Abigail Arunga: Freelance writing is sustainable, everyone needs writers
[bctt tweet=”Abigail Arunga quit her job for more sleep and less money as a freelance writer” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Abigail Arunga used to be the Digital Editor for Zuqka.com before she subscribed to the ideal of happiness at work and quit her job for more sleep and less money. Before that and other subsequent mutinies, she worked as a contributor for several local Kenyan magazines such as Home and Living East Africa, DRUM and Saturday Magazine (Nation). Now, Abigail is a 28-year-old (yeah, she can’t believe it either) writer, blogger, scriptwriter and committed lover of sleep. She is the author of Akello and a side of raunch, both (only slightly) sensual poetry collections, is trying to avoid questions about when the next volume is coming. Abigail was also a scriptwriter for the award-winning soap opera “Lies that Bind” and continues to write for TV with shows such as “How to Find A Husband” and “Majaribu”. She began her writing career as an intern for Storymoja Publishers and is a 2011 honours graduate of USIU (don’t forget that. She thinks it is very important, mostly because she was surprised). Oh, and duh, she’s a feminist –who isn’t? Here, Abigail shares her expert advice on surviving the struggle of being a freelance writer. Did you always set out to be a freelance writer? That was not the plan! Employment was kind of the plan. Until I got employed and realized I was not only a terrible employee, but I also hated having to be employed. Not because of the sweet salary, but because I hated having to answer to something outside of myself —no matter how nice that something was to me. Small decisions, by the way, like not being able to stay home on my period, or having to ask to not come to work? It felt like a cage. What’s a typical day like for you? Wake up at about 10 or 11 am, noon or 1 pm if I have been working past 3 am. I will get up, work on my social media for about an hour or two, then get up and have breakfast (brunch!), watch something, read something, probably leave the house —if not, I will start working. If I leave and come back, probably late, from whatever —an event I am covering, a film I am reviewing, whatever it is— then I will start working when I get home. If I have eaten out, I’ll start immediately —if not, I’ll cook. Then TV, then sleep. The only thing that is constant though, in that list, is what time I wake up, hehe. [bctt tweet=”To be a successful freelance writer you have to be willing to do the work required” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What will you say to people who say one can’t make money as a freelance writer? I haven’t lived at home for five years, so that’s a lie. You just have to be willing to do the large amount of work required to sustain yourself and have a hard-line stance on when people pay you —because self-motivation and chasing cheques are probably the hardest parts. Can you talk about rates? How did you go about setting rates for your work? Rates depend, for me, on who is buying. Every time. I have my constant contracts that I have been working for about four years —those don’t change much. Friends shouldn’t get different rates, I know, but they do. Everyone else? My minimum is about 5 bob a word. Or I charge per piece of work —for example, per script, as opposed to the number of words. For my television scripts, I ask for about KES15000 per script. Which I am told is below industry rate…hmmm…new year, new rates? The reason why sometimes rates are so fluid with me is, honestly, sometimes, you are broke as hell and have to take what you get. Then you get on a little bit, and you’re like no, I deserve more! Which is all fine and dandy, until you hit a patch and you go back to cheap. Especially at the beginning of a freelance career. It can be very hard to not only know your worth but stick to your guns. I would say start with what you want and stick to what you want, without having to go back –and with a backup plan. Savings, or Mshwari, hehe. If your work is good, they will pay. If they don’t, you will get better, or pivot. You will do what you have to do. [bctt tweet=”Abigail Arunga: At the beginning of a freelance career, it can be very hard to know your worth” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Would you say freelance writing is a sustainable career choice? Of course. Especially if you are thinking out of the box. You do realize that everything needs writers? All businesses need stuff written. They need newsletters. Copy for brochures. Memos. Who writes this stuff? Articles. Magazines. Menus…everything. So sometimes they have in-house writers. Many don’t. Figure out what you want to write and write. Write hard. It is sustainable because everyone needs writers. What should anyone looking to become a freelance writer know before embarking on this path? Ask for half of the money before you do any work for anyone. People are not nice in this town —in this world. Don’t feel bad if the jobs take a while to get there —they’ll get there. Just keep going. You want to be a writer? Then write. Ready to share expert advice on your industry based on your experience? Tell us about it here.
Rose Njeri: My clients become family once they start training with me
[bctt tweet=”Fitness helped Rose Njeri gain confidence & she knew she had to share this with others” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Rose Njeri runs things at RoseFit, LLC. She’s always played sports and credits her love for exercising to her passion for being a personal trainer. Though she is a certified personal trainer, Rose does not limit herself to one project; she is also a face of Kenya ambassador, model and actress. In addition to that, she is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Fitness is something that has helped Rose gain more confidence. Seeing what positive impact fitness has on her life, she knew she had to share it with others. Read on to find out how Rose Njeri is motivating others to live a happy, healthy and positive life. When did you realize it was your passion to help people live a healthy life? I enjoyed helping people around me get into fitness and shortly came to realize that I could help more people. I also saw a need of teaching people live a healthy life. Considering the abundance of businesses and services in the health industry, what makes your brand stand out? What makes my brand stand out is the relationship I build with my clients. They become family once they start training with me. I become their biggest fan! I want them to win. All they have to give me is a 100% and I will help them accomplish their fitness goals. I do my best to teach my clients to see working out as a lifestyle and not as torture. I always wish to leave a positive impact in their lives. [bctt tweet=”I see a lot of opportunities in the health and fitness industry – Rose Njeri” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How did you come up with the RoseFit brand? RoseFit came from my amazing friends and family. They would call me “Rose, the fitness guru” and from that I came up with RoseFit. Also, having my name on the brand makes me work harder because I want it to mean more and stand for something bigger. What do you think of the health and fitness industry as it now? The health and fitness industry is growing! More people now understand the value of it. I believe there is a need for it! I’m constantly learning new ways to make it easier for people to learn more about health and fitness. There are variety of opportunities beside training in health and fitness industry. I’ve gotten to be a motivational speaker, sell fitness gears, host 5K Runs and be a mentor, all in the health industry. I see a lot of opportunities but it all requires hard work and commitment. You offer diverse services including gear, how do you manage them all on your own? It goes back to working for my brand; I’m willing to do whatever it takes for RoseFit to grow. I am learning to balance it all out but it takes time. Can you tell us about being an award winning fitness coach? It was a surprise for me when I won an award. When I started out as a trainer I did free boot-camps in my community. They brought a lot of people together and were a great way for me to network. I saw that fitness brought people together and so I wanted to create more opportunities for the community to stay active. Also, I participated in Face of Kenya USA pageant and one of the tasks we had to do was to raise money for a charity of our choice. I came up with the idea of having 5K runs to raise money and it turned out to be very successful. The community got to know me as a trainer and they would turn to me for any help concerning health. I was invited to a community event as Face of Kenya ambassador and there, I was awarded a fitness award for influencing people in the community to workout. It was a blessing because it was women-focused event named “Queens Night” and I love events that aim to empower women. [bctt tweet=”Rose Njeri: When I started out as a trainer I did free boot-camps in my community” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You’re a woman of diverse talents as a model and actress too, how do you balance it all? Honestly I am still learning how to balance it all but I take any opportunity that I’m given and give it a 100%. I am truly blessed and that is the best way to describe it. How do you keep the passion alive in everything that you do? I pray for everything I do and trust God’s ways for my life. When God is involved anything is possible. Also, I enjoy it all and make sure I’m having fun. When you’re doing something you love, you enjoy it! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Ramadimetja Makgeru: Your business exists to please your audience
[bctt tweet=”Ramadimetja Makgeru’s interest in entrepreneur grew from her financial struggles as a student” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Born in the dusty village of Mohlaletse in sunny South Africa, Ramadimetja Makgeru —better known as Rami— is a simple girl who has always enjoyed serving others from a very young age. From winning awards for community service in primary school to being involved in various initiatives as a young adult, making a difference runs in her blood. As a financially struggling student at the University of Witwatersrand, Rami’s interest in entrepreneurship started. She started attending business seminars during her spare time to learn about the world of business and how she can start making money. Through these seminars, Rami met a lot of budding entrepreneurs and realized that they all faced a similar predicament —they lacked personal and business branding skills. Not just that, they also lacked basic financial skills to enable them to do business financials. That’s when she decided to assist start-ups with bookkeeping and tax as a freelancer. Rami eventually decided to invest time in learning about sales and marketing too. Later on, she then designed training material to train small businesses on sales under her company Competent Creations Agency (Pty) Ltd. The company was registered when Rami decided to make her services more accessible to make more money from the venture. It now has its own agents distributing products on behalf of other companies. Why do you think entrepreneurs lack knowledge on branding, bookkeeping and sales strategies? Entrepreneurs don’t utilize readily available resources that educate them on these subject matters, but in their defence, they don’t have the time to do so. Most entrepreneurs are usually knowledgeable in the field their product or service specializes in. Branding, bookkeeping and sales strategies come with trying to maintain a company to keep it running; something most people don’t consider before starting a venture. Per studies, there is a positive correlation between business failure and lack of marketing and sales skills. How can entrepreneurs improve their knowledge of this on the cheap? There is a lot of material available online on platforms like YouTube and even free online courses (MOOC’s). With the age of the internet, information is at your fingertips. Various organizations, like mine, organize seminars where entrepreneurs are educated on these subjects by industry experts. In what ways you do help businesses stand out at Competent Creations? We assist businesses with branding themselves; from the first steps of choosing a name, drafting a killer business plan and even the design of quality logos and websites. We believe that how third parties view/perceive you plays a huge role in determining how well you will perform as a business. [bctt tweet=”How 3rd parties view you plays a huge role in how well you will perform as a business” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What advice will you give to a recently launched start-up looking to re-brand? Go back to your business plan and see why you exist as an organization. How you brand yourself should reflect your reason for existence. Your audience should be kept in mind every step of the way because what they think of you is what matters most (you exist to please them). It is also important to get the opinion of an outsider, because the people you work with are too close to the current brand to be objective. Do you keep New Year resolutions? What will your goals be for 2017? I do not usually keep New Year Resolutions, but I plan to go vegetarian next year. I am planning a spiritual and body cleanse to connect with my inner self. My goals for 2017 include getting the company noticed. I would like to tap into the corporate market. This embodies a lot of networking and self-selling. I am excited for it! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Randy Mampuru: Everything I do is fuelled by my personal vision
[bctt tweet=”From tourism to making furniture to working with kids, here is Randy Mampuru’s story” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When Randy Mampuru completed her matric in 2010, she decided to take a gap year in 2011 because she wasn’t sure of what to study in university. When she found that being broke didn’t work for her, Randy got herself a job doing promotions. That is when she came across the Raymond Ackerman Academy for Business Skills and Entrepreneurial Development offered at UJ Soweto Campus. Randy did that for the rest of 2011, then enrolled with the Gauteng Travel Academy in 2012 for a certificate in tourism. In 2013, Randy was given the opportunity to be travel consultant at one of the biggest travel agencies in South Africa Travel with flair. She worked there for few months but didn’t like it so left to pursue her studies in project management. Then in 2014, while Randy was studying from home, she got into a furniture manufacturing business. Randy Mampuru started making pallet-inspired furniture from her mother’s back yard. The business grew, eventually making it to the furntech incubation centre where she was given space and machinery. It was around the same time Randy started Kidz Hub. After taking a gap year to decide what to study, why tourism? In high school I studied tourism as a subject, which is where I fell in love with it. During my gap year, I figured out that I wanted to travel the world. I needed to get into career that could allow me to travel, and tourism was industry that I had to get into in order to travel. What does self-employment mean to you? It means being able to work on my dream and vision; making it a reality while serving and helping people and making sure that the next generation’s future is successful. Tell us about Kidz Hub, what inspired Kidz Hub? Kidz Hub is an organisation that pays attention to kids personal development, while taking the academic route and a holistic approach. We are all about instilling life time skills practically and actively so. We save R2 everyday towards our writing utensils and books. Now think about it, a 7year old saving R2 everyday…there’s a lot that goes into that. When they put it upon themselves to save the R2,that’s commitment. It also shows consistency. They don’t buy snacks along the way and that’s sacrifice. Not forgetting that this kid is taking in leadership, initiative, responsibility while also learning the financial management skill. We identified that many kids didn’t have anyone assisting them with their homework. So we decided to create a space were kids can come in and do their homework. That space was first my mothers kitchen, we then moved to the garage where I build a table and benches since I was in the furniture manufacturing industry. Currently, we have three branches and 33 kids signed up. We are also receiving assistance from former matriculants and varsity students who come and help voluntarily. This is fuelled by my personal vision which is; “To see the work that I do, the contributions that I make and the purpose that I serve having lasting effect on humanity”. [bctt tweet=”Randy Mampuru wants to see that the work she does has a lasting effect on humanity ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Why kids? I love kids. Kids are very genuine, honest and free. They show so much life and they make one look forward to life. So I wanted to contribute towards their future to make sure they do not fall prey to what society portrays as how life should be. Do you feel kids should be sheltered from unhappiness? No I don’t think so. I feel that unhappiness is one of the feelings that will always be apart of our lives. It is triggered by failure and disappointment which are the two most important feelings that one goes through. Both feelings are necessary to recognising one’s abilities towards what they want to achieve, whether it is academic, personal or financial. What cheers you up? Gospel and house music, dancing, good food; basically good vibes. Who is your hero, why? My parents are my heroes. They are my heroes because of their tremendous support. I don’t think I would be where I am now if was not for their support. Want to see women you know featured on SLA? Tell us what amazing things women are doing in your communities here.
Oladoyin Oladapo: I never planned on writing a book series
[bctt tweet=”Oladoyin Oladapo is inspiring girls to reach their maximum awesomeness with Girl to the World” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Oladoyin Oladapo is the author of the “Girl to the World” book series which consist of four chapter books and four picture books for children below 12. These books share values essential to girlhood; intelligence, curiosity and self-esteem while highlighting the diverse world around us. They are more than learning about differences instead, they are fun and captivating to read like traditional children’s stories. This is because after spending six months in a local elementary school with her team, Oladoyin discovered that children that age are not as concerned as we were about learning about developmental concepts such as culture and values. So if her team wanted to get children to read, they had to mask all the educative material with fun and exciting stories. This led them to create the “Girl to the World” book series which empower children but are still fun to read. The series teaches children but not are not textbooks. Oladoyin believes that the content children consume at this age moulds their future; her goal is to expose children especially girls to different cultures. Read on to find out how Oladoyin Oladapo is helping girls reach their maximum awesomeness through the celebration of culture, girl power and universal concepts like arts, friends, family, fashion, sports and school. Tell us a little about yourself and your writing background? I am from Nigeria but live in the USA. My family migrated to the States when I was very young, so that was where I had most of my education. I studied sociology with education concentration and political science with international relations concentration. Around my junior year, when I first got the “Girl to the World” idea, I was studying gender and inequality in education and I think that a lot of that really formed the idea. I however planned on making multiple things with the idea; thus toys and animation etc. The first prototype I made with this idea wasn’t a book. I had to try out other things until I finally decided to start with a book, which was a great idea I must say. With regards to my writing background, I never had professional experience in writing. But I was always doing creative writing among others in school which gave me some experience in this field. So when the time came to write the books, what I did was to put together what I knew and I guess I did the best that I could. You said you and your sister read a lot when you were young, which books had the most impact on your life? Would you say reading so much at a young age ignited this passion to write the Girl to the World series? My sister and I read a lot, I remember reading the Bible a lot when I was growing up. At that young age however, I wasn’t able to understand the Bible so I was given the picture Bible which made it a lot easier to understand. In terms of actual storybooks, our dad would take us to the library all the time. We spent an entire summer reading Chicken Soup for the Soul. I mean we read the entire series of that book just like the Babysitters Club, the Magic Treehouse, Junie B. Jones and Captain Underpants series. I really enjoyed Captain Underpants because it was an easy read and I loved the pictures and how funny it was. Also I believe that because I read so much, I had the confidence that I could write the book even though it was something I never planned on doing. [bctt tweet=”Everyone wants to know why I don’t have a Nigerian girl in my series – Oladoyin Oladapo ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] From your Youtube video, you stated that there are four chapter books and four picture books about four amazing girls. These girls are Akua from Ghana, Shivani from India, Estefany from Colombia and Chazelle from Trinidad and Tobago. How did you come up with these characters and how did you choose their nationalities? Was is random or planned? Everyone wants to know why I don’t have a Nigerian girl. It’s a long story. The thing is, the first person who joined my team was a Ghanaian girl who helped me write the first story. And later, when we decided to extend to other characters, we wanted geographical diversity. It didn’t make sense to have Nigeria which is like two doors from Ghana. I wanted to get other places around the world. Ghana was already there so I decided to hold on with Africa and try other continents. Then I decided to choose countries that I felt like I knew enough to write about. As I am an outsider and not from any of these cultures so I did research and talked to people who are from there. I wanted to make sure I had enough resources, facts and details so I could write about them. I wanted it to be authentic, genuine and good. That was the major reason for creating stories from different regions. Also these were cultures I really really enjoyed. I feel like if I wasn’t a Nigerian, I will be Indian. All these countries I was exposed to, I felt like part of them. With each character we wrote about, I felt like I was the one in the story. As a Nigerian, I have lots of Ghanaian friends and I am used to their culture so I chose cultures that resonated with me. However, these characters are just the beginning. I plan to extend to all the other cultures. You and your team spent six months in a local elementary school to study and test out your contents. Can you share with us some of your findings? What I learnt was that children just want to have fun and want to be engaged first and foremost.
Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng: I envision a world where all people are at the centre of reproductive health agenda
[bctt tweet=” An advocate for reproductive justice, Dr T dedicates her time to realise her vision” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As African women we know the struggles we face when it comes to accessing quality sexual and reproductive health services, especially if you are not privileged enough to afford private health care. Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, also known as Dr T, is a young woman who is passionate about making such services available to all regardless of economic status –including those marginalised because of their sexual and gender identities. Dr T is a South African medical doctor, an activist, facilitator, speaker and columnist. Being a doctor has been her childhood dream. As soon as Dr Tlaleng knew what doctors did, she’s always wanted to be one. Now, Dr. T is a winner of the 2016 120 under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders and the Mail and Guardian 200 young South Africans in 2016. Who is Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng? I graduated from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2007. As a student, I set up the first youth friendly clinic in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape as part of my rural community project under Lovelife. Currently I run a Reproductive Clinic in Sandton and serves as the vice-chairperson of the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition. I’m also a Medical Columnist at Sunday Times Newspaper, a Resident Doctor at Kaya FM, a facilitator and speaker. What made you choose sexual reproductive health? Sexual and reproductive health chose me. I had the first real inclination that I would work in this field during community service year; while I was working in the West Rand clinics in Johannesburg. I had many patients, often young women who consulted with me for medical issues and somehow they would end up opening up to me regarding their sexual health and relationship issues. It was very rewarding and I think the process was organic in that it is the patients who found me receptive enough to share their experiences. I remember one of the days when I had more patients waiting for me in the parking lot than inside the hospital, to talk about sex and ask questions. [bctt tweet=”Sexual and reproductive health chose me – Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition all about? The Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition, is a civil society organization made up individuals, academics, researchers, activists, service providers etc. We believe in, and are creating, a future informed by an intersectional sexual and reproductive justice perspective. Equality, dignity and bodily integrity to inform services, information and resources and options that are provided to all including marginalised sexual and gender identities. Tell us about your experience at the Johns Hopkins University and being in the top 120 under 40? The trip to the USA was an amazing trip. I am one of 40 winners and one of 10 invited to the USA to receive the award in person. I spent time in Baltimore, Washington and New York. The time at Johns Hopkins was really special as we attended a lecture by Professor Mosley, who is one of the top rated lecturers at Johns Hopkins. What impact would you like to make in your field? I envision a world where all people regardless of gender, orientation, geography, disability or economic status are at the centre of reproductive health agenda and service provision. As an advocate for reproductive justice, I dedicate my time and expertise to ensure that this vision becomes a reality. What are some of the day to day challenges of your job and how do you overcome them? The main thing is physical and mental exhaustion, one has to be emotionally present for all your patients. Sometimes one goes from a therapy session, to doing procedures followed by consultations. By the nature of the field, many people have really emotional stories and experiences and it can be exhausting but also rewarding, especially on a busy day. It is for this reason that debriefing and self-care is of the most importance for one’s own emotional and psychological wellbeing. [bctt tweet=” Self-care is very important for one’s emotional & psychological well being- @drtlaleng” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How do you stay inspired? The struggles are real and very personal. Our existence as black women is political and we can never switch off from the struggles of gender politics, racial oppression and the quest for economic freedom. The vision of a just world in which we as black women thrive and not just survive is further compromised because many women remain landless and unable to have shelter and food security. The daily experiences of not only my patients but also of my own in navigating an unjust world keeps me inspired. [bctt tweet=”We can’t switch off the struggles of gender politics & racial oppression – @drtlaleng” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the one thing you wish someone had told you about being a successful career woman? I do not think you can ever prepare for all possibilities especially in business or regarding careers and people may try but they too cannot tell you all there is to know. I have been fortunate to have a mother who was a working mother and career driven as a result of her modelling I have had no issues or inner battles about family life versus commitment to my career. Is there anything that you would change about the career choices you have made? Not a single thing. I know for sure that I am in the right field. What is your advice to the young women out there that want to follow in your footsteps? Medical school is tough. You will break but you will rise and you will realise your dream. No matter what the world tells you, you are beautiful, you are intelligent and you were born with all the power and are deserving of a good life. You can catch Dr T on Kaya FM 95.5 Gauteng and Al-Jazeera channel 406 on DSTV.
Anelisa Kasper: I’m responsible for my own growth in my field
[bctt tweet=”@lisakaspero is a business analyst & passionate about growing start-ups as well as herself” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] It’s time for you to meet one of the people that make the SLA website run smoothly. We’re talking about our contributors who selflessly share their writing with us. Anelisa Kasper is an IT consultant but she’s taught us about mentorship, handling conflict in start-ups and mastering the art of public speaking. Her area of expertise is business analysis and her focus is growth. Anelisa Kasper has dipped her toes in both the corporate and start-up worlds, and she aims to inspire young people in both worlds. Would you say you chose to be a business analyst or that the profession chose you? I was lucky enough to choose to become a business analyst. After I finished my honours degree, and having had extensive exposure to Information Systems, I was unsure which career path I wanted to pursue. When I graduated, there wasn’t as much information about the profession as there is now, so I wasn’t sure what the business analyst profession entailed. When I joined the company I currently work for, I made sure to express that I wanted to pursue business analysis as my career. Because I had just come out of university, the company was very supportive with my decision even though it was not in the technical part of IT. How do you plan to grow in your field? For me, growth will come from more experience. Over the years, I’ve seen how broad the business analysis profession is and have come to realise that you can’t get all that experience in one year (unless you’re exposed to different projects at a short space of time!) Since I started as a BA, I’ve wanted some sort of guideline on how to grow. I understood that the progression was from junior level, to intermediate, to senior, then principle level. All those levels have underlying skills that I need to work towards for my role. I do research on what skills one needs to have for all levels, and I usually set goals to achieve certain things according to that information each year. [bctt tweet=”For me, growth will come from more experience – Anelisa Kasper ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When I started as a junior almost 3 years ago, I can safely say I didn’t know much about my role. Fortunately, I was part of a major project and that gave me great exposure to what it means to be a business analyst in the field. After 2 years and a promotion later, I evaluated what I needed to improve on with my skills. I spoke to my line manager about getting more process analysis experience, a month later I was in a process analysis project. In the end, I’m responsible for my own growth in the BA field. It’s important to know your areas of growth, and what will make you more marketable if you want to stay in that field, or even move to a new one. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen gaps, spoken up, and received opportunities for immediate experience. Of course, I’ve also had cases where my company couldn’t accommodate the growth I needed at the time. In those cases, I’ve made a way for my own growth by looking for those experiences myself outside of my company. What advice will you give other women looking to be business analysts? Do your research and make sure that it’s what you want to do, as with any career. Because this field is part of the ICT industry, we need more women in the business analysis field. Most people study a degree in the IT space and become business analysts after graduating. I have also come across many people in the field who do not have an ICT background. So if you want to be a BA, do your research. Join forums that bring many people together to discuss everything business analysis. This opens up a world of information; engage in those forums and ask questions. How do you think being involved in other industries will grow your expertise? Which industries are you interested in? Why? It grows your experience. As a business analyst, you want to be able to get into any industry and work towards providing a solution that will make the business more sustainable. The BA field has its underlying principles that you can use in any industry, but within an industry, most companies face similar challenges. Working across industries and companies means I’ve been exposed to both structured and unstructured environments. The broad work experience has allowed me to gain experience in the telecommunications, electrical and canopy cleaning and banking industries and all those work differently, which makes the work fun. Some industries are more challenging than others, and it also depends on the scale of the company you’re doing BA work for. I choose consulting because I enjoy being on different projects. For example, 6 months consulting for one of SA’s top banks, then leaving to help a family business in the electrical and canopy cleaning industry. This allows me to be exposed to completely different people, processes and technologies/products. [bctt tweet=”It’s important to know your areas of growth, find where you’re lacking and speak up @lisakaspero” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What advice will you give to a start-up looking to develop long-term solutions? For start-ups looking to develop long-term solutions, it’s important to constantly be aware of trending technologies; as well as understanding them and how they will benefit your start-up. We live in a digitized world, where technology has taken over how we do things. For instance, at the tech incubator and accelerator I was part of, our entrepreneurs were able to use cutting edge technologies to assist them in the long-term. We helped them do research on these technologies so that they could better utilise them and in some instances, build start-ups around them. Tell us about your personal project portfolio. How have you
Trish Lewis: I’ve always been obsessed with businesses that solve problems
[bctt tweet=”Trish Lewis: Launching Heritage Box has been the ultimate expression of me following my dreams” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] History doesn’t always stay in the past and for Trish “Manyoni” Lewis, heritage is a means to profit-earning. Trish Lewis is the founder of Heritage Box, a business that delivers snippets from African-American and African history to eager children each month. Her business has been featured in Essence Magazine, ABC News and BlackNews.com to name a few. Through Heritage Box, Trish is helping black parents raise children that are knowledgeable of their rich African heritage. Believe it or not, this thriving business is Trish’s first attempt. Trish is a firm believer of start first, improve later. Keep reading to find out how Trish Lewis has kept her business from failing. What was the idea that sparked Heritage Box? I have always been fascinated, no, actually obsessed with businesses that arise to solve problems. I knew I wanted to start a business that solved a problem I had, that had true impact and was in my field of passion. The idea truly fell on my lap. My then 8 year old daughter made a remark that all they had done for Black History month was colour a picture of Dr Martin Luther King. I was shocked that this was the extent of their black history education. But more importantly, I felt as a parent, it was my responsibility to share this history with her. My husband and I regularly visit my native country Zimbabwe with our children. However, teaching them more about Africa was something we were not being consistent about. Given this problem, or “exposed gap” in our home education, we knew as parents we had to be more intentional and consistent. [bctt tweet=”Trish Lewis: I felt as a parent, it was my responsibility to share black history with my daughter” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] We examined the reasons we were not consistent and realized that the busyness of school activities, being working parents and the children’s extra-curricular activities were preventing us from devoting the time we knew was necessary to teach our children about their African heritage. We spoke to a number of other parents and realized we were not the only ones with a desire to correct this. The “how” was easy, our kids love getting mail! I had a literal light bulb moment when they received a package in their name and were so excited to open it and let everyone in the family know. I figured, why not package fun lessons and activities on African American history, African history and geography as a gift in the mail? How does one make a business while celebrating heritage? I think at its core, every business is influenced by the owner/founder’s heritage. The extent to which they show it may be different. At some point or another, I believe we all ask the question, “Who am I?” The answer to this question normally involves an analysis of one’s lineage and heritage. I think our business helps a lot of parents who are in the process of getting to the core of who they really are. These parents care about their children having the same foundational knowledge and pride. The key as a business built on celebrating heritage is to make yourself visible to those who share the same vision and to stay grounded in your purpose. [bctt tweet=”Trish Lewis: I think at its core, every business is influenced by the owner/founder’s heritage” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] When would you say you took a chance and followed through in your dreams? I would say by far launching Heritage Box has been the ultimate expression of me following my dreams. Even at a young age, growing up in Zimbabwe, I always dreamt about owning and running my own business. My academic strengths were in Mathematics and the sciences, so societal pressures had me focus on a career in the sciences. It was more “secure”, and I felt I was “wasting” my talent by pursuing something else. I came to the United States and pursued a degree in biology and subsequently had a great career in the medical field. [bctt tweet=”Trish Lewis: I realized that my career would never offer me the one thing I defined as success” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] However, after my husband and I started having children, I realized that my career would never offer me the one thing I defined as success; freedom of time. The life I envisioned after the career had set off was one of enjoying quality, present time with my husband and children. The freedom to visit my family in Zimbabwe frequently, and the ability to support or build an orphanage in Zimbabwe. Deep down, I knew that my childhood dream of entrepreneurship was the key to my ideal life becoming a possibility. With this conviction, I began to seriously consider starting a business. How were you able to build your business without any prior experience and escape the failure that affects many start-ups? The key for me was, this was a business I believed in with every core of my being. It was something I saw as having an impact not only to my children, but to families all across the Diaspora and to parents adopting African or African-American children. Through early surveys, I had received a resounding “Yes , we need this” and this carried me through. It fuelled me as I read voraciously on the ins and outs of starting a business. It emboldened me as I started building relationships with other entrepreneurs and learning from them. Above all it kept me going whenever self-doubt would start to kick in. I believe that clarity drives results. If you can get clear on why you would like to build that particular business, your how will naturally be a sustainable one. And naturally is adopting the mentality that failure is not an option. I didn’t even consider failure. I would say you have to commit to fighting for this dream, even to the
Uloma Ogba: Whenever I get serious about something, I get what I aim for
[bctt tweet=”@OgbaUloma has always kept herself busy observing & figuring out how to make sense of things” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] It’s time for you to meet one of the people that make the SLA website run smoothly. We’re talking about our contributors who selflessly share their writing through us. Uloma Ogba has given us advice on landing a job at the United Nations and shared her experience with depression. Before moving to Zambia to work with the UN, Uloma has lived in several cities across three continents. Wherever she’s found herself, Uloma has started something. Whether it’s a community of like-minded black women or the Lusaka Book & Brunch club. Uloma Ogba is an ordinary girl trying to save the world, get to know her below. What do you think started your interest in hearing people’s stories? I think I’ve always been this way…more interested in listening than in speaking. Even as a child, I was dubbed the “quiet one”. I was always busy observing and figuring out how to make sense of things, and of course how to take over the world. I also come from a family where we were encouraged to reason and talk through everything. We were encouraged to read a lot, learn history, listen to stories and talk about our feelings, our dreams and our needs. So I’ve grown up listening to stories. It must have clicked in me a long time ago that to truly understand people, where they are coming from, what they need and how you can be of service to them, you have to be willing to listen. Before I ended up in the line of work that I’m in today, I toyed with the idea of going into psychology. I imagined becoming a therapist to feed my desire to know what people are really thinking so that I can know how to relate to them meaningfully. Even though I don’t get to do that for a living, it’s a skill I try to apply in everything I do. People can tell when you’re really making an effort to listen to them and everyone appreciates being heard. And its not that hard to do, so I do it. Can you tell us something about the various countries you’ve lived in? Have you had any difficulty living abroad as a Nigerian? I was born in Canada while my parents were attending school there. So I’ve always had a Canadian passport which I won’t deny has definitely made it easier to live and travel in different places. My family moved to Nigeria when I was 3 years old. We lived in Kwara, Imo, Lagos and Abia states. When I was 16, I moved to the US to join my brother and sister and there I completed my first bachelor and master’s degrees (in Physics and Medical Physics). I moved to Canada when I was 24 years old because I wanted to “try something different” as I felt after 8 years I still hadn’t adjusted to life in America. I went back to university for a second bachelor’s degree in a non-science field (European Studies) at the University of Toronto. My school had an exchange program with the University of Amsterdam and I went on a semester abroad when I was 26 again to “try something new”. However, that one semester turned into almost 6 years. I transferred to and graduated from the University of Amsterdam and subsequently enrolled in my second master’s program (Medical Informatics). Of all the places I’ve lived, Amsterdam is definitely my favourite. It is the one place I would move back to if the opportunity presented itself again. Three months ago when I joined the UN, I moved to Lusaka, Zambia and that’s where I live now. You wrote about getting into the UN based on your experience yet your educational background is in the sciences. How did you find your way to the NGO sector? My second master’s degree was in Medical Informatics. At the time, my plan was to get a job as a consultant with a focus on healthcare. However, I was not successful with any of the consulting firms I applied to. This was partly because I did not have the traditional business background or go the MBA route like most consultants do. Also, I was not yet fluent in Dutch which was a requirement for a lot of the companies. As I applied for consultancy positions as a back up, I also applied for analyst jobs. That was how I ended up working as a junior analyst for PharmAccess after I finished my Masters. My initial intention was to go in and gain some experience as an analyst to help with my consulting applications in the future. In the end, I found that I really enjoyed the work I was doing. The fact that it was in the healthcare development sector and focused on Africa was an added bonus. Having spent almost half of my life outside Nigeria and Africa, I was excited at this opportunity, albeit an unplanned one, to learn about my continent. I was part of the work being done to secure Africa’s development, in this case through improving access to quality healthcare. PharmAccess has offices in 9 countries and I was fortunate to get to work in the Kenyan and Nigerian offices for a while. That experience made me realize that as much as I’d grown accustomed to life in the West, there was a part of me that really just wanted to be where the “action was”. I wanted to live and work on the continent for a while and so when the opportunity to apply to the job at the UN came up I jumped at it because I wanted to be based in one African country full-time. Even though I have a background in Physics and Medical Informatics, I’ve managed to pick up other skills along the way. At the time I was applying to the UN, I
Anita Ottenhof: Bringing world-class luxury to Accra through Villa Monticello
[bctt tweet=”We look for the very best talent and often for us that has happened to be a woman” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Villa Monticello is Accra’s premier luxury boutique hotel. It’s run by a team that comprises mainly women in leadership positions. One of them is Anita Ottenhof, she’s the Deputy General Manager at VM with nearly a decade’s worth of experience in the international hospitality and travel industries. Like most other industries, hospitality and travel tend to be male-dominated. Villa Monticello stand out despite never setting out to hire only women. They’ve just found that the best talent aligned with their goal to bring a world-class luxury experience to Ghana are women. Nothing beats that! Was it a conscious decision to have women in key leadership positions at Villa Monticello? Although we have several men on our team that have worked with us since we’ve opened, most of the leadership roles happen to be held by women. The women on our team are also some of the top talent in the world! Take for example our Executive Chef, Ruby Paintsil who has over 25 years’ experience at a number of prestigious companies in the UK, such as Sanctuary Spa, BBC Television Centre and Restaurant Associates a division of Compass UK. It is rare to see a woman as a head chef and in countries such as the US, there are reports that there are less female chefs than female CEOs. We have never said, “We only want to hire women” but we look for the very best talent whose vision is aligned with our mission to be a leader in African hospitality and often for us that has happened to be a woman. Was Accra ready for a luxury business when you launched Villa Monticello? How has Villa Monticello being received since launch? The idea for VM came about through our desire to create an establishment that paralleled some of the international 5-star niche boutique hotels that we loved in cities around the world such as New York, Marrakesh, Johannesburg, and Provence where luxury and service were not mutually exclusive. This sort of hospitality experience appeals to a very unique clientèle. Accra is a very cosmopolitan city and we believed that people who live in and travel here would appreciate our vision. It was a new concept in Accra but we have been very well received by guests and recognized by international hospitality industry vanguards such as World Travel Awards, Conde Nast Johanssens and Trip Advisor. [bctt tweet=”Villa Monticello was the first to introduce the concept of intimate luxury hospitality to Accra” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] How has Villa Monticello changed Ghana’s hospitality industry? When we first launched in 2011, we were the first to introduce the concept of an intimate luxury world class experience in hospitality. Over the past few years, the luxury landscape has really begun to develop in Accra —in real estate, hospitality, retail, and dining. It’s still at early stage but we believe we have contributed to its growth. Customer service is another concept that is still growing in Ghanaian business. Impeccable customer service is core to VM’s values. We strive to provide an unforgettable experience for our guests. We are beginning to see a more customer centred service being adopted by others in the hospitality industry and across sectors. How has your “unsaid commitment to women” (mentioned here) translated in running your business? Although we don’t discriminate based on sex in any way, we have attracted a very powerful core group of women leaders who share the same values, international outlook and passion for excellence. The way we approach our customers is the same way we work together as a team. We are constantly meeting, reviewing feedback and making necessary adjustments as a team and as a business. [bctt tweet=”We have attracted a very powerful core group of women leaders who share the same values” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Tell us more about The Lady initiative, why did Villa Monticello start this? We understand that it can be challenging for many young women to get the opportunity or nurturing that they might need to excel. Working in collaboration with Ghanaian businesswoman Isobel Acquah, we launched The Lady in January as an empowerment initiative for young women aged 18 to 25. Through the initiative, young women participate in practical foundational courses covering key topics such as wellness, confidence building, financial awareness, social and business etiquette, and personal grooming. The Lady, is an effort to impart to young women the ethos and values that have driven Villa Monticello to a leading position in the Ghanaian hospitality market. At the end of the program (which ended last month), we granted internships to participants and to one promising young women at the university level, a scholarship to further pursue her education. You offer a number of services including The Koncierge and Bespoke Weddings. How do you ensure that you maintain the same values and quality in everything that you do? Our ultimate goal is to deliver exceptional service and provide an experience for our guests which is second to none. This outlook is applied to all aspects of the VM brand. We are constantly striving to play a significant role in transforming the standards of the hospitality industry in Ghana and the role of women in the industry. We also want to have a positive impact on the next generation of African women business leaders. What are three hidden treasures in Accra that visitors tend to miss? Chapter One Restaurant! Even if you don’t stay at VM, experiencing a meal at our fine dining restaurant is a must. The African fusion inspired menu combines flavors from Africa, Asia, India, and Europe using locally sourced ingredients. Enjoying a traditional tea, classic brunch or an exclusive bottle of wine from our Barrels Wine Club cellar can be a highlight for any visitor’s trip to Accra. Legon Botanical Gardens. There are very few green spaces in the city and this gem provides a necessary respite. Escape the hustle of the city for a picnic