off. Indeed, I was able to visit other African countries as well for the next few months. Budget Problem. No Problem… A few months before my flight, I looked for volunteering opportunities and ways to travel cheaply. I searched workaway for hosts but there’s really nothing in there that I found interesting. Couch surfing community in the cities I wanted to visit seemed dodgy and everywhere else, there was only voluntourism. A little deeper into my research and I had an “AHA” moment. I learned that safari tourism is big in Tanzania. In fact, all over East and Southern Africa. I did marketing in my previous job so I’m familiar with the whole concept of “Ex-Deal”. Hence, I emailed every one of them in a personalized manner, introduced myself like a pro, and offered to help in their marketing in exchange for food and accommodation. A few days later, I received another milestone in my backpacking career, someone actually replied and took me in. And so, with my heart full, I went to Tanzania and for the next few weeks, I was staying at their office helping them out with marketing while combining it with tours here and there. It was the perfect way to get to know the culture and experience the local life, just my kind of travel! I worked with Gosheni Safaris in Tanzania and experienced the local life From Freelancer to a business owner… After I left, my “boss” kept emailing and texting me about the things I have started while working for him. I carried on to politely help them and after some time of consistent demands, I had another “AHA” moment. I presented the best opportunity they can ever imagine… that I work for them remotely. They were thrilled with the idea and we came up with a fair price that later on increased to a modest amount that funded most of my travels. This idea fired me up and I basically traveled for the next 2 months in Africa, either looking for volunteering opportunities or trading off my skills. I continued to travel for a couple of years more doing the same thing until I finally decided to slow down a bit. As I had a lot of free time now that I wasn’t all over everywhere, I decided to take it up a notch and find a few more clients by emailing them and advertising myself. Eventually, in 2018, I took another major step and built my own website, made everything official, and registered my humble digital marketing service. It’s worth mentioning that until this time, the same company in Africa where I first volunteered is still a client and they have passed on a lot of referrals to me ever since. Looking back, I think the thing that made all the difference is that I always did my best while serving my volunteering time. Even though I was not getting paid, even though I know I wasn’t going to work-volunteer for that company for long, I gave it my best shot and I always try to have fun. And it paid off in better ways I can imagine. So always, always do your best. This is how you make impressions and build connections. A lot of opportunities can open by simply putting your best foot forward at all times. Here are some lessons you can learn from my experience… 1. There’s no one right way to do things You don’t need to have a big capital to start your own business. Especially in this day and age, even a kid can become an entrepreneur, all you need is creativity and courage. In my case, the right dose of luck and creativity allowed me to build a modest lifestyle of being able to work from anywhere in the world and where I was able to combine my skills and passion. But there is no one way right way to do things. The first things to ask yourself are: What am I passionate about? What am I good
WAMBUI GICHOBI: On a quest to travel the world with her project – #Adventure197. (49 countries down)
Wambui Gichobi is a visual media producer based in Nairobi, Kenya with Survival Media Agency. Over the last 8 years, she has produced short films on issues regarding adaptation and mitigation for environmental degradation and social justice issues. While working with SMA, she is currently trying to travel to all the countries of the world with her project Adventure 197. She is currently on country number 49 and hopes to cover continental Africa by road. Wambui is an Environmental Science graduate from Kenyatta University, Keny, and a keen environmentalist with a specific interest in climate change and media for climate change. For the entire time of her career, she has followed the yearly international climate negotiations creating media with SMA yearly for environmental awareness. She has been at the forefront of environmental activities in Kenya, initially heading Sustainable Africa Youth Foundation (SAYF) in university, which promoted environmental awareness and tree planting, especially in schools. She has also worked for the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and Kenya Wines Agencies Limited (KWAL) in the Quality, Safety, Health, and Environment sector. Tell us about #Adventure197. What was your biggest motivation to start this journey to travel the 197 countries? Prior to my decision to start Adventure197, I had traveled previously on work assignments. In 2017, I read an article about Cassie De Pecol, who was the first documented woman to have traveled all the countries in the world. Further research showed that they had been no black or brown person who had traveled all the nations in the world. Adventure 197 was born of the need to travel the world as a black person and show the world that it is possible for a black person to accomplish the same. The visa processes are much more challenging while traveling with a Kenyan passport as compared to other travelers i.e. with American or European passports. My biggest motivation is to prove that it is possible for a person, male or female, to travel the world. How do you believe travel impacts you as an individual and a professional? Travel has impacted me in very many ways. As an individual, I have been able to build my confidence through meeting and interacting with new people and sharing our stories. Traveling solo teaches you to have fun by yourself and to bond with others. It has also taught me time management. Prior to the start of Adventure197, I was always late to meetings and appointments. Being responsible for my own flight schedules, train rides among other details has taught me to be time conscious and manage my time effectively. I have also learned to measure growth by the clarity of progress. Traveling to different countries is very quantitative and there is no grey area in the number of countries you have traveled. This is a measure I have adopted in other areas of my life whether emotionally, financially, etc. It is important to be clear on the position you are at any particular point in life in order to measure your progress. Having to fund my own travels have also taught me how to manage my own finances. I have to learn how to get the money I need and plan for all my expenditures and be financially stable while at it. People and cultures differ from one place to the next and it is important to learn and take note of the important cultures of the place you are visiting. Additionally, I have also learned financial management in terms of what jobs to pick up as there is always a need to get more income for my travel. [bctt tweet=”Travel has impacted me in very many ways – @WambuiGichobi” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you manage work and travel at the same time? When I traveled my first 14 countries, I held two jobs where I worked an 8-5 and also worked with Survival Media. I would schedule my travel to coincide with weekends and or public holidays. In other instances, if my job with Survival Media required me to travel, I would apply for leave days at my 8-5. Most of my travel at this period was work-related. When I made a decision to start Adventure197, I had to quit my 8-5 job. I currently work with Survival Media. The job is purely on an online basis and I will, therefore, go where the job takes me. This has created flexibility in my schedule as I can work and travel at the same time. In the first leg of my journey, I worked while I was in the United States at St. James, Louisiana, and also covered the caravan moving from Honduras through Guatemala in Mexico to the United States border. Some of the benefits of my job are that I can pick up jobs from clients whenever duty calls or when the need arises. Once the job is done, I can then pick up from my current location and continue with my travels. As an environmentalist, you have purposed to offset your carbon footprint as you travel around the world, how do you intend to undertake this? I am an environmentalist by profession and have been passionate about the environment from a very young age. Through research, I discovered that most of my travels via air or trains would be very carbon intensive and I would have to offset as much of my carbon footprint as I possibly could. I try to travel green as much as possible and in cases where this is not possible, I will try as much as possible to offset my carbon footprint. Cycling is one of the most effective ways of traveling green and this was very easy in the Eastern European countries where cycling is a huge part of their culture. In addition, I have to be a mindful traveler which means traveling to countries close to each other thus reducing the distances covered by air or train and also avoiding plastic straws and
Holly Irasubiza: The young Rwandan mentoring the next generation of Young African Leaders
Holly Irasubiza is an activist, researcher, and mentor committed to building a stronger, more equitable Rwanda. She served as a 2017-2018 Global Health Corps fellow at Partners in Health. Born and raised in Kigali, she blossomed into a vocal leader during her time as a student at Bugema University, where she headed multiple student organizations and worked as a teaching assistant and instructor. After graduating, Holly mentored other female students to encourage them to dream big and work towards a brighter future. Passionate about the power of leadership to transform societies, Holly authored a piece titled “Why Care and Compassion Are Core Leadership Competencies.” In this article, Holly talks about the powerful impact of mentorship, both for mentees and mentors. [bctt tweet=”As a mentee, I grew significantly both personally and professionally – Holly Irasubiza” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What inspired you to become a mentor? I have a passion for people development, and being a mentor is a way to share my knowledge and experiences to impact another’s success. It is fulfilling and keeps my motivation high, knowing that I am touching a life by giving back. My life has been shaped by the mentors I have met throughout my journey, and I hope to support the younger generation to go beyond their limits and change the world. Why should mentorship be important to young African leaders? The African continent has struggled under bad leadership, and some of the consequences are still faced by the African population. But it has also experienced some of the most brilliant and visionary leaders, which have shed the light, banished the darkness, and brought hope for today and the future of Africa. To maintain and develop great future leaders of Africa, we need to be proactive, starting with the empowerment of our youth. By some estimates, up to 60% of the African population is the youth, and they need to be empowered and encouraged to explore their potential and use available resources to their advantage. This will not only provide us with great leaders in the future but will also speed up the continent’s development now. With mentorship, young leaders can learn from past experiences and success stories, and stand on the shoulders of giants to go further. What makes a good mentor/mentee relationship? I sum this up as the 4 C’s: Commitment: The mentee must identify the right person for mentorship, including past experiences and areas of expertise, to ensure that the mentor is in a position to help them to achieve their goals. Communication: The mentee should have clear goals and communicate the agenda they want to be mentored on, how often they would like to check-in, and a preferred communication line (email, Skype calls, or face-to-face meetings). This will help both mentor and mentee to schedule their regular meetings and track their progress. Compassion: It is the responsibility of the mentor to create a positive and friendly environment for the mentee to share openly their opinions and challenges. They should check if they are meeting the set goals, and maintain objectivity throughout the course. Care: The mentor should take ownership of the program, make sure that they listen clearly to the mentee’s needs, and use their best abilities to support their growth. The mentee should respect the mentor’s willingness to share their time, wisdom, knowledge, and experiences to support and guide them towards achieving their life goals. [bctt tweet=”Read how this @ghcorps fellow – Holly Irasubiza is mentoring the next generation of African leaders” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you hope for the next generation of African leaders? How can mentorship help achieve that future? I am very optimistic about the next generation of African leaders. Having worked in multicultural settings, I have had the opportunity to interact with amazing, bright young women and men across the continent. My peers are very ambitious and innovative, with brilliant ideas. Their aspirations for African development are incredible, and they have already made a remarkable impact in their respective communities. I have no doubt about the great future leaders they are. The youth are eager to learn from leaders’ experience and take up their wisdom. Mentorship will guide them and show them how to apply this knowledge to make them better future leaders. How has your career in global health impacted your mentorship skills – and vice versa? Global Health Corps provided me with great opportunities to interact with leaders and experts in different areas. So many willingly shared their experiences and wisdom, and they are still great resources for my success as an alumna of the program. I am provided with guidance, encouragement, and support to achieve my goals. This experience has strengthened my passion to give back. How have you benefited from mentorship—both as a mentor and a mentee? Being a mentor has improved my leadership skills; my mentee looks up to me, so I have to set a good example and be the type of leader I want to see. It has also boosted my communication skills and keeps me engaged by offering me fulfillment, seeing the impact it makes. Mentorship has broadened my network and offered me opportunities to learn from my mentees as well. As a mentee, I grew significantly both personally and professionally. Learning from the best offered me different opportunities and extended my professional network. The leader that I am today is the result of these relationships. What are you doing to gain a global perspective? We want to share your story! Click here to share.
4 ways to cop Your Goals vs your Glow (Number 3 is our favorite)
The average working-class woman gets caught up in an entangling web where she is trying (so hard sometimes) to achieve her goals, reach her maximum potential, score-in on every success story and look effortless while at it. It is like she wanting to be wonder woman; hair blowing in the wind (or no hair at all), athletic legs standing firmly in the ground, and beauty unhinged as she saves the world, in this case, hers. Most people say you can almost never have it all. You can almost never be extremely successful, which comes with a lot of to-do list, running around, and still look glamorous while at it. Or to be specific, keep to your health/beauty goals as you slay in both financial figures and that figure 8. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to having a balance, realizing that in this thug life of achieving your goals and your glow, you can manage it all, because it is your life and you are in charge, always. Here are a few pointers to help you Set up realistic and achievable plans Sometimes, when you set up a far-reaching list of what you want to achieve, that is all they are going to be – far-reaching. Where you stretch yourself beyond every elastic limit until you crack and the pressure becomes visible. Create a list of practical success plans, or health/ beauty regimen you want to achieve for the next one month (it is always good to do it in bits. When you flood yourself, you overwhelm yourself) and stick to it! Have a scale of priorities In this case, I would say your health first, but, different strokes for different folks. So make a decision of what takes the front seat and have the other at the passenger seat, with the seat belt on. That way, they are both on the same level, but one thing has the wheels and navigates the other, which happens to be secured and safe regardless of a crash. [bctt tweet=”Passion makes everything look stress-free because you exude a different kind of joy while ticking off the goals that reflect on your skin and glows you up. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Strive for contentment, NOT perfection This is when you know that there is no perfect balance and sometimes wonder woman gets a hit or two. The ultimate goal should not be perfection but rather contentment. This way, you’re able to find the core of things, that you hold them firmly yet delicately together. We all have it. Look for yours. Make sure you are passionate about what you do Passion makes everything look stress-free because you exude a different kind of joy while ticking off the goals that reflect on your skin and glows you up. “Find what you love and let it kill you”. According to Bukowski, this is a great tip for being happy and fulfilled enough to run that errand, set up that meeting and not dreading it all every step of the way. And because you are away from that toxic and draining environment it is most likely to reflect positively on your glow. Give yourself love, backed up by smart thinking, that way you will not put yourself or your business in jeopardy. How are you growing and glowing this month? We want to share your story! Click here to share.
Here’s how you can jumpstart your career and business in 2019!
New year, new you right? 2019 is all about turning ideas into goals and turning concrete goals into actual results whether it’s in your career or business. Here are 5 ways you can jumpstart your 2019 and keep winning all year long! Set goals! I love setting goals at the beginning of the year because it’s a wonderful opportunity to take a break, think about what you’ve accomplished so far and where you want to go in the future. This SLA article gives you a step by step guide to setting goals in 2019. Look the part I remember in one of my first jobs after school, there was a colleague who never wore makeup and people definitely clowned her. They would say she didn’t look professional or always looked tired. Hate it or love it, in the professional world, how you present yourself can be the difference between you getting that opportunity to shine and people overlooking you for not looking the part. Makeup is not compulsory to look the part but looking neat, clean and pleasant will. This Forbes article explains how savvy business women should dress for success. [bctt tweet=”Jumpstart your career and business this year with 5 tips from She Leads Africa’s co-founder @helloafua! More in this article.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Fail forward Failures and setbacks in life are inevitable! Even the most successful people have failed at something. To fail forward means to become better because of your mistakes, you can only do this by acknowledging your mistakes, and learning from them. Here’s a great article by a Google employee, Tanuja Ramchal on how to fail fast and fail forward. Be accountable! The key to achieving your goals is ACCOUNTABILITY. This can be in the form of a Vision Board that you check every week or in a club where you share your goals out loud. However you choose to do it, accountability can make or break whether you see real progress in your goals this year. The SLA team has pulled together resources to help you set and achieve your goals in 2018. Visit sheleadsafrica.org/2019 to find out more and jumpstart your 2019. Don’t forget to take out some time for yourself Don’t forget to take out some time for yourself! When it comes to self-care; the main lesson I’ve learned is that you have to control your life so that you don’t wake up one day and not recognize the person you’ve become. Be mindful. Be thoughtful. Be present so that you enjoy every single experience on your journey to becoming a better you. As Nigerians say, I can’t come and kill myself! In this article, Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post makes the argument that you should sleep your way to the top! She means sleep, catch actual zzzz’s. Here’s wishing you an amazing 2019! See you at the top. Visit SheLeadsAfrica.org/NewYearGoals or OkadaBooks.com to learn how to jumpstart your 2019. She Leads Africa is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting young African women and their journey towards professional success. The organization has been featured on CNN, CNBC Africa, Black Enterprise and Fox Business and has more than 600,000 community members across Africa and the diaspora.
5 things you need to start doing to grow your business online in 2019!
When Yasmin Belo-Osagie and I decided to start She Leads Africa in 2012, we had no office, no team, just a shared vision. We didn’t have fixed plans, but we both had a strong passion to help young women do better in their careers and businesses. Since then we’ve built an amazing team, grown a community to more than 500,000 women across 135 countries, been featured in international media like Forbes, CNN and CNBC, generated hundreds of thousands of dollars through partnerships with global brands like Facebook, Samsung and Google, and was even invited to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange! Here are 5 lessons I have learned along the way: Set goals At She Leads Africa, our goal has always been to create a platform to help millennial women create their own version of success so it’s exciting to be able to design experiences and opportunities to help them get closer to it. This goal is broken down into many smaller goals and tasks that help us achieve this overarching goal. Create content that stands out There is such a significant need for interesting and creative content from diverse voices that there is no niche that has been overdone. Those who want to be successful must move beyond creating content and discover how they can create community, experiences, and commerce to build a sustainable business. Develop a brand layout or creative guidelines so your content looks consistent over time. [bctt tweet=”5 things you need to start doing to grow your business online in 2019 from She Leads Africa’s co-founder, @helloafua. Learn more.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Think beyond social media Make sure you’re creating a brand that goes beyond social media and these algorithm changes. Be able to connect directly with your customers, fans and industry decision makers without relying on someone else’s shine. One of the ways you can do this is by growing a mailing list. Help your team members develop through feedback As an entrepreneur, one of the most important responsibilities to your team members is to give them feedback. When your budget is tight, you can’t always afford to hire people with the most experience so you and your team will need to learn and grow together. Honest and consistent feedback is the way to make that happen. Network Find like-minded people in your community who can help you grow, and who you can help. Business relationships should always be symbiotic. Go to networking events. As an introvert, my go-to method before any networking opportunity: Breath. Research. Practice. The digital economy provides one of the most significant opportunities for young women to generate their own independent income and monetize their skills and personality to a global audience. Previous economic transformations required significant capital or permission from gatekeepers. That is no longer the case. The SLA team has pulled together resources to help you set and achieve your goals in 2019. Visit SheLeadsAfrica.org/NewYearGoals or OkadaBooks.com to learn how to jumpstart your 2019. She Leads Africa is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting young African women and their journey towards professional success. The organization has been featured on CNN, CNBC Africa, Black Enterprise and Fox Business and has more than 600,000 community members across Africa and the diaspora.