For author and social entrepreneur Ntsiki Mkhize, success is a journey we're all on and it looks different from moment to moment for each of us. In her new book, My Hall of Mentors, she shares her experience of understanding that the best way to learn, grow and succeed as entrepreneurs is to look at those who've gone before us and ask those who currently find themselves where we want to be. Then apply their lessons to our lives.
Ntsiki believes, the best way to fail forward, is to not fail in the same places others have. So a great way to learn from others is through mentorship. Not everyone has the chance to sit down one-on-one with CEO's, self-made millionaires or guru's who've taken on social issues, but eavesdropping on a conversation with one of them does just as well. In her book, My Hall of Mentors, Ntsiki Mkhize offers just that. Sitting with mentors from the lecture halls to executive board rooms, she brings us close to sound advice from some of her mentors over a period of seven years.
Ntsiki’s new book is not all business, the lessons learned tie into personal life, character and perspective as they unfold and connect the dots through the eyes of a successful young woman from South Africa, learning to take on life one goal at a time.
Author Quotes
Most people aren’t aware that they need a mentor, and for those who are, they often don’t know where to find one. In wanting and searching for a mentor, we can often miss how much we can learn from those around us.
Having a mentor is a more personal relationship and concerted effort by you to connect with another person who has been on the journey you are about to take and can help you make fewer mistakes, clarify your goals, and work towards them.
An excellent way to create your own luck is to find a mentor. This is someone you may know personally or have to reach out to. They can be from your workplace, a key figure in your community, or someone you admire from afar. Critical to a successful mentoring relationship is finding someone you can have access to.
While most people were partying throughout varsity, I started a business and found mentors to help me achieve my goals. The path wasn't clear at first, but it was better defined as I went, with each conversation I had with each mentor.
About the author
Ntsiki Mkhize is a Social Entrepreneur, Speaker, MC, Facilitator and Change Agent. She is passionate about working with individuals and teams to inspire, connect and empower them to discover their purpose, and implement practical methods for personal and business success. She holds several key positions in business and society. She is the Chief Purpose Officer @ Resilient Energy Center, facilitating corporate training sessions focusing on empowering teams with tools for energy management. She is an Ambassador @ Johannesburg Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship; and a Social Entrepreneur @ eKasi Entrepreneurs & Clothes to Good where she serves as a Non-Executive Director for eKasi, an organisation focused on creating networks, developing infrastructure and content to support township entrepreneurs. She is also a Presenter and Content Producer @ Career Connect on Business Day TV Basic* on MyBigStartUp.com and Career Connect, a weekend show focused on providing students and graduates with information they need relating to the corporate world. Ntsiki is herself also a Mentor @ Phakama Women’s Academy and Hadithi Wethu, mentoring young ladies studying in the fields of branding, marketing and communications, and inspiring youth to read books by African authors or with African characters. Ntsiki is a speaker and MC under Unique Speaker Bureau. She holds a B.Com Marketing Management and B.Com Honours Logistics Management from the University of Johannesburg. She is currently in her final year of study in Ministry at Christian Family Church Bible College.
Why LoA loves it….
At Lionesses of Africa, one of the biggest challenges experienced by the women entrepreneurs across our community is that of getting access to mentors and getting the opportunity to learn from those who have gone before them. In her new book, My Hall of Mentors, author and social entrepreneur, Ntsiki Mkhize, shares her personal experiences of mentoring and how it has made a significant contribution to her own personal success journey. She also shares her learnings from having been in conversation with so many highly experienced business and brand builders during the course of her research for the book. The insights are useful for any entrepreneur who is interested in knowing how to find and build a relationship with a mentor in order to grow and develop in business. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa