the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
When I was younger, I hated going through tough times. Actually, I was mortified by them. I would drive myself into a frenzy of anxiety expecting them, then depress myself during them, and then just be in a bad mood afterwards. I was under the impression that bad things and times should not ever happen. Life is meant to be an easy, happy, fun and enjoyable experience. Here, ladies is one of the reasons I don’t miss being young!
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by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
It’s always easy to start something new, but not always easy to stay the course. Starting a new project, a new business or even an investment plan, for that matter, is exciting - you have a vision of where you are headed and you are fired up, motivated and focused.
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by Aleshia van der Ploeg LLB, Director VDP LEGAL CONSULTING (PTY) LTD
Ever thought about what will happen to your business when you die? No? Well, maybe you should – you are your business’ most important asset! You don’t want your passion, your lifeblood, all your hard work to die with you! Isn’t the whole point of being an entrepreneur to create a lasting legacy – not only for yourself but for your family too!
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by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant at Shiluvah
In the age where becoming your own boss is becoming the order of the day, the dream of entrepreneurship and the realities of entrepreneurship often present a harsh reality that not everyone is ready for. However, does mean that one should walk away when the going gets tough?
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
One of the worst things that can happen to me, or any business person, is getting sick and needing to give myself a sick note, and as a result, not working. My business, Roka Roko, is a wheel that needs to keep turning, and every day is so vital to the entire month being a success and ultimately the entire business dream. You see, I haven’t managed to get myself to a point where I can afford a week off! So, we need to ensure that we do not take more than a day off in any week; plus all the other reasons like clients needing a dress in a week’s time. So, as we are in the annual winter virus season, flu is not an option. No, no, no!
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by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech
Working as a solopreneur has never been easier, or more tough and demanding. There’s a lot of freedom that comes from being a one-woman show, but there is also a ton of stress and if you are not careful, you may get caught up in the madness of believing the insane idea that you have to work morning, noon and night.
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by Paula Quinsee
Often we hire for skill yet fire for behavior. This is because we tend to measure skills on qualifications, years of experience, achievements and organisations worked at. Just because one person thrived in a role does not mean they will thrive in a new role as the environment and team dynamics will contribute to the way someone behaves. It’s far easier to teach someone skills than it is to try and teach them the behavior you need.
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Photo courtesy of Mercury News
I am a basketball fan. Yes, I am that woman! I watch the NBA religiously. I love the Golden State Warriors and was so happy when they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship and even streamed their Victory Parade in their home town. I am a fan, period!
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by Evashnee Naidu, founder of enablED
How important is it to identify your target market? The old adage of create a product and customers will come has definitely gone out the door. In today’s world we are exposed to products, brands and services with a global reach. No more are we limited to what is within our radius, no more do we have to be brand loyal. Yes there are brands that have established themselves, but how often have we seen a fall from grace by big brands, and how easy was the consumer switch.
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by Marjón Meyer
Recently, I’ve talked with many delegates, friends and family about the differences between being an achiever or a competitor. It might seem, at first glance, like the two are very similar. However, there is a huge difference!
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by Phildile Ndlovu, founder of Bhekizenzo Foundation
I was about to complete my degree when I realized that I had no idea what to do with it. I was applying for jobs frantically and I was not getting called back for interviews. So, instead of entering a state of panic, I went back to my core and rekindled my passion for social justice which has been a common thread in everything I have been involved in. Social justice and bringing social change has always been a passion. Being in a leadership academy, I just knew I had to start something and not wait to be employed in order to change lives.
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by Zainab Ashadu, Founder and Creative Director of Zashadu (Nigeria)
I dislike fads, for their transience and the sheep-like behaviour it induces in people. Furthermore, my ego is involved in this dislike, for no matter how I love and have loved a thing, should it become a trend, I drop it with immediacy and harbour an almost hatred for the trend. It is for this reason that I failed to identify with the term Entrepreneur.
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by Eldari Visser, Managing Director, Picketfence.Life
Daily we get bombarded with information on almost everything the human mind can think of. One central and very real aspect of our existence is that we all need money in any way possible to exist. Without the power to buy any goods and food, let alone shelters, we have to resort to caveman tricks… and who wants to do that in this day and age of going forward faster than ever?
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by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
“Busy is a decision.” Is a well-known quote by renowned graphic designer and author, Debbie Millaman. Here’s why: Of the many, many excuses people use to rationalise why they can’t do something, the excuse “I am too busy” is not only the most inauthentic, it is also the laziest.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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