Enny Ethnic: All our products are manufactured in Zimbabwe
[bctt tweet=”Being your own boss means you have to continuously work @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Enny Ethnic is an ethnic fashion online shop run by two sisters from Zimbabwe, Mercy and Matipa Nyamangwanda. They are currently based in the US and their online shop provides unique, stylish and hard to forget pieces for and inspired by every woman. Their target ranges from the ethnic-centric type, to the urban chic, modern classic, vintage-chic to trendy. Named after their mother, Enny Ethnic’s prints can be purchased online and are currently shipped to Australia and the UK with hopes to expand to other African countries. Where and how was Enny Ethnic formed? We started in 2014 by making clutch purses from the fabrics we collected everytime we travelled home. The clothing line started a bit later towards the end of December 2015 after we noticed the amount of attention we got when we rocked our print. We now make clothes, earrings, bags and scarves. [bctt tweet=”Travelling kicks in our creative process we are proudly African & Zimbabwean – @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell me about the inspiration behind your design and the process of creation? Travelling kicks in our creative process, we are inspired by everything and the different cultures we see. We go through our creative life as a blank page hence we are able to write on it. We keep an open mind when we do what we do. Also, we are proudly African first and more importantly, Zimbabwean and we are always thinking of how we can represent the African woman. We work with women from Zimbabwe who put the pieces together for us -they are part of the process. We create a sample and they sew, and they have great work ethic too. Because we come home often, it makes the process easier and having people who understand our language is a great creative bonus. It’s really important that we do it in Zimbabwe, not only is it our motherland but it gives us some time to spend with family. What makes you different from other African print labels? We are very modern, and our pieces alternate between modern and traditional. Our line is huge and as we also create beach and office wear. At Enny Ethnic, we fit multiple lifestyles and most of our pieces are one track. You recently showcased at the San Francisco fashion week. Tell us a bit about that? We got an email from the organizer telling us that he wanted us to showcase our line and we were terrified. Enny Ethnic was only in its eight month. We were part of the emerging designers at the week, and we learnt a lot and managed to pull through perfectly well. Showcasing at the San Francisco fashion week really put pressure on us as we had to fly out home in September for two days. Fitting was the following week and a couple of weeks later was fashion week. The models were picked by fashion week so we had Asian and Russian models. We were not sure how their skin colour would look on African print but it came out well. Our line was showcased first and more models were added to make them twelve in total. How has the market responded to your product? Most people have loved it and including white Americans, Asians -this brings so much diversity to the product. Because of this support, we had a pop up shop in New York from the 25th to the 30th of October 2016. This enabled people to come in and physically see the merchandise. There is always something about people seeing the product physically and we wanted to give Enny Ethnic’s clients this opportunity. What type of woman are your creations targeted for? Our creations are ageless and can fit into every lifestyle. So every woman can rock Enny Ethnic, the good thing is that you can either dress them up or down. [bctt tweet=”It means a lot to say our product is from Zimbabwe and to say we are Zimbabwean – @EnnyEthnic1″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] In the process of creating your business, what things did you have to do that you had not accounted for? Marketing. We did not think it was a big deal but, hello biggest surprise. Then, we had to sit down and think about the manufacturing. Where is it that we could get this manufactured? We did not want China, so we settled with Zimbabwe. This has huge cost implications as we buy the fabrics from Zimbabwe and get the things made at home as well. However, it is valuable to not just us but to our culture as well. It means a lot to say our product is from Zimbabwe and to say we are Zimbabwean. This gives people an opportunity to connect with our country. What can we look forward to from Enny Ethnic? Things have moved so much faster than we expected. We are really excited as we are already looking at our pastel spring collection. We are looking forward to bringing another show stopper to fashion week. It will be ready-to-wear pieces that people can snatch off the runway. We are also looking at creating a men’s line. Then, there are the physical shops, we want, to bring Enny Ethnic to our clientele in Washington DC and California. We know that by bringing in something physical, we get that connection with our customers. We are also looking forward to shipping our merchandise to African customers. How do you manage the business since you both have jobs? Coffee! Because being your own boss means you have to continuously work especially when you are still starting up. We are always working because the fashion industry is fast paced and it is sometimes mentally exhausting but there is also a certain renewed energy you have when you are doing something that you love. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Ronelle Steenekamp: Be aware that everywhere can be a learning space
[bctt tweet=”Ronelle Steenekamp: I am just a woman who doesn’t over think & pursue what is in my heart” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Ronelle Steenekamp works in consulting and training but what keeps her motivated is not passion but her sons. As am a mother to two interesting and independent boys, Ronelle keeps motivated, inspired and challenged in many ways. The start-up RSA Consulting breaks boundaries in the workplace through transformation. They design learning programs for employees, advise organizations on learning and development projects and help companies to carry out more effective learning interventions. RSA Consulting also aims to support businesses in designing, delivering and evaluating learning. While building her start-up, Ronelle doesn’t joke with finding time for herself and being in her own space. Self-care is on the top of her list of priorities. With the boys, studies and a business Ronelle Steenekamp still manages to make time for friends and family. What learning techniques have you found are the best to maximise learning? The best learning techniques starts with the acknowledgement that you can learn from anyone, any time. We need to be aware that everywhere can be a learning space full of information, knowledge and lessons learnt. One does not only learn from experts. What are the mindsets that you believe need to be changed in organisations? Why? We need to change the mindset having your own business is incredibly hard and that it is for people more intelligent, more creative, more experienced etc. Yes, having your own business has it’s challenges, but so does working 9-5. If you have a challenge, you also have the solution. If we are going to believe it is so difficult and impossible —it is going to be just that. You might as well just enjoy the journey, bumps and all. [bctt tweet=”One does not only learn from experts – Ronelle Steenekamp” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You mentioned your sons motivate you. You’re also a divorced single mother, how have you managed to over the challenges of this? I remember making the decision to leave my great job that was comfortable and secure. Then I quickly started to doubt and told myself —Are you crazy?, you are a single mother, two boys, a bond and vehicle to pay. This was a good reason to rather stay in my job and not take the big risk into being an entrepreneur. My kids was a enough reason to stay in a secure job rather than take a risk, right? Wrong! They were the reason why I had to JUMP and pursue my dreams. The challenges I experienced are no different to anyone who takes a big leap of faith. However, I overcome them by knowing that if I have the challenge, I have the solution. Do you have a motto that keeps you through? My personal favourite motto is; Pray then slay. Before pursuing interests, goals and objectives, I pray. Thereafter I boldly pursue with positive energy and confidence; that’s the slaying part. [bctt tweet=”The motto that keeps Ronelle Steenekamp going is, pray then slay!” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Let’s talk about RSA Consulting, what plans have you got brewing for this business? I have plans to expand and have a greater presence nationally and also on the rest of the African continent. Collaborations are key drivers to achieving this! What can we expect from you and RSA Consulting in the next three years? In the next 3 years we want build a stronger foundation. It is important that we spend more time securing the base in order for the building blocks to stand when storms come. This can be done by focusing and maximising the strengths of the organisation. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Rajah Saparapa: Sawaree aims to bring people what they need
[bctt tweet=”Rajah Saparapa: Togo needed a platform where people can get packages from anywhere” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Rajah Saparapa is both a student and the CEO/founder of Sawaree. From Togo, Rajah lives in the US where she saw an opportunity in launching a business that could easily make people in Togo access goods and products from abroad. Rajah has always wanted to be a leader, especially in Africa. She is able to balance her studies and business as Sawaree is an online store, enabling her to work remotely. She was able to launch and run Sawaree using her own money that she saved up enough to invest. Now Rajah’s looking for new investment and opportunities to grow her brand. Take us through the first 6 months after launching Sawaree. The first 6 months were intense. I am going to be honest with you, it is still intense. After Sawaree was launched, we had no sale for a month and half. A friend volunteered some hours to help me with the online advertisement; we tried to maximize our social media ads on Facebook, Instagram and so on. Since it is a new venture in Togo, many people were skeptical about using our website; unless someone they know had given it a good review and could vouch that it is safe and reliable. It is all about trusting Sawaree and trusting us. I literally harassed my family members to talk about Sawaree and to order from Sawaree. I wanted them to share their experience not only with us but also their communities. [bctt tweet=”Sawaree is a new venture in Togo, many people were skeptical about using it – Rajah Saparapa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Our first customer was a family member, then his friend ordered. It was exciting. However, Sawaree is still struggling to get its name out there, and to earn the trust of the Togolese diaspora. We listen to comments that people leave and try to bring them what they want and need. At first, Sawaree did not have a currency exchanger on the website. The prices were posted in US Dollars and some clients from Europe complained that it makes them feel like they were not our target audience so we installed a currency exchanger to facilitate prices our clients. We have also learned that our clients like sales and so we use sales to attract new clients. Feedback is very important to me, it is how I know that what we are doing right and what we can improve. As a CEO, it is very important to be open to criticism and make room for improvement. When I started Sawaree I knew it was not going to be easy. I have learned how to work twice as hard and to manage my frustration by tackling issues head on. Why was it important to have a platform that allows the Togolese diaspora to deliver groceries to their family in Togo? I always heard stories in the Togolese communities here in the USA or in Europe about an individual sending money back home. This was money to be used to buy groceries, but the money ended up being used in another way. This is a problem not only among the Togolese diaspora but others too. When my best friend from Cameroon told me about a platform like Sawaree that was available in her country, I thought to myself that Togo needed something like that. Something to make it easier on its diaspora, something convenient where people will not need to get out of their home and drive to a store to send money. A platform where family members back home in Togo will be receive packages without having to make any effort. Most of the platforms that are available in other countries do not guarantee delivery. The customers have to usually come and pick up their packages in the store but with Sawaree, we do delivery. How do you manage to keep your promise of delivery within 24 hours from anywhere in the world? The idea of having something delivered to your home is a new concept in Togo. After doing my research, I found that there isn’t any other store that does delivery in Togo. That is what makes Sawaree different, we literally come to you. As stated on the website, all orders that are made before 6PM are delivered the next day, within 24 hours. We have a partnership with our providers that we send orders to as soon as we get them; our provides have it ready for us for pick up and we deliver. The delivery process involves a lot of phone calling. In Togo, knowing or having a physical address number and street name is a hassle so Sawaree does it the old fashion way. We call the recipient of the package and ask him to identify to us where he or she lives. It has been a challenge but after we have a client order to the same home twice, it is much easier for the delivery man to know where he is going. I am proud myself in knowing that Sawaree has never missed its delivery window. [bctt tweet=”Rajah Saparapa: Sawaree promises global delivery within 24 hours and it has never missed” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Is there a story behind the name “Sawaree”? I was figuring out name for the company with my mother and my sister and it took days. Any name I came up with was already taken, then I thought, why name it in French or English? I decided to name it in Tchokossi which is a dialect in the North of Togo, where I come from. I speak Tchokossi and it is part of me, so I thought it was good to go back to the root. Then Sawaree came to me, it means “patience”. I knew that the journey for building and establishing Sawaree was not going to be an easy road. I wanted to remind myself that any time I read up Sawaree,
Lauren Jacobs: Forget perfection, embrace what you have to give
[bctt tweet=”Published author, ordained minister and gender equality activist Lauren Jacobs inspires us” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Lauren Jacobs identifies herself as a woman, a sister, daughter, wife, leader and child of God. These markets combine in her passion which lies in empowering women to see their lives as full of possibilities and as a landscape for dreams. Lauren is an activist committed to speaking about issues such as domestic violence in faith communities. She is also a story teller, researcher, author, journalist and an ordained minister in full time ministry with her husband. How do you define storyteller? When I close my eyes, and picture a storyteller, I am immediately transformed out in to the African landscape. A circle of men and women gather around the blazing fire and the storyteller completes the circle, up on her feet. She tells the stories of generations passed, the ones entrusted to her to hand down. She tells the stories that encourage, that teach, that rhyme and that are complex in its riddles and songs. In many different cultures and tribes, the storyteller is essential to the survival of the community. Many different cultural and religious groups rely on oral storytelling to stay unified and connected to the past. For me personally, I love telling stories that are factual, historical fiction, poems that reflect truth or true life stories that teach us about ourselves and those around me. To be a storyteller for me, means that I am telling the stories that can change mindsets and set us free, and keep us connected to the hidden stories of the past that carry deep meaning for our present wanderings. [bctt tweet=”To be a storyteller means telling the stories that can change mindsets – Lauren Jacobs ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What do you think makes a good storyteller? I think different people would answer this question differently, depending on what they are looking for in a story. For me, I love stories that teach me something. I gravitate towards storytellers that make me feel something, with their language, their wording and even their silences. The kind of storyteller that draws me in and I am lost, coming out of the story as though I had encountered a little slice of heaven on this side of earth. That’s a good storyteller! What led you to embark on this path of standing up for justice again gender violence in faith communities? I saw abuse in my family growing up and I saw it around me as a child. In the lives of friends, at school and in the lives of family members. Gender-based violence with its injustice must have sat deeply inside of me. When I was just 14 years old, I told my mom that one day I wanted to build a safe house for abused women and children. As I grew older I met survivors of abuse and when I enrolled at university, I started a B.A degree in English and Psychology. I went on to do my master’s degree in counselling and I specialized in Gender–based violence in South Africa. For me, I feel that our faith communities should be places of refuge and safety, but in essence they are often the opposite. Religious leaders do not know how to overcome abuse or how to empower victims. I have it in my heart to help them, to empower them to be vessels of healing and hope, instead of vessels of secondary trauma and victimization. I believe this is part of my God design, the way He made me, to pursue justice and stand up against violence. [bctt tweet=”I never saw myself as a minister, I wanted to be a psychologist & researcher – Lauren Jacobs” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Can you tell us about your journey to become an ordained minister? I never saw myself as a minister. When I met my husband, he was studying to be a pastor and was already knee deep in the work of pastoring at a community church. He always knew that was his calling, I just wanted to be a psychologist and a researcher, helping the community and aiding healing. The year before we were married however, we started up a ministry together, I wrote and did community work and he preached. I was happy to be in the background of the ministry, until God called me forward, which was a shock! Then, I knew I had to be ordained and take a more active role as a speaker and teacher, in the ministry. I was ordained in 2013 and am so thankful I was. Our ministry has a big outreach heart and we have been blessed to travel and minister. I have also been blessed to have more opportunities to help communities through my role as a religious leader. How can women discover their unique identities? Firstly, I always say go back to the innocence of your childhood dreams. What did you desire to do as a child? What was your innocent dream, before the world came and told you that money or position was important? Was it painting, dancing, writing, acting, directing others, helping, shelving books? Sometimes, a big part of your identity and your “sweet spot” can be found when you rediscover what you longed for as a child. What do you enjoy and what makes you unhappy, and weary? Some people love working in an environment buzzing with people, others love being solitary, that’s part of your unique design. Invest in a hobby, something that you can lose yourself in, take a course and discover a different part of yourself. Pray, there is no better way to discover who you were created to be, than by going back to the Creator. We each have an individual stamp on us, that only the Manufacturer can understand. To be fully alive, means we need redemption within, it’s the simplest way to discover the true you. [bctt tweet=”Your sweet spot can be found when you rediscover what you longed for as a
Royal Adventures of Princess Halima: It just takes time for others to see your vision
[bctt tweet=”The Royal Adventures of Princess Halima book series was created to teach African children more about their history & culture” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] While digital content has made it easier for people across the globe to access previously underrepresented stories, there is still a significant gap when it comes to online and offline content focused on authentic African stories. After the birth of a new generation of their family tree, Anna, Lucy, Jainaba and YaAdam came together to ensure that more African children knew about their rich history and culture. Why did you believe that Princess Halima needed to be created and how did you find yourself being the one to make it happen? We are half Gambian and Tanzanian and wanted to bring Africa to the forefront and educate our readers that Africa is a continent full of rich history, and not the misconceived idea that Africa is a single country. We want our readers to find an escape into Africa’s vast richness and history while following Princess Halima in all her adventures. And most importantly, we want to empower young minds with knowledge that will pique their interest to one-day jump on a plane and make the journey to Tanzania, Ghana, or Nigeria or any other country in Africa! The Royal Adventures of Princess Halima project was inspired by the birth of the first baby (grandchild) in the family, Halima Bah. Halima is of Guinean, Gambian, Tanzanian descent. With such a rich combination of African culture and history, we thought the best way to educate Halima about her many homelands was to start the series of books through which she will get to not only discover her heritage, but also learn about the African continent as a whole. Why don’t you believe that books such as Princess Halima have been created before in the market? You will find that most stories about Africa are told through animal characters. It boils down to controlling our own narratives and images of ourselves in the world. Storytelling is one of the most important traditions humans possess to influence, shape beliefs and behaviors. We could not exist without the values, the wisdom and the courage shared from past generations through the art of storytelling. As such, this campaign is an effort to control the stories and images of our beautiful continent. What makes Princess Halima different from all of the other educational content out there on the market? Princess Halima is a brave, curious and courageous African girl that is intrigued by the wonders of the world but specifically her continent of Africa. As a Princess, she luckily gets to travel across the continent visiting cousins, friends and family. During each visit she takes time to explore all that these beautiful countries have to offer from the culture, fashion, languages, parks and historic sites etc. These adventures and experiences shape her worldly view, and those of her readers. For your business to get to the next level, would you prefer funding or a high value mentor? Which one would you choose and why? We would prefer both but to be completely honest, at this point we would select funding over a mentor. We have built a machine over the past two to three years that is working for us. Every member of our team handles different aspects to ensure we are reaching our goals and meeting deadlines. [bctt tweet=”.@PrincessOfAffia – “The most valuable lesson we have learned is patience.” ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the most important thing you’ve learned on your journey that you want to share with young African women entrepreneurs? The most valuable lesson we have learned is patience. We have also gained an understanding that although we are passionate about this project and believe in its power, it will still take time for others to jump on board. In addition, we have learned that while we have received significant support from our African communities it wasn’t that overwhelming support we anticipated. However, it doesn’t mean that the interest and love isn’t there, it just takes time for others so see your vision and feel your passion for something you so strongly believe in. What story can you not wait to tell next? We are excited to tell the story of our homeland, The Gambia also known as the Smiling Coast. The smallest country in mainland Africa is going through some transitional changes right with the results of a recent election which has birthed the movement #GambiaHasDecided. This movement speaks to the ultimate pride, honor and fight Gambians have. Princess Halima’s story will capture its beauty and strength. Fast Five Favorite story or nursery rhyme as a child Favorite story Shaka Zulu, was scared of it but loved it at the same time. What did you want to be when you grew up Work in the international development(United Nations) field like our mother. Any travel tips for when you’re on the go with young ones Get them a good book like ours, you can’t go wrong with The Royal Adventures of Princess Halima What author are you most inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Nigeria Ebook or hard copy Hard copy! I love the smell of books and closing the book upon completion gives me a sense of accomplishment. Sponsored content
Abigail Arunga: Freelance writing is sustainable, everyone needs writers
[bctt tweet=”Abigail Arunga quit her job for more sleep and less money as a freelance writer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Abigail Arunga used to be the Digital Editor for Zuqka.com before she subscribed to the ideal of happiness at work and quit her job for more sleep and less money. Before that and other subsequent mutinies, she worked as a contributor for several local Kenyan magazines such as Home and Living East Africa, DRUM and Saturday Magazine (Nation). Now, Abigail is a 28-year-old (yeah, she can’t believe it either) writer, blogger, scriptwriter and committed lover of sleep. She is the author of Akello and a side of raunch, both (only slightly) sensual poetry collections, is trying to avoid questions about when the next volume is coming. Abigail was also a scriptwriter for the award-winning soap opera “Lies that Bind” and continues to write for TV with shows such as “How to Find A Husband” and “Majaribu”. She began her writing career as an intern for Storymoja Publishers and is a 2011 honours graduate of USIU (don’t forget that. She thinks it is very important, mostly because she was surprised). Oh, and duh, she’s a feminist –who isn’t? Here, Abigail shares her expert advice on surviving the struggle of being a freelance writer. Did you always set out to be a freelance writer? That was not the plan! Employment was kind of the plan. Until I got employed and realized I was not only a terrible employee, but I also hated having to be employed. Not because of the sweet salary, but because I hated having to answer to something outside of myself —no matter how nice that something was to me. Small decisions, by the way, like not being able to stay home on my period, or having to ask to not come to work? It felt like a cage. What’s a typical day like for you? Wake up at about 10 or 11 am, noon or 1 pm if I have been working past 3 am. I will get up, work on my social media for about an hour or two, then get up and have breakfast (brunch!), watch something, read something, probably leave the house —if not, I will start working. If I leave and come back, probably late, from whatever —an event I am covering, a film I am reviewing, whatever it is— then I will start working when I get home. If I have eaten out, I’ll start immediately —if not, I’ll cook. Then TV, then sleep. The only thing that is constant though, in that list, is what time I wake up, hehe. [bctt tweet=”To be a successful freelance writer you have to be willing to do the work required” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What will you say to people who say one can’t make money as a freelance writer? I haven’t lived at home for five years, so that’s a lie. You just have to be willing to do the large amount of work required to sustain yourself and have a hard-line stance on when people pay you —because self-motivation and chasing cheques are probably the hardest parts. Can you talk about rates? How did you go about setting rates for your work? Rates depend, for me, on who is buying. Every time. I have my constant contracts that I have been working for about four years —those don’t change much. Friends shouldn’t get different rates, I know, but they do. Everyone else? My minimum is about 5 bob a word. Or I charge per piece of work —for example, per script, as opposed to the number of words. For my television scripts, I ask for about KES15000 per script. Which I am told is below industry rate…hmmm…new year, new rates? The reason why sometimes rates are so fluid with me is, honestly, sometimes, you are broke as hell and have to take what you get. Then you get on a little bit, and you’re like no, I deserve more! Which is all fine and dandy, until you hit a patch and you go back to cheap. Especially at the beginning of a freelance career. It can be very hard to not only know your worth but stick to your guns. I would say start with what you want and stick to what you want, without having to go back –and with a backup plan. Savings, or Mshwari, hehe. If your work is good, they will pay. If they don’t, you will get better, or pivot. You will do what you have to do. [bctt tweet=”Abigail Arunga: At the beginning of a freelance career, it can be very hard to know your worth” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Would you say freelance writing is a sustainable career choice? Of course. Especially if you are thinking out of the box. You do realize that everything needs writers? All businesses need stuff written. They need newsletters. Copy for brochures. Memos. Who writes this stuff? Articles. Magazines. Menus…everything. So sometimes they have in-house writers. Many don’t. Figure out what you want to write and write. Write hard. It is sustainable because everyone needs writers. What should anyone looking to become a freelance writer know before embarking on this path? Ask for half of the money before you do any work for anyone. People are not nice in this town —in this world. Don’t feel bad if the jobs take a while to get there —they’ll get there. Just keep going. You want to be a writer? Then write. Ready to share expert advice on your industry based on your experience? Tell us about it here.
Rose Njeri: My clients become family once they start training with me
[bctt tweet=”Fitness helped Rose Njeri gain confidence & she knew she had to share this with others” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Rose Njeri runs things at RoseFit, LLC. She’s always played sports and credits her love for exercising to her passion for being a personal trainer. Though she is a certified personal trainer, Rose does not limit herself to one project; she is also a face of Kenya ambassador, model and actress. In addition to that, she is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Fitness is something that has helped Rose gain more confidence. Seeing what positive impact fitness has on her life, she knew she had to share it with others. Read on to find out how Rose Njeri is motivating others to live a happy, healthy and positive life. When did you realize it was your passion to help people live a healthy life? I enjoyed helping people around me get into fitness and shortly came to realize that I could help more people. I also saw a need of teaching people live a healthy life. Considering the abundance of businesses and services in the health industry, what makes your brand stand out? What makes my brand stand out is the relationship I build with my clients. They become family once they start training with me. I become their biggest fan! I want them to win. All they have to give me is a 100% and I will help them accomplish their fitness goals. I do my best to teach my clients to see working out as a lifestyle and not as torture. I always wish to leave a positive impact in their lives. [bctt tweet=”I see a lot of opportunities in the health and fitness industry – Rose Njeri” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How did you come up with the RoseFit brand? RoseFit came from my amazing friends and family. They would call me “Rose, the fitness guru” and from that I came up with RoseFit. Also, having my name on the brand makes me work harder because I want it to mean more and stand for something bigger. What do you think of the health and fitness industry as it now? The health and fitness industry is growing! More people now understand the value of it. I believe there is a need for it! I’m constantly learning new ways to make it easier for people to learn more about health and fitness. There are variety of opportunities beside training in health and fitness industry. I’ve gotten to be a motivational speaker, sell fitness gears, host 5K Runs and be a mentor, all in the health industry. I see a lot of opportunities but it all requires hard work and commitment. You offer diverse services including gear, how do you manage them all on your own? It goes back to working for my brand; I’m willing to do whatever it takes for RoseFit to grow. I am learning to balance it all out but it takes time. Can you tell us about being an award winning fitness coach? It was a surprise for me when I won an award. When I started out as a trainer I did free boot-camps in my community. They brought a lot of people together and were a great way for me to network. I saw that fitness brought people together and so I wanted to create more opportunities for the community to stay active. Also, I participated in Face of Kenya USA pageant and one of the tasks we had to do was to raise money for a charity of our choice. I came up with the idea of having 5K runs to raise money and it turned out to be very successful. The community got to know me as a trainer and they would turn to me for any help concerning health. I was invited to a community event as Face of Kenya ambassador and there, I was awarded a fitness award for influencing people in the community to workout. It was a blessing because it was women-focused event named “Queens Night” and I love events that aim to empower women. [bctt tweet=”Rose Njeri: When I started out as a trainer I did free boot-camps in my community” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You’re a woman of diverse talents as a model and actress too, how do you balance it all? Honestly I am still learning how to balance it all but I take any opportunity that I’m given and give it a 100%. I am truly blessed and that is the best way to describe it. How do you keep the passion alive in everything that you do? I pray for everything I do and trust God’s ways for my life. When God is involved anything is possible. Also, I enjoy it all and make sure I’m having fun. When you’re doing something you love, you enjoy it! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Gbemisola Isimi: Our mission is to preserve and promote African languages
[bctt tweet=”Gbemisola Isimi hopes to make learning African languages a fun & interactive experience. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Gbemisola Isimi is the CEO & Founder of CultureTree and she wants children to learn African languages. We can’t ignore the importance of speaking your mother tongue(s) but in a globalised world, many children are losing touch with their languages. CultureTree provides a solution to this problem. At present, CultureTree teaches children the Yoruba language through popular nursery rhymes, folk songs, stories, games and other educational resources. They plan to expand and introduce other African languages in the near future. What would you say is the innovative idea behind CultureTree? The idea for CultureTree was birthed when I had my first daughter who is now 3 years old. I wanted to teach her Yoruba but I couldn’t find anything online. I noticed she loved watching nursery rhymes on Youtube and could sit for hours watching it, even the ones in foreign languages. So I searched for Yoruba nursery rhymes but there was only one at that time and it wasn’t an animated cartoon but someone singing. That was when I thought of creating them myself. Kids love our nursery rhymes because they are already familiar with most of the songs. Baba MacDonald for example is particularly popular because kids love the Old MacDonald had a farm nursery rhyme. They are simply learning the Yoruba version of it. We hope to make learning African languages a fun, interactive and natural experience. Children are more likely to be curious when presented with songs, rhymes, stories and games and therefore are more likely to learn and retain knowledge. [bctt tweet=”I searched for Yoruba nursery rhymes but there was only one at that time – Gbemisola Isimi ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Can you tell us more about your business as a social venture? As Africans, our language is a very important part of our identity. Yet I noticed that a lot of us (Nigerians especially) living outside of Africa no longer speak to our children in our mother tongue. Even those of us who do speak our language to our children don’t get a response from them in our language but rather in English. This is because English is what we are surrounded with and unless parents have the tools and resources to help with teaching our languages, it will be a continued struggle (especially for those in inter-marriages, non-speakers etc.) Our mission is to preserve and promote African languages and also reignite the love and passion for our languages. As I mentioned earlier, we hope to provide as much educational resources as possible to teach children African languages. We believe it is very important to catch them young because children are so intelligent and can learn multiple languages very easily. As parents it is our duty to educate our children on our culture and language. If we don’t pass our language on to the next generation it will surely die. What four skills have you found yourself using/learning frequently since starting Culture Tree? There are so many but the four that stand out for me are: Discipline I’ve had to be very disciplined with my time, money, efforts, everything! Usually when working 9-5, you really don’t think about this because everything is so much more scheduled. As an employee you start work at 9, have your lunch around maybe 1pm then finish at 5/6-ish. When I first started working for myself, I used to think, “Yes I’m my own boss now, I can do whatever I want, even sleep till 10am”. I’d start working around 1pm but before I could even type one full sentence, the day would be gone and I’d have achieved nothing! Same with money, I can’t walk into Reiss and buy that expensive top any more without thinking about my bank balance because there’s no regular salary at the end of the month (at least till I hit the big-time). To cut a long story short, I’ve had to apply self-control in everything and work out a routine that allows me to be productive. [bctt tweet=”Gbemisola Isimi: I’ve had to apply self-control in everything and be productive.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Time-management and planning skills This follows on from being disciplined. You know that saying, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’? Well, I’ve learnt that time also flies when you’re not planning your time! I’ve learnt to prioritise my time and also plan ahead. I now set time aside each week to plan for the entire week and also make daily adjustments. I know when my peak energy times are so I work during those times and also keep a to-do-list. Communication I can get in about 20 words in one sentence because I talk very fast! And yes that is a skill! But that is not the kind of communication skill that has come in handy strangely. We are surrounded by noise everywhere, in person, online, on TV, etc. People can easily switch off if the information you’re giving them is too much or too long. I’ve had to work on being able to express the idea of CultureTree in a clear and concise manner. It is very important to learn to pick out the most important concepts of ones’ ideas and speak about them with clarity. I am also very enthusiastic about the business and I think this shows when I talk about it. If you are not enthusiastic about your idea, it is hard to persuade others to believe it is good one. Learning skills: Learning is a skill and one should never stop learning! I’ve always been a quick learner but there are so many technical skills I lack that I want to learn. It is very important to be willing to learn new skills constantly. For example, I’m learning how to create children’s games. I can easily hire someone to do this but it’s also useful for me to know how to do it myself, not to mention the fact that it’ll
Ramadimetja Makgeru: Your business exists to please your audience
[bctt tweet=”Ramadimetja Makgeru’s interest in entrepreneur grew from her financial struggles as a student” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Born in the dusty village of Mohlaletse in sunny South Africa, Ramadimetja Makgeru —better known as Rami— is a simple girl who has always enjoyed serving others from a very young age. From winning awards for community service in primary school to being involved in various initiatives as a young adult, making a difference runs in her blood. As a financially struggling student at the University of Witwatersrand, Rami’s interest in entrepreneurship started. She started attending business seminars during her spare time to learn about the world of business and how she can start making money. Through these seminars, Rami met a lot of budding entrepreneurs and realized that they all faced a similar predicament —they lacked personal and business branding skills. Not just that, they also lacked basic financial skills to enable them to do business financials. That’s when she decided to assist start-ups with bookkeeping and tax as a freelancer. Rami eventually decided to invest time in learning about sales and marketing too. Later on, she then designed training material to train small businesses on sales under her company Competent Creations Agency (Pty) Ltd. The company was registered when Rami decided to make her services more accessible to make more money from the venture. It now has its own agents distributing products on behalf of other companies. Why do you think entrepreneurs lack knowledge on branding, bookkeeping and sales strategies? Entrepreneurs don’t utilize readily available resources that educate them on these subject matters, but in their defence, they don’t have the time to do so. Most entrepreneurs are usually knowledgeable in the field their product or service specializes in. Branding, bookkeeping and sales strategies come with trying to maintain a company to keep it running; something most people don’t consider before starting a venture. Per studies, there is a positive correlation between business failure and lack of marketing and sales skills. How can entrepreneurs improve their knowledge of this on the cheap? There is a lot of material available online on platforms like YouTube and even free online courses (MOOC’s). With the age of the internet, information is at your fingertips. Various organizations, like mine, organize seminars where entrepreneurs are educated on these subjects by industry experts. In what ways you do help businesses stand out at Competent Creations? We assist businesses with branding themselves; from the first steps of choosing a name, drafting a killer business plan and even the design of quality logos and websites. We believe that how third parties view/perceive you plays a huge role in determining how well you will perform as a business. [bctt tweet=”How 3rd parties view you plays a huge role in how well you will perform as a business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What advice will you give to a recently launched start-up looking to re-brand? Go back to your business plan and see why you exist as an organization. How you brand yourself should reflect your reason for existence. Your audience should be kept in mind every step of the way because what they think of you is what matters most (you exist to please them). It is also important to get the opinion of an outsider, because the people you work with are too close to the current brand to be objective. Do you keep New Year resolutions? What will your goals be for 2017? I do not usually keep New Year Resolutions, but I plan to go vegetarian next year. I am planning a spiritual and body cleanse to connect with my inner self. My goals for 2017 include getting the company noticed. I would like to tap into the corporate market. This embodies a lot of networking and self-selling. I am excited for it! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Rapelang Rabana: I don’t believe everyone should be an entrepreneur
[bctt tweet=”Rapelang Rabana was named Entrepreneur for the World 2014 by the World Entrepreneurship Forum” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Featured on the cover of Forbes Africa before the age of 30, Rapelang Rabana founded Rekindle Learning, a learning technology company. Rekindle Learning challenges the existing norms within (largely ineffective) organisational and academic learning. It explores the role of technology and the latest learning pedagogies that improve learning efficiency and reduce time to competency, ensuring higher workforce productivity and enabling young people to be more employable. Rekindle Learning was profiled in the McKinsey report Lions go Digital as a ‘striking innovation’ in mobile learning and serves academic learning institutions and corporate training environments. Prior to founding Rekindle Learning, Rapelang was the founding CEO of Yeigo, an innovative startup that developed some of the world’s earliest mobile VoIP applications. Thanks to our increasingly digitalized culture, people generally have no patience for long-form essays or in-depth reading. Do you think there’s a danger in missing nuances when information is fed in a bite-sized format? Subtleties and the “bigger picture” can indeed become lost when information is whittled down to its bare bones —this is an unavoidable reality in today’s fast paced world. But we should rather ask ourselves if a solution is ‘purpose-fit’. In some cases, no learning can happen without providing context and nuances, while other times, bite-sized chunks are perfectly adequate. The very nature of mobile devices —which are the most influential contributors to this information condensing trend, can also be used for a higher purpose. And it is in learning particular subject areas that I see this dynamic being to society’s great advantage in the future. The process of learning can be aided by information being presented in bite-sized chunks, similar to how we consume social media. This is very much part of the ethos of Rekindle Learning and what I aim to target in both the educational and corporate sphere through the use of mobile devices for learners and employees. [bctt tweet=”The very nature of mobile devices can also be used for a higher purpose – Rapelang Rabana ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] On running a business, you’ve said “being good at numbers, or being an aggressive sales person and deal maker, or bossy enough to manage a lot of people are not deciding factors.” Could you elaborate on the statement? In business, as with life, we are fed many societal misconceptions that ultimately hinder our progress as individuals and professionals. These misconceptions include “being good at numbers” and “being bossy enough” which are really not factors in determining one’s aptitude for potential entrepreneurial success. Rather, success on the entrepreneurial path is one of self-discovery, the realisation of true confidence and bringing one’s authentic voice to the venture at hand. You write your own story. The limitations that are so flippantly bandied about are only limitations as long as you play by someone else’s rules. Running a business takes constant vigilance and a lot of hard work, but if one has a deeper motivation than simply the bottom line or being a success, it can be done! There’s a common notion in Nigeria that everyone should be an entrepreneur. As someone who has founded two start-ups, do you share the same view? As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and it is the same in the business world. Although I believe that any person, with the right socialisation, stimulation and mindset “can” be an entrepreneur, I don’t believe everyone “should” be one. A business is merely a sum of its parts, and every person operating within that chain plays an indispensable role – from the secretary to the MD. One cannot function optimally with the other doing the same work. Also, the moment we use the word “should” we are in dangerous territory. The only “should” is that every person be given the opportunity to develop themselves, to discover their strengths and make their unique contribution in whatever form that comes. Yes, increased entrepreneurial activity is a huge bonus for any country but businesses need employees working in them to make them a success. There are no small parts, and for every successful entrepreneur, there’s a team of astute employees fulfilling their objectives/roles to ensure the bud blossoms. [bctt tweet=”It takes a village to raise a child & it is the same in the business world – @rapelangrabana” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What has founding Yeigo Communications and Rekindle Learning taught you about yourself and entrepreneurship? From a personal perspective, I have learnt that the journey of entrepreneurship is really an inward one, wherein connecting to my authentic drive and motivations naturally leads me to the right solutions. I have been led to plumb the depths of my personality to reach places of clarity. In a nutshell, don’t look outside – look inside! Regarding business, I’ve learnt that local entrepreneurs and innovators play a pivotal role in delivering solutions for Africa; that the typical assumptions that technologies will always come from the West are deeply flawed. Indigenous ideas that are contextually relevant, because they are created by people who not only observe but live the experience, are the only way we will have products and services that address the many challenges the continent faces today. What’s next for the serial entrepreneur Rapelang Rabana and Rekindle Learning? In the next 10 years, I would like to see Rekindle Learning as a centre of learning, enabling people from school children to young high school graduates needing new opportunities, entrepreneurs and women farmers to build knowledge from the palm of their hands. I believe one of the greatest drivers of data usage in 10 years on the continent will not just be entertainment and social media but educational, training and learning content, and I want Rekindle Learning to be at the crux of that. If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.