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. 

Discover the #power of purposeful personal branding with @Yetunde on July 19th at 12PM EST! Register here: bit.ly/yetundes Click To Tweet

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.

WEBINAR WITH SUPRIYA SHARMA: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BRAND WITH DIGITAL MARKETING (APRIL 19)

Building a successful brand can be risky business and quite a challenge, especially in this forever evolving digital space!  FYI – that’s all about to change…keep reading!

While you should tailor your brand’s strategy to its specific goals, how can you ensure that your brand stays ahead of the game, amidst the disruption, through digital marketing?

Allow us to school you!…

Join Supriya Sharma, on Thursday, 19th April, as she teaches us how to take your brand’s success to the next level with digital marketing.

Supriya Sharma is the Managing Director of SAS Business Solutions, a global service provider catering to big business houses, SMEs and educational institutions.

She has spoken at some international events of repute on topics that include Leadership & Women, Time Management, Effective Business Communication, Being beautiful, Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace, Digital Marketing (take charge of your business) and Entrepreneurship.

Take charge of your business through digital marketing with Supriya Sharma on April 19th. Reg here: http://bit.ly/SupriyaSharma Click To Tweet

Some of the topics we’ll cover

  • Steps to choosing the right marketing network
  • Best practices to curating valuable and shareable content
  • Tips for leveraging the right brand influencers
  • A guide to effective content promotion via social campaigns
  • Building a sustainable brand strategy with digital marketing

Register below to get access to this opportunity and submit questions you would like Supriya to answer.

Facebook Live Details:

Date: Thursday, April 19th, 2018

Time: 11AM Lagos // 12PM Johannesburg // 1PM Nairobi

Watch here:

About Supriya

Supriya Sharma, is a certified corporate trainer, coach and motivational speaker who began her academic journey as a scholar (gold medalist) in aerospace engineering. She was offered full scholarships at renowned US and UK universities and further developed her skill set to be an astute management professional gaining valuable experience in HR, corporate communications, sales and marketing.

Seeing the current status of the world’s economy, Supriya decided to pursue a course in entrepreneurship from one of India’s Ivy League business schools, where the idea of SAS was born.

In 2014, Supriya represented Nigeria in the Dreamforce Conference which was held in San Francisco, USA. To add, she has conferred the title of Ms Intelligent – Lagos & Ms Talented – Lagos in the Beauty Pageant organised by ICA in 2017.

Supriya strongly believes in giving back to the society as a part of her responsibility. In this view, she actively volunteers her time to develop employability skills among the Nigerian youth and is closely associated with women empowerment missions across Asia and Africa.

WEBINAR WITH HODAN NALAYEH: HOW TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL PLATFORM (APR 5)

Digital platforms are taking the world by storm and as a digipreneur, leveraging these platforms can help you to connect with your audiences in a natural and personal way.

So since digital storytelling has become a popular channel for curating various narratives, how best can you, as a digipreneur and Motherland Mogul, maximize on platforms like YouTube to tell amazing stories?

We’ll be chatting with Hodan Nalayeh, on Thursday, 5th April, who will be sharing strategies on how to successfully build a digital community using platforms like YouTube – through storytelling.

Hodan has over thirteen years of experience in client management, sales and production in radio and television. Before founding Integration TV, she also worked on a number of TV shows, including the popular TV shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.

She has changed the society with refreshing content that uplifts the spirit and shares pioneering stories of success.

Join @HodanTV for a webinar on April 5th, to learn about building a digital community. Click To Tweet

Some of the topics we’ll cover

  • Building a community with the power of storytelling
  • Tips for innovative storytelling using YouTube
  • Building your confidence as a digital entrepreneur and African woman

Register below to get access to this opportunity and submit questions that you would like Hodan to answer.

Webinar Details:

Date: Thursday, April 5th, 2018

Time: Toronto 5am // Lagos 10am // Johannesburg 11am

Watch here:

About Hodan

Hodan Nalayeh is a media entrepreneur, a social media powerhouse and the Founder of Integration TV, which reaches millions of viewers across the globe.

Known for her commitment to self-empowerment, entrepreneurship, and Somali communities, Nalayeh has changed the society with refreshing content that uplifts the spirit and shares pioneering stories of success. As a trained journalist, she is captivated by the power of stories to change lives.

Born in Somalia and raised in Canada from the age of 6, Hodan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor and a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from Seneca College. Nalayeh is also a strong advocate for education, but more importantly, life education.

She’s also a mom of two boys and believes changing society starts with changing our narrative of success for Africans.

South Africa’s Digital Womxnist – Owethu Makhathini

Owethu is beyond a force to be reckoned with. This incredible Google Certified genius is taking over the digital sphere by holding workshops and talks across the country through her consultancy, Makhathini Media – which provides innovative ways to show young women how they can advance their careers using digital marketing.

Owethu created her platform to upskill young business-minded women and show others how you can liberate women through social media. Let’s take a look at Owethu’s journey on how she is making a difference in empowering women while making her mark in the digital industry.


Tell us more about Makhathini Media?

Makhathini Media is a creative consultancy that specializes in offering tailored digital marketing and ICT training. We tailor the content depending on the needs of the client, not just for young people but for large corporates and government parastatals. We have a long way to go in terms of digital literacy. I want to ultimately be in a position to fund creative projects, upskill people in digital skills, facilitate networking events and help big brands and businesses create compelling, perception-shifting work.

What projects do you have up your sleeve?

I have 2 very special projects coming up and I couldn’t be more excited! One ties into the focus of the business which is the training aspect while the other ties into the secondary goal of the business which is creating a community underpinned by the restorative power of sisterhood.

We hope to create networks of women who inspire, uplift and collaborate with each other. 2018 is going to an exciting year for Makhathini Media!

The media industry has predominantly been male-dominated. How do you navigate this reality as a woman and leader in the digital industry?

If we are being honest, most industries are male-dominated. Patriarchy is maintained and is a tool of capitalism, that much is inescapable. I am fortunate that in the digital marketing space, one has the power to create a platform that can exist to challenge mainstream ideas.

Business is ruthless and as a young, black woman there are additional challenges we face to get into the room and be taken seriously, never mind having a seat at the table. As a businesswoman, you have to be able to stand in your truth and create an ecosystem of women that look like you to collaborate and make money with. There definitely is strength in numbers.

Young women are the most receptive to skills training- @owethumack Click To Tweet

How has the process and reception of educating the youth on the digital sphere been? 

Young women are the most receptive to skills training. They are often the ones that already have small-scale businesses running from home who just need a boost of knowledge. I have had mostly young women come up to me after my sessions to share their stories or to thank me for showing them that someone as young as them has found a niche and is making a business around it.

The project I am initiating in 2018 will attend to the needs of the young women who have attended one of my sessions. There is a need that must be met and I feel that I am the perfect position to facilitate it. It is very humbling, inspiring and truthfully, it is what keeps me going when I feel overwhelmed.

Can digital marketing play a role in liberating women, especially in South Africa?

Firstly, the internet is a borderless place, we are able to share ideas across the world in a matter of moments. This means that even if you feel isolated in your geographical area, you can find a community of like-minded individuals by simply searching for those people online.

Secondly, the information shared online can make people aware of the organizations that exist to help women out of situations where they feel helpless.

Thirdly, digital marketing is a business opportunity. If a woman is being financially abused, she is able to run a small business through WhatsApp or social media, therefore getting practical help.

The internet is a borderless place & digital marketing is a business opportunity Click To Tweet

As a mentor to other women, who do you go to for inspiration and why?

My great-grandmother, grandmothers, and my mother. Outside of my family, I look up to the Knowles sisters, Oprah Winfrey, Nunu Ntshingila, Zodwa Khumalo, Khanyi Dhlomo and Bonang Matheba.

I grew up in a matriarchal family with women who were equally strong and soft. They provided a firm foundation that I have built my version of womanhood on. The women in my family are not too different from women around the world. We are resilient because we must be. We are people who can get things done without disregarding our empathy.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into your line of work?

I would say take yourself on as a project. Critically assess where you fall short, unpack the ways you dishonor yourself and show yourself grace. As women, we are socialized to constantly give and made to feel selfish when we finally erect boundaries.

Make sure you have boundaries and a standard for your life, don’t ever compromise yourself for the comfort of another because you aren’t giving from a place of love but from a place of obligation which leads down a path of resentment.

 


If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.

8 Technology Hacks for your Growing Business

Whether you’re a new business owner or been in the game for a while, you all have one thing in common: you need to be on top of your game. Real talk. This is why I’ve put together eight of some of the easiest tools in this technology-driven world to propel your growing business.

Canva

Hands down, this is a favourite technology hack. It’s a simple graphic tool with thousands of templates at your disposal. Canva is great for designing Instagram and Facebook posts, posters, letterheads, infographics; in fact, all kinds of graphics. It’ll make anyone feel like a graphic designer. Certainly fuels my ego.

There’s a mobile version available too; and it’s free. Happy customizing!

PicMonkey

PicMonkey is my favourite photo-editing tool. There’s a free version with limited options, but it allows you edit, make collages selecting from a ton of templates, add text, resize and more. It’s also great for creating watermarks. You can choose the paid version if you require more features.

PicMonkey is amazing if you deal with a lot of content!

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is gold. This hack allows you schedule and sync your content across your social media pages. You can mention other social media handles whilst drafting in Hootsuite (and see if they’re the right ones). It’s great for shortening lengthy links as well.

Save time by scheduling up to thirty posts at a time!

Calendly

Calendly is a great tool for setting appointments. It’s a convenient way to send your availability to clients by sending them your link through which they can book a slot. Once the client books, you will receive an email confirming this. It will also be added to your calendar on Google and send you a timely reminder.

It makes perfect sense!

Office Lens

Maybe I’m just really lazy, but I use Office Lens to scan all my documents when I’m away from my desk. It’s great for emailing copies of documents on the go and is a lot tidier than using the camera on your phone. With Office Lens you can crop and make simple adjustments, save and even convert to Powerpoint or PDF.

What are you still waiting for? Download this tool now!

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance site with a large pool of sellers offering services for a lean $5 and upwards. There are basic tasks you may wish to outsource as a business owner, to enable you focus on your core. Browse through Fiverr for services such as business writing, video, branding, graphics work. There’s also Fiverr Pro for more technical, professional work.

Check reviews carefully before you buy!

Trello

Trello is amazing and absolutely easy to use. It’s like a little personal assistant that helps you keep track of the work you and your team have scheduled. You can update plans for the team to see and move across different stages. You can make checklists and add key team members to activities.

It’s fun and highly useful!

Quickbooks

Major hack here! This helps sort out your business accounting with an annual fee. You can keep track of payments, send invoices (and include your business logo), manage different customers’ finances. It can also be used on multiple devices. The best part is all your data is backed up.

It’s quite a technical tool so you’ll need to undergo a tutorial or training!

I got you covered with these technology hacks to meet your business needs from graphics, to accounting, to personal organisation, but there are tons of other good ones. So make sure to research and ask around.


Let us know here, which other technology hacks you love!

Jobs – Digital content associate

She Leads Africa believes in the power of young African women to build amazing careers and businesses, serve as community leaders and influencers, and eventually take over the world.

Our #MotherlandMoguls, as we affectionately call them, are the reason we exist and expanding – to provide them with more inspiring and educational content to help them live their best lives.
We’re looking for a digital content expert who’d like to join our dream team in building She Leads Africa into the number one destination for smart and ambitious African women.
This role is only open in Lagos, Nigeria and Cape Town, South Africa only.

Reporting Structure: The Digital Content Associate will report to the Head of Content. They will also be responsible for managing a team of 2-3 fellows and additional staff related to large events or campaigns.

Responsibilities:

  • Be proactive about ensuring that SLA is a part of important conversations related to African women, business, career, and life
  • Grow the number of Facebook and Twitter followers, and page engagement
  • Lead weekly strategic meetings on content direction on SLA’s social media platforms
  • Establish and deliver community engagement goals on a weekly and monthly basis
  • Utilize data and analytics to drive decision making and advise social content and editorial decisions
  • Oversee social content production and editing every week
  • Develop new concepts and series for the community and seek out contributors
  • Listen to our users and encouraging dialogue on our platforms

Requirements:

The ideal candidates will have an interest in building, growing and scaling communities. You don’t have to have official work experience doing this kind of work but we want someone who is passionate about digital content and can learn quickly.
If this role is for you, you’ll be excited to work in a fast-paced environment and committed to working until the job is done.

Specific requirements include:

  • Intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning new skills
  • Excellent English writing skills and the ability to adopt and change your style of writing
  • Experience in building and growing communities across markets using a variety of content, marketing, and partnership strategies
  • Knowledge of digital marketing strategies
  • Social media savvy and being up to date on current trends
  • Able to deliver on metrics-driven results and an understanding of analytics
  • Graphic design and video editing skills are a major plus

Benefits:

  • Entry level salary with commission
  • Opportunity to travel across Africa and interact with Africa’s leading voices and entrepreneurs
  • Work with a moderately fun team who’s just tryna change lives and help women get that schmoney.

Applications close on December 10, 2017.

Submit your application materials here:

[typeform_embed type=”embed” url=”https://sheleadsafrica.typeform.com/to/tq3W4X”]

Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, we will not be able to contact everyone who applies. We will not be able to answer additional questions via email.

Omnia and Salma: We want to connect the Sudans using culture and technology

Omnia and Salma

Sudan and South Sudan have been under fire for decades from the perils of civil war, famine, poverty, corruption, Islamic jihad and other crisis that affect the countries politically, socially and economically as well as culturally. Omnia Shawkat and Salma Amin Saad decided to build a contemporary platform to voice independent opinions of the diverse, intelligent, and peaceful youth that diverge massively from the mainstream that places them in tiny status-quo boxes.

Omnia and Salma started the online magazine Andariya for Sudan & South Sudan in both English and Arabic to lifting our spirits, sharing contemporary analysis and opinions & promoting creative arts ideas and events. Since the launch of the magazine they’ve also launched a photography project titled “MyKhartoum” to show the beauty of the capital city with a series focused on Juba coming soon.

Omnia and Salma shared with us why online media is so important, why Andariya is different and what they’ve learned about organic growth. 


Why do you think digital media matters in Sudan and South Sudan?

Sudan and South Sudan have a shared cross-border culture that was severed along with the political ties in July 2011. The current generation witnessed a tough time of great polarization and we had no time to heal, reconcile or mend our broken matter when the political secession came upon. This need to open the road of communication is one great reason why digital media matters right now; it transcends boundaries.

The publishing industry is also lagging behind due to many factors (economic, censorship, access, language etc.) and a way to overcome some of these challenges and reach and engage a wider audience that is already online, beyond even the Sudans (there is a massive diaspora population from both countries) is through the use of digital media of various types.

What role would you like Andariya to play in the development of these two countries?

Our mandate is purely cultural, so if we are to perfect our mandate, the cultural footprint of the Sudans on the internet will be enhanced along with more offline engagement due to the conversations that spring up online. One underlying factor is to really connect both countries (both local and diaspora communities) over intersecting cultural values, opinions & aspirations. Both Sudans are in similar development stages, and cultural development is key in advancing all the other pillars of development.

Andariya Logo

What makes Andariya different from other youth-focused media platforms?

There are the basic building blocks of being a bi-lingual digital cultural platform for South Sudan and Sudan. We target a larger age group- for once, the “youth” or younger generation is online and discussing matters of importance to them in a common platform that welcomes all views.

More importantly, we are discussing issues that older generations have exclusively hashed out over the last few decades (i.e. identity issues, culture and acculturation, etc.) and adding our perspectives to the conversation.

Another differentiating factor is our belief in using different mediums to reach diverse audiences. We’re across social media platforms but slowly growing into creating online-offline campaigns to engage more people.

Can you share your favourite story from the platform and why?

The way our community was formed is both interesting and inspiring; we practically found each other as if we were long lost souls. We have an incredibly harmonious relationship with more than 50 community members across the world, and we treasure this the most.

For your business to get to the next level, would you prefer funding or a high-value mentor?

We’d prefer to have a mentor to help us reach that next level. We’re a very hands-on platform that organically adapts to challenges and opportunities and finding a mentor who can understand the climate we operate in and growth we’re aspiring to would be invaluable.

So far, we’ve taught ourselves what we discovered was needed, but a community of more than 50 people also means everyone brings wisdom and creativity to the table, so we’d like to think we’re currently being internally mentored.

What can we expect to see from Andariya over the next 6 months?

We’re launching a new website so we expect editorial growth. Our business model has shifted massively in the last four or five months so we’re experimenting with more offline engagement.

A few online projects are also in the works. We are actively pursuing expanding our network and partnerships base both inside the Sudans and outside.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned on your journey towards building Andariya?

Be flexible. Organic evolution can be disruptive but can also be harmonious.


Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.

Webinar with Stephanie Obi: How To Start An Online Business (Mar 5)

Steph Obi

Missed this event? Make sure you don’t miss the next one by joining our community today.

RSVP for the webinar

Google-Hangout-Stephanie_Obi

Online businesses are booming and represent a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to build a name for themselves and generate cash flow. Join us for this webinar where SLA cofounder Afua will discuss with Stephanie the A-Z of building an online business.

Some of the questions we’ll cover:
– How can I create interesting content that gets traffic and builds a following?
– Which platforms are the best to monetize?
– Can only beauty, fashion and gossip bloggers make money online?
– Do I need professional video and photography equipment to get started?
– How can I connect with potential brands and sponsors?

About Stephanie:

Stephanie Obi is a Business & Marketing Strategist where she runs a consulting firm,  ST HUB LIMITED, focused on Online Marketing,  Online Branding, and Online Business strategies.

She is the founder of Steph B-School, an award winning Online Business School that was created to equip people who want to start and grow a business, with the skills and insights they need to build a Successful Business Online, so that they can reach more people, make more money and leave a legacy in the world.

She is also the founder of ST Colours A-School, an Online Accessories School, set up to empower young ladies who want to learn how to make accessories. To date, this platform has trained ladies in United Kingdom, United States of America, Cameroon, Kenya, Australia, Zambia, Canada, South Africa and Nigeria. She now shares all she learnt on this journey with other people who want to build an Online Platform to teach what they know.

She is a First Class graduate of Computer Science from Covenant University and holds an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School. She brings all the experiences she has gathered at her fashion accessories business, ST Colours, Ericsson, The Tony Elumelu Foundation and L’Oreal, to create relevant training programs that help individuals build Successful Businesses Online.

She won First Prize at the Wimbiz Impact Investment Competition and was the 1st Runner up at Standard Chartered Bank’s Dragons Den Competition. She has been featured on various platforms including Channels TV, Metro Radio, Enterprise Radio, etc

Through her website, www.stephanieobi.com, Social media platforms, Online Business School, Steph B-School and various training events, she inspires thousands of people to fulfil purpose and to shine their light to the world.

Her philosophy is – “You have a light within you that the world is waiting to see. It’s time to shine that light to the world”

RSVP for the webinar

Watch the webinar live