the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Yolanda Ndhlovu, founder of Essy Sandisiwe
“Noise is good if it's energising and supporting you doing your thing — if the market is cheering you on, and your voice is being heard, that's great noise. If it's music that sings it's way to your thing, that's noise you need.” — Lucy Loves Business
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko (South Africa)
Last year I decided to make my sister a long lasting birthday gift, something I believed she could keep for a long time. So I decided to get her a 100% leather bag set. I got this idea after seeing some leather items at a market one Saturday afternoon (done by a supplier from Bloemfontein with a long track record and equipment to produce and engrave). Their quality was amazing and I took their contact details. I had an idea to make her a weekend bag, a hand bag and a wallet. Then I would find a way to personalize it so she always knows it’s from her big sister.
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by Deborah Hartung founder of Pivot PeopleTech (South Africa)
I recently read an article about the increased levels of stress and anxiety being experienced by Millennials, especially, due to the fact that we are always ’on’ and always connected to absolutely everything that is happening in the world and at work.
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by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko
A month ago I decided it was probably time to look for help again. This was driven by the fact that I had been off work for a few weeks due to personal struggles and was more than just behind on everything. Plus this, I had a wedding coming up. So the panic and anxiety and my friends made me do it! Well, great advice from them, though I was in no space to be my 100% self. I needed help, as any other human being does on this earth. I needed to hire.
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by Phindile Ndlovu, Founder and Director of Bhekizenzo Foundation
Confession time. What is it that you do that stops you from being the best version of yourself? Let’s cut out the buzzwords and be real - what are doing to stop you from living the life you want?
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by Claudia Castellanos, ceo, Black Mamba Chilli
Being an entrepreneur is very hard (I usually use a stronger word to describe how hard it is, but for decorum’s sake I will revert to the word “very” this once!). It is so hard, and in so many ways, that you must have a great reason to become one, or a great motivation to keep pushing when things get tough. Finding that reason, that deep purpose, is crucial to succeed.
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by Marjón Meyer
Over the past few months I have been on the receiving end of a lot of kindness and generosity from the various "tribes" I belong to - family, my book (and wine) club, fellow trail runners, friends living far and wide across the globe, fellow students, clients and colleagues. Because sometimes we are in a season of giving and later again in the season of receiving.
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by Lizl Naude, founder of Lily Loompa
One would think that the longer you are in business, the less you need to learn, but in fact, quite the opposite is true. None of us can ever say we know it all!
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by Phindile Tapula, founder & director of Bhekizenzo Foundation
Working mommies, how do we celebrate Mother’s Day? Do we spend time with our families and just do what we do every day – be mothers by cleaning after everyone and making sure everyone is eating healthy food? Do we appreciate a night out and a candle lit dinner with our partners? Do we stay in our bubble of being a mother or do we reach out to other mothers and celebrate the day together? I propose this day can be used to chat to other working mothers, advising each other on our businesses and sharing stories.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Asking for a raise. Ending a relationship. Giving a critical performance review. Saying no to someone in need. Confronting disrespectful or hurtful behaviour. Disagreeing with the majority in a group. Apologizing.
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by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant at Shiluvah
There is no doubt that social media has been a big part of our everyday lives both at a personal and professional level. However, the lines between the personal and professional when using social media can and have become blurred. We have seen people lose their jobs because of statements that they have made on social media; we have also seen organizations lose both business and credibility due to statements made by those associated with them on social media. We have also seen government departments like the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa ban the use of mobile phones for certain employees as it was hampering levels of productivity. It is therefore vital that the use of social media in the workplace has clear guidelines in order to avoid adverse situations for both parties.
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by Laura Camacho
If you work in public relations, probably you’ve written press releases (or at least drafts of them) even before the event took place. That’s a smart move as you have too much to do and it helps to stay on top of the work load.
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by Phindile Ndlovu
We fear taking risks. We are told to focus on one thing! We maintain the status quo. We do not apply for our dream jobs because we do not tick all the boxes. We are scared of registering for that course that everyone says is difficult. We are okay with blending in because no one will criticise us. But is this the way to live? Are we truly living if we are living in fear? I reckon not.
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by Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader, and founder of Beyond the Dress
As entrepreneurs, we are always on the go. We are everything to everybody both in the business and in our personal lives. We know how demanding our roles are as women so it is vitally important we schedule what Essentialism author, Greg McKeown, calls a quarterly offsite meeting with yourself. This can be a half or full day that you schedule into the diary just for you to take a few hours and press pause. This allows us the space to reflect on our priorities and what is truly the most important thing we need to be focusing on for 2019. I can hear you thinking, ‘I could never take that time off’ but it will be the greatest investment for yourself. If we don’t have a clear view of our goals and priorities, we are making decisions with no road map.
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por Nereyda Ah Hoy
Nestes tempos de transformações intensas, não só à nossa volta, mas acima de tudo, a nível do nosso mundo interior, o facto de sentirmo-nos muitas vezes perdidas, desorientadas e desmotivados, é um sinal de que cada vez mais devemos perceber se o caminho que estamos a percorrer é o caminho que devíamos estar a seguir.
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by Lori Milner, By Lori Milner, author, entrepreneur, thought leader, and founder of Beyond the Dress
In a nutshell, our personal brand is how we show up in other people’s minds. We tend to only think of dress or body language as a key indicator of how we come across. This is only a tiny piece of the personal brand pie. Our virtual brand is about how we represent ourselves across all the channels and touch points we utilise, including social media, email, WhatsApp, text and phone calls.
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With the hectic and frantic life we lead, it is very easy to lose the sense of priority in life and literally get into autopilot mode. We often act mechanically, and we do not even realize how badly this influences us both personally and professionally. Below I share some little "truths" we have forgotten, over and over again. Keep this list in mind whenever you feel “lost.”
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By Clare Appleyard, founder of Katannuta Diamonds
Have you ever watched a highly skilled person excel at something and thought “That looks easy! I’m sure I can do that!”? Maybe it was somebody you saw on television, perhaps Roger Federer effortlessly hitting a winning forehand, a Masterchef contestant whipping up a delicious dish without a recipe or a skilled public speaker holding an audience enraptured.
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By Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Welcome to part 2 of Lessons from doing a TEDx talk! - [Read part 1] I am a professional speaker/trainer/teacher who does talks and workshops to a corporate audience for a living. So when the opportunity to do a TEDx Women talk came along, I was thrilled. Firstly, it’s been on my bucket list for over 10 years and secondly, I was sure having this public speaking background would make the process that much easier. Quite the contrary! It was the most amazing 8 weeks for me, I have not been pushed out of my comfort zone and beyond for a long time. It tested me on every level and the process has been my greatest reward.
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by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
I am a professional speaker/trainer/teacher who does talks and workshops to a corporate audience for a living. So when the opportunity to do a TEDx Women talk came along, I was thrilled. Firstly, it’s been on my bucket list for over 10 years and secondly, I was sure having this public speaking background would make the process that much easier. Quite the contrary! It was the most amazing 8 weeks for me, I have not been pushed out of my comfort zone and beyond for a long time. It tested me on every level and the process has been my greatest reward.
Read more