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the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs

Lionesses of Africa

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Never Quit on a Bad Day: Inspiring Stories of Resilience - Thriving Entrepreneurs by Phebe Trotman

July 23, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Phebe Trotman

Book Review

Everyone has frustrating moments and days on their entrepreneurial journeys, it’s normal, but in her new book, The Never Quit on a Bad Day™, Phebe Trotman inspires you to push through the tough days. The people she brings together in her book to share their own personal insights have faced challenges and struggles in their lives and. businesses, but importantly they didn’t quit.

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The Pocket Guide to Product Launches: Get Confident, Go to Market, and Win by Mary Sheehan

July 16, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Mary Sheehan

Book Review

If you and your business need to take a new product launch from zero to sixty in no time flat, then you need to get some essential insights from The Pocket Guide to Product Launches: Get Confident, Go to Market, and Win by Mary Sheehan. Written by one of the industry’s leading product marketers—for product marketers, The Pocket Guide to Product Launches sets you up for success whether this is your first launch or you’re a seasoned pro.

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Unleashing HER: Redefining Success for Female Entrepreneurs by Dr Kimberly Olson

July 9, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Dr Kimberly Olson

Book Review

As a seasoned coach in the online space, Dr Kimberly Olson, author of the new book Unleashing HER: Redefining Success for Female Entrepreneurs, saw a trend emerging. She noticed that women were setting unrealistic expectations for themselves and getting stuck in the comparison game. In order to truly shift this paradigm, she decided to gather 40 amazing female entrepreneurs together in one book so they could share their stories of what unleashing your potential can look like.

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When Black Women Rise by LaTresse Snead

July 1, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Latresse Snead

Book Review

When Black Women Rise by author and entrepreneur LaTresse Snead is the very personal story of a visionary entrepreneur and nonprofit leader who overcame her fears and dared to dream big. And—despite all the odds and statistics—won. Today, LaTresse is the CEO and founder of Bonsai Leadership Group and is a premier executive coach for nonprofit leaders. She helps her clients navigate leadership and reach their boldest goals.

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Fighting Visibility: The Mindset and Strategies to Getting Your Business Found Online by Christine M Jerry

June 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Christine M. Jerry

Book Review

If you are struggling with brand visibility and getting your business found online by potential customers, then help is at hand in the new book Fighting Visibility: The Mindset and Strategies to Getting Your Business Found Online by Christine M Jerry. Her new book will show you how to conquer the fear of being seen and the foundational strategy of getting your business found online.

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I Didn't Get Here by Taking NO for An Answer by Cynthia Nelson

June 18, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Cynthia Nelson

Book Review

For all those woman entrepreneurs who are battling with the challenge of how to deal with the naysayers in life and business, Cynthia Nelson’s book, I Didn't Get Here by Taking NO for An Answer, is one to both inspire and learn from. This is an autobiographical story of Cynthia’s journey as an entrepreneur and her mindset of overcoming adversity and turning "no" into "yes." She shares her personal story of being told "no" many times but never letting it define her or limit her potential. She illustrates the importance of controlling one's own thoughts and energy, and not waiting for others to validate their dreams. At the end of the day, Cynthia encourages women to create their own "yes" and take control of their lives.

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Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better by Megan Flatt

June 11, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Megan Flatt

Book Review

As a woman entrepreneur, if you are constantly battling time to get things done, then author Megan Flatt, believes it’s time to get Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better, the title of her new book. She believes that you don’t need more time, what you actually need is more focus. In her new book she shows how women business builders can move from Hustle Culture in their lives, to a more results driven Focus Culture - it makes for fascinating reading.

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Originate, Motivate, Innovate: 7 Steps for Building a Billion Dollar Network by Shelly Omilâdé Bell

June 4, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Shelly Omilâdé Bell

Book Review

In her new book, Originate, Motivate, Innovate: 7 Steps to Building a Billion Dollar Network, entrepreneur Shelly Omilâdé Bell delivers an honest and engaging discussion of how to think differently about getting your business funded as a female entrepreneur of color. She demonstrates how to overcome intimidation and imposter syndrome to chart a new and exciting path.

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Forget the Funnel: A Customer-Led Approach for Driving Predictable Recurring Revenue by Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop

May 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop

Book Review

Your product is great. So why is marketing it so hard? Authors Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop have the answers, and importantly the solutions, in their new book, Forget the Funnel: A Customer-Led Approach for Driving Predictable Recurring Revenue. They understand that many companies struggle with marketing. Teams try everything they can to drive more traffic, leads, and signups. Yet revenue growth remains...lumpy. Slow. Frustratingly inconsistent. If this sounds familiar, the problem isn't you or your ideas; it's that you're guessing at what resonates with your target customers.

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Here We Grow: The Marketing Formula to 10x Your Business and Transform Your Future by Marcia Barnes

May 21, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Marcia Barnes

Book Review

According to Marcia Barnes, author of Here We Grow, she believes the secret to growing your business is simple - invest in marketing that works. She encourages you to step away from viewing marketing as a cost center that drains money from annual budgets and delivers unreliable results. Instead, she believes it’s really a burgeoning profit generator that can power growth and abundance in every aspect of your business. But only if you do it right.

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Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating a Profitable Business by Melissa Houston

May 14, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Melissa Houston

Book Review

Melissa Houston, author of Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating a Profitable Business, believes it’s time for you to own your financial power and learn to make smarter, and more profitable, business decisions. Let’s start with a question… Do you know why 82 percent of new businesses fail? Poor money management. To focus on profit and wealth building, entrepreneurs need to become confident about understanding their business finances as well as their ability to manage them. Everything in business affects your bottom line, as do all your decisions. You need to take ultimate responsibility for the financial future of your business—you need to become cash confident!

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The Business Transition Handbook: How to Avoid Succession Pitfalls and Create Valuable Exit Options by Laurie R Barkman

May 7, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Laurie R Barkman

Book Review

In her new book, The Business Transition Handbook: How to Avoid Succession Pitfalls and Create Valuable Exit Options, author and entrepreneur, Laurie R Barkman, asks you to consider a key fact - 100% of owners will leave their business one day, but few are prepared. The question she asks is, are you prepared? When you’re ready to sell, the company may not be sell-ready–leaving you out of time and unrewarded. Most entrepreneurs are too busy to begin thinking about the end. But you may be leaving money—and your happiness—on the table. It’s crucial to start planning for your transition, whether it comes next year or in a decade.

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RAISE: The Female Founder's Guide To Securing Investment by Julia Elliott Brown

April 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

If you are a female founder, in need of investment to start or scale your business – and struggling to get it, author and entrepreneur, Julia Elliott Brown, says ‘You’re not alone.’ In her book, RAISE: The Female Founder's Guide To Securing Investment, she says that when it comes to funding, female founders are seriously up against it. In the pale, stale and male world of venture capital, less than 2 per cent goes to businesses led by women. But Julia says, it can be done.

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Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups by Donna Griffit

April 23, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Donna Griffit

Book Review

Donna Griffit’s new book ‘Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups’ answers one of the big challenges for startup founders. You dream of standing in front of a group of investors pitching your startup while they shower you with money and praise. The reality, unfortunately, is vastly different as most founders fail to raise capital from venture capital firms or angel investors. A lot of this is down to an underwhelming pitch in a crowded sea of startups. Donna has a solution by learning the alchemy of storytelling.

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Embracing the Calm in the Chaos: How to Find Success in Business and Life Through Perseverance, Connection, and Collaboration by Stacy Igel

April 15, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Stacy Igel

Book Review

If you want to know how to protect your assets, from your brand, to your customers, to your cash flow, then Embracing the Calm in the Chaos: How to Find Success in Business and Life Through Perseverance, Connection, and Collaboration by Stacy Igel is a great read. This book will walk you through the highs and lows of creating a business: how to rise up from the midst of discouragement, what it’s like to hire and fire employees, collaborations with celebrities and philanthropic organizations, and the rollercoaster ride of making deals and partnerships.

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The Spirit of Warriors: Conceived in South Sudan, Born in Uganda, Discovered in America by Lilian Okech

April 2, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lilian Okech

Book Review

Lilian Okech is the author of The Spirit of Warriors, a book about how a young woman draws from her experience as a refugee and designs a successful life. She shares how she spent the first 15 years of her life in a refugee camp in Uganda, and her journey to the United States. She also shares how she survived sickness as a child, sexual abuse, constant hunger, and forced marriage to become a successful entrepreneur. This book will excite, inspire and most importantly help you to truly cultivate the spirit of a warrior.

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Twelve-Minute Risk Management: Strategies and Tools Small Business Owners Need Right Now to Navigate Today's Business World by Ivy Walker

March 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Ivy Walker

Book Review

In Twelve-Minute Risk Management: Strategies and Tools Small Business Owners Need Right Now to Navigate Today's Business World, author Ivy Walker reminds us that 70% of small businesses will fail within the first ten years. She says that with threats to small businesses multiplying daily, you can't afford to put your head in the sand and hope for the best. But with limited time and resources available, how and where do you begin to mitigate and manage your business risk?

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Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation by Ayelet Fishbach

March 19, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Ayelet Fishbach

Book Review

If you are struggling to maintain your motivation levels and reach your entrepreneurial goals, then the new book from psychologist Ayelet Fishbach, Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation, is a great read. Discover a compelling framework for setting and achieving your goals from a psychologist on the cutting edge of motivational science.

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Name Your Price: Set Your Terms, Raise Your Rates, and Charge What You’re Worth as a Consultant, Coach, or Freelancer by Kate Dixon

March 12, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Kate Dixon

Book Review

If you currently wonder if you are running your business, or your business is running you, then you need to read Kate Dixon’s book, Name Your Price:  Set Your Terms, Raise Your Rates, and Charge What You’re Worth as a Consultant, Coach, or Freelancer. Too many consultants, freelancers, coaches, and service providers rely on gut feelings and the rumor mill to make pricing and terms decisions for their businesses. If that’s you, then you already know those strategies don’t work – they can prevent you from earning what you’re worth, keep you up at night, and may even get you into situations that can threaten the health of your business. But you can do better. 

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Resilient Women in Life and Business by Kim Hayden

March 5, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Kim Hayden

Book Review

Resilience is a key requirement in the life of any woman entrepreneur, and Kim Hayden, author and editor of the new book, Resilient Women in Life and Business, has some great insights to share on the subject. The book features insights and stories from 18 highly successful business women from around the world who share their current best thinking about life and business; and the importance of cultivating resilience.

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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS


LATEST PODCAST

LIONESSES OF AFRICA · AI Series Ep. 2 : AI-Human Collaboration in the Workplace

Lioness Radio Show: AI Series Ep. 2 : AI-Human Collaboration in the Workplace - Tune in for an engaging conversation designed to equip you with the knowledge to embrace AI and unlock its possibilities for your business.


LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORIES

LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas
Retang Phaahla, a pioneer for South Africa’s indigenous teas
Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy
Dr Margaret Kemigisha, a publishing entrepreneur passionate about childrens’ literacy
Sydelle Willow Smith, a pioneer of solar-powered mobile cinema in Africa
Sydelle Willow Smith, a pioneer of solar-powered mobile cinema in Africa
Babette Kourelos, a passionate artisanal bread-baking business builder
Babette Kourelos, a passionate artisanal bread-baking business builder
Thandekile Moloko, an entrepreneur empowering her clients’ financial futures
Thandekile Moloko, an entrepreneur empowering her clients’ financial futures

IMAGE OF THE DAY. CELEBRATING WOMAN MADE IN AFRICA.

Image of the Day / Nokware Skincare

Sustainable skincare…We love to see natural cosmetics companies with a sustainable approach to business succeeding in Africa, and Nokware Skincare, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi in Ghana is a great example. She f
Image of the Day / Marabou Essentials

African print accessories…We love the celebration of African printed cloth in these handmade fashion accessories created by South African brand Marabou Essentials, founded by Fentse Mokale. This passion-f
Image of the Day / Oryx Desert Salt

Sustainable salt and pepper…At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate about supporting  sustainable brands, and a great example is Oryx Desert Salt, founded by Samantha Skyring in South Africa. This growing
Image of the Day / Reform Studio

Sustainable fashion accessories…We love showcasing women business innovators, so this morning we are featuring the work of sustainable lifestyle brand, Reform Studio, an inspirational eco-focused manufacturing
Image of the Day /Femi Handbags

Full Bloom Style…Add a touch of summer florals to your wardrobe with one of the beautiful new Bloom handbags from Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi. With their eclectic pops of colour, there&rsq
Image of the Day / Melvins Teas

Time for tea…If you love tea, then this Cool Chamomile tea from the Melvins Tea brand, founded by Flora Mutahi in Kenya is just what you need. The brand is part of Melvin Marsh International, the Kenyan-based f
Image of the Day / Afropian

Storytelling through accessories…Afropian, the Pan-african lifestyle brand founded by Ethiopean entrepreneur Hortense Mbea, is a rare, fully hand-made in Africa brand. It uses traditional know-how in a modern way t
Image of the Day / AAKS

Vibrant Ghanaian craftsmanship,…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We lo
Image of the Day / Ledikana

Contemporary South African Chic…Knowing exactly how to spot a gap in the marketplace is key to the success of any fashion brand, and Mapholo Ratau, founder of Ledikana in South Africa, has achieved that goal. For h
Image of the Day / The 1964 Brand

Modern relaxed fashion…Olakunmi Oni is the founder of The 1964 Brand in Nigeria, a fashion business that proudly promotes self-care through minimalist clothing for the modern woman. Loyal patrons of The 1964
Image of the Day / Nokware Skincare

Sustainable skincare…We love to see natural cosmetics companies with a sustainable approach to business succeeding in Africa, and Nokware Skincare, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi in Ghana is a great example. She f Image of the Day / Marabou Essentials

African print accessories…We love the celebration of African printed cloth in these handmade fashion accessories created by South African brand Marabou Essentials, founded by Fentse Mokale. This passion-f Image of the Day / Oryx Desert Salt

Sustainable salt and pepper…At Lionesses of Africa, we are passionate about supporting  sustainable brands, and a great example is Oryx Desert Salt, founded by Samantha Skyring in South Africa. This growing Image of the Day / Reform Studio

Sustainable fashion accessories…We love showcasing women business innovators, so this morning we are featuring the work of sustainable lifestyle brand, Reform Studio, an inspirational eco-focused manufacturing Image of the Day /Femi Handbags

Full Bloom Style…Add a touch of summer florals to your wardrobe with one of the beautiful new Bloom handbags from Femi Handbags in Nigeria, founded by Femi Olayebi. With their eclectic pops of colour, there&rsq Image of the Day / Melvins Teas

Time for tea…If you love tea, then this Cool Chamomile tea from the Melvins Tea brand, founded by Flora Mutahi in Kenya is just what you need. The brand is part of Melvin Marsh International, the Kenyan-based f Image of the Day / Afropian

Storytelling through accessories…Afropian, the Pan-african lifestyle brand founded by Ethiopean entrepreneur Hortense Mbea, is a rare, fully hand-made in Africa brand. It uses traditional know-how in a modern way t Image of the Day / AAKS

Vibrant Ghanaian craftsmanship,…We just have to share one of our favourite accessories of the year, this beautiful hand-woven bag created by award-winning designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi and her AAKS brand in Ghana. We lo Image of the Day / Ledikana

Contemporary South African Chic…Knowing exactly how to spot a gap in the marketplace is key to the success of any fashion brand, and Mapholo Ratau, founder of Ledikana in South Africa, has achieved that goal. For h Image of the Day / The 1964 Brand

Modern relaxed fashion…Olakunmi Oni is the founder of The 1964 Brand in Nigeria, a fashion business that proudly promotes self-care through minimalist clothing for the modern woman. Loyal patrons of The 1964

STARTUP STORIES. MEET THE WOMEN WHO’VE LAUNCHED.

Featured
Gladys Kgorane, an entrepreneur creating special events and wellness retreats for those looking for rest and relaxation
Gladys Kgorane, an entrepreneur creating special events and wellness retreats for those looking for rest and relaxation
Drienie Botes, an entrepreneur empowering women to achieve economic independence through beekeeping
Drienie Botes, an entrepreneur empowering women to achieve economic independence through beekeeping
Tumelo Tshwagong, a South African agri-entrepreneur contributing to finding sustainable local solutions to addressing food insecurity
Tumelo Tshwagong, a South African agri-entrepreneur contributing to finding sustainable local solutions to addressing food insecurity
Gloria Sellwane Phala, a South African entrepreneur helping clients benefit from the transformative impact of yoga
Gloria Sellwane Phala, a South African entrepreneur helping clients benefit from the transformative impact of yoga
Nondumiso Leshaba, a South African business builder providing professional business advisory and accounting services to SMEs
Nondumiso Leshaba, a South African business builder providing professional business advisory and accounting services to SMEs

LIONESS DATA & INSIGHTS


LIONESS PLAYBOOKS



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LIONESS BOOK REVIEWS

Featured
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out  by Fiona Soutter
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter
Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
Feminine Intelligence: How visionary leaders can reshape business for good by Elina Teboul
Feminine Intelligence: How visionary leaders can reshape business for good by Elina Teboul
Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan
Bridging the Confidence Gap: How Empowered Women Change the World by Sheena Yap Chan

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