Joy Kendi: Your 20’s are not for chilling. Work hard now, so you can relax later
Joy Kendi is a lifestyle blogger, vlogger and content creator who covers everything from fashion, beauty, and travel. She has built her creative career from the ground up, constantly teaching herself along the way to allow for continuous growth in her profession. Joy is a SLAYboss and runs things on her own terms earning her global recognition and her story below tells us that this journey is only the beginning of far greater things to come. When did you first get into blogging? I’ve always been interested in fashion, ever since I was a young girl. I wanted to get into design after high school but most of the schools I applied to didn’t offer scholarships and I don’t come from a wealthy family so I had to scrap that idea. I took up styling right after college for about six months and I hated it. So I quit that and the blogging bug hit me. Back then, when blogging was still quite relevant and at the time it was just a hobby, I had been following a few blogs. Never thought I could make money off of it, until about a year later when Nancie Mwai (popular blogger in Kenya) got the opportunity to go to Germany because of her blog and my entire mindset on it changed. Then I decided to focus on it more and figure out how to make it more of a business. I knew nothing at the time but I just hit the ground running, going to different offices, telling them about me and what I can offer them. That’s really how I learned most of the stuff I know now, through trying and getting rejected. Weirdly enough, everything didn’t change until I shaved my head and I’m not sure why but going bald was the first step in getting people to see me as a different person and not just a regular blogger. [bctt tweet=”Your 20s are not for chilling, work yourself to the core now – @justjoykendi” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I realized that fashion is very limiting, especially in Kenya, so I started to expand more into beauty. Then tried travel and food and all that turned into a lifestyle direction for me. Less than two years ago, lifestyle blogging opened a lot of doors for me because it meant I could do anything – be it advertising phones, makeup, hotels, restaurants, airlines, even countries! What three things do you consider while creating content and/or partnering up with a brand? My biggest thing to consider when I’m partnering up with a brand is to answer the question – do I or will I actually use the said product? If I do use it, does it go with my brand? And third, will this propel me in a positive or a negative direction? When it comes to content creation, I think about: 1. How much work is it and how much time will it take on my end because that’s how I figure out my rate. 2. What have other content creators within the continent done in regards to the product that I need to create content for? 3. Is there a possibility of collaboration with others? If I know a friend or fellow blogger who can do it too, I will always try to bring them in and we both benefit from the job. Was this your career of choice? What would you be if you hadn’t gone the blogging route? If I wasn’t doing this I’d probably still be working in TV/film production. When I was still in school, I was interning at a local TV network, KTN and I was also working in a production company, behind the scenes doing things like writing scripts. I got burnt out for a while though, which is why I eventually quit at the beginning of this year and solely focused on content creation. [bctt tweet=”I went to the University of YouTube and watched how other people do photoshoots and edits” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You take 90% of your images, manages your blog and brand on your own. Is there a particular reason why you chose to be a one-woman team? Well when I first started out, my boyfriend would take my pictures. Due to our different schedules though, I realized I needed to learn how to do this on my own. When starting out you don’t usually have a flowing income to be able to pay photographers so they would usually do it as a favor to build their portfolio as you build yours. If they get a paying gig, they will pick that over you thus leaving you stranded once again, so getting a photographer wasn’t an option for me. I went to the University of YouTube and watched how other people would do things like editing, photo shoots, what cameras to use, what kind of specs to look for and with that information, I slowly started to invest in myself. [bctt tweet=”I write all my proposals, attend meetings, create content, and do my own accounts” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I saved any money I got to buy my own equipment i.e. camera and lighting equipment, a laptop, computer programmes etc. It is important that I have a say in what I do, and have control over what goes on with my work such as the editing process. Before now, I used to have a manager who was actually very nice but sometimes we’d bump heads over things like working with certain companies so these among other reasons is why I decided it’s better to learn and do everything myself. It’s a very stressful job I can’t lie – I write all my own proposals, attend all the meetings, create the content, send to the client, wait for approval, do my own accounts… It’s so much work but it’s how I prefer to work and also means I don’t have to pay anyone else. What challenges have you faced as a blogger so far? Getting
Rinsola Abiola – Intellectual Capacity is key to career impact in politics for young women
Ms. ‘Rinsola Abiola is the SA (New Media) to the Speaker House of Representatives in Nigeria, President APC Young Women Forum (APC-YWF), Board Member – Young Women in Politics Forum (YWiPF) and a Youth Representative for the APC Board of Trustees Her career journey in politics is one that has taken precision and determination and an example worthy for young women looking to make a change from a political platform to emulate. [bctt tweet=”The representation of women in politics and governance is dismal – @Bint_Moshood” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is your career role? I’m a Public Relations consultant and a young woman in politics. I currently head the All Progressives Congress (APC) young women forum, a support, mentorship, and capacity building group for young women aged 18-35, who are members or supporters of the APC. I am currently the youngest person appointed to the APC board of trustees, and one of the three youth representatives. When did your career in politics begin? My full-fledged political participation began in late 2013. Before then, I was a member of civil society, through a number of youth-focused NGO’s. The decision to join mainstream politics was informed by a desire to be part of the process, as opposed to sitting outside of it and offering criticism. I came to the realization that a political office would enable me to do so much more, and for a larger number of people than I could as an individual. What impact can women in politics bring to a nation? The involvement of young women through mentoring and capacity building would ensure the grooming of a new generation of women who are prepared to hold both elective and appointive positions and have a clear strategy for engagement. Are there special qualifications you need to have a head start in politics? For basic political involvement, no. But when it comes to the elective office, there are minimum requirements established by law, e.g – completing a secondary education. For appointive positions, one would require certain skills or qualifications in order to be deemed worthy of such a position. Intellectual capacity is key and formal education provides a level of refinement which helps a great deal. It is also important to have good communication skills – this entails knowing the right way to engage a particular type of audience, from the highly educated to the not so educated. What can young women do to be taken seriously in a male-dominated field? Same as anyone needs to do if they want to be taken seriously, have something to offer, add value, develop a good number of skills required and seize good opportunities to prove your mettle. Be loyal, dedicated and committed to the ideals of your environment. Take a professional approach to everything and distinguish yourself. [bctt tweet=”Do not leave room for doubt, and know how to be firm without being forceful or harsh” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What roles have you held in the past and how did that help in getting you to where you are now? I served as the founding PRO of the APYF in 2014, and some months later, as the PRO/Secretary, when the APC Young Women Forum was formed, I also served These roles increased my knowledge of what young people actually desire from the government. I learned communication skills and how to view time as one of my most valuable resources. Most importantly, I learned how to have a strong work ethic. I’ve worked with a magazine brand, in a bank, I got the required certification in public relations, a profession I had always admired and set up a firm [bctt tweet=”Politics is expensive and you need resources – @Bint_Moshood” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As one of the executives of the Young Women in Politics Forum (YWIPF), how will this help in empowering other young women to pursue a career in politics? I’m set to begin a peer mentoring programme with young women both here in Abuja and other states of the federation, which will be aligned with the objectives of YWIPF. Also, knowing that a Forum exists for young women with similar interests will encourage many to join, as one thing I have noticed is that some are interested but are just at a loss as to how to begin.
Facebook Live with Hanna Ali: How to stay relevant as a creative writer (Dec 6)
[bctt tweet=”Writing was always an outlet for me to deal with the things I had experienced – @HannaAli ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Starting a career as a writer is one thing, but as a smart Motherland Mogul, the most important thing to consider is how to stay relevant in the game through the art of your storytelling. Join us on Wednesday, 6th December, as we host a Facebook Live Chat with Hanna Ali, who will be sharing her advice on how you can stay relevant as a creative writer. Hanna Ali is the first contemporary writer to publish their debut in Somali, both as audio and e-book. She considers herself a typical Somali artist since her poetic prose closely connects her to her homeland, Somalia. [bctt tweet=”Learn the hacks of staying relevant as a creative writer (watch video) ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover 5 top tips you need to stay relevant as a creative writer The process of getting your book published How Hanna carved her niche by publishing in Somali instead of an European language How to get yourself noticed online Facebook Live Details: Date: Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 Time: London 11am // Lagos 12pm // Johannesburg 1pm Where: facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/ Watch video: https://www.facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/videos/1969703569919620/ About Hannah Hanna Ali is a brilliant Somali – British writer who has been published on multiple platforms. She was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and spent the first four years of her life there. Hannah started writing poetry when she was ten – first with song lyrics before she delved into writing short stories. At the age of five, during the civil war, Hannah left Somalia for Sweden but moved to the United Kingdom ten years later. Hannah obtained her BA in English and American Literature and completed her master’s degree at the University of Kent. During her time at the university, she took a gap year and lived in Egypt and Italy. She was shortlisted for the HISSAC Short Story prize 2017 and the London Short Story prize 2016. Hanna is a member of the exiled writers, and her work has been published in numerous publications including Scarf Magazine, Brittle paper, and Cecile’s writer’s magazine.
Peace & Joyce: Social Media Helps Achieve Digital Marketing Goals
22-year old Peace Itimi and 26-year old Joyce Imiegha are the co-founders of Rene Digital Hub, a Digital Marketing and Creative Agency which helps businesses grow, using solutions such as Social Media Marketing, PPC, Visual Branding and Web Design. While Joyce is a serial entrepreneur with experience working in several industries, including PR and Entertainment; Peace, on the other hand, is a Digital Marketing Guru who also works as a trainer in Google Digital Skills for Africa Program, and has trained over 2000 people. At Rene, Peace leads the Digital Marketing team while Joyce heads Business Development. What inspired your decision to start Rene Digital Hub? Joyce: We wanted to solve marketing problems for people. Digital marketing wasn’t as saturated when we started, so it was a relevant reason to start a company that would cater to the needs of individuals and brands seeking to expand their businesses in the digital sphere. Peace: As Joyce rightly said, we started Rene because we wanted to use digital marketing solutions to help businesses grow. We realized that there was (and still is) a huge digital divide between businesses and their customers; a lot of people are using the internet and social media for personal purposes, people practically live online these days, yet businesses and brands are not using the opportunity efficiently. How has social media been able to help increase your productivity? Joyce: Social media is the major core of digital marketing; it keeps booming with lots of people (users), activities, trends, controversies etc, and this in turn serves as an avenue for us as marketers to understand people more (their needs, likes, dislikes, fantasies etc). Social media has and keeps helping people achieve their digital marketing goals on a daily basis. Peace: That is very true, and for Rene Particularly, social media has been one of our biggest client acquisition sources. We get lots of inquiries and clients on Instagram and Twitter. What key factors do you consider for small brands to help improve their digital footprints online? Joyce: Unique identity, Content, Consistency, Great Customer Care and Creativity Peace: Definitely! Consistency and Great Customer Experience would make any brand stand out and help convert first time customers to retainers. [bctt tweet=”Entrepreneurship is not an easy or rosy path – Peace Itimi” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Apart from social media, are there any online methods that can be beneficial for small businesses? Joyce: Yes there are numerous channels small businesses can also utilize. Email marketing is great, there is also Contextual advertising, Public Relations, Influencer marketing and so on. Peace: I particularly like PPC (Pay Per Click advertising). It is a bit more cost intensive than social media but with the right targeting, it can greatly affect a brand’s awareness and ROI. What are some of the things that are likely to change in the digital marketing industry in the next few years? And what impact would it have on small businesses? Joyce: Automation. Automation can be defined as the technology by which a process or procedure is performed without human assistance. Automation is definitely going to change the modus operandi in our industry in the not-so-distant future, and we are steadfast in gearing towards it. With automation comes the need for less human resources, and this means most people might become jobless if their job operations get successfully replaced with automation. What’s your perfect one – line statement for young females trying to build a brand via social media? Joyce: Whatever you do, always kill it! That’s all people really care about in your journey. Peace: Entrepreneurship is not an easy or rosy path, but with consistency and resilience, you can do it. How has social media helped you grow and build a positive brand image, personally and professionally? Let us know more here.
Siphesihle Losi: I’m a fan of exceptional service
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
Thembelihle Khumalo: I never want to look like I feel apologetic for being African
Thembelihle Khumalo is a branding guru with 20 years experience in the media industry. She specialises in translating the stories of individuals and corporates into compelling brands, through her consulting firm Brandbuilder. She is also the founder of Labour of Love, an organisation contributing to the financial empowerment of African women artisans. What are you current career goals? My main career goal is to build my businesses in order to provide multiple streams of income in the short and long term. These businesses are strategically independent so that the problems in one sector don’t have a ripple effect on the other businesses. Would you say multiple sources of income are necessity for the average young woman? For an ambitious entrepreneur you need multiple streams of income because you need to be able to cushion yourself against financial peaks and troughs. Established and experienced wealth builders tend to employ this strategy. What are 5 insights you think every young woman should know early on in their career? Get rid of any psychological and emotional issues you have with money. Start investing immediately, invest in both long-term and short term goals. Leverage your assets, if you are talented at something, find a way to make it work for you. Understand how to get along with people, and that anybody can add value to you and vice versa. Learn how to make smart decisions quickly, by deciding on your set of values and vision for your life, then narrow down your options based on this. How did you create “Labour of Love”? My grandmother was a talented seamstress who passed these skills down. Initially I made a few things to sell in high school, and then went on to create a short-lived start-up with my sister. Labour of Love only became fully operational in 2015. The advent of online shopping and social media created new opportunities, and tremendously heightened the global appetite for all things African. Subsequently changing the ball game for entrepreneurs and marketers. Hence my current business model of creating opportunities for African women artisans. To use their homemaking and craft skills to increase their financial well-being, build their individual self-esteem, provide for their families and develop their communities. Tell us about Brandbuilder I’ve worked in media and advertising for more than twenty years, but left full time employment to pursue a passion project. I realised that I was leaning on the skills that I have expertise in – brand building and storytelling. I then spent a few months figuring out exactly what my value proposition would be, where my competitive advantage lay, in essence, developing my own brand. How does one get to a place of consistency in business? Timing is one of the factors that largely influence the success of a business. This encompasses the market you intend to service and timing in your own life. You have more resources to input into your business when you are single with no children; responsibility has a way of diminishing your willingness to take risks. There are also political and economic factors that affect your timing and at the end you have to listen to your gut. What are the top three places on your travel list? Definitely Morocco, Zanzibar and Nigeria. What tops the list of African countries you’ve been to and why? Definitely Rwanda! It’s well-led, that’s an important factor for me. The seriousness about achieving the vision they have for their country is seen in the mechanisms and systems they have in place to enable that. A close second is South Africa, the land of my ancestors and for its very cosmopolitan pulse. Would more women leaders make a difference to the African economy? Better, braver leaders would make a difference. If women are better and braver, then yes, more women in leadership. If women are not already competent, then we make them competent and compete on a level playing field. Competence and character should be the only things that decide those best suited for leadership. Tips for a woman trying to enter a male-dominated industry? I’d give her Lloyd P. Frankel’s book “Nice girls don’t get the corner office” and tell her to focus on doing the job properly because we can get distracted by the whole gender conversation. If you don’t get an opportunity, don’t assume it’s because you’re a woman. Ask yourself what you could have done better, where were the opportunities for improvement. What’s your take on leveraging your femininity in a business setting? It’s capital – employ it! It’s no different from your intellectual capital; if you have morals and ethics that can create boundaries for you, you shouldn’t have a problem. What governs your style, what you choose to wear, how you choose to wear your hair? I’d like for anyone who sees an image of me to see a proud African. I never want to look like I feel apologetic for being African. Seasons in your life tend to govern this and they can be different. Some require healing, nurturing and mending bits that have been chaffed and bruised. Then there are other seasons, where you are chasing something so big that you might even forget to brush your hair, and that’s okay too, for a season. What are the biggest relationship lessons you’ve learnt? Listen to hear, as opposed to listening to answer. Understand yourself and the lenses through which you understand what people say. Invest in knowing yourself. Embrace pain and understand that life is going to be difficult, you’ll have painful experiences and that shouldn’t be the end of the world, learn from it. If you were to have dinner with anyone, who would it be, where and why? I would love to have time stand still and spend a few hours with Malcom Gladwell on a beach with the drinks flowing and take time to understand his mind. He is a real
Eva Tito Biyela: Separate yourself form the negativity that life brings
Eva Tito Biyela, is a business woman who has created over 10 businesses since she was in her youth. Eva runs a travel agency, IT and electric business. She also runs businesses in the hospitality industry. In addition to that, Eva is known for her philanthropy work. She has been involved in charity work for many years and has found herself assisting in housing, feeding, building, offering and volunteering. Many call her Eva, mother of many. What inspired you to get into business? After I matriculated I went straight into business. I was already seeing various opportunities which I could provide solutions to, and needs/gaps which I could fulfill. I discovered early on that I am the type of person who gets tired or easily bored when I have to keep doing the same work. So it became a habit for me to venture into something else while I keep another business running. Over the years I tried many different things as a passionate entrepreneur. I was always finding ways to resolve challenges and find solutions to societal needs. My life revolved around business. I have been in business for the past 26 years. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Tanzania. In my book I speak a lot about my experience growing up caught in-between my mother who was a Muslim, and my father who was a Christian. My brother, sister and I were raised to adopt and to practice both religions, and it worked very well. We were happy even whilst experiencing poverty and various challenges. One of my favourite experiences growing up, which I mention briefly in my book, is the relationship between my brother and I. What were the challenges you faced as a young business woman and mother? When I began in business I faced a lot of stress. But, the hardships I went through growing up and being a young entrepreneur lead me to this understanding: Don’t let the stress of life take away the joy of your day Tell the truth always about your situation Be real to yourself Separate yourself form the negativity that life brings I learnt not to take business too seriously, to take things as they come, and to work hard, yet not to try change things I cannot change. Tell us about your family I have four beautiful children, a girl, 24; twins (a girls and a boy) 22; and my youngest girl, 21. They are much like their mother, full of life, business driven, and very much involved in community building and charity work. Two of my children have already taken after me. When they completed varsity they wanted to get straight into business, so that they took over the managing of my IT and electricity business. What led you to talking and writing about your life and business experiences? I have failed many times in my life. I’ve failed in business and in resolving some life issues, but, I wouldn’t change any of that, because it gave me the life experience I have; and I have no problem sharing my experiences. Over the years it has become easier to open up to people and share my story. Through my sharing, I have assisted people to resolve their own issues. From sharing my story with people, I would find myself addressing groups of people, and in turn being asked to speak at church events. As my business grew, this demand followed me everywhere. Eventually I had to answer that call. What led you to write a book? Besides being asked many times by various people to write a book, I never thought I would actually write a book. During my encounters with people, especially woman in conferences and during projects I have been involved in, I would be asked to have on record what I speak about or to package it in a book. Then unexpectedly, the time came when I felt the conviction and urge to write, and that is how the book came together. What is the book about? The book is about the harsh challenges people face, and the how to exercise faith during these challenges. I reference a lot of my own journey and the experiences of getting to a point where all I had was faith to get through my challenges. This faith has been all I have been talking and teaching about the past few years. What projects are you currently working on? Luxury and leisure vacations and cruise ship packages Continuing with my charity work with different organisation; and also my office supports various initiatives Being a speaker at various events and outreach programs Finding solutions and assisting in programs which help women to rise above their challenges and beyond victimization We will soon be launching a magazine for woman in the African continent What did you love about Eva’s story? Let us know more here.
Ayodotun Rotimi-Akinfenwa: Social Media Is My PR Machine
Ayodotun Rotimi-Akinfenwa is a Brand Manager turned Writer, Blogger, Brand/Social Media Consultant, Content creator, and founder of Lifestyle Hues; a fun, lifestyle and inspirational platform where she shares inspiring personality interviews/stories and today’s issues from a slightly eccentric perspective. She has built 8 years worth of experience in Brand Building, Strategy, and Events for international brands across Nigeria and parts of West Africa. Ayodotun holds a BSc in Mass Communication and MSc in Marketing from the University of Lagos. [bctt tweet=”Social Media Is My PR Machine – Ayodotun Rotimi-Akinfenwa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What inspired your decision to start a lifestyle blog? I wanted to able to talk about and showcase matters I’m passionate about, which happened to be a myriad of things. I wanted to lend my voice to subjects like life and lifestyle choices, money, fashion, marriage, faith and more. I also wanted to curate material to add value to readers at all times. The material on the blog is guaranteed to inspire, motivate, inform, educate, remind or entertain readers. I conduct personal interviews with achievers from all walks of life. Blogging isn’t all I do though. I run an SME Brand consultancy to help small businesses build their brands from scratch; on social media, websites and offline. What are the three key things you consider while trying to promote your brand online? I remind myself at all times that Social Media is my PR Machine and every post, article or whatever I put out there, is a seed towards building my image and my credibility. Content Marketing is everything. [bctt tweet=”Content Marketing is everything” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How has social media helped to increase your productivity? It has generated inquiries towards the brand and consulting arm of my business. It is the mainstay of my blog’s promotional activities. A huge percentage of my readers have found me via social media What was the major social media campaign or experience which put you into the limelight? For my blog, I would say it was the Nathaniel Bassey interview that I conducted at the height of the Hallelujah Challenge. I wanted to tell his story to encourage people, he hasn’t always been in the spotlight, but had been hard at work for decades. The blog was inundated with so many visits that it shut down for some minutes and I had to work frantically with my website administrator to fix that. I’m just glad people were inspired. A lot of interviews have with people such as Timi Dakolo, Lanre Olusola, Lala Akindoju, Adenike Oyetunde etc, have drawn people to the site. On the social media consulting part, we are still evolving, as most of my clients are small businesses. I simply manage their social media and website content. How have you been able to cope with social media fraud? To be honest, I haven’t had any issue in that area because I always seek to put a face to the clients and prospects I meet on social media. I am not unaware that it has its dark side and I will urge everyone to embrace the verification checks provided by the different platforms like: phone number verifications on Facebook etc, 2-factor verification on Instagram etc. [bctt tweet=”The only way to go is up- Ayodotun Rotimi-Akinfenwa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Apart from social media, are there any online methods you use for promotions? Just my website, for now, I also make time to contribute to more prominent platforms – blogs and sites to expand my horizon. How would you encourage young females who want to build a brand using social media? Social media is your PR Machine, be consistent with sharing your business story and adding value; the only way to go is up. How has social media helped you grow and build a positive brand image, personally and professionally? Let us know more here.
Patricia Majule: Saving the Environment With Beautiful Paper Gifts
Patricia Majule started the business of manufacturing and supplying of custom party supplies, box packages, favors & gifts in 2014 and has recorded tremendous growth since then. Her idea was born when she noticed that most people in Tanzania were importing paper supplies from abroad, instead of investing in machines becoming manufacturers. Through her business, she has been able to provide quality products made in Tanzania, at lower prices. She takes us through her journey so far and how she’s changing the face of the Tanzanian manufacturing industry, whilst protecting the environment. Tell us about your business and the idea behind it My business trades as Unique Favors Tz,; we make products and provide services ranging from décor ware, gifting and gift supplies. Our products are used for parties, functions, events and can be customized for non- celebration uses, such as, business advertising and branding. The company began in 2013 as Unique Gifts Tz, and at the time we were specialising in gifts. But, we expanded our product line and changed the name officially, and registered as “Unique Favors Tz” in 2014. What ways are you contributing to the protection of the environment through your product type? One of the products we make at Unique Favors Tz is uniquely designed cardboard, made by using the leftover egg shells from chicken eggs (maganda ya mayai in Kiswahili language). Egg shells help curb environmental waste by reducing the waste that would have probably been increased by throwing away eggshells right after usage. In Tanzania , eggs are consumed in large quantities due to the existence of many small scale entrepreneurs selling them in kiosks and bars, and also due to the fact that chicken livestock farming is popular in Tanzania. Secondly, we use paper products to package gifts, as opposed to plastic. Plastic bags are known to be a form of waste which cannot decay; which is why there has been a movement by the government to reduce and completely ban the use of plastic packaging in Tanzania. In five to ten years, my products will have contributed significantly to curbing environmental pollution. What strategies have helped your business grow these past few years? Very good & friendly customer care. Continuous research and product quality improvement. Customer feedback and follow up’s. Great staff and business partner training. The uniqueness of our products. Those are just few of our strategies. [bctt tweet=”I’ve always believed that Africa is full of opportunities”. username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What opportunities lie in Africa and how much are young people tapping into them? I’ve always believed that Africa is full of opportunities and many of them are hidden in industrial operations. Firstly the industrial sector is one of the most untapped sectors in Africa, especially by local natives, yet the most rewarding sector. Majority of the youth dare to start a business with a focus on the retail phase, but they lack the courage and resilience to grow their businesses to an industrial level. Many other youth reach the idea level and fail to proceed to the implementation level. Tell us the setbacks you’ve faced in the course of establishing your business and your survival method(s) Most of our product line and service offering is very new and unique to our community. Therefore, we have spent a lot of our time educating them in order to get buy-in. At times raw materials which are needed for production are scarce; coupled with price fluctuations, this tends to be a challenge. In our society it is not normal for people to see you developing a product and being in industrial, especially at a young age like mine, so there is a belief that somebody else could do my job better, and hence there is little support and a lot of bad-mouthing. But ,at the end of the day our survival methods are to: be courageous, patient, and resilient and know that as long as we are being ethical and legal, everything is fine. Society will catch-up later. [bctt tweet=”Be courageous, patient, and resilient ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What great success has your business recorded in the past few years? Our business has been successful in so many ways. Firstly, by introducing new unique products to the market, we got a very positive response from customers, which lead to significant company growth. Also we have been able to create temporary and permanent jobs to majority of the natives in Tanzania. What makes your business unique? The products we manufacture in- country, the paper party supplies and the egg shell cardboards, are customised and very unique because everything is made from scratch. Most of the party supplies in our country are fully imported from China, so they tend to have common styles and lack that unique style. [bctt tweet=”Have clear and positive priorities, be consistent in pursuing your goals” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What are your top 3 books? Smart Money Woman by Arese Ugwu The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin graham Getting Things Done by David Allen What’s the one business mantra you’d want every business owner to know? Have clear and positive priorities and stick to them, be consistent in pursuing your goals. What is your company doing to protect the environment? Let us know more here.
Sharon Moatshe: A PR Business Must Not Over-Promise and Under-Deliver
From the dusty streets of Kagiso township in Gauteng, South Africa, Sharon Moatshe has tapped into the world of entrepreneurship at a young age, and believes that she can create whatever door she wants to open. After many months of looking for a job after graduating, the solution was simple, start a business with the limited resources that she had and survive. Currently, she is the Director and Co-founder( along with Unathi Dingiswayo) at PR House of Creatives, a motivational speaker, wife and mother. In her words: she didn’t believe she would end up so great; but here we are. Take a walk with us in this interview as we look into Sharon’s amazing work, and how she’s helping startups thrive in South Africa. Take us on a walk through PR House of Creatives PR House Of Creatives was co-founded by Sharon Moatshe and Unathi Dingiswayo after a long time spent job searching, and the resultant unhappiness of not seeing the change we wanted to see in our lives for ourselves. We were then able to identify the necessity of PR and marketing, pertaining to brand management for SME’s within our community. What support systems are critical to companies like yours? Financial backing to ensure that costs are covered for: the technology used in ensuring we deliver real-time results, keeping up with current news & trends, graphics for content. As well as for our PR travels. Another important thing is mentorship from big PR Firms and structures. PR is not an easy industry for businesses to remain sustainable, your business many come and go because of lack of mentorship. What innovations have helped your business stand out from competitors? For a previous client of ours, Distinkt Vodka, we made media kits with vodka bottles and we had packaged these in potato bags, because the primary ingredient of vodka is potatoes. We draw our inspiration from client products/ services, and conceptualise from that point. What challenges have helped your company grow over the years? We have had challenges with regards to what we charge our clients. We have had to learn that SME’s are still growing and not making much money, but ,we must still charge a price that allows us to grow and sustain our business. [bctt tweet=”Know your WHY, your business exists as a solution to a problem ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What values are critical for success in the PR business? Intergrity. A PR business must not over promise and under deliver! Always be a person of your word. Execute and do your very best to match the concept you sold your client. What is your greatest success story thus far? Our greatest success story has to be TG Foods and Events! We started with the team in the township when they were starting out, we poured our hearts into our work with TG. After a few months of working together the team got their own shop which they cater food from in an uptown busy market! The place is big and beautiful. The teams understands the importance of their brand, even when they keep growing they continued using our services! It’s been beautiful watching them grow from strength to strength and knowing our creative team is a part of this journey. [bctt tweet=”Always be a person of your word” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What’s the next step for your company? Any plans to help small businesses outside the shores of South Africa? We would love to first help small businesses in South Africa grow and sustain that growth, then certainly the rest of Africa will have a piece of our goodness! The first thing businesses cut-out when they sinking/struggling is marketing and PR, which is more like stopping the clock to save time. We want to re-introduce to Africa what amazing impact PR can have for a business. [bctt tweet=”We want to re-introduce to Africa what amazing impact PR can have for a business.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] One phrase that resonates with your business strategy? Creative team of all trades and master of all! Do you run a PR company? Let us know more about you and your story here.