Nkateko Eulander Nanni: Spirited, Confident and Independent woman
Nkateko Eulander Nanni is a 33 year old Auditor for a top milling company in South Africa. She also runs an NPO for children affected by eating disorders and autism; in addition to that, she is being trained to run a Macademia farm. One of the paths her work has led her to was being nominated to enter the Mrs Mpumalanga pageant, which is a build up to becoming a contestant for Mrs South African. Already a top 16 finalist, she has become popular because of her charity events and fundraising for women, children and the physically challenged. Who is Nkateko Nanni in a sentence? Nkateko Nanni is a spirited, confident and independent woman; who is intelligent, opinionated, has a good sense of humor and a good heart. How old are you? Where and how did you grow up? I am 33 years of age, and was born in Majembeni Violet Bank B in the rural areas of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa. My parents, Mr and Mrs Mokoena, are both academic’s, my father is a retired principle and my mother is a high school teacher. I have a twin sister, Eurocia; we were raised in a Christian, very structured and principled home. How are you contributing to the South African economy? I provide mentorship to young people and I am working on building my own Forensic Auditing firm. What is you greatest achievement? Other than the work and outreach work I’ve done, which I’ve received humbling results from; my other technical achievements are my studies. I have obtained a national Diploma in Internal Auditing and a certificate in Bookkeeping. Tell us about your family life? I am married to Franz Nanni; my soul mate, my smile keeper. He is a beautiful man inside out. He is the one that knows me truly and has love for me always! I am also a mother. My daughter Zoé is my life, she is the reason I strive for perfection daily. She is the very motivation why I wake up and want to leave a lasting legacy for her and XiluvaXama, my New NPO project. What other business are you involved in? My husband and I run Nanni’s Paradise, a macadamia nuts farm. My husband is a medical professional turned macadamia farmer, and he is training me to run the Farm- and I love this new duty. Tell us more about your organization Our Non-Governmental Organization is called Kago Yabana. Kago Yabana Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Nelspruit, South Africa. It was founded by 6 active members who are now the executive board, and who give leadership support, volunteerism and advice about all the programs in the organization. We set up early childhood development centers and youth managed multipurpose centers throughout identified areas in RSA. Our work also allows us to provide and advocate for children’s rights and their development in communities, especially in the rural areas. We liaised with government and other institutions towards Early Childhood Development policies, formations and implementation in accordance to the needs we come across in this sector. We undertake capacity building for HIV/ AIDS awareness and eradication. We invest in food security, women & children well being and empowerment. Tell us about a project which is close to your heart? We have been raising awareness and funds for Hlayisani in a township called Ngondini, it is a group of houses which act as a refuge village for women who have been abused, who have been affected by substance abuse, and who may have nowhere else to go. It’s a Safe Haven for rape and human trafficking victims This haven has been providing computer lessons for those that can’t afford to go to school due to a lack of funds. We provide laundry and run other Developmental Programs. Another project I enjoy, which I have just taken up is mentoring Logan Monareng, Miss Ehlanzeni finalist 2018. What is a cause you are committed to as Mrs Mpumalanga and Mrs SA runner up? My causes are: Eating disorders, depression and alcoholism among children. Another important factor that I will be supporting is autism, as it is not supported a lot. I have started reaching out to friends that have kids suffering from the disorder. What other events has your organisation created? A few months ago we did an event for Mandela day, 18 Minutes of service, in a village close to Ngodini, Mpumalanga, at the Hlayisani Center. As Kago Yabana we partnered on this project, providing food parcels and food pack donations. We also cooked and did maintenance for houses. In August 2017 we held a fund raising charity event, in support of autism and benefit for the Children with Eating Disorders Foundation. I managed to raise quite a large amount of money. All fundraising and ticket prices were donated to the Foundation. What more should we expect from Nkateko Eulender Nanni? The upcoming Official launch of my NPO: XiluvaXamama I am currently doing the following annual events: Annual Charity walk/run Annual Eat Drink & be Giving Annual Charitable Couture Fashion Show The Red Dot Project Mentoring 5 children next year and establishing the Colibri’s Make-up Artistry (beauty) Do you have an inspiring story to share with us? Let us know more about you and your story here.
Jobs – SheHive Nairobi Intern
She Leads Africa believes in the power of young African women to build amazing careers and businesses, serve as community leaders and influencers, and eventually take over the world. Our #MotherlandMoguls, as we affectionately call them, are the reason we exist and expanding – to provide them with more inspiring and educational content to help them live their best lives. We’re looking for a intern who’d like to join us in helping pulling together the most amazing She Leads Africa event in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2017. This role is only open in Nairobi, Kenya Role Description: The SheHive Intern (Nairobi) will provide marketing support to the programs team on SheHive Nairobi 2017 event. Reporting Structure: This position reports directly to the SheHive Marketing Associate. Responsibilities: Focus on ticket sales and pre/post event participant management for the SheHive event. Help with participant outreach and communication: WhatsApp message & Direct Message on Instagram and Twitter potential participants Help with influencer outreach and communication: Identify and engage with social media influencers on Instagram for help with promotion (ie. Post Swaps) Identify and engage marketing partners for the SheHive Review weekly experiments with the SLA team Execute and determine how to improve efficiency of campaigns Requirements: The ideal candidates will have an interest in building, growing and scaling communities. You don’t have to have official work experience doing this kind of work but we want someone who is passionate about digital content and can learn quickly. If this role is for you, you’ll be excited to work in a fast paced environment and committed to working until the job is done. Specific requirements include: Time management – ability to work effectively for several hours a day, and to check in and out on time (or give ample warning for why this won’t be possible) Communication – ability to speak professionally and concisely Research – ability to compile mass lists of potential influencers and participants within the area for outreach Basic excel skills Benefits: Opportunity to learn project management skills Opportunity to meet and network with African female leaders Flexible work arrangements Work with a moderately fun team who prefer sweatpants over stilettos Submit your application here: [typeform_embed type=”embed” url=”https://sheleadsafrica.typeform.com/to/UEG3bT”] You can also click this link to go to the direct application page. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, we will not be able to contact everyone who applies. We will not be able to answer additional questions via email.
Jobs – Marketing Associate
She Leads Africa believes in the power of young African women to build amazing careers and businesses, serve as community leaders and influencers, and eventually take over the world. Our #MotherlandMoguls, as we affectionately call them, are the reason we exist and expanding – to provide them with more inspiring and educational content to help them live their best lives. We’re looking for a marketing guru who’d like to join us in building She Leads Africa into the number one destination for smart and ambitious African women. This role is only open in Lagos, Nigeria and Cape Town, South Africa only. Role Description: The Marketing Associate (Events) will manage the marketing functions for She Leads Africa events and training programs. Reporting Structure: The Marketing Associate (Events) will report to the Head of Marketing. They will also be responsible for managing a team of 2-3 fellows and additional staff related to large events or campaigns. Responsibilities: Serve as the lead content creator for promotion and publicity of events and training programs Establish and deliver leads and sales goals on a weekly and monthly basis Manage marketing and public relations strategies including media partnerships, influencers, and advertising for events Maintain a marketing calendar with a structured plan of marketing campaigns for each quarter Create “always on” campaigns to consistently market and build the SLA brand in target cities in advance of upcoming events Liaise with the content team to schedule marketing content Utilize data and analytics to drive decision making and advise content decisions Develop a deep understanding of our audience and how best to communicate with them Requirements: The ideal candidates will have an interest in building, growing and scaling communities. You don’t have to have official work experience doing this kind of work but we want someone who is passionate about digital content and can learn quickly. If this role is for you, you’ll be excited to work in a fast paced environment and committed to working until the job is done. Specific requirements include: Intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning new skills Excellent English writing skills and the ability to adopt and change your style of writing Experience in building and growing communities across markets using a variety of content, marketing and partnership strategies Knowledge of digital marketing strategies Social media savvy and being up to date on current trends Able to deliver on metrics-driven results and an understanding of analytics Graphic design and video editing skills are a major plus Benefits: Entry level salary with bonus Opportunity to travel across Africa and interact with Africa’s leading voices and entrepreneurs Flexible work arrangements Work with a moderately fun team who prefer sweatpants over stilettos Submit your application here: [typeform_embed type=”embed” url=”https://sheleadsafrica.typeform.com/to/eoteH5″] You can also click this link to go to the direct application page. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, we will not be able to contact everyone who applies. We will not be able to answer additional questions via email.
Dr Enibokun Orobator: Understand your workplace dynamics
Dr Enibokun Theresa Orobator is a young African doctor, a visionary and public health enthusiast. She works as a Medical Science Liaison officer in a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Dr Orobator is also a student at the University of Edinburgh, a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) 2016 fellow, a KECTIL colleague and member of the Kectil youth leadership Council, and she was also a finalist for the McKinsey’s 2017 Next Generation Women’s leaders Award. In this article, she shares insights about getting an entry level job and distinguishing yourself. How did you get your first job? I got my first job in a very interesting way. I had just rounded up my national youth service and, I got a call from a colleague I had interned with, about a job opportunity. I took it, and had only worked for about 4 months before I got another call, from a recruitment agency, inviting me to come in for an interview in a pharmaceutical company, for my present job. The interview went very well and I was offered the position. Did you meet resistance in the new workplace? Oh yes I did. Quite a lot of resistance actually. Do you think it was because you were a young woman? I was considered quite young and fairly green and thus, I did not come with much experience. This meant that I had to learn a lot on the job, gradually gain the respect of my colleagues, and earn my seat at the table. I don’t think the resistance I met was as a result of the fact that I was a woman, although this may have also played some role. The ratio of male to female colleagues in the workplace is still disproportionate, this is why it has become necessary for young women to build themselves for success in the workplace. How did you handle the resistance? Well, truthfully, I was not prepared for the kind of resistance I encountered. I was brilliant and quick to learn, and ready to perform at my job, but, that was not all that was required. I had to go back to the drawing board, step back from myself and began to study both my work environment and my colleagues. I began to understand what made my colleagues tick, what their interests were and how best to work with them. It required a lot of focus on the task to be accomplished and less on the personalities of those involved. I read a lot, and took counsel from older colleagues. I prayed a lot for wisdom too. Basically, for me it was building emotional intelligence, improving my leadership skills and capacity to handle stress and still produce excellent results. [bctt tweet=”Go the extra mile. Seek to be the best in your area of interest” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What would you advise female job seekers? My advice to young female job seekers is to build capacity. Opportunities always come, both to the prepared and the unprepared, but, only the prepared can make the most of the opportunity presented to them, to climb to the next level. Go the extra mile. Seek to be the best in your area of interest. Keep learning, constantly seek to develop your skills set and your knowledge, so that when opportunities come, you will invariably make the most of it, because now you are prepared. Also, do not limit yourself, search for opportunities actively, apply for the jobs you want, put yourself out there. It is also great to volunteer. You get to build your skill sets and build experience. It is also important to make the most of your online presence. These are not the times to make posts on social media that you would regret later. Build your LinkedIn profile, take online courses, some of them are free, and network! Let people know what you have interest in, you may never know who would be linking you to your next opportunity. Be resilient and persistent, be dogmatic and hold the faith. [bctt tweet=”Be resilient and persistent, be dogmatic and hold the faith.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How can young women distinguish themselves after securing a job? First of all, note that you may not get your ‘dream job’ in the first few years of your career. You make your current job your dream job, because, it is only when you can do your best at your present level that, you can either get promoted or be built up enough to establish your own business. Work hard, work smart, and give your best. Work well with your team, understand your workplace dynamics and organisational structure to see how you can progress in the organisation. Always continue to develop your skills, experience and your knowledge and lastly, trust your process. What can more young women do to position themselves rightly for future opportunities? To position yourself rightly for opportunities, be thankful for all you have achieved. But, constantly appraise yourself and seek to always become better. Do your work well, and don’t stop learning. Realise that every achievement you have conquered is a step on a ladder. There is more, so never restrict yourself. Any final words? Trust your process. Every experience has a lesson in it, learn it so you don’t have to repeat the lesson again. Learn from others, both their successes and mistakes, remain teachable and know that with God, success is inevitable. Do you have any tips on how to stand out and progress in the workplace? Let us know more here.
Udoka Uju: I am the first woman in Nigeria to come out boldly as a creative Painter
Udoka Uju the ‘first lady painter’ as she fondly calls herself, is specialized in creative wall designing (interior and exterior painting). She is also the founder of the ‘Grab a brush, Color a Life’ Initiative,which targets poorly kept environments and beautifies them. She took a bold step in 2015 when she resigned from her banking career to pursue her passion as a painter. [bctt tweet=”… I am an influence to all other creative women out there…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What does it feel like to be a lady painter in a male dominated vocation? Knowing that I am the first woman in Nigeria to come out boldly as a creative Painter, with a totally different painting concept and solution, does feel good. The idea of it being a male dominated field is because we allowed it to be so in this part of the world. I am glad I am an influence to all other creative women out there, now a lot women are coming out as Painters, even those who only called themselves “Artists” are now adding Painter to their profile. [bctt tweet=”…my experience made me realize how some of us actually take people with blue-ollar jobs for granted.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What gave you the push to walk away from your 9-5 job to pursue your passion? What motivated me to go pursue this business idea was the desire to find my own path in life, and to use it to inspire the lives around me. Up until late 2015, I had never thought of being a Painter. I had only always been fascinated with beautiful homes and spaces. I used to wonder what it took create beautiful spaces and I used to imagine myself creating spaces like that. So one day I just started calling myself The Lady Painter, and since then all I think of is how to create amazing spaces for people to live and work in. How was your transition like from being an employee to becoming an entrepreneur? What hurdles did you encounter? My transition was a hard one, from paid employment to uncertainty. When I started off this business, my experience made me realize how some of us actually take people with blue-collar jobs for granted. I used to have clients turn down signing an agreement with me, because they felt my job was not serious enough to have an agreement. I found myself spending even my profit on jobs I had concluded. To stop that from happening further, before I proceed on any job, my clients must sign my service request form, with my terms and conditions of service stated clearly, which saves me from being liable for defects on walls that I have no control over. This helps me do my job professionally. [bctt tweet=” Start by taking a first step which is understanding that your life is purposeful.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about your initiatives and how they are impacting lives, As part of my desire to give back to society and really inspire lives around me, I founded an NGO ‘Grab a brush, Color a Life’ Initiative. This initiative is all about beautifying a poorly kept school or location- in any local community with colours and patterns. The maiden project took place on October 1st, 2016 at Araromi Primary School Mushin, Lagos. What led to it was the desire to not only make money from my skills, but, to also touch lives positively using my painting. I believe that everyone deserves to live and learn in a beautiful environment and so my mission is to inspire people to live in their full potential- using colours and bold patterns. My next project is in Imo state, I choose my locations randomly. Have you done jobs for male clients? Was their response positive or negative and how did you stand up to negative responses? Yes I have done jobs for male clients and the response is always good, I have not received any negative response or feedback from male clients. What message do you have for women who feel stuck in their jobs and would want to pursue their passion?Where do they start from? I would give them the same advice I gave myself, which motivated me to be who I am right today, I curled it from a bible verse and gave it some twist. It says: whatever makes you happy, whatever gives you satisfaction, if it will make you a better person, if it will make your neighbor (in this case your customer) happy, and if it will earn you a decent income, then by all means go out there and do it! Start by taking a first step which is understanding that your life is purposeful. How do you combine working as an entrepreneur and pursuing your other initiatives? Thankfully, both my business and my initiative have the same offering – Painting, which makes it a little easy to manage. The only difference is that one brings in money and the other cost me money. It’s quite a lot of work because both my initiative and job require me to travel to different states frequently. Also, I have a reliable team to handle my business when the initiative requires my attention. I can be reached on 08063275102 or email info@theladypainterng.com and my website is www.theladypainterng.com. I am also available on the major social media platforms. Twitter – @LadyPainterNG Facebook – @TheLadyPainter Instagram – @theladypainterng LinkedIn – The Lady Painter Are you female painter or aspire to be one? If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
4 Productivity Tips for the Rest of the Year
“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.” -Charles Richards It’s no news that we are now more than half way into the year 2017. For some , this is real good news but for others, it is a reminder of unmet goals. Whichever category you fall into, the good news is the year is not over yet and it is not too late to start working towards making 2017 the year you envisaged, and because it is my desire to see you make progress, I put together 4 productivity tips that can help you make that happen: Value time An object is treated based on the perception of its value; if you value time, you will make proper use of it. I don’t mean to sound like a motivational speaker but the reality is that the perception and use of time is what differentiates between high achievers and those on the other face of the coin. The premium you place on time is the value that life gives back to you. If you do not value time, you cannot make good use of it. Understand its irreversible nature and ensure not to waste it. The number one time waster today is social media. Many of us spend our productive hours shuffling between social media sites to get wind of the latest gossips and trending hashtags. The unfortunate thing however is that there is nothing that will change your life by staring at social media, even when it is past bedtime. It is advisable to take a break from social media every once in a while. Have a plan Everyone has grand dreams but not all of those grand dreams find a place in reality. This is because most of the time, there is no plan to back them up. If you have great dreams for yourself but you never get to see them in reality, the problem could be that you are being too vague with your dreams. So, If you really want to be one of the She’s Leading Africa in any area, you need a plan. Have a plan! Prayerfully prepare your plan and know that plan like the back of your hand. Don’t have a plan yet? It’s not too late to create one. Do something that brings you closer to your goals each day ‘Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant sand.’ The nursery school rhyme above conveys a profound truth. Little consistent effort made everyday eventually become a great success story. If you are willing to start small and be consistent while you’re at it, it is only a matter of time before your success manifests. So, everyday for the rest of the year, do something that takes you closer to your goal. Take a break when you need one In the words of a respected mentor, “he that fails to rest will soon be laid to rest”. I know it is cool these days to brag about sleeping for less than three hours everyday, but apart from the health hazards that this may cause you, it also reduces your productivity levels. When you need rest, please do not hesitate to take one! After taking a break, your levels of productivity are heightened. Extra Tip: Be Prayerful! Do you have any productivity tips that have worked for you? Let us know more about you and your story here.
From MIT to Harvard to McKinsey, Carolyne Njeri Gathinji Credits Her Success to God and to Going after her Goals with Undivided Attention
“God’s fingerprints are evident in the people He put on my path” says Carolyne Njeri Gathinji. Carolyne is an MIT and Harvard graduate who currently works at McKinsey & Company. Njeri has excelled through life, whether it was at the Alliance High School in Kenya, a prestigious all-women boarding school, or at UBS after MIT. She is a consultant who loves traveling the world. Her best self-care tips? Same as Kerry Washington’s: getting her nails did. No wonder she is such a gladiator! Who is Carolyne Njeri Gathinji and what gets you out of bed every day? Give us a brief tour of your life. She is a simple, light hearted lady who is living a life she had never envisioned for herself. An optimist with a disproportionate share of joy, seeking positivity and positive energy. She is an extroverted introvert who enjoys bringing people together and forging connections. She is a Kenyan (from Nakuru) living in Boston and working as a management consultant. Many people have been part of my journey. I could not get to where I am by walking alone. I am motivated by their belief in my strengths, their support along the way and the ability to inspire others. Secondly, my job gives me the opportunity to work with brilliant, ambitious and interesting people to solve clients’ problems. Getting to the solution becomes fun when surrounded by great teammates and clients. I spend most of my time in Boston with one or two trips to Kenya every year to visit my family. I love traveling so I’ve also established a tradition for a week-long summer vacation trip. During the rest of the year when I am at work, Monday – Thursday are spent at the client site, working with them to solve the problem. Given most of my clients are not in Boston, I find myself away from home most of the week. I get back to Boston most weekends and spend the weekend relaxing and catching up with friends. I am also currently helping a local Boston business think about its growth strategy. You are incredibly achieved – Alliance, MIT, UBS, Harvard, McKinsey- what’s your secret? Is there really a secret? If someone has discovered one please share… As I said earlier, it really has taken a village! I wish I could say all this was part of a master plan that I worked on, crossing one thing off the list after another. The only one of these institutions I really thought of for years was probably Alliance. I had that dream growing up, probably from the age of seven; given the caliber of strong women I knew who had attended the school. MIT only became an option in 12th grade when my physics teacher prompted me to apply to American colleges, and about a year later, I was packing my bags and leaving my family at 18 and taking my first flight of the country to Cambridge. Having said that, when I decided to go for any of the opportunities, I worked with undivided attention on the goals I had set and tried to leave no stone unturned. In the moment, it was a lot of hard work and a matter of sacrifice, but if your eyes are on the prize, you barely feel it. In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho talks about the fact that when you want something so bad, the universe conspires to make it happen. I believe this, but for me, it misses one crucial piece – the work you and the universe have to put in. What I have found is that if you decide you will pursue something and put in the work, and make sure the relevant people in the universe are aware, they will work with you to make it come true. Of course, this presupposes that these relevant people are bought into your success and want to be helpful. Although, I didn’t have the master plan, I believe someone did, and if I reflect on my entire journey, God’s fingerprints are evident in the people he put on my path, the strength and resources He provided and the favor upon my life. Steve Jobs said you can only connect the dots looking backwards, and even in my short life so far, I have had to trust that the dots will connect in the future and given my all to what is happening in the moment. You travel a lot. What’s the best place you’ve ever visited? Each place is different and I find that there are always unique experiences to enjoy and cultures to learn from. If forced to pick, I would say Thailand is at the top, because of the breadth of experiences it offers. You studied Mathematics and Management Science in undergrad, do you apply what you learned in Math in consulting? Any advice for younger women looking to study in the field? Even though I do not use most of the complex Math that I learned, logical and critical thinking skills gained are very applicable in consulting. Inherently, we are solving a client’s problem, which is what a Math major does daily. You need to break the problem into structured bit-sized pieces that lead to the final answer. You need to apply certain known theorems and assumptions along the way. That is what consulting is about. Additionally, we do a lot of quantitative analyses for which a love for manipulation of numbers fits well. Advice: First, let no one tell you that you cannot pursue or do math…refer them to Hidden Figures! Secondly, think of how you want to use your Math degree. There are many ways you could directly use it; as a professor, statistician, actuary etc. However, there are many other professions that would value a math degree and you have to figure out if you need to pair the degree with another to pursue a career in that field. I combined my Math degree with
Just Omomo Ibe: Rule as a Boss, Rock like a Mum, Slay as a Wife
Business strategist and work- life balance expert, Just Omomo Ibe, is helping women create a balance between their work and personal life, so they can chase their dreams and make money while at it. She also helps individuals identify the various opportunities in their business to make more profit. Just Omomo Ibe has been in the banking sector for over seven years and is the founder of The Just Ibe Network; thus living her dreams while been an employee. She is involved in speaking engagements, coaching calls, online courses and business consulting for SME’s. Recently, she launched a Youtube show which focuses on motivation and strategies from experts in various fields, the channel is aimed at further helping her target market achieve success in their life and business. [bctt tweet=”It’s an act of self sabotage to neglect your dreams because you have a job” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us about The Just Ibe Network The Just Ibe Network is a group of company that comprises our consulting firm, training and mentorship platform, it also includes an online training academy and media arm. At The Just Ibe Network we pride ourselves in delivering superior quality trainings, coaching and consulting for our esteemed clients both offline and online. What market research did you carry out in the course of starting your business, and how did you go about it? The first research was that of my competitors, I needed to find out what my competitors were offering and what gap they are not filling. This helped me make informed decisions as to how best to penetrate the market. A lot of businesses offer homogeneous products, therefore market research helps you understand how best to position your business in a way that not only meets the needs of your consumers but also positions your business as authentic. [bctt tweet=”Innovation keeps you in the business long after your competitors have gone” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What challenges have you faced so far in the setup of your business? The greatest challenge I faced in setting up my business was creating time to actually execute my plans; creating and fine tuning strategies that would keep me relevant in the market place today and always. Innovation keeps you in business long after your competitors have gone, so you must constantly innovate. What are your launch plans once your business registration is completed? Honestly a business registration isn’t stopping any major launch of my business, as all facets of my businesses are in full gear at the moment. The registration would just allow me operate a corporate account in the designated banks. So my take is it doesn’t matter if your business name is ready or not, keep adding value to your ideal clients and grow your business regardless. [bctt tweet=”It doesn’t matter if your business name is ready or not; keep adding value to your ideal clients and growing your business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What inspired the book ‘Rule as a Boss, Rock like a Mum and Slay as a Wife? Rule as a Boss, Rock as a Mum, Slay as a Wife is a book dedicated to helping women create a work life- balance. Last year I started my career in public speaking, leveraging on several online platforms and offline avenues, despite been a full time banker, wife and mum. So people started asking me how I was doing all I was doing, so conveniently. I started documenting steps I have taken that helped me overcome my otherwise very tight schedule and results I achieved. This book is aimed at providing practical steps that can help women fully integrate all aspects of their lives, thus living a balanced and fulfilled life. What kind of investors and partnerships are necessary for your kind of business and what strategies are useful in achieving this? Media investors are required for the talk show arm of my business, which is targeted at providing strategies that would help entrepreneurs succeed and grow in business. Corporate investors also play a major role, especially companies who have CSR projects, ours can successfully pass as a CSR project aimed at helping young and budding entrepreneurs. Who is the one person from anywhere on the globe, you would love to interview and why? The one person I would love to interview is President Barack Obama. He is the one person I look up to the most, because he is probably about the best public speaker that exists in this day and age. [bctt tweet=”If you can think it you can definitely birth it” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What quote resonates with your business and how does it inspire you? We at The Just Ibe Network live by this mantra: if you can think it you can definitely birth it. So dear corporate ladies, your dreams are valid, they are your dreams for a reason, it’s an act of self sabotage to neglect your dreams because you have a job; the world needs you to live to the fullest. Have you mastered the art of work-life balance? Share your story, let us know more about you and your story here.
5 minutes with SheHive London 2017 speakers: brother and sister team Emeka & Ifeyinwa Frederick
Chuku’s is the world’s first Nigerian tapas restaurant based in London, fusing authentic Nigerian flavours and the best of Nigeria’s West African culture with the world. Founded by sibling duo Emeka & Ifeyinwa Frederick. On founding Chuku’s The sibling duo’s idea to create a food company, offering a variety of small plates of Nigerian dishes, was born out of growing up in a Nigerian household, and having friends who loved their home meals. This lead them to explore Nigerian cuisine, by fusing traditional recipes with food from their travelling experiences, and their experiences of being part of the diaspora. Running the operations at Chuku’s Every day is different for this team, with something new to be learned and done each day. They note that creating a routine is one of their main goals in the short term. But, their weeks are broken up into: Shopping days Cooking preparation Events and logistics Administrative tasks Strategizing Marketing This is one busy duo, as we can see! [bctt tweet=” Hear the Chuku’s team speak at SheHive London 2017: http://sheleadsafrica.org/shehivelondon2017/” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Long term goals… Their long term plans include: Finding a permanent space to offer their food. Establishing a chain of mainstream Nigerian tapas lounges. To become a UK household brand name. What trends keeping their eyes on… The evolution of technology in the food space and how it continues to evolve and disrupt the market. The rise of healthy meals and food, which their already onto, with their delicious tapa’s. To learn more about the creative Nigerian foodie duo, get a ticket to our SheHive London event on the 24th of September.
5 minutes with SheHive London 2017 speaker: Minna Salami
Minna Salami is a Nigerian-Finnish writer, blogger and commentator who has contributed to the popularisation of African feminism through her blog, MsAfropolitan. On woman empowerment: At the risk of sounding too spiritual, or something, let me first say that I believe that if there is a purpose to life, then it is self-actualisation. Some might call this “becoming the highest version of yourself”. Challenges facing professional women. I would say, firstly, the absence of adequate constitutional rights. Secondly, the absence of a robust civil society fighting for adequate constitutional rights. The absence of both disturbs the smooth flow of a woman’s professional life. Women feeling whole and complete. We need to cultivate a culture where women feel the opposite of lack, namely a sense of wholeness. Women working in male dominant fields, as most women are, need to cultivate a sense of inner acceptance that they are enough just as they are, which will enable them to want the same for others. [bctt tweet=” Hear Minna speak at SheHive London 2017: http://sheleadsafrica.org/shehivelondon2017/” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] On Economic growth… The question women should be asking is: How is the money they are contributing to the economy benefiting women? The system should work for us and not vice versa. Put it this way, gender equality is indeed necessary for economic growth, but economic growth is not the only reason we want gender equality. African women and feminism. It is in Africa that I have encountered women with the most dedication to the feminist revolution; women who do not pander to patriarchal narratives, and women who inject a deep humanism and criticism to the global feminist discussion. To hear more from Mina Salami and her world changing creative pursuits, get a ticket to our SheHive London event on the 24th of September.