Finding balance between work and life

June 29, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech

Take some advice from those clichés you know are true! --- We’ve all heard the sayings and tend to make fun of the instructions like, ‘put the oxygen mask on yourself before attempting to help other passengers’ or, my personal favourite, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. We can make fun of these and other clichés about rest, but they are true and we all need to pay a little more attention to finding that balance between work and life – especially as women entrepreneurs – in order to avoid burnout and to be better versions of ourselves.

How not to fall off the cliff

June 28, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser, Managing Director, Picketfence.Life

In recent weeks I had to experience very sad moments with people close to me. Beautiful lions were killed for traditional medicine and a very young girl passed away after a fatal accident. Life happens to all of us and the deep hurt cuts more than a cliff’s sharp edge.

Just face up to your problems and deal with them

June 28, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko

The other week I spent an entire day sorting out traffic tickets while I was meant to be working in the business, making clothes. I did not expect this, I just thought it was a quick thing and would be sorted literally quick, quick! I mean, my car licence disc is expired, you go to have it renewed, you pay and leave. In my head it should be around or less than R300 each car. Ok cool, lets go.

Clever people can make really stupid investment decisions

June 28, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman

Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you are bestowed with brains, you will make great investment decisions. In fact, it could be quite the opposite - many a clever person has made some really bad decisions over time.

Finding the best sales tools for your business

June 26, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

Recently I had the privilege of speaking to a roomful of successful businesswomen about the importance of sales. These business owners required ideas on how to build sales confidence and also practical tools to implement in their business to assist with scaling and growing their enterprises.

The ABC of business: Don’t ever get in the box!

June 26, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results,” someone once said. We are all familiar with the phrase “Out of the box thinking”. According to Wikipedia it is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking.

Fair pricing, really?

June 22, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Zakiyyah Bhamjee

Back in the day, not so long ago, I was a bean counter (auditor) at one of the Big 4 firms and it was during this time that I quickly learnt that to obtain a true understanding of a business/organisation one needs to spend time in the kitchen, i.e the place where the operations occur, product is made, etc. Fast forward to 2018 and this auditor now finds herself as an entrepreneur applying these practices taught to her through bean counting.

Personal Brand Building #101

June 22, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

After giving a talk to a group of female entrepreneurs on personal branding, I was approached by a woman who currently has a successful Physiotherapy practice. She has a niche expertise focusing on post pregnant moms and wants to capitalize on this.

Fellow travellers and their influence on your wealth

June 20, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser, Managing Director, Picketfence.Life

On our journey through life we meet an array of interesting people - some fascinating and others unique. We learn a great deal about ourselves on how we interact with these personalities. In our financial wealth world we often find that our behavior reflects some typical personality and behavioral patterns.

Tough times never last, tough women do! 5 Tips for surviving tough times in business and life.

June 17, 2018 Melanie Hawken

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by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech

Life gets hard, that’s for sure! And when times are tough, we could all do with a little help in surviving those tough times and getting ‘back to good’. For the most part, none of us like admitting to others when we are facing a tough time in business or in our personal lives. We tend to ‘grin and bear it’ and convince ourselves that the burden is ours to bear. You are NOT alone, and in your darkest times, don’t listen to your fear, listen to hope!

Take care of yourself on this entrepreneurial journey

June 10, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko

It is no secret that the entrepreneurship life is challenging; in so many ways, especially in South Africa with an economy like ours. The problems are many but all linked to cash flow. If this is not managed it can result in health issues you never had before or worsening ones you already have. Getting sick or ending up in ICU because of an illness due to stress is the norm for those with stressful jobs and huge amounts of responsibility. As a woman, well, you are just adding to your already hectic life when you decide to become a CEO of your own business.

The ABC of business: Take off all those hats!

June 10, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa

Oh, the life of a start-up entrepreneur can be extremely challenging. Juggling a myriad of balls, usually with the smallest of resources! A few months ago I had a conversation with a friend, who generously helps me with my business branding and corporate identity. We spoke about the plans I had for the business and I had so many deadlines looming that I started to feel worn out. He reminded me of how big my plate had become.

How to have S.M.A.R.T Relationships

June 10, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee, Relationship Expert

Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of the workplace, however many of us have had bad experiences with these kind of conversations in the past. The key is to learn how to handle them in a way that produces a positive outcome for all involved.

Always be closing: The ABC of business

May 31, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa

On Thursday, I had a full day of meetings scheduled in Cape Town City. I had a product-related meeting that lasted three hours till about lunch time. After I was done with my meeting I made my way to the car in the mezzanine parking lot. By this time I was ravenous and I needed to eat before going onto my next meeting. I packed all my sample products and display units in the car and took out the left-overs from supper that I brought from home. I made myself comfortable in the driver seat, and just took a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet and my meal!

Living your Best Life as an Entrepreneur

May 31, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

When you wake up on a Monday morning thinking its Saturday, I reckon that’s a great start to the week! Although some of you probably wouldn’t agree with this because more than likely you’ll feel disappointed to realize its Monday. I love Mondays! To me it’s symbolic of a fresh start to the week, an opportunity to start on a clean slate and do even better than what we did last week.

PANICKING ABOUT POPI?

May 25, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Aleshia van der Ploeg LLB. (RAU), Director of VDP Legal Consulting (PTY) Ltd

I have had numerous clients hearing the adverts on the radio, or being misinformed by their fellow entrepreneurs, and calling me in a panic about the POPI Act - Protection of Personal Information Act. So let me unpack it for you...

Conversations are the currency of change

May 24, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Susan Cain delivering her TED Talk on the the power of introverts

by Lori Milner - author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

Susan Cain is most famous for her Ted Talk ‘The Power of Introverts’. In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

The challenges of the wedding dress designer in Africa

May 24, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Brigitte Mashile, founder of Roka Roko

It is May, and I have had a few requests about weddings - mostly for events in December, and most of them believe it is still early to start the planning. No, it is not! A wedding party is a big job to dress, especially in South Africa where we have three or more bridesmaids and groomsmen; and we mostly have two weddings at a time. This is good business for a fashion designer but with more work comes more challenges. This is why it is essential that you start as early as possible; especially if you as the bride need more than one dress too.

Own your feedback

May 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner - author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

I came across a podcast where leadership guru, Simon Sinek, was being interviewed by Tony Robbins. He mentioned a concept I hadn’t heard of before - ‘Care-frontation’. In my research, I came across a great definition that characterizes it as follows...

Incorporating change habits into your day

May 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Leigh Ann Gowland

Rapid change, disruption, adaptability, agility and flexibility are recurring words in daily business conversations from strategy to operations. Whether the change is triggered within the organisation or from the external environment how you respond to the change determines success. The best mechanism to manage constant change is to incorporate change habits into your daily activities, hone your change abilities and be prepared for unexpected changes. Change is no longer an event or process but an ability to continuously adapt.

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