SHEAMOISTURE SPOTLIGHT ON THE ADIRE FASHIONPRENEUR: CYNTHIA ASIJE – CEO ADIRE LOUNGE
SheaMoisture is the enduring and beautiful legacy of Sofi Tucker. Widowed with five children at 19, Grandma Sofi supported her family by selling handcrafted shea butter soaps and other creations in the village market in Sierra Leone. Sofi became known as a healer who shared the power of shea and African black soap with families throughout the countryside. She handed down her recipes to grandson Richelieu Dennis, who founded SheaMoisture and incorporated her wisdom into the brand’s hair and skin care innovations. SheaMoisture products and collections are formulated with natural, certified organic and fair trade ingredients, with the shea butter ethically-sourced from 15 co-ops in Northern Ghana as part of the company’s purpose-driven Community Commerce business model SheaMoisture has partnered with She Leads Africa to support and showcase Nigerian women who support their communities. About Cynthia Asije Cynthia Asije is the CEO and founder of Adire Lounge and holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration. She is a multi-award winning textile designer at Adire lounge, a hand-dyed textile company that trains women in rural communities and creates job opportunities for them. She has a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Enterprise Development Centre Lagos, and a Non-Profit Leadership certificate from Lagos Business School. Cynthia was on the Ynaija Power list 2018 for Fashion and Style and 100 Africa’s Next Startup by IFC-World Bank Group 2018. Cynthia founded Adire Lounge because she is passionate about eradicating extreme poverty using capacity development and entrepreneurship by infusing old cultural practices and technology. One woman at a time, Cynthia is working to eradicate poverty in her community with her brand. To learn more about Cynthia’s business Adire Lounge, you can connect with her on Instagram, Twitter and on her website. How did you start Adire Lounge? I started Adire Lounge as a hand-dyed textile company that creates unique designs on non-conventional fabrics like chiffon, T-shirts, scarves and silk. I also train rural women, widows and out of school youths in adire making. The vision behind Adire Lounge is to preserve our rich cultural heritage and traditions, while also closing the unemployment gap and creating job opportunities for women and youth in my community. I truly believe that Adire lounge is making a difference in my community and country as a whole. What was your motivation? I wanted to build a brand that not only made profit, but helped my immediate community. Starting Adire Lounge was a way for me to preserve our beautiful culture while helping young people like me, earn a sustainable income and help their families too. Most of the women in my community are of low social and economic status so they live below the poverty line and it can be quite difficult for them to provide basic necessities for their families. With my brand, I have been able to keep some of them on a salary which has helped them provide food, education and health care for their families. What makes your brand stand out? We have been able to build a premium textile brand that creates unique hand-dyed prints on non-conventional fabrics like chiffon, silk, T-shirts and scarves etc. We have also made custom prints for fashion designers and corporate organizations. Our pieces have been used by other brands to make products like footwear, pillows and other products. We also collaborate with different brands to make new products. Also, our approach to business which follows a community commerce model has helped us stand out as a brand that makes a significant contribution to our community. Can you tell us 1 to 3 things you struggled with as a business owner and how you overcame them? One of the things I struggled with was having access to enough finance when I started out. To combat this, I used the bootstrap method to finance my business. Another issue I had was access to the market. It was a relatively new idea, so we needed to do a lot of marketing to increase our brand awareness. To combat the problem, we utilized social media marketing and influencer marketing to target our clients. How have you managed to stay above the noise in this industry? It can be quite distracting working in an industry that has a lot of competition such as the fashion industry but I have stayed above the noise in the industry by focusing on my “why.” Focusing on why I stared Adire Lounge keeps me grounded and focused. What impact have you made on your community since starting this business? Most of the women in my community are of low social and economic status and they can’t afford to provide basic necessities for themselves and their families. So since starting my business, I have been able to help them gain economic independence by providing them with jobs. With the income they earn from these jobs, they are able to provide good food, health care and education for their families. I believe this will cause a ripple effect and a larger impact in society as they will be able to achieve financial freedom for them and their families, thereby reducing poverty. What is your major goal for 2019, and what have you done so far to achieve it? Our goal for 2019 was to have an empowerment centre. So far, we have gotten the space from a community in Lagos, and construction work has started on the space we got. Can you share 3 interesting facts about yourself? I am creative, amazing and very resilient. What is your fave skin, hair or self-care routine? My favorite self-care routine is to meditate and I have a dedicated spa date. How do you feel about this opportunity to promote your brand with SLA sponsored by SheaMoisture. I am so excited about this opportunity to showcase my brand on the SLA platforms, sponsored by SheaMoisture because Adire Lounge will be able to leverage the network and meet more of our target audience. Mention one word that should come to people’s minds when they think about your
Jobs – Product Manager
She Leads Africa is a digital media and events company that 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 organization has been featured on CNN, Black Enterprise, Forbes and CNBC Africa. We’ve worked with brands including Dark & Lovely, Uber, Cointreau, Samsung, and Facebook. Our #MotherlandMoguls, as we affectionately call them, are the reason we exist. Our mission is to provide them with inspiring, educational events and content to help them live their best lives. We’re looking for a product manager to help drive product planning and execution throughout the product development lifecycle, from gathering product and customer requirements to product introduction. Reporting Structure: The Product Manager will report directly to an SLA co-founder. The Product Manager will be responsible for improving all aspects of SLA’s end-to-end community journey and drive product decisions to meet business objectives. Responsibilities: Design and manage product roadmaps, ensuring timely completion of deliverables along the entire product lifecycle: from concept through production, from sustaining improvements to value engineering. Generate detailed documentation (including market/product requirement documents), communicate these requirements to the appropriate teams, and ensure timely cross-functional execution. Manage an outsourced development firm and determine product priorities and resource allocation. Facilitate the design of creative and innovative solutions that encompass the entire customer journey and actively question solutions to ensure alignment with product/company vision. Determine the best metrics for product success. Combine intuition with data analysis to continually drive product improvement. Provide input into product pricing, go-to-market, development budgets, and sales forecasts. Cultivate a deep understanding of our customers throughout their lifecycle, and advocate for solutions based on their needs and pain points. Monitor and report on sales and customer satisfaction metrics and offer data-driven insights about what new products or product lines will have the greatest impact for our customers and business. We are looking for someone who: Has 3+ years of relevant product management experience. Has a strong project management background, with demonstrated ability to execute on tight deadlines. Has recorded huge success working in a startup environment where you have taken ideas from conception to execution. Has the ability to juggle multiple priorities. Has exceptional communication skills, and demonstrated ability to build high-trust relationships. Has an engineering or design background; experience bringing a physical product to market required. Has experience guiding cross-functional teams in a highly iterative, rapidly evolving agile environment. Has excellent analytical skills with demonstrated experience turning data into actionable insights. Has experience with A/B testing, UX/UI principles and customer research techniques. Has a can-do attitude and is flexible enough to take on any task we throw at them Is passionate, hungry and eager to build SLA into a world-class institution Has high professional and ethical standards i.e. understands that there’s no such thing as African time – you’re just late Is comfortable taking and giving feedback Has a good sense of humor – because we’ll be working hard so we better keep each other entertained Is comfortable working in a startup environment where we’re making the rules up as we go along. Ultimately we’re looking for someone who wants to be part of something great. Someone who wants to help us create one of the best African companies in the world. Submit your application here:
5 learning points from the Employability Fitness Program organized by CareerLife Nigeria
CareerLife Nigeria was conceived out of the passion to help solve the issue of un-employability among graduates. SLA contributor, Yewande Jinadu who is also the founder of CareerLife Nigeria is someone who had earlier struggled with interviews which she dreaded so much until she decided to pursue Talent Acquisition as a career path and learned how it felt to be at the other side of the table. The pilot edition of the Employability Fitness Program(EFP) held on the 13th July 2019 was aimed at helping jobseekers overcome interview phobia by putting them in an interview with HR Professionals and Subject Matter Experts so that the feedback they would get would be personalized to their unique need and deficiency. The following steps will help you deal with Interview phobia: 1. Understand yourself Overcoming phobia has a lot to do with you! Understand your shortcomings and work on it. Being self-aware is much more than knowing your weakness. It’s also about knowing your strengths accurately. If you know why the organization should hire you, you would definitely do better. When you saw the job description, you looked through and were convinced this job was for you. All that is left is to prepare yourself ahead and establish why you should be given the job. Preparation is VERY IMPORTANT! 2. Go in with the mindset of “Why wouldn’t they hire me” It’s only if you have lied in your application that you would be scared. When you go with a convinced mindset, you are one step closer to avoiding fear. Most job seekers go into an interview with an uncertain mind so they cower at any slight intimidation. 3. Communicate your value to your employer An interview isn’t all about you and what you stand to gain if employed. Employers are hunting for value in talents and if you’re not able to portray that during the interview, you would most likely get a rejection email. So think through your value and ensure you communicate it clearly. 4. Always have transferable skills Most fresh graduates believe they have nothing to offer just because they don’t have a long list of experience to show forth which is WRONG. Transferable skills are mostly soft skills and competencies that are important for the role you are applying to. You may have led a team while in school or provided a solution to a big problem during your NYSC. Don’t despise those ‘little’ experiences because they can be very relevant in your new role. 5. Don’t go into an interview feeling defeated What’s the worst that could happen after an interview? You get a NO! You move on… I realized that when you put your whole life into something and have packed yourself with so much fear, the interview becomes a do or die affair. This increases the likelihood of you messing up. I’m not saying you shouldn’t prepare well and take it seriously but don’t spoil it by putting too much pressure on yourself. I wish you the best in your career! If you would like to join the free 3 months post-coaching session, visit CareerLife Nigeria. Join our FREE Facebook Live on August 22nd to learn how to drive social change through your business/ Career. Click here to sign up.
That money you want is in someone’s account: Amba Eyang – Ajakaye
Not every “celebrity” is known. There are powerful women who are not just breaking glass ceilings, but also impacting the lives of people they meet. One of such extraordinary women is Amba Eyang-Ajakaiye, a Brand Storyteller and Business Strategist. She is the founder of iDare.NotDread Nigeria, a social engineering platform promoting innovation, creativity, and enterprise through storytelling and value sharing. She is also team lead of the Build My Business initiative born out of iDare.NotDread’s enterprise. Centered on building skills and capacities for young people in the business. This project launched grand ideas such as the BMB Expo and BMB Training school (online) in 2017. Amba has gone from transforming ordinary people who would have never thought of writing their own books, to making them authors. She’s also supporting small businesses to achieve scalability and growth especially, by helping them identify and understand the importance of “target markets” and “market validation”. In this interview with SLA contributor – Wuraola, Amba Eyang-Ajakaiye bares it all about IDare.NotDread and highlights why small business owners should “do it afraid”. Tell us about your company – IDare.NotDread iDare.NotDread is a social Enterprise promoting innovation, creativity, and enterprise in Nigeria. Our focus is primarily to build women communities and empower them with creative and innovative skills for business growth. What’s one business tip you wish most business owners knew and could wield to their advantage? Network. Meet people. That money you want is in someone’s account. That unspoken challenge can be solved by someone. Attend workshops, events, and meet people. Most people don’t bite. How can entrepreneurs begin to understand the power of conducting market validation, and collaboration with other SMEs? I believe in collaboration. This is why I try to build communities. We started the Abuja food community in May, and its amazing to see how much collaboration has happened in a group full of women. Yet, we probably thought women prefer to fight. No. The moment businesses understand that collaboration first means ‘here is what I can give you’, before ‘give me what I want’, they will lead better businesses. With a lot of fake business coaches around, what makes your brand different? We didn’t just arrive. We’ve been here a while. In 2013 we started with creating a platform for entrepreneurs to share their stories and inspire others. Over time, we realized stories weren’t enough. Capacities needed to be built. So we went all in to try to understand the real needs of the entrepreneurs we wished to serve, and since 2016, we started contributing to conversations around digital technology and creating a good impact in the digital space. Since then, our efforts have birthed super brands. In the past 3 years we have successfully trained 4,000 entrepreneurs on digital strategies as well as provided opportunities for business visibility. Many thanks to the opportunity Google granted us through the Digital Skills for Africa programme and a host of other partners who have trusted us to work with them. Why should SMEs understand their target markets before making an entrance into the market? Because if we don’t, we would be hitting our heads on rocks. Hard rocks. You can’t sell to everyone, and this is why research is key to identifying who your market is. Tell us about your Ebook Challenge Its amazing! I launched my first ever ebook on March 2019, titled ‘How to write your first eBook‘ and that’s where the ebook challenge began. We are currently on our 3rd cohort and it’s been amazing!!! Every 2 months we launch a new set of authors who are super proud of their achievements. It feels great to empower people to create wealth with their knowledge. We are looking to expand the community beyond eBooks to help more women create diverse digital products and generate more income. How does the “Do It Afraid” catchphrase relate to entrepreneurs who don’t like taking risks? We all have fear in us. It’s an emotion. I am still learning to tame my fears. And we all should. The best way to go about it is to go ahead and do that very thing you fear. I have coached a number of businesses and one of the areas I tend to focus on is to help them fight those limitations – the little voices and beliefs that make them feel less of themselves and limited. It’s important we act despite fear. Accept your fears but act. What’s the worst that could happen? Failure? Then show me one person who NEVER failed.
Bossing through Learning: Joanna Steele
As a boss, learning is your superpower. You don’t know what you don’t know, but there is now a multitude of ways to find out. After completing my Marketing & Spanish degree at London Metropolitan University, I vowed that I was never going to study again. Not because I didn’t enjoy my course or my studying experience – I actually really loved my uni days and not just because of the socializing! However, I was eager to get into the world of work and at the time thought that what I had studied was all I needed to launch and sustain me in my career. However, over time, I have developed a totally different perspective on education and studying and realise that in order to grow it is imperative to continue learning throughout your life. Working in the digital field as I do is exciting. Technological advances and changes in consumer behaviour ensure that it’s an industry that is ever evolving and in order to keep up and remain an authority in my field. Just recently, I completed a Fintech course with Oxford University. I had zero knowledge of financial markets but understood that it’s an area that is being disrupted by technology particularly in Africa. It was important that I improved my knowledge in this area. As a result, I am now part of a group of alumni working on a great project– so two wins – knowledge of a new field and a potential business opportunity! But it’s more than just keeping abreast of your industry, it’s equally important to learn new things in general, and to stay curious. In order to grow and live a fulfilled life, it’s important to expand past your comfort zone, increase your skills and knowledge and deepen your understanding and perceptions around areas that you may not often be exposed to. Haven struggled with weight issues for most of my life, I challenged myself to complete a fitness qualification with YMCA in a bid to better understand health and fitness and to spur on my weight loss. In fact, I am now a fully qualified Group ETM (Exercise to Music) instructor and whilst I don’t teach classes I definitely have a different approach to my health and have incorporated new elements into my daily lifestyle to maintain a certain level of fitness. Encouraging yourself to try new and different experiences, setting yourself challenges, not necessarily knowing how to get there but knowing your why which propels you along your path of achievement. My Top 5 Reasons for continued learning It gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride and helps build self-confidence. Psychologists say that learning makes us happier! It gives you access to new and different opportunities. My network has expanded exponentially – the number of new friends I’ve made and the projects I’ve been able to work on with people I’ve met through learning has been incredible It fuels creativity. You can learn something in a seemingly un-related area which can trigger an idea in another. It fuel change It fuels productivity. Developing a new skill influences the way you do things day to day and can make doing things quicker and easier, saving time, energy and stress. Having lived and worked in the UK my whole life, I have no experience of living in another country let alone starting a business in one. But my aptitude for learning, whether it’s reading, taking courses or training is what’s prepping me on this journey and helped me one step at a time to steadily achieve my dream. I like to believe that learning is our superpower. You don’t know what you don’t know, but there is now a multitude of ways to find out. I reckon it’s definitely time to redefine the phrase CPD from Continued Professional Development to Continue Pushing for your Dreams.
WANT TO BE A BETTER MANAGER? KEEP THESE 3 THINGS IN MIND
Being a boss babe leader and managing others is not easy. I remember when I was first starting off as a manager, and I had to make my first hires. I overthought everything. I did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but at the same time, I wanted to get the most out of the people I hired. Here are three basic statements I kept in mind when reflecting on my ability to engage and mobilize anyone working with me. They are useful to think about whether you manage one intern or twenty individuals. 1. Understand the goals and aspirations of each member of your team. I used to think that I had to approach each member of my team the same. I would provide them the same information and respond to them in similar ways, expecting the same output from each. It did not get me very far. Each person needs to be treated as an individual. Understanding how each member of your team ticks will help you get the most out of them. If you know how to acknowledge and recognize each member, you will know how best to motivate and communicate with them. With just a bit of work and understanding, you can get a lot more out of a team member, because you will be speaking their language. No two people are motivated the same way, so you cannot always expect the same result from different individuals. If you are an employee… Tell your manager what motivates you. Tell them what you want to get out of your experience working with them and how you prefer to be approached. If you are confused about your role or objectives, ask or show them what you think they should be. They might not always listen, but you can at least demonstrate how self-aware you are. Some managers will appreciate it. Those who don’t probably shouldn’t be managers. 2. Each member of your team knows what you expect, and where they are in terms of performance I was notorious and continued to have issues with communicating what I want from others. Even when we think we have done an excellent job, we usually have not. Making sure each member of your team understands their place (even if it changes monthly) is key to making sure you are getting the most out of them. They should be getting feedback from you regularly, and you should periodically inquire about making sure they are on the right track. If they are not, its either you haven’t done an excellent job being explicit or the role does not suit them. If you are an employee and your company has a formal performance review process, nothing your manager says during the performance review process should come as a surprise. Ask for regular feedback and make sure you get clarity if you are confused. Send your manager an email with what you discussed, even if its feedback, to make sure you both are on the same page. 3. You actively act on advice and feedback on how you come across to your team, and how you can be a more motivating leader No one is perfect but spending a few hours a week on seeking and receiving feedback can make you a more effective leader. You can ask for input in various ways: informally at group meetings or formally through surveys. Take some time to read about different approaches to leadership and reflect on who you admire as a manager. Write down the traits and feedback you want to embody and try them out. Want to check how you are doing? Continue to ask for feedback over time. If you are an employee… Ask your manager if you can give them constructive feedback. Think about what you can learn from your manager and make the best of the situation. If there is something that doesn’t sit well with you, keep it in mind for when you have a chance to manage others. How can you use these statements to make a change or move forward? With each element, try to rate yourself. I would suggest on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 meaning disagree strongly and 10, strongly agree. Ask your teammates for feedback to help you decide where you stand. For the statements you rate less than 5, you might want to spend some time thinking through how to bridge the gap. You can start by asking yourself these questions: Where do you want to be? What is the first thing you can do to make progress in that particular element? That one small step you take can help you get closer to the leader you want to be and get even more out of your team. This month of July, we’re telling stories about boss ladies breaking boundaries, and how you also can hit your #BossLadyGoals. Got a boss lady story to share with us? Click here.
What went down at the #IAMORIGINAL Boss Brunch & Panel – Johannesburg
Curated within the beautiful landscape of Jozi on a peaceful Sunday, She Leads Africa in partnership with The Cut Life and Originals by Africa’s Best held a Boss Brunch and panel with the finest Motherland Mogul influencers of Africa. The location was a hidden oasis of tranquility, The Gabriela’s Tea Room, perfect for some girl chat, champagne was flowing, the crowd was buzzing. What a beautiful Sunday. In the era of feminism and self-love, you do find some false prophets that don’t live up to their campaign inside as loudly as they may be online. What was important about the #IAMORIGINAL panel and brunch was that it focused on the challenges black women struggle through. The theme that stood out from the event was the need for women to back each other up and actually mean it. For the older and younger generation to join minds and create solutions for the Motherland Moguls that follow. The event kicked off with a warm welcome from the bubbly Shanon Stanislaus of Originals by Africa’s Best. She spoke about the benefits of their new Coconut Creme range that has nutrition rich formulas, helping your natural hair with the foundation its needs for hair goals. I tried some of the samples from the gift bag and I am sold on the products, which are available from Clicks nationwide or through The Originals by Africa’s best website. We then proceeded into an hour-long networking bingo session, that had our Influencers and Motherland Moguls buzzing through the room, the energy was so lively- It felt like the best girl chat session I’ve been to in ages. We held bingo cards that had questions such as “Who in the room has three pets, Who is an only child”. These were great ice breakers, especially for an introvert like myself. Back to our tables, we were served incredible dishes by The Gabriela’s Tea Room patrons, everything delicious and mouthwatering. This amazing panel was moderated by Tahira Joy of The Cut Life joined by Shanon Stanislaus (Originals by Africa’s Best), Enhle Mbali (Actress), Azania Mosaka (Broadcaster) and Jamelia Donaldson (Founder of Treasure Tress). They spoke on self-care and beauty, ways to effectively run your business and respect yourself and values in the process. We all got a few tips on how to reach your next Boss level in entrepreneurship through their stories, lessons and best practices. Azania Mosaka dropped so many nuggets that had all the women in agreement throughout. In the entertainment industry women are made to choose to get ahead either giving their bodies or having to dumb down their intellect so at to seem less of a threat to colleagues. As shocking as it may sound, these are challenges most women are still overcoming. A recurring theme throughout the Boss brunch and panel was how women need to remain educated and curious in our endeavors and not forgetting the people we build our dreams with. “If you’re starting your race, be invaluable to your team.” – Shanon Stanislaus.. There’s only so much you can do as an individual, once you realize your expertise is invaluable, the impossible is just as attainable as anything. We truly are better together. On the theme of staying curious in what your interests are, Jamelia Donaldson of Treasure Tress stated… “ You don’t know what you want to do until you’ve tried it all”. This tied in so well with the events hashtag of the day #IAMORIGINAL, when you apply yourself and work on what your secret sauce is, what do you really have to lose ? All in all, this was an event, unlike any other networking event I have been to, which is saying a lot as I have been to a ton of networking sessions and gone home feeling as though I barely received much value from the speakers. It could be just how intimate the brunch was or the fact that everyone left their egos at the door and simply wanted to celebrate each other. I have nothing but praise for what these women aimed to share through the event and I believe that we can all learn from them. As Motherland Moguls we are constantly inspiring those around us, we may not realize it a lot of the times, the best thing we can do is live an intention-driven life in our goals, decisions, and actions. Work within the passion and not ego, power or status. I’m definitely looking forward to more events from these powerhouses. Sponsored Post.
To succeed in business, you need Self-Awareness, Client Awareness & Market Awareness – Nnanke Essien
Nnanke Essien is a HR professional and a business consultant. Her experience in business began when she was 14 years and helping her mom with her crayfish business. Since then she has been a business partner to many business owners leveraging on her experience in providing strategy and human resource solutions for diverse industries including manufacturing, oil, and gas, consulting, communications, retail, energy, education, etc. Her core is transformation, (people, process and culture integration) and her superpower is helping businesses with interventions for value-based/profitable visibility, resonance, growth, and sustainability. In this interview, Nnanke Essien talks about her introduction to business consultancy and her just-concluded event for fashion entrepreneurs. You recently organized an event for fashion entrepreneurs. What triggered it? The dream began for me in December 2017, when I began to observe the behavior of attendees at a goal setting hangout. It was fascinating watching folks create their vision board by tearing pictures from magazines and posting them on cardboards. My analytic head kept wondering if this was just a fun activity or it made sense to them. I knew something had to prepare them for this experience to be worthwhile and useful and that thing was beyond the five-hour business lecture they had just received. Fast forward to March 2018, one of the participants at the event sent me a lengthy message beginning with “coach how can I be visible? I have tried everything and nothing seems to work”. I immediately put on my business growth doctor hat and began to teach. I spoke to her about the psychology of her business, her products, her promise, the right platforms for her, promotion style etc Alas! her reaction simply showed that what I was saying didn’t sound like the solution she wanted, she just wanted a quick solution to help her be visible. How can fashion business owners optimize their businesses? While growing up, my church used to be in a location where spare part dealers were dominant. I used to marvel at the apprenticeship structure, a young boy will learn and aspire to be like or even greater than his master. Likewise, new fashion designers should take time to learn under someone they aspire to be like not for three months but for an extended period, where they can gain mastery. There are a lot of advantages to this model. They gain undisputed mastery and get leverage riding on the positioning of that person they learned from. The market also trusts them faster and they have a reference point and a benchmark for success. They exhibit great business success skills because of their learning process. You are guaranteed to get results. Don’t be in a hurry to get on the gram and then begin to run helter-skelter with the excuse that the fashion industry is over saturated Know what you want to be visible for, find out what the leaders in your space have done to get to their positions, mirror them especially those that align with your values, get results and remain on top. The biggest question for me was “how can we be a part of the solution?” So in 2019, we began planning in earnest, The business leaders breakfast meeting, a platform where we bring the best minds (leaders) in business to share insights and experiences as well as to equip business owners with knowledge that will prepare them for the massive opportunities in these industries. The mandate for us was simply to create a market space that encourages inclusive growth especially in a challenging operating environment like Nigeria. We positioned our platform as a catalyst (incubator) to help entrepreneurs have access to market, access to untapped opportunities, access to financial services, to even just dream big, know that their dreams are possible and position their brands for global leverage. For us, It is our utmost desire to see SME’s go from struggling businesses to growing businesses, from no systems to systems of optimal productivity, from business underdogs to business leaders, from zero productivity to optimal productivity and finally, businesses that contribute strongly to the local and national economy. We wanted to bridge the huge divide between business leaders and business freshers. To build an ecosystem of support, collaborations, and access to opportunities within and outside Africa. We had Mai Atafo, Valentine Ozigbo, Joycee Awosika and Adaora Mbelu headlining our first event What key lessons do you wish more fashion business owners knew based on what was learned at the event? Tie your fashion business to a bigger vision Be an endless learner Seek continuous improvement Focus on excellence and excellent service delivery Understanding your business model and reviewing it consistently is key..I can’t even stress this enough Stay on top of industry changes, be aware of global trends that impacts your business locally and adapt accordingly Network more Don’t be afraid to express your creativity because you assume the market won’t respond Don’t be afraid of collaboration and scale Keep your promise to your tribe, never compromise The value pyramid is divided into three: the bottom 30% (no go area) the middle 70% (the average, normal space where most people play) and the top 10% (where the leaders play). What’s your advice to a struggling fashion business You don’t need more visibility or brand awareness storms (with loud music and an open truck) to build a profitable and sustainable business, what you need is people who can’t stop raving about what you do… I call it “raveonance” rave+resonance. You can’t achieve this without self-awareness (understanding why), client awareness (understanding the who) and market awareness (understanding the what and how). The best place to start is to understand whom you do what you do best for, why you do it, know yourself and these people like the back of your palm and —then start creating something those people love.
Here are 5 reasons why you need a personal website
Have you ever seen a myname.com website and thought “oh that’s so cool but it’s not for me?” Well let me shock you, if you want to stand out online whether in the corporate or business world as a slay queen in the 21st century, then you best believe it’s for you. Still in doubt, let me give you 5 reasons why you need to grab your domain name and have a beautiful website designed to suit your goals and personality. 1. Your paper resume is about to go extinct! A recent study by OfficeTeam shows that more than one-third of companies feel that resumes will be replaced by profiles on social networks. What this means is that prospective employers and clients are and will be searching for you online. 2. You get a home for all your online activities It means that even if all social media platforms crash, there’s still something to your name on the web. It also means that there’s something to link to when people mention you on the web. 3. Worldwide exposure Having a personal website allows you to be able to express yourself, your gifts and your thoughts online thereby building thought leadership in your areas of experience and expertise. This makes you more attractive to people seeking to work with you. 4. Make digital sales “I don’t want another source of income,” said NO ONE EVER! Having a personal website makes it easy for you to create and sell virtual products without messing with your job or business. You can host products such as ebooks, online courses, pre-recorded songs and albums, webinars and so much more on your personal website and make passive income from them. 5. Build your personal brand Having a personal website helps you get conscious about building your personal brand. You can retire or resign from a job or business, but you can never resign or retire from being you. So don’t build your career or business and forget to build your personal brand. If you’d like to learn more about building thought leadership and online visibility for your personal or business brand, please click here to get access to my FREE online visibility checklist on my “personal” website ?.
How Black Millennials are Moving to the Organic Lifestyle
Kinky hair, coarse hair tied up in a bun, and natural hair that can be styled into endless patterns to rock those Ankara outfits are not just great, they look fabulous. All over the world black women are reclaiming their roots and redefining what it means to be beautiful. This generation of young black women is demanding a wider variety standard of beauty. We are letting the world know – “we get to be our own beauty standard, not someone else.” We can all remember a time in our lives where our hair had to be dragged and stretched after our hair strands have been deconstructed by relaxers. Now, organic hair is the standard, and this shows that we can decide what’s cool and what’s not. The millennial generation is a unique one, we are not just absent-mindedly taking in everything given to us by the media. We want to make an impact, and we are doing it in many ways, one of those ways is switching over to a more organic lifestyle, and here’s how we do it: The Water Challenge – The Life Challenge In an effort to drink more water, we bring to you the water challenge. Here’s what we do. For a chosen amount of days, (usually a month) we pledge to take just water or to take a stipulated amount each day. We ditch our favorite drinks, soda, release ourselves from the addiction of carbonated drinks and we like, okay, for this time, for just this stipulated amount of time we would take just water. It’s usually great to do pair up with a boss lady like you, what gets to remind you daily, have you drank your glass of water. Before you go buying tons of products and organics, flush out toxins in your system with water and watch that skin glow and pop. What’s fashion if we destroy the earth in the process? Can clothes be fashionable and sustainable? Can clothes save the world, or change the way we do things? Is it possible that a piece of item we wear can be made from materials that are renewable and do not take from our natural resources but give back? There’s a word for that, it’s called Eco-fashion. According to Stepin.org, Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. Young people are choosing to build businesses that promote ethical fashion and balances the impact of an industry that does not harm the earth. No plastics please, we’d rather save the earth More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. How this is our problem? Plastics take thousands of years to decay, as these plastics particle break down, they are able to get into fishes and wildlife we eventually eat. Direct toxicity from plastics comes from lead, cadmium, and mercury which are overly dangerous to our health. A friend of mine arrived in a Tanzanian Airport and was shocked that she couldn’t get through with her plastic cups, all over the world, the government is tightening the entry of plastics in its borders and businesses are doing the same. Every action no matter how small can save us from the plastic tragedy. Here are a few habits that are fun and chic… We have our fun straw bendable straws We bring our bags from home when shopping, yes we are that cool Organic wraps instead of plastic bags, cool. Choose natural, one product at a time From natural hair care products to natural beauty products, we switching up those alternatives. The African beauty care industry is a billion-dollar industry and black women are beginning to take a fair slice of that pie. Beauty products made by black women for black women are emerging into the markets, they are not just a great way to support a MotherLand mogul in your community, they are better alternatives to the paraben filled products in the market. A beauty blogger, Sike Gbana reviews great products for skin and hair. You’d find a list of beauty entrepreneurs on our blog, which we have gone through the pains of listing out for you. Know what materials your products are made of And if it came from illegal poaching or through the effort of child labor, we don’t want any of that, we have our ears and eyes open and on the lookout for businesses who not only have great products but possess a good ethical standard to back it up. If you’re on the other side, are you thinking of making a switch? How can we support businesses and entrepreneurs who are daring to create a healthy trend? What ways are you switching your glow up? Is there a business in your community you know that is all about living an organic lifestyle? We want to hear from you. Give us a shout out on social media.