Video: Koleka Putuma sends a Love Letter to Africa
South African slam poet Koleka Putuma delivers a powerful recitation of the poem she authored, entitled – “Love Letter to Africa.” Putuma uses the medium of the spoken word to express her love for Africa and to highlight the unique traditions, legacies, and culture of the African continent. Her words are carefully chosen and beautifully penned, but to see her speak the words that she has written is a spellbinding experience. Every part of her body speaks to her audience, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Watch her love letter to Africa here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IXiuCPvJvMc Putuma earned a degree in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town, and she has traveled the globe delivering these mesmerizing performances in places as far afield as Glasgow, Scotland, and New York, USA. She was recognized on the Forbes Africa Under 30s list of creatives making waves for 2018. Other works by Putuma address important social issues facing African women, including health and education. Standard Bank Group is the largest African banking group by assets, with a market cap of approximately R317 billion (USD28 billion), offering a range of banking and related financial services across sub-Saharan Africa. Their strategy is to be an African focused, client-centered, digitally enabled universal financial services organization, which drives Africa’s growth and creates value for all our stakeholders. Our clients are at the center of everything they do. Standard Bank Group has a 155-year history in South Africa and started building a franchise in sub-Saharan Africa almost 30 years ago. They have an on-the-ground presence in 20 countries on the African continent, and solid local knowledge required to operate a successful business in Africa. Sponsored post.
Ahdora Mbelu-Dania: Passion is great, but purpose is better
Ahdora Mbelu-Dania is currently a Director at Trellis Group (@trellisgroupco). Trellis group is a group of companies in the brand development and experiential marketing space that has worked on several projects across various industries, with brands such as Microsoft, Google, Sterling Bank, Union Bank, Lagos State Government, Nokia, Diageo, Absolut. Ahdora has a passion for innovation and a belief in the power of creativity to achieve extraordinary business results. She moved to Nigeria in 2008 and found that there were so many young Nigerians in the creative sector that were unable to harness their creativity and build sustainable brand/business structures – Trellis group bridges this gap. In 2017, Adaora was mentioned in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “11 Africans that are changing the business landscape in Africa.” She was also nominated in the “Entrepreneur Of The Year” and “Prize For Media Enterprise” Categories of the Future Awards Africa. She has been featured among Nigeria’s Under 40 CEO’s, and Top 30 Under 30. Ahdora talks about finding passion, purpose, and creativity. How did your family background and rich cultural heritage prepare you for the success you experience today? My family background provided a diversity of thought. My parents are from different racial and cultural backgrounds, and this provided an opportunity for me to understand diversity very early in life. Hence, I keep a very open mind, and this allows me to forge relationships with people without bias for their backgrounds. You seem to value creative thinking above traditional practice, has this always worked for you? I actually value both creative thinking and traditional practice. I think both ideologies have their place in my life’s journey. The important thing is that I know how and when to apply either one to produce positive results. Many people view creativity as rebellion and going against the norm. But I believe that everyone is born with some level of creativity, and thus there’s nothing to really rebel against. We just need to harness this creativity to solve problems and produce great work. I try to stay away from the tag of “Creative” vs “Non-creative”. At the very core, what is your company – Trellis all about? As the name implies, Trellis is about providing a structure/framework that supports people to get their greatest work out to the world. Trellis Group was created from the need to solve and bring light to the existing challenges faced in the African creative sector. We are a creative consultancy made up of a group of companies in the sectors of Brand development (Gr8an), Experiential Marketing (A2Creative) Talent Management, and Community Development (Socially Africa). You definitely fit the idea of a superwoman. Do you face challenges as a creative strategist? Being superwoman definitely comes with various challenges – even the superheroes in the movies have to fight people, and even their own emotional struggles. I have my fair share of challenges, especially as I not only work on the client side but also manage operations. I am continuously dealing with solving people’s problems, and that sometimes means fully immersing myself in understanding the problem first, before I try to solve. [bctt tweet=”Being superwoman definitely comes with various challenges – even superheroes in the movies have to fight people – @ahdoraspeaks” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you identify ideas that are competent and sustainable and those that are not? There two things I usually consider when I’m presented with an idea. Does it solve an existing problem And can it progress without the creator? I think the best ideas are the ones that can grow without the person who developed the idea. The world has got this entrepreneurship game all wrong. From my perspective, it isn’t about founders, as much as it is about solutions. It isn’t about who did it, but rather that it was done. This is why as much as I respect investor pitches and all that good stuff, I also know that Purpose will always trump what everyone else thinks. [bctt tweet=”Be open to collaboration – if you don’t care about who gets the credit, you are more likely to do many amazing things – @ahdoraspeaks” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you look out for in ideas/projects that come to your agency for actualization? With the projects we work on, we choose our clients as much as they choose us. Many times we focus on the people behind the projects. We have been through the start-up phase where we’ve worked with people and projects that we didn’t necessarily have a heart for because it was profitable. However, we are now at a stage where we measure value very differently. These days, we choose peace of mind over financial gain. I know it’s a bold statement to make, but it’s factual. I’m not as concerned about quantity, as I am about quality. Hence, a lot of our business is either return business or by referral. How have you been able to juggle your demanding career and your role as a mother altogether? I am still learning to juggle it all. I don’t have a perfect response to this question, especially because I really don’t believe strongly in “work-life” balance. At least, I don’t believe that it must be 50/50, and thus I don’t put pressure on myself or feel that I am falling short in my responsibilities. I take each day at a time, and give as much as I possibly can, per time, with the understanding that to whom much is given, much is expected. I mean, my family and friends believe that I am an amazing mother, and I know I am. However, I have read mommy blogs that just make me look like child’s play. But I have learned to abandon comparison, and just enjoy my mommy moments – they are mine. Your dress style is fiercely distinct and bold. How come you decided to stick with the classy suit and tie look? This wasn’t a conscious decision. My father was a banker, and he wore a suit every day throughout my childhood. He’s a very stylish man, and I remember him having socks that match every one of his ties. I think it seeped into my subconscious. It’s really just comfortable for me. I wear a suit (no tie) or Kaftan for professional outings. However, on my dress down days
Esther Hahanyu: Helping Kenyan women achieve their weight goals through Social Media
Most modern women, if not all, at one point or another, have struggled with the notion and practice of keeping fit. For some, it is a recommendation from their doctor to avert a looming health danger. However, for a few others, it’s for the purposes of remaining healthy and good looking. Whichever the case, the goal is the same, to lose weight. Esther Hahanyu found herself in the latter category, looking for means to keep fit and look good. When the idea came to her, she had just completed her degree program and was enjoying her career. At that moment, life couldn’t have been any better, save for occasional hip joint and ankle pains, especially after a walk. The pains were not regular, hence, she did not seek any medical opinion. Instead, Ms. Hahanyu tried to avoid activities that caused the discomfort including taking a flight of a few stairs which in the latest months was making her pant heavily. When she started the routines four years ago, she weighed 88 kilograms. In eleven (11) months she had cut down to 68 Kgs. Today, she still observes the routines and structured diets religiously; however, her sole priority now is toning and maintaining the weight which is right for her height and age. All these she has been able to achieve working out at home alone or with her niece. It was not until Hahanyu visited a friend that she realized that the joint pains and panting were as a result of the weight. With this in mind, she wanted to regain her health. She embarked on a plan that has not only helped her to lose the weight but also keep fit while encouraging others to do the same. Hahanyu has chosen to adopt a healthy lifestyle and has taken upon herself to inspire others through the social media. Keeping tabs with social media Upon gathering information that she could regain her health through healthy eating and exercising, Hahanyu invested time and resources to embark on the long journey which she began after a round of research and consultations. On the first day, she took a photo of herself working out and posted on Facebook. A friend came across the post and added her to a ‘closed’ Facebook group whose mission is to support women seeking to lose weight through exercise and structured diet plans. “I am a Facebook fanatic,” says Hahanyu adding that since day one, she felt she needed to share with the world her weight loss journey. “I find it exciting to post my workout routines and meal plans on the social media platforms.” Hahanyu notes that she started by doing simple routines like rope skipping and dancing. “I like working out in front of the mirror too,” she adds. From the reflection, she can see her muscles crunch, and when she breaks a sweat, it excites and motivates her to go the extra mile. Motivating others According to Hahanyu posting the images online is a way to remain accountable to self and to motivate others to keep working harder towards attaining their weight loss goals. Moreover, each and every member of the group is encouraged to post their routines or meal plans as an accountability check and a way to encourage others to do the same. “When I come across a new routine or exercise, I share it with my social media friends,” observes Hahanyu. She posts in three groups on a daily basis. She admits that this is her way of giving back to the online community that welcomed and still supports her in the journey. Of particular interest is a friendship she formed with London based Grace Kasongo. According to Hahanyu she is indebted to Kasongo. While the two have never met in person, (at least not by the time of writing this piece) their friendship has grown from just sending encouraging messages on the social media to exchanging physical gifts across thousands of miles. A few months after making acquaintances, Grace sent Hahanyu a dress from London as an extrinsic motivation for her hard work. “I got to know ‘Favored’ (Hahanyu’s Social Media Pseudonym) through the Facebook weight group,” says Grace in an email. “She was very inspirational and motivating not only to me but to other group members.” Following her active role on the platform, Hahanyu has since been appointed an administrator of two of the online groups. “She has continued to be an inspiration,” Grace says of Hahanyu. “She leads by example by posting challenges, what she eats and her daily routines.” In her words, Grace likes giving gifts to her friends journeying to lose weight as a way to encourage them. Moreover, “it is a way of giving back to the community in efforts to fight obesity and other related diseases,” she adds noting that Hahanyu is “just like my baby sister now.” Through the online support group, Hahanyu has come to learn many things about meal planning and exercising. She currently posts in three online groups each with approximately 18,850; 33,640 and 30, 225 members. She hopes to inspire members to choose healthier lives by eating right and exercising. For Hahanyu, a structured diet plan works perfectly for her. Studies show that structured diet plans yield better results than those that are less planned. Hahanyu observes that dieting and exercising are not for everyone. People must seek professional advice especially if one has pre-existing medical conditions or any other health concerns. What are you doing to help yourself and other people in your community to better themselves? Click here to share your story with us.
African Women Entrepreneurs – A Different Perspective
I recently came across a TED talk by Natalie Case and Freya Estreller. They are co-founders of CoolHaus, a company that creates architecturally designed Ice cream in the U.S.A I found their passion and drive for their business fascinating. They started their business with an old postal van, which they converted to an Ice cream truck. In less than a decade, CoolHaus has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise. It now has over ten trucks, two scoop shops and is being distributed in over four thousand groceries stores across the U.S. They currently oversee seventy employees and they plan to broaden CoolHaus to the number 1 recognized Ice cream brand in the world. Bringing this home to Africa, with the entrepreneurship buzz going on right now, I began to look at the reasons for the springing startups we have right now, especially the businesses founded by women. Why do women want to be their own bosses? What makes entrepreneurship exciting and interesting right now? I asked around and found answers like: I. More income will help me take care of myself and my family II. A business will help to beat the recession crunch III. It will enable me to be independent of my spouse/ partner IV. No one wants to be a stay-at-home mom anymore V. I want to be respected and admired as a capable leader All of these are great motivating factors but are these all there is to entrepreneurship? These do not have the ability to project a business to global standards. It is important we know the motive for creating a business because of this, in most cases, determines how far a business will grow. A woman may want to augment her spouse’s income. She may start a business to achieve this and this will determine the kind of business she goes for and what her vision for her business will be. If her trade achieves that goal in a few years there might not be a need to expand the business any further. While earning enough to cater for her family is important, having this mentality about the business may stifle it. If we survey all outstanding businesses, we would discover they were created by people who had a vision of making their companies prominent in the world. This factor may be deficient in Africa’s startups. It is imperative that African women entrepreneurs must first begin to develop a different orientation towards startups. [bctt tweet=”As entrepreneurs, we have to begin to look upward toward progress and acceleration” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Building the right business starts from the core, but the right questions need to be asked. Why is it being started? What motivates an individual to start a business? If these questions are answered correctly, this would change the way African women entrepreneurs approach their businesses. Sadly many entrepreneurs do not know the ‘WHY’of their business. This crucial step is neglected AND camouflaged with reasons like “Everyone swears by it on Instagram“, “It’s what brings in the cash” and “It just seems like the best thing to do now” The ‘why’ of a business also establishes if a business is the right thing to do. Does it really meet a need? Does it emerge from an undeniable conviction in the entrepreneur’s heart? Listen. There are two ways to go about it. 1. Find a passion to turn to a business or find a business to turn to a passion While a business is something entrepreneurs should be passionate about they shouldn’t be delusional about the relevance of their business. Every business should satisfy the needs of people while accruing profit. 2. Striving onwards While being financially liberated may be a reason a business is started it should not be the sole reason a business continues. 50% of the United States GDP comes from small businesses employing less than 500 people. African women entrepreneurs should seek ways to come together and build a conglomerate enterprise that can employ young people from every scope and status in Africa thus helping young entrepreneurs off the streets. Women should be encouraged to dream big and start businesses that can grow into mega-corporations in their lifetime. This indeed is possible. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurs should understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] African women entrepreneurs shouldn’t be constricted to starting businesses that are short termed, escape routes to financial challenges. Entrepreneurs should be made to understand that within them lies the capacity to create a lasting legacy and they should regard their business as legacies. They should be encouraged to have prospects and plans for expansion into the future. Therefore partnership and public corporation are the way to go if these businesses would outlive their founders. All of these start with a different perspective and a clear vision of what entrepreneurship means and what African female entrepreneurs can do. Some of which include: Influence the decision making in a nation if they drive its economy in a significant way. Sponsors lawyers, activists and projects that will push the goal for women rights and achieve gender equality faster. Reducing the risk of young girls being raped by removing them from the streets through the provision of jobs. Put communities in Africa in the spotlight, they can influence global decisions and drive Africa’s economy. Create brands that outlive them and change the world. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Webinar with FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT: How to Save and Slay (Aug 3)
How exactly do you indulge in sipping champagne on a beer budget? You gon’ learn today! First, we’ve taught you How to make your first investment, now its time to learn how to save and SLAY simultaneously. Saving money may sound like one of the hardest things to do when it comes to your finances especially if your income isn’t breaking the bank. But hey, you only need as much as you have right now to save! If you’re wondering how to save money without your slay mode depreciating, then this webinar is for you. SLA in partnership with FBNQuest Asset Management is inviting you to a 45-minute webinar with skilled wealth advisor and financial planner – Emmanuella Ekhaguere, on Friday, August 3rd, 2018. Emmanuella will be giving some tips on how you can to start planning and investing for your future with your current income. [bctt tweet=”Join SLA & @FBNQuest for a webinar on August 3rd to learn how to save and slay.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover: Understanding the psychology of money Living your best life through personal finance management Saving hacks for motherland moguls – daily, monthly and long-term Getting S.M.A.R.T about goal settings and how to achieve them Watch Video here: About Emmanuella Emmanuella Ekhaguere is Investment Advisor with at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc. She has over 15 years of Agricultural banking and financial planning experience from various Financial Service Institutions. Emmanuella started her career at Kakawa Discount house Limited as a Client Relationship Officer. She later moved to Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank Nigeria). In deepening her passion and experience in Wealth and Investment Banking, Emmanuella joined Metro Capital Advisory Group in 2008. She has an MBA from Aston Business School Birmingham, United Kingdom, and is a certified financial Planner (CFP), from Florida State University (FSU) FBNQuest Asset Management is a subsidiary of FBNQuest Merchant Bank, one of the strongest and most dependable financial groups in Africa. They work with individual and institutional investors to provide a strategy best suited to your investment goals and portfolios, from mutual funds to liquidity management etc.
How to set goals like the motherland mogul that you are
To me, setting a goal is like aiming that bowling ball at the white pins; the amount of effort and calculation put in determines how many bottles will be cleared which is why your goals do not matter more than the mode of setting them. I’ll give you a better illustration. Setting a goal is similar to aiming a missile at a spaceship from this planet, you don’t know for sure if your aim is going to bring results but you just close your eyes and do it anyway! IT MUST SCARE YOU The number one lesson which is fundamental to setting goals is going way beyond your limit. Now I’m not asking you to be unrealistic, set a goal within your human capacity just let it scare you a bit. How does your own goal scare you? You know you’re scared of your set goals when: I. It’s within the limits a motherland mogul like you does not have II. It’s something you can do even though you think that you cannot attempt it III. You don’t believe it’s something you can do or someplace you can get to BE REALISTIC When it comes to the art of setting goals, my dear you must be very realistic. For instance, you shouldn’t submit your CV for a job which requirements are higher than your professional level knowing fully well that you cannot get those papers before the interview. You must meet the requirements of your requirements! You have to strive to reach the eligibility level and never relax on your oars. UPGRADE YOUR OS I know this is 2018 so everyone probably knows OS means Operating System right? Right. Ever wondered why Apple keeps upgrading the performance level of their gadgets? To keep up with the consumer market! Same way you cannot stop being eligible! You have to continue being the best person for that position, the one they are losing out on if they don’t put their monies on! How do you do this? I. Get professional The ‘masters syndrome’ in today’s Nigeria has ravaged most appointment seekers. What they don’t know is that professional certification singles you out of the master’s multitude. You need to attend a course today, start from somewhere, be it WIMBIZ or a Nigerian Women Techsters training just do something! II. Build your experience Fill your resume with internship/externship experiences, work for free if you have to! III. Get out of your comfort zone Your comfort zone is that place in your existence where you feel totally at peace, rested and fulfilled. I will tell you a secret today (promise not to tell nobody?), your goal will never be in your comfort zone! Beyonce had to go solo, leaving behind friendships and carbs to become who she is, Malala went over the fence of children and women not being heard in a rather conservative state and Joe Okei-Odumakin had so many visits to detention and prisons to be an activist. None of these people felt entirely happy leaving the comfort of friendship, being obedient to repugnant laws and the comfort of their bed and peace to be moguls but they did anyway! That’s my point exactly! Don’t reject offers in other regions! Stop telling yourself you’re too young! Stop telling yourself you’re a woman! Just stop! Learn something outside of your known area of specialization, think of a business idea someone in your society is not taking up, be creative. IV. Don’t try to be regular Try setting goals negating what you were expected to do. For instance, in the legal profession, most ladies decide to work in the civil service to minimize stress in order to combine law with making a home but some outstanding ones still take up jobs as company secretaries, private practice, maritime legal experts etc. Sometimes our purpose lies in our ability to think outside of the box, in order to get the honey out of the rock, you might have to roll up your denim and begin to cut it out instead of just taking your mind off it totally. These tips are great life builders and I hope they help someone. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Quick Maths (2): How to diversify your funds with FSDH Asset Management
Money is a tool…Use it wisely! Welcome to the second part of our Quick Maths series. We’ll be sharing with you financial terms, tips, and tricks to get you ahead of your financial game. In the first part, we discussed various ways for you to generate capital to start your business. In this downloadable guide, we highlighted high-level options you can explore to get capital. Catch up on part one by downloading it here. Now, let’s talk about diversifying money. It’s important to keep tabs on your money, know where each penny is going, and how it will bring you more money because today’s economy is not smiling at all. In this guide brought to you by SLA, in partnership with FSDH Asset Management Ltd, we’ll be showing you different ways to save, protect your savings, and why you shouldn’t have all your eggs in one basket. If you’re wondering how to improve your finances, this guide will help you with some practical ways to get started. Topics this guide will cover: Diversification for low-income earners How to diversify within an asset class It doesn’t matter whether you are a salary earner or a business owner, as long as you have financial goals that you’re looking to achieve, diversifying can help you reach those goals. Roll up your sleeves, tie your hair in a ponytail, grab your pen and journal and get down to work! To keep getting your finances all the way to the top, make sure to follow up on the next guide. FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD – FSDH AM is a wholly owned subsidiary of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited. They are one of Nigeria’s leading asset management and financial advisory firm. FSDH AM is versatile in financial transactions and investment strategies that meet the need of investors in an emerging economy like Nigeria. They recognize that today’s investors need the services of dedicated and expert professionals to provide them with intelligent investment counsel. Therefore, their strategies are dedicated to preserving investors’ wealth while maximizing the value that they receive. Once you’re through with this guide, visit FSDH Asset Management Ltd to know more and get all your pressing questions answered. Getting access to this guide is easy: just fill out the form below to join our community and get access to this guide, remember this is only part 2, there’s more to come – so stay updated. By joining our community, you also get to enjoy our AWESOME weekly content as well.
Wennovation Hub: Empowering African Entrepreneurs by solving socio-economic challenges
Wennovation Hub is the pioneer innovation accelerator in Nigeria since 2011, with offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and recently Kaduna. It was co-founded by the dynamic quartet of Wole Odetayo, Michael Oluwagbemi, Idris Ayo Bello and Dami Agboola; four young Nigerians who believe in the power of technology innovation and youth entrepreneurship for the economic emancipation of Africa. The vision of the hub is to achieve sustainable development in Africa by fostering innovation among the youth population. They also focus on social impact sectors including Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, Clean Energy and Social Infrastructure. Wennovation Hub emphasizes the need to inspire and empower entrepreneurs to solve socio-economic challenges in their communities by leveraging technology resources and networking. Up till date, they have supported over 300 startup teams and well over 6000 youths physically with as much as $2.5 m. The money was raised by startups within their network and over $66M raised as follow-on funding by startups within the founders’ network. As Nigeria’s first privately run incubator/accelerator, Wennovation Hub has incubated more than 60 teams. They have seeded over a dozen companies and directly impacted more than 300 high impact entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs . They collaborate with these entrepreneurs to build commercially viable businesses that have high impact solutions to some of the most resilient challenges in different communities across Africa. “Our efforts have been recognized by World Bank – Infodev by sponsoring Lagos Angel Network which we convened in 2013, McKinsey who mentioned Wennovation Hub severally in their “Lions Go Digital” 2013 report, Ashoka Global Institute and SAP by giving Wennovation Hub a “Changemaker – Power of Small” Award in 2012 amongst many others”. [bctt tweet=”@wennovation Hub emphasizes on social impact, job creation and the importance of youth capacity development in all programmes” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] “Today, our active portfolio companies account for tens of direct jobs and over $150k in sales annually. Wennovation Hub, as a leading accelerator, in achieving impact has forged strategic partnerships across the global entrepreneurship ecosystem with the likes of CTA Netherlands, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Spring University Canada, Village Capital Atlanta, Kick Incubator USA, Covenant University, Tony Elumelu Foundation, USAID, Obafemi Awolowo University, Total Nigeria Plc, PIND, FMARD, IITA, MIT, AfriLabs, MIIS, University of Ibadan – Centre for Entrepreneurship Institute, University of Lagos, and a host of others in our partnership portfolio”. The hub also supports startups operating in any sector with particular emphasis on those that leverage technology due to the huge potential for scale and growth. Their dedication to innovation and tech-enabled entrepreneurship is in line with our strategic goal of being positioned as Africa’s Topmost Technology Startup Accelerator promoting innovative ideas, building high-impact entrepreneurs and nurturing top businesses in the process. The Co-Working Spaces in Mokola Ibadan, Ikeja Lagos, and Jabi Abuja are open to all entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, start-up/business owners, innovators, inventors, freelancers, creative entrepreneurs and techies/tech-preneurs. Registration at Wennovation Hub provides the following opportunities: A beautiful and serene workspace environment Access to internet facilities and uninterrupted power supply Access to our various training programs that improve technical skills for tech-preneurs, Business skills development programs for entrepreneurs and growth acceleration programs. Opportunities to access numerous funding opportunities and connect with potential business investors/consultants. Free invitations to our various social and networking events Opportunity to interact and network with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs for personal and professional growth. [bctt tweet=”Through collaboration, we can leverage technology innovation to solve major socio-economic challenges – @wennovation ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] We are proud to be a pioneering force in the Ecosystem pushing the frontiers of Technology Innovation and supporting Entrepreneurship across the continent – inspiring, creating and promoting innovative and sustainable solutions to the socio-economic challenges of Africa. This is Wennovation! Our Focus Areas Ibadan Hub – Ecosystem Development Programs – Entrepreneurship Development Program Fully Serviced Co-Working Space Lagos Hub – Proto Lab and MakerSpace – Markers Ecosystem Engagement Market Acceleration and Rapid Prototyping Lab Abuja Hub – Public Sector Incubation Programmes – Public Sector Policy Advisory and Consulting Public Sector Engagement Programmes At Wennovation, OUR MISSION To inspire and empower African Entrepreneurs to solve their immediate socio-economic challenges by leveraging technology, resources, and network collaboratively. OUR VISION To achieve sustainable development in Africa by fostering innovation among the youth population. Sponsored Post.
You’ve got 6 More Months To Slay and Conquer this year
January through June have come and gone. Yes, these past months may have come with lots of setbacks, perhaps in achieving our personal goals and dreams or in advancing in the corporate world. It may have been six months of moving in circles. Six months of going below both personal and general standards. Six months of bewilderment crawling up in between high hopes and a positive stand. Here’s my own little story… Personally, I tasted the true meaning of depression. How or where it came from, who knows? But hey! The good thing is I’m out of it now! Like out for good! I never even remembered I had suffered from the disease of the mind (as I like to call it) until just a few weeks back, on different occasions, I encountered different individuals slowly sinking in the depth of this same ‘depression’. Indeed, it’s been a battle thriving beyond all odds these past months and for the first time, I was glad I went through what I went through to better understand the situation of those that came around with the same ailment and help them gradually scale through. [bctt tweet=”Your confidence is one of the main weapons of emerging as a conqueror at the end of the year – Eden Benibo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Perhaps this is your own story… Maybe, just maybe, you had achieved a reasonable number of your goals and aspirations during the first half of the year. Awesome! Have all or majority of your inputs fallen in alignment with your expected result? Great!! Whichever category you had fallen into, just know there are six more months to slay and conquer. In duality, we would be looking at two categories in this article. Let’s say – Slayers 1 & 2. Slayers 1 are the people who went through a relative number of down times during the first half of the year. If you fall into this category, here are a few tips for you: Regain your confidence Your confidence is one of the main weapons of emerging as a conqueror at the end of the year. Without confidence, a soldier is nothing but a loser even before the war begins. Without confidence irrespective of the cash at hand or even your skills within, one will have a very low chance of succeeding. Face the phase Of course, it’s good to reflect on the past sometimes, to retrace your steps and know where to improve on, but what we do most times is that we get so engrossed with past failures and pain that we allow a replay of these negativities in the future. Have the failures of yesterday boxed you in? Or built a shell in which you have crawled into? It’s time to come out! And face the now. This phase. Bill Newman rightly said “you must be willing to fail. Don’t fear other people or their opinions. Don’t just sit there and wonder, you should be doing. Act, start today, make it happen”. He is not trying to say we should set our minds on failure, no! All this is trying to convey is that we should not allow the mere fear of failure to be an obstacle to us succeeding in our business and life in general. [bctt tweet=”Stop agonizing and organize what you’re doing – Eden Benibo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Newman further stated “stop agonizing and organize what you’re doing. Not to decide is to decide not to.” In other words, not making a decision is a decision on its own. Not acting is a move. A wrong move though. A move of stagnancy. Break free today! Slayers 2, on the other hand, are also known as the already Slaying Gang! It’s important to note that no one prays for a ‘bad beginning’, but it’s better to have a rough beginning and a smooth end than experiencing the reverse. Therefore, this is a call for unrelenting zeal to keep thriving. Thrive on! Ask yourself some questions. What did you do to get you to this point? Build on that. If possible, I advise you increase your general input, because it is very easy to remain in your comfort zone. Remember, never to be trapped within the confinement of living in past glory. Most importantly, learn something new every day. Now listen. If inexplicably you belong to the two categories, it’s all good. Here are some tips for you to explore. Breath Break free from the norm. There’s more to explore! Smile and say a warm hello to July and the next few months at your disposal. Remember your future is all in your hands: handle with care. Finally, here’s a piece of advice from an all-time scholar which applies to everyone, regardless of the level of such an individual at work) “If you are a senior executive, don’t take yourself too seriously. It is essential to hold on to our sense of humor throughout our lives if we want to remain sane, as has been shown by research into psychological cognition, and especially in the later years”. So go ahead and break free, slay and conquer it all, starting with your fears! If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
The Hidden power of mentorship: First take a hard look at yourself
I recently got a professional mentor. This was not something that had been penned down in detail in my goals for the year. What had been penned down is that I need to seize opportunities that will enhance my network. So as a true choleric, I jumped on any networking opportunity that presented itself to me. This rather abstract goal led me to join a mentorship forum for Human Resource Professionals whose goal is to provide mentoring opportunities to HR professionals through peer mentoring. Out of this, I got a professional mentor and I also got a mentee. My first meeting with my mentor happened early this year. Let’s call her Alexa. To say that I was intimidated is an understatement. Alexa has achieved so much. She is a high-flying career woman, she has a C-suite job, and reports to the Board. She is confident, she is witty and to wrap it all, she has an amazing sense of style. Ok. Stop giggling. I, on the other hand, have worked at my current job for eight years. I was not proud of my employer and I had been carrying this label that I work for the wrong organization. It was for that reason that all my job applications had not been successful. So much negative vibe about my work situation. So Alexa and I met at a beautiful restaurant and the conversation started with her telling me about herself. I wanted her job. She makes so much impact. Isn’t that all that us millennials want, to make an impact? Then the conversation moved to me. I told her about myself, my work situation and why I had signed up for a mentor. At the end of the meeting, Alexa told me that as part of the preparation for our next meeting, I need to identify the one thing I want to take out of our mentorship relationship once it came to an end. It was a wonderful evening I must say. When I got home later that night, I reflected back to my conversation with Alexa. It was like I was outside, looking into our conversation and I was deeply saddened by the picture that emerged. I started my career so positive, so energetic and with an attitude of I can handle whatever comes my way. Eight years later, to sitting across my mentor, I had changed to this negative person who felt like she had no power. This realization coupled with Alexa’s assignment on my expected outcome from the professional mentorship forced me to take a long hard painful look at myself. That was the only way I could change the narrative. I must say that it was not easy. I took some time out to reflect on my life and I realized that it was no longer clear to me what my vision was professional. The Bible says that my people perish because of a lack of vision. How true this is. If you do not know where you are going, anywhere is good enough. But anywhere is not good enough for me. Anywhere is not good enough for anyone. [bctt tweet=”Self-reflection is hard and painful but necessary for you to scale to the next level of your career – Priscah Motogwa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I want to live a life of purpose and a life of meaning and my career plays a huge part towards that. Pema Chödrön in his book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, says “The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” Self-reflection is hard. Self-reflection is painful. But self-reflection is necessary for you to scale to the next level of your career. Do I now know what my vision for my professional life is? Yes. Do I have a plan of how to achieve it? Yes. It involves stepping out of my comfort zone by seeking opportunities that will make use of skills that I possess. Indeed, writing this article is stepping out for me. And so for my next meeting with Alexa, I know precisely what I want out of the professional mentorship I am being offered. In the words of Denzel Washington, “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influence in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” Fellow female professionals, do you want to scale the career ladder? My advice, get a mentor. This article was written by Priscah Motogwa. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.