The Hidden power of mentorship: First take a hard look at yourself
I recently got a professional mentor. This was not something that had been penned down in detail in my goals for the year. What had been penned down is that I need to seize opportunities that will enhance my network. So as a true choleric, I jumped on any networking opportunity that presented itself to me. This rather abstract goal led me to join a mentorship forum for Human Resource Professionals whose goal is to provide mentoring opportunities to HR professionals through peer mentoring. Out of this, I got a professional mentor and I also got a mentee. My first meeting with my mentor happened early this year. Let’s call her Alexa. To say that I was intimidated is an understatement. Alexa has achieved so much. She is a high-flying career woman, she has a C-suite job, and reports to the Board. She is confident, she is witty and to wrap it all, she has an amazing sense of style. Ok. Stop giggling. I, on the other hand, have worked at my current job for eight years. I was not proud of my employer and I had been carrying this label that I work for the wrong organization. It was for that reason that all my job applications had not been successful. So much negative vibe about my work situation. So Alexa and I met at a beautiful restaurant and the conversation started with her telling me about herself. I wanted her job. She makes so much impact. Isn’t that all that us millennials want, to make an impact? Then the conversation moved to me. I told her about myself, my work situation and why I had signed up for a mentor. At the end of the meeting, Alexa told me that as part of the preparation for our next meeting, I need to identify the one thing I want to take out of our mentorship relationship once it came to an end. It was a wonderful evening I must say. When I got home later that night, I reflected back to my conversation with Alexa. It was like I was outside, looking into our conversation and I was deeply saddened by the picture that emerged. I started my career so positive, so energetic and with an attitude of I can handle whatever comes my way. Eight years later, to sitting across my mentor, I had changed to this negative person who felt like she had no power. This realization coupled with Alexa’s assignment on my expected outcome from the professional mentorship forced me to take a long hard painful look at myself. That was the only way I could change the narrative. I must say that it was not easy. I took some time out to reflect on my life and I realized that it was no longer clear to me what my vision was professional. The Bible says that my people perish because of a lack of vision. How true this is. If you do not know where you are going, anywhere is good enough. But anywhere is not good enough for me. Anywhere is not good enough for anyone. [bctt tweet=”Self-reflection is hard and painful but necessary for you to scale to the next level of your career – Priscah Motogwa” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] I want to live a life of purpose and a life of meaning and my career plays a huge part towards that. Pema Chödrön in his book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, says “The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” Self-reflection is hard. Self-reflection is painful. But self-reflection is necessary for you to scale to the next level of your career. Do I now know what my vision for my professional life is? Yes. Do I have a plan of how to achieve it? Yes. It involves stepping out of my comfort zone by seeking opportunities that will make use of skills that I possess. Indeed, writing this article is stepping out for me. And so for my next meeting with Alexa, I know precisely what I want out of the professional mentorship I am being offered. In the words of Denzel Washington, “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influence in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” Fellow female professionals, do you want to scale the career ladder? My advice, get a mentor. This article was written by Priscah Motogwa. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
WEBINAR WITH YETUNDE SHORTERS: THE P.O.W.E.R OF PURPOSEFUL PERSONAL BRANDING (JULY 19)
What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘personal branding’? A perception of oneself? A unique identity? No matter the thought, your personal brand reflects your reputation, your legacy, the people you surround yourself with, your authenticity…the list is endless! Having a well-defined personal brand requires you to be proactive about how you manage it. This starts with thinking about what you want to be known for and then taking purposeful action to ensure that’s the image you’re creating. So, what does it mean to have a ‘purposeful personal brand’? How can it earn you top dollar without blowing lots of schmoney on stuff that won’t even do justice to your brand? Join Yetunde Shorters, on Thursday, 19th July, as she shares secrets that will earn you multi-six figures without spending a dime on advertising or marketing through purposeful personal branding. Yetunde Shorters helps the inspired go-getter create an authentic, purposeful and fun personal brand that helps you do what you love while helping others, in a way that creates financial freedom for you and your family. [bctt tweet=”Discover the #power of purposeful personal branding with @Yetunde on July 19th at 12PM EST! Register here: bit.ly/yetundes” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover Identifying where your purpose comes from and get clear on it Ways to elevate your personal brand How to develop a brand statement that represents you best Secrets that will earn you multi-six figures without spending a dime on advertising or marketing Register below to get access to this opportunity and submit questions you would like Yetunde to answer. Webinar details: Date: Thursday, July 19th, 2018 Time: 12PM Miami // 5PM Lagos // 6PM Johannesburg Watch Part 1 below: Watch Part 2 below: About Yetunde Yetunde Shorters is an international publicist and an industry leader in helping women entrepreneurs discover their purpose and provide value to the right people to make profits. She is also the creator of ICY PR, the Afropolitan Chef and Founder of ICY ACADEMY and a 4-time Amazon best-selling author. With over 15 years of experience working and securing publicity for multiple Grammy Award Winning Artists, International Celebrities and Entrepreneurs, Yetunde has been featured in Elle, CBS, Zen Magazine, Tropics and more. She is masterful at connecting her client’s sense of purpose to prosperity. She also uses her skills to help emerging entrepreneurs create value, save time and increase productivity. In partnership with She Leads Africa, Yetunde is launching A Purpose Breakthrough 101 session, a 90 minutes intensive brand clarity session, where she delves deep into your purpose to connect it to profits. She also runs the ICY ACADEMY PERSONAL BRANDING MASTERCLASS, where you learn strategies that get results, techniques that save you time and access to a powerful network of go-getters who provide the support you need to thrive in your purpose.
FACEBOOK LIVE WITH ANULI OLA-OLANYI: CAREER HACKS FOR MILLENIALS (JUNE 26)
Hello, millennials! You’ve probably received advice on how you can “build a more successful career” from a handful of people. However, very few people give a break down of how you can advance yourself, or what to do when you face a challenge, like when your boss is not paying you what you’re worth – sounds familiar? Designing a career you’re passionate about or deciding on a career path can be challenging, and the chances of getting a good class that can really teach you how to do that are slim. Well, with a few career hacks, you can take small steps every day that will bring you success in the long run and that’s why you don’t want to miss this discussion! Join us on Tuesday, June 26th, for a Facebook Live chat with Añuli Ola-Olaniyi, founder of HEIR Women Development, who will be giving advice on how to achieve the ultimate career for yourself. Añuli believes women are strategizing to become empowered and rule the world alongside men. She has effectively delivered cutting edge training that has elevated people both in their professional and personal life. [bctt tweet=”Design the ultimate career with @anuliolaolaniyi, founder of @heirwoman on June 26th at 1PM WAT! Click here for more: bit.ly/AnuliOla” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover So you got the job, now what? Career habits to avoid How to maintain career capacity How to handle job rejection Facebook LIVE details: Date: Tuesday, June 26th, 2018 Time: 1PM Lagos // 2PM Joburg// 3PM Nairobi Watch Facebook Live with Anuli: https://www.facebook.com/sheleadsafrica/videos/2092897934266849/ About Anuli Añuli Ola-Olaniyi is the founder of HEIR Women Development, an enterprise created to support young women in capacity and skills building in a career. Prior to this, Anuli began her career at John Lewis Partnership UK and she is currently the Deputy Managing Director of HM Ltd, ED of DV Solutions NG and an Advisory Board Member of the Women in Leadership Institute (WLI). With a wide range of experience across a number of different sectors and having completed tasks for high profile companies, Anuli graduated from the University of Ibadan with a BSc in Psychology and holds a Masters in Human Resource Management from Middlesex University UK. A believer in continuous professional and personal development, Anuli is a CIPD certified Human Resource Professional as well as a qualified Prince2 Practitioner in Project Management. She also holds certifications for Gender studies from the UN Women Training Centre. PMP trained, Anuli is currently working towards her certification from PMI Institute.
Revealed: The Secret To Staying Motivated
The year is almost halfway done, and chances are, the energy you started with is most likely not as powerful as it is now. Being motivated for a whole year can be quite challenging when life is constantly throwing us different surprises. Even then, motivation can only take you so far when trying to achieve your goals. So, how do you stay motivated amidst all? The secret is – drum rolls please – ‘Find your Vision’! Your vision will guide you and keep you going on your journey to success. Vision ensures that you don’t go around in circles and get frustrated when things go left. But how do you find your vision? The following tips offer a few steps on how you can find your vision and stay motivated. 1. Listen to your inner voice To have a clear idea about your vision, you must look inside yourself. Vision comes from within, from the spirit or subconscious, whatever you choose to call it. Everyone has a vision that is unique to them, and you are no different. When searching inside, you should yourself questions such as what stirs you? What is your greatest desire? What kind of dreams do you have? Once, you ask yourself these questions, chances are your vision will start become clearer for you. 2. Prepare yourself mentally Your vision begins in your mind and heart. It is something that burns within your soul. it should be greater than your all of your past memories, mistakes, and accomplishments. If you know what your vision is, you will have a purpose and won’t get lost on your journey. Sometimes, when you don’t have a distinct vision, it is easy to become distracted. If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, the journey will seem a lot longer and harder. To avoid this, make surer you prepare your mind for challenges ahead. 3. Surround yourself with people who have a clear purpose Greatness breeds greatness, and it is for this reason that you should seek out the company of others who can appreciate and support your vision. Network with winners and it will keep your motivation high. 4. Develop your vision Do you want to be the next Bill Gates but because of the way your bank account is wired it may seem impossible? The truth is, there are times when it is hard to understand how to apply your vision to your life in order to reach your goals. Don’t worry, all visions start from scratch! Your vision will grow from your experiences, talents, dreams, and desires. So don’t worry if your bank account is not growing as fast as you would have wished. Great visions take time to develop and perfect. Allow your vision to slowly but surely reveal itself to you. 5. Keep a notebook and pen handy All too often, we come up with great ideas and thoughts and by the time we want to write them down, they are forgotten. With that in mind, you never know when your vision is going to come to you, you have to keep a small notepad with you at all times. Even on your nightstand when you sleep. Write down whatever comes to mind, no matter how silly it seems at the time. You may write down a hundred crazy ideas but number one hundred and one just might be the vision you were searching for. Don’t try to filter right now, just write down everything that comes to mind. 6. Follow your vision The vision you are seeking will most likely come to you in ways that you won’t fully understand at the moment. That’s okay. Even your friends or family might not understand it. That too is fine. Just follow as much of your vision as you can right now, and more will be revealed to you as time goes on. All truly successful people have a vision that they follow, no matter what challenges they may face. Begin following the above steps to seek your vision today and remember that true, lasting success will never come to you until you know what your vision is and how you will follow it. And you will be unstoppable if you combine your personal vision with a healthy dose of motivation. This article was originally written by Tariro. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Motherhood 101: Rejoining the Workforce with a Bang
A few days ago, I received a call from a close friend who was crying. She had applied for a position and was rejected after the third stage of the interview – just because she had kids. This wasn’t my first time hearing something like this as I had been in this situation after having my baby. Hearing this story inspired me to share a few nuggets of wisdom with my fellow Motherland Moguls and to discuss how mothers can re-enter the workforce. The Truth If you came across an ad with the JD of a mom, it would be impossible to fill. It’s endless! For those who have experienced and survived motherhood, you know that being a mom is one of the most trying times of a woman’s life – but it is also one of the greatest learning experiences ever! The invaluable skills and lessons learnt through motherhood aren’t recognized in the corporate world as they should be. From being excellent role models to excellent managers, team players, great multitaskers, economical, responsible, and dedicated. Honestly, companies won’t find great employees like mothers. Positive Traits Mothers Bring to Work If you’ve taken time off from work to raise your kids, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I write this to you because I’ve often had to repeat it to myself and other women. After staying at home, there is no reason as to why you shouldn’t rejoin the workforce with a great job. During your time spent caring for your children, you will have learnt many traits that you can apply to your work and interviews. Firstly, mothers are excellent multitaskers who are always doing everything at once. The fact that they can juggle many tasks at once suggests that they could be efficient employees who could handle many projects. Their scheduling and planning skills also mean that mothers could be great time managers. After dealing with fussy and stubborn kids, mother’s not only develop great patience, but they turn ugly situations into beautiful ones. This motherly nature makes them very approachable which is important as an employee. Also, their ability to deal with high pressure and still thrives ensures that if faced with challenges, mothers can effectively deal with a crisis. Addressing the Gap on your Resume One thing many mothers struggle with is talking about the gap on your resume. While you know why the gap is there, many employers will want to question you about it. The first thing you need to do is own up. You can do this through explaining how you’ve grown during this period. Secondly, you need to show that despite not working for a while, you are more than ready to get back to work. By proving that you have planned your move with things such as a childcare plan in place, you make employers feel more comfortable when hiring you. Another risk with not working for long is that hiring managers may worry your skills are outdated. To avoid this situation, you can try and take online training courses to update your professional/technical skills. This not only shows initiative, but it highlights your adaptability. Finally, it is important to know your value and find employers who welcome your stay-at-home experience. Personally, as stay-at-mom, slash writer and proofreader, I’ve learnt to embrace this part of my life. In turn, those around me have learnt to respect it to. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
WEBINAR WITH ABOSEDE GEORGE-OGAN: THE RISE OF WOMEN IN POLITICS (MAY 30)
For as long as we’ve known, politics has been viewed as ‘a big boys thing’ and not for women. Well, guess what world? It’s time to take a step back because ladies wanna play too! From leading political organisations to being at the centre of political movements across the continent, women are increasingly taking charge of the political platform. Admirable examples of #MotherlandMoguls in politics include Bostwana’s 29- year old, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, who was recently appointed as Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and Nigeria’s Ms. Rinsola Abiola, President of the APC Young Women Forum (amongst other titles) – the list goes on! But let’s be honest! Even though there has been a rise in the number of women in legislatures across the continent, more work still needs to be done to integrate women into ‘political governance’. That being said, ladies get in formation…let’s talk about building a fulfilling political career!! To learn more, join us on Wednesday, May 30th for a webinar with Abosede George – Ogan, who is the Chief Facilitator of Women In Politics NG, as well as the Director, Strategy, Partnerships and Stakeholder Management at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. Abosede will be sharing useful nuggets on what it takes to build a successful career in politics. [bctt tweet=”Kick start your career in politics with @abosedea on May 30th at 11 AM WAT! Click here for more: http://bit.ly/BoseOgan #WomenInPolitics” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Some of the topics we’ll cover: Why you should be interested in politics The building blocks to pursuing a career in politics Types of jobs available in the field of politics Advice on how to build a successful political career Webinar Details: Date: Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 Time: 11AM Lagos // 12PM Johannesburg // 1PM Nairobi Location: Register below to get access to this opportunity Watch here: About Adebose Abosede George-Ogan is a tri-sector leader with over 14 years’ experience working across the non-profit, private and public sector as a development professional. She is the Chief Facilitator at Women In Politics NG, an online platform that seeks to engage, encourage, equip and empower women especially young women to get involved and participate in politics in Nigeria. In addition to this, Abosede is currently the Director, Strategy, Partnerships and Stakeholder Management at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund. Abosede began her career in development over a decade ago with ActionAid International Nigeria. From here, she moved on to lead Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship for Keystone Bank, FirstBank and Samsung Electronics West Africa respectively. Likewise, Ms. George-Ogan has a degree in Political Science/Public Administration from Igbinedion University and an MSc in Communication for Innovation and Development from the University of Reading. She is also the author of the recently launched book, “Building a Conscious Career: How to build a fulfilling and financially rewarding career”. For more information about the book, you can visit www.consciouscareer.com.ng.
Nothabo Ncube: You are bigger than your surroundings
When Nothabo Ncube was only 14 years years old, her mother died in a tragic road accident. Before she died, Nothabo had made a promise that she would become a doctor. 15 years later, Nothabo is not only a doctor, but she is also a consciousness speaker and entrepreneur featured on TEDx. Her journey to becoming a doctor was not easy. After joining her dad in Canada, Nothabo lived in the projects which were subjected to high crime rates, prostitution, and drug dealing. In order to survive, Nothabo had to listen to a deep voice within herself that told her she was more than her environment and she will rise through it. Looking back at her journey, Nothabo concludes that every moment was important as it revealed to her what her purpose was. Now she lives her life inspiring and helping other women find themselves. In this interview, Nothabo talks about her mentorship program – Esther. What projects are you involved in at the moment In August 2017, I launched an online mentorship program for young women. The program called Esther’s Mentorship aims to assist women to win back their power, settles into their true selves, realize their potential and be the best of who God created them to be. I use my personal experiences and testimonies to empower and assist women to realize that it doesn’t matter where one has been. That through their broken pieces, there is hope at the end of the tunnel and God can use their pain. Before I always played victim to my journey and it took time to get to a place where I started seeing things differently. Now I understand that some of the things that happened were launching me into my purpose. Therefore it is my intention to be a medium, a voice, a source of guidance to enable the mentees to see through their pain. Why did you name it Esther? While speaking at an event in South Africa, one of the speakers took an interest in me. We began talking about my life’s journey, my vision and plan for the future. I told her about the mentorship program and she suggested that I call it Esther. Upon return, during a conversation with my spiritual mother, she said I reminded her of Esther. As if this was not confirmation enough, I then decided to name it Esther because we are raising queens. How is the mentorship structured? The mentorship runs every Sunday for 30 minutes, in one on one sessions. As we have women from different parts such as Zimbabwe, USA, Canada and South Africa, we needed a day where everyone would be easily available. During the mentoring session, I help women structure their goals and create guidelines on how best to move on their journey. I aim to empower the young women and open them up to a different sphere of who they are. What are your 5-year plans for the Esther Program? Currently, we have one on one mentorship sessions. However, in the future, I would want the girls in Zimbabwe to have meet up sessions at least once a month. This will help them in creating a platform where sisters come together and support each other. I also intend on having centers especially in the big cities and branching to the rural areas where I feel those in the rural areas need it the most. My intention is to build a community of sisterhood that reaches every girl that needs it. Tell us more about your TEDx Talks My friends have been very instrumental in my TEDx journey. My friend instigated my first TED talk in Canada. She submitted my story to the TEDx recruiters. They then interviewed me and asked me to share my story on their platform. My talk was titled: A inspirational Story of Hope, Faith, and Grace. Then again in Zimbabwe, another friend also submitted my name for the Bulawayo TEDx Talk. This talk was very historical as it what it the first time TEDx was being launched in Bulawayo. However, my first talk was what opened the door for other speaking engagements. Where does your inspiration come from? I think my inspiration stems from my own pain of not having had a mother figure. Growing up, I yearned for that backbone from someone I trusted. This wasn’t always the case but I had a few people that I was led to along my journey who have guided me. Driven by this, I would want to be that person to someone else. Which women have been the most influential in your life? Oprah Winfrey was very influential in my life. In 2011, I was looking for money to go to school and a friend of mine suggested I go on her site. There was nothing on scholarships or bursaries but what popped up was a box that said tell us your story –“you become what you believe”. I typed my story and put my cousin’s number as my contact details. They called her three times and she kept hanging up on them thinking it was a prank call. She eventually asked me about it and of course, I was shocked, “How does one hang up on Oprah? When Oprah calls, you answer!” Fortunately, they called again and I got to talk to Oprah. While I did not get money to go to her school, she told me of her journey from her childhood to where she was today. This truly encouraged me and made me change the way I perceived my journey. I started seeing my pain through a different lens. I started understanding that purpose was birthed by my pain. That’s when I knew I was called to speak. What advice would you give other young people in a context like Zimbabwe? Never allow your circumstances to define who you are, you are bigger than your surroundings. God is bigger than the current reality of what Zimbabwe is going through. When you tap into that
Master the art of Hunting for Opportunities: Adeng Leek
Many people believe that getting opportunities is just about luck. This is true to a large extent. But most times, getting opportunities is about hard work. You cannot afford to be lazy when searching for opportunities. In life, it is your responsibility to develop yourself first before others do. Adeng Leek, a passionate young African from Sudan and founder of Opportunities for South Sudanese Initiative shares a few steps on hunting for opportunities. [bctt tweet=”You need to make sure opportunities are running behind you and you are not running behind them – @adengmalual” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] But what does it take to find opportunities? 1. Know who you are and what you want It is very easy to say I know who I am. But the truth is, it takes ages to discover yourself. Knowing yourself is a process that requires you to sit down and answer a few important questions. You need to ask yourself questions such as: What is my purpose? What are my goals and objectives? How will I bring them to reality? Once you have answered these questions, then it will be much easier to execute your goals. It will also ensure that when you get distracted or sidetracked, you will still have a way of getting on track. 2. Read, Read and Read I don’t think I can emphasize the importance of reading enough. How many times do we ignore reading articles, stories, and other material because we don’t have the time or are not interested? Reading is quite important as it can widen your experience. Many people such as bloggers share inspirational stories and tips that if you read, they can help impact your life. Through reading these articles, you may find solutions to help you overcome any obstacles and challenges you’ve faced in your journey. 3. Network Networking is very essential. From meeting people in the same field you are interested in or meeting other diverse people, it is important to widen your sphere of influence. These different people can help and mentor you towards achieving your goal. On the other hand, networking is not only about getting but also about giving. If you can, it is important to also be of help to others. Perhaps you have a connection that can help a friend or a networking event that you could invite someone to. 4. Share the opportunities you receive When we get opportunities and succeed, it is often quite easy to forget that others are searching for the same opportunities. Once you see an opportunity that others would benefit from, always try and share them with as many people as possible. This is what inspired the creation of my blog ‘Opportunities for South Sudanese Initiative’. Through this blog, I share opportunities from different websites. These opportunities not only benefit me, but they benefit a wider group that will eventually impact the whole nation. [bctt tweet=”No matter how old you are now. You are never too young or too old for success or going after what you want – Pablo” username=”SheLeadsAfrica” This article was written by Adeng Leek. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
How to deal with that job you don’t like
So you managed to get through school. You aced that interview! The excitement of finally being part of the workforce and getting that paycheck is giving you a rush. But as you slide into your work routine you start to realize something awful, you hate your job. As the initial excitement of winning the job search fades you may realize things aren’t what you expected or you are overwhelmed. How do you survive such a situation? Breathe Becoming an adult is quite a daunting task, with so many things to balance and learn. When you add a job to this mix, it can feel overwhelming. The first thing you need to do it take a deep breath. Try to wrap your head around what’s happening it your life. Focus on the positive It’s easy to have a bad day when you’re only focused on the bad things. I hate to sound like your mother, but you need to begin counting your blessings one by one. What are the perks of your job? What do you enjoy? When you look at it this way, you will discover that perhaps your job is not all bad. Be Realistic There’s a long list of reasons why you might hate your job. Some common reasons are the salary, the hours and superiors. But sometimes, you really have to be realistic about your job. You can start by finding out what salaries are in your field. This will help you understand that you can’t expect to be earning top manager salary on your first day. Secondly, you may also feel as though your boss is out there to get you. But ask yourself, is he really up to that? Is there something that you perhaps need to do better? Consider other factors If you’re staying up late every night to catch up on daytime soaps or not eating properly, you’ll probably be constantly exhausted. Make sure you’re taking care of your body, your mind, and emotions. Feelings can heavily affect your system. If logistics is a problem try carpooling or taking alternative transport, or leaving home a bit earlier to avoid traffic. Wait it out They say time fixes all problems. Sometimes the best solution is to wait it out. Maybe you just need more time to adjust. On the hand, sometimes it may be time to move on from that job. While waiting it out, you can begin searching for other opportunities or perhaps even start that business you’ve been thinking of. Whatever you decide, you need to make concrete plans that will guide your next steps. This will ensure that you don’t end up in the same situation again. Communicate If something else is really bothering you, maybe it’s time to speak to whoever is in charge. Try explaining to them what the issues are without whining, be clear and concise. Be cautious about how much information you share though. Learn from it If you do decide to move on, make sure you take everything as a learning experience. Understand why things didn’t go so well. Know what you want from your next job. How would you negotiate your hours and pay? Finally, don’t let your current situation weigh you down. In order to grow, we need to go through rough patches that will help us fully grow. This article was written by Love Akinkunle. Love is an African writer, content creator and victim of wanderlust. She works in PR, event management, and tour management when there’s writer’s block. If you’d like to get featured on our Facebook page, click here to share your story with us.
Babalwa Fatyi: Serving my Purpose with my many hats on
Meet Babalwa Fatyi the South African Environmental Scientist who is a wife, mother, poet, author. She is also the managing director for Myezo Environmental Management Services Consulting company, Myezo growth and development institute, and co-owner of the ZenQ fashion line. In recognition of her outstanding contribution towards the development of the economy, Babalwa has been awarded various accolades. She won the Standard Bank 2016 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015, and in 2016, she won the Most Influential Woman in Business and Government Award. What factors have helped you achieve as much as you have? The biggest factor that has contributed towards my success is not contradicting who I am. I aim to produce outputs that are authentic. My outputs should be aligned with my inner being and bring me peace. To ensure this, I’ve made sure that I understand my purpose and that I align my goals with that purpose. That way when I’m faced with challenges, I am strengthened by focusing on my purpose which God revealed to me. Therefore, when I feel out of tune with what I need to do, I talk to friends and to God. They remind me of purpose and keep me on track. Secondly, I am driven by serving others. I see my gifts and talents as a means to achieve greatness. You wear many hats, tell us your secret ingredient for achieving it all. The things that I do revolve around my core and serve my purpose. My responsibility revolves around showing gratitude and taking care of the environment that has been entrusted unto us. Poetry allows me to respect and feed my soul, by nourishing it. My ZenQ clothing line in an expression of my artistic creativity through clothes. I believe clothes can reflect the essence of who we are. They can show how we feel as well as how we wish to be viewed. All these different things are just a tangible expression of who I am. My gifts and talents, which are given to me, to fulfill my role as an environmental ambassador and a steward. So I do not wear many hats but I wear one hat: I wear me. What led you publishing your poetry book “Greetings from My Core”? Poetry to me is an expression of who I am and a conduit through which I could find my voice and reach out to others and request them to engage with me on some of the matters that affect our society. Through poetry, I could share my authenticity, experiences and love my surroundings, including its beautiful diverse people I encounter, who inspire me or bring life to those experiences. This enables me to be more conscious and is also an opportunity for me to give reverence to God. What can you tell us about your company – Myezo Environmental Management Services consulting? At Myezo, we seek to serve the environment, communities, and developers through guidance on how to best take care of the land we have. We help developers with regulations and assessing the impact of developments on both the land and the communities. Through our work, we learn’t that our solutions must be tested by our clients who are our partners. As respect, empathy and listening to others are key in what we do, we must incorporate all the diverse views we face. How has Myezo developed in terms of creating jobs? Our greatest strength is our heart for youth and solidarity to the challenges our country face in terms of unemployment and poverty alleviation. We aim to bring to life the National Development Plan goals by playing a role within our areas of influence and capacity. Through providing a platform, we’ve helped youth penetrate into the job market and therefore provided them with the needed resources to improve their lives and their families. The youth were not only exposed to scientific knowledge but also to self-awareness, project management, and organizational skills among others. What does the Myezo Growth and Development Institute do? At this institute, we do coaching and mentoring through our collaborations with some universities. We contribute to ensuring that there are no wide gaps between what is taught at schools and what industries expect from graduates. Our other collaborations with other organizations include projects such as the Princess D Menstrual Cup. Through this, we hope to put girls back to school and not miss out on learning due to natural biological processes. This is aligned with our environmental stewardship role as this cup reduces the sanitary pads that go to the landfill or medical waste disposal sites. Finally, together with the Tsogang Re Direng Youth Foundation, we empower girls with career selection decisions and also help connect them to skills development opportunities. These include skills such as events management of vintage recycling where they learn practical environment-friendly skills that generate income. What do you do to relax? I’m a very outdoor kind of person. So for fun, I take walks at the nature reserves around my neighborhood. This helps me find peace and tranquility in just giving my self-time to be alone at times and just recharge. I also believe in being spiritually fed and therefore fellowship with other believers. Other than this, I spend time with my husband, family, friends. Listening to the sound of my kid’s laughter and running around brings joy to my life.