the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Yolanda Ndlovu, founder of South African lifestyle brand Essy Sandisiwe
I run an eco business and have consciously chosen to do so because of my background. I have always loved nature, the preservation of the environment, and I have always been an activist. I make accessories out of discarded fabrics and/or materials that are biodegradable. This has been my life for the past five years and I don’t think I am about to change anytime soon.
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December holidays and the festive season can be stressful for many people, and for a number of different reasons as I outlined in a previous blog here on Lionesses of Africa - How to Deal with Festive Season Holiday stress.
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by Laura Camacho
The reason you don’t feel confident at the precise moments you need it is because stress shuts down your brain’s memory. When facing the unexpected, many people are unable to remember how they handled past challenging events.
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by Tatenda Rungisa, Human Resources Practitioner and co-founder of Twin Connect Solutions
As 2018 comes to a wrap, many individuals and organizations are consumed with end of year reports and financial results. They forget about what will be coming ahead and the need to plan for the next year.
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by Thato Mokhothu-Ramohlanka
There is something very special about the holidays. Not only is it a time to recuperate after a long, tiresome year, but it is also a time to reflect and plan ahead. Not everyone has the same experiences because we are all very different. However, many can attest to the fact that generally it was a challenging year economically for many.
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by Paula Quinsee
I heard so many people saying this phrase during these past few weeks. I remember when I first noticed the decorations going up in Pick 'n Pay and thought to myself, "No, not yet. I'm not ready for December to come around, there's still so much I have to get done!"
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
In the 4 years of this business, I have had ‘gazillions’ of collaboration offers and maybe 1 of them actually happens, maybe! I don’t know if it worked or not. Collaborations are agreed to and pushed forward because, well in life and in business we need each other. I am yet to be part of a real collaboration and see it through. There are many reasons why I haven’t been in one, some are real and others probably imagined! Have I lost out? Probably! Who knows what we can achieve when we come together for a common purpose. I have compiled a list of reasons I still haven’t done a collaboration; maybe some ring true for you as well?
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by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
I have interviewed people across many industries, levels, companies, entrepreneurs – and the number one time waster that comes up again and again is meetings. David Grady, has coined the phrase MAS – this is a new epidemic sweeping the working world today. It stands for Mindless Acceptance Syndrome. In other words, as soon as we receive a meeting invite, we accept it without questioning our role in it or the purpose of the meeting. So his solution to MAS is…NO MAS.
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by Phindile Ndlovu
I was massaging my mother’s feet when I was about 9 years old when she asked me, “Phindile, what do you want to be when you grow up?” I answered so enthusiastically, “I want to be a social worker.” She then gave me this disapproving frown and repeated “A social worker?” in a tone to check if I was sure about my answer. I gave it a thought and quickly changed my mind and with the same enthusiasm I said, “Okay, a doctor!”
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by Laura Camacho, PhD
If you notice more during your conversation you will listen more perceptively. When you listen better, you learn more. Learn more, succeed faster. Stop planning what you're going to say next, and focus on what the other person is actually saying right now.
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by Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
There is a saying that goes, “Every time you buy a product from a small business, someone literally does a happy dance!” This is certainly very true. Throughout my life I have had an interesting relationship with money. Like some of you, I’ve never had a time when I’ve ever had enough. I grew up in a fairly modest home, and I remember my mother all too often used the term: “Money doesn’t grow on trees!”
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by Marjón Meyer
Reflecting on the past year, when I think about success, it takes on different forms in my mind. My own definition of success has changed significantly over time. People assign different meanings to success. It could be a certain qualification, a position on the organogram, good education for your children, visiting beautiful places in the world, owning a house at a specific address, a luxury vehicle….. Although these could make you feel rather proud, these alone don’t necessary bring a feeling of achievement or accomplishment.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
In the four and a half years I have been running Roka Roko I have been rejected just about a million times. Each time there was a reason why of course. A reason I couldn’t understand but reviewed deeply to better myself. At each of these times when I tried again and again after each rejection, I would feel like I am insane really. Why am I trying again? There is a saying that goes, doing the same thing expecting different results is stupidity; and some times I have felt stupid.
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by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech
by Sylvia Walker, author of SmartWoman
Every now and then I come across someone who has a burning desire to write a book. Whether it’s to see their name in print, or to achieve some kind of status that goes along with being a published author, it’s a serious bucket list item for many. This always takes me back to my own situation and how I fell into the world of writing books. I use the word “fell”, because it was never a burning desire of mine to write a book. Although I had written a fair amount of material in my professional career, I had never considered the idea that I might be an author at some point. I had not even studied languages at university.
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by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
What is the story you tell yourself? But a more interesting question is what is the story you tell yourself about time? Your story is made up of your beliefs and the vocabulary you use to tell that story.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
I don’t work on Sundays. No wait, I don’t do anything on Sundays! And this seems to boggle a lot of minds. People have numerous reasons why I should see them on Sunday. It’s fascinating. I have thus far taught my body to refuse all when I wake, I can literally spend the entire day (10 hours) in bed reading, eating and watching things on the laptop. Lazy right? Yep, yep, yep. But I have my reasons - give me a chance to explain.
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by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant at Shiluvah
What are the key driving forces behind your business? Is it your product? Your service offering? Is it your price offering on your product or services? NO! What drives your business and the real success behind your organization is your TEAM. Therefore, if you want a growing and successful business, a business that is profitable and thriving, it is crucial that you have the right team driving your business. So, how do you go about recruiting and retaining a winning team?
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by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
At this point in the year, we are gobsmacked that it’s November and repeatedly tell ourselves how the year has flown. But when we create days that are memorable, they seem to stick longer in our mind and it feels like time slows down just a little bit.
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by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant at Shiluvah
The decision to take on the entrepreneurial journey carries with it a number of novelties – the biggest (well at least for me) has been becoming your own boss, and hopefully at some stage somebody else’s boss. This means taking into consideration the kind of boss you want to be and more importantly, how your boss characteristics will impact the culture of the company as a whole, and how that culture will determine the health (both financial and otherwise) of your company and its people.
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