Vizeo, an advertising agency in Cote d’Ivoire helping companies get strategic about communications in Africa.

Nabou Fall is the CEO of Vizeo an advertising agency in Cote d’Ivoire which helps companies implement strategic publicity and public relations in Africa. She started her career as an executive board member for 15 years, as Sales and Marketing Director, Deputy Managing Director and Managing Director in Telecom companies such as MTN (Ivory Coast and Congo Republic), 2XTCOM Vodacom in DRC. She is a public speaker, personal development coach, and a coach of youth and women entrepreneurship, leadership and happiness. Nabou is a TEDx speaker, author and mentor in various empowerment NGOs, the President of Wimnet (NGO involved in women and youth empowerment ), and was recently appointed to be the president of the Women Investment Club in Ivory Coast. She is also the cofounder of Impact Hub Abidjan.

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Nabou graduated in Computer Science Engineering Major Systems from Paris Ecole Superieure de Genie Informatique. She also holds a Masters in Finance and Management from ISG Paris, as well as a Woman Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School. As an executive ICF coach and a certified Disc and Emotional Intelligence practitioner, she helps her clients carve out their personal brands, leadership presence, influence, increase self-confidence, and to communicate through a transformational communication protocol.

Lioness Weekender spoke to Nabou Fall about her impact driven entrepreneurial journey, and her advice for other women entrepreneurs who are looking to achieve success in their businesses.

What does your company do?

Vizeo is an advertising and public relations company. We do a lot of personal branding training and coaching for people.

What inspired you to start your company?

When I started the company in 2007 there were not really advertising companies in DRC, and only about two companies in public relations.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

First of all, I have a network and I can work in most African countries from the north to the south because I have a network of collaboration and other agencies. We have a unique approach and a big, strong network of agencies and relationships that really help us in order to implement our customers’ strategies.

Tell us a little about your team

From 30 to 40 years old, my team is young and made of different people from different countries - and we all work for the satisfaction of our customers.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

After working for the telecom industry for over 10 years, I wanted to explore other avenues, and this is how I started being an entrepreneur. At the beginning it was not easy because actually, I was used to big companies with an allocation budget. Then I realized that as an entrepreneur the challenge was to find the budget, make money, and find the financial means to develop the business. It was very interesting and challenging while thinking of getting customers or courage to pursue it.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

My next step is to launch an online platform in order to make my training and coaching more available to people in Africa - now in Francophone regions and Anglophone regions later. I really want to serve more people around the continent to impact the narrative of Africa positively with the personal branding; work more in personal branding models development and coaching, then adapt to different target markets. I believe that we African women are not used to being in the spotlight, but it is important now to be visible and known in the culture and in society.

For my company, my aspirations are to keep on being proud of the people who rewrite and impact positively the narrative of the African woman. I want to make sure I take African’s women from one point to another in order that they show up from what they are, and have to show another face (positive, creative, entrepreneurial) of the continent.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

For me the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur is being able to manage my time, impact, transform lives, inspire, influence positively all the people, create value, empower people, and to be part of the solution. An entrepreneur is a solution oriented person and anything we do is a step toward building a sustainable Africa, a solution-oriented continent.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

To other women looking to start-up, no matter what you want to do, you have to get an idea, courage, and also first of all, it is about doing, acting, and making it happen. To make it happen you just have to get up and act, it will not be easy, but never give up, move forward. If you see that where you are going there is no exit, go around and create another path for yourself. Entrepreneurship has several faces, it is multi faceted, there is not one type of entrepreneurship. It is not about being seated in the office making millions of dollars. Don't be stopped because you don't have the means. Obviously, you have to build from scratch and along the way you will meet the right people to help you. You will build enough credibility to ask for money from investors. At the end, anything that you will succeed in, even a small victory matters. Just learn to celebrate your little accomplishments or small victories.

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