by Phindile Ndlovu-Tapula
I started the Working Moms’ Club after I had my first baby. It was 11 months after I gave birth. I was doing it, I was a Mom to this incredible human, and I had a tribe of women to thank for my sanity. I had support and advice from loving women who wanted me to thrive. Motherhood felt like second nature and as much I was born to do this, without my tribe, it sure was going to be tougher.
I met them at events, work meetings, social media-moms sharing how hard it is to juggle work, entrepreneurship, and family. I found my community and ultimately my market. I found them here, at Lionesses of Africa. We had similar stories - nanny issues, felt exhausted, we were anxious about the future, and we wanted to be successful.
The working Moms’ Club is a business that fulfills me because I get to help Moms embrace mindfulness and become effective leaders in their roles.
What are my challenges?
I am a Mom - so are most people, therefore my biggest challenge is to create experiences, content and products that others Moms don’t already have. I must stand out and, in this space, it requires consistency and creativity. It’s a challenge but I have embraced this and it’s now an opportunity to gain trust from my target audience/market. With time, consistency, and boldness, the Club will grow and impact moms across the board.
Another challenge I currently have is making time to blog and create content. I am a Working Mom that has a 9-5 job. After work the lighting is horrible, and I am tired. Weekends feel awfully short, and I often feel guilty for working on weekends. I’m learning to be more effective with the little time I have. It’s important to create a system that works for you, including a schedule and routine.
I share on my YouTube channel about the importance of having an evening routine. This has helped me so much. My evening routine includes, deciding on my outfit for the next day at night, sleeping in at a specific time so that I don’t wake up tired. It also includes listening to a podcast or calming music to ensure that I am not anxious when I go to bed - the mood you sleep in, is the mood you wake up in.
What advice I’d give to future entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is not the short cut! It takes personal mastery. Yes, the money is great, but the first goal should be bigger than that. Focus on solving problems, being excellent and diligent. Allow the experience and journey to make you a better person.
In a world where Entrepreneurs glorify not sleeping enough, prioritize rest. Everything must have its time. Plenty rest, consistency and mindfulness are key if you want to make it - in that order! If you are well rested, are consistent with your deliverables and be mindful when doing tasks, you will be more creative, innovative and solve more problems.
My parting shot - entrepreneurship is not a short cut, stay the course and you will be glad you did!
Phindile Ndlovu–Tapula is passionate about Community Development pertaining skills development and education for the youth. She is experienced in driving life changing community development campaigns. Passionate about self-development and leadership, she works and speaks with young people across the Gauteng Province in South Africa, motivating and coordinating her vision and goal setting workshops through her organization, Bhekizenzo Foundation. Her skillset is based on project design, brand awareness and organizational surveys, amongst many others. Phindile has strong, professional media and communications expertise, particularly with event coordination and campaign strategy planning. She has obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies and Sociology at the University of Witswatersand Johannesburg. Learn more.
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