Siphesihle Losi is the 25 year old owner of ILosi Events Management. She was born in Grahamstown, a small town in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and as a child took part in ballet and contemporary dancing, which she still enjoys today. Sipesihle volunteered on campus radio when she was in High School, studied Travel & Tourism and has worked for one of the biggest events companies in Cape Town. At only 25, she is a rising powerhouse.
[bctt tweet=”I’ve always known that I have the leadership skills needed to achieve the best results in whatever I do” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
Tell us about yourself Siphesihle; where you grew up, your schooling, what you do etc.
My name is Siphesihle Losi and I am 25 years of age. I was born and raised in a small town called Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where I studied at local public schools and later attended Rhodes University.
During my childhood, I took part in contemporary dancing and ballet. I later did a little bit of radio at Rhodes University radio station on a voluntary basis, until 2008 when I finished matric. I then moved to Cape Town to study Travel & Tourism at Boston City Campus. I also did Fashion Design at Design Academy of Fashion.
What first Inspired you to create your own business?
What inspired me to create ILosi Events Management is the fact that I’m a fan of exceptional service; and I’ve always known that I have the leadership skills needed to achieve the best results in whatever I do.
I’ve played leading roles in my community and school, and have always received compliments for my great work ethic and good communication skills from friends, colleagues and superiors.
However, I only started my company in 2013, after I resigned from one of Cape Town’s biggest event organising companies (at the time). I suddenly realised that I had a huge following of students and community people who often called to ask if I could link them up with events/promotional work.
To be honest, I was a bit annoyed because I was jobless at the time. But one of my friends asked me why don’t I start my own company, and I laughed at him because I didn’t have any capital, but he slowly persuaded me into starting my own business and… here we are!
What do you enjoy about being an event organiser?
I mostly enjoy the unpredictable aspect of the work I do, because something as simple as unexpected weather changes can call for split-second improvisation on my part to make everything work.
I also enjoy the challenges that event organising comes with, because I feel that it strengthens me to grow and become a better person and businesswoman. It’s fun to meet with different clients, companies, staff and going to different venues, the travelling, the food and amazing chefs- just everything!
Take us through a typical day in your life as an Events Manager and overall Motherland Mogul…
A typical day in my life begins with me waking up at 5am in the morning to prepare for my morning run. I always have my cell phone on hand to check emails and the social media pages before 7am, I then relax with a refreshing bath to kick-start the day. I’ll also have lots of water and some oats before filling my mind with work.
At work, no two days are the same, as I might be sewing dresses/aprons for the staff or getting some administration work done on one day, and attending to a 6am call time the next. Whenever I have an early call time I know that I’ll have to be up at 03:30am in order to get the job done right. All my clients know me as an early bird, keeping to a particular schedule helps to keep me organised and punctual.
What achievements are you most proud as a business owner?
What I’m most proud of thus far is the clientele I have, besides working on South Africa’s biggest events, my clients are good people to work with, and I have the opportunity to work alongside companies that have been in business for more than ten years. To me that’s something that I pat myself on the back for.
I also have the most amazing team in Johannesburg, Durban and North West, these are the people who saw the vision and mission I had as a young entrepreneur and decided to be a part of it and grow with me.
I am most proud of the fact that I’ve made a name for myself and I’m now able to inspire other young people who admire my hustle, as I continue to push through even the hardest times.
What obstacles have you overcome as an entrepreneur?
I tend to take things personally and I am an impatient person. So I’ve had to learn not to take everything so personally, and have learnt to resolve issues with a calm approach. Most of the obstacles I’ve had, I overcame by asking for advice, seeking information especially from people that are in the same industry as I am, and what I’ve realised is that I don’t know everything and sometimes it is okay to seek assistance.
What are your future plans for ILosi Events Management?
The future for ILosi Events Management is to build an empire. I most definitely want to expand my services with the team I have, so I have been looking at décor designs. I would also like to have a permanent team and hopefully host our own events in the future.
How do you balance work and personal life?
I keep work very professional, my clients stay as clients and even though my friends happen to be business owners they are in different industries. I take great pride in building the best relationships with my clients and friends.
Things flow easily for me when I separate the two, but sometimes my friends suffer when I am a bit stressed out with work and I am not as bubbly as I normally am, but I try to keep things balanced.
What do you do for fun, and what are your interests outside of managing events?
I love running, contemporary dancing and I recently started playing tennis. I am now based in Johannesburg, so I don’t meditate by the beach or surf anymore, but I also enjoy that too.
What three tips would you give someone wanting to go into events management?
*Expect to work long hours and have little sleep.
*You need to enjoy constantly being in a crowd.
*Don’t expect to have a social or personal life because your work will become your life.
Do you have any insights on how to run a successful events management company?
Let us know here.