Is natural better than synthetic?

August 18, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane, Founder Estética & Cosméticos

When I decided to open a natural cosmetics firm, I was aware that I really had to study and understand at all levels what I was getting myself into. Merely absorbing what people say or think about a certain product they’ve used or had previous unpleasant experiences with wouldn’t get me as far as I wanted. Without discarding how important those were and how they could influence the business’s progression, I really needed to deepen many aspects of each market to bring the ideal visionary concept to life.

Are you keeping fit in all aspects of your life?

August 18, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Ashika Pillay

Most of us are in some way pre-occupied, occupied, or think often about physical fitness, exercise, keeping fit, eating well (even though we may not really..). The physical side of fitness, strength, vitality, and resources - yes? Have you ever wondered if you are looking at, and working on the other aspects of your life with respect to building strength and vitality? What about the mental, emotional, spiritual dimensions as an example?

How the most successful people innovate

August 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Mandisa Makubalo, Unlimited Experiences

Every business leader agrees that INNOVATION is important, yet they cannot agree on what it means? It has become a rather confusing buzzword which has been positioned in a very complex way as it comes in many flavours.

Show up for your online meetings with your camera on!

August 14, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

“This is an economy based on connection. Can you be heard, can you connect, can you be trusted?”

— Seth Godin

Still showing up for online meetings with the camera off? Here’s why you seriously need to reconsider…

Date nights in lockdown don’t have to be boring

August 14, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

I’m hearing so many couples say that there’s not much they can do when it comes to date nights with being in lockdown. That’s because traditionally when it comes to date nights, the majority of couples have resorted to dinner at their favourite restaurant, or maybe even a movie and popcorn thrown in too – it was quick and easy. However, being in lock down, we are not able to go to restaurants and movies anymore so it’s become harder for couples to implement date nights and they are needing to be much more creative.

I’m harnessing all that creativity and positive energy

August 13, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kabira Dewan

We are inevitably heading to the so called “new normal way of doing business” but I must admit I am still spinning with all the creativity and positive energy that I experienced during Lockdown.

Feeling overwhelmed by news and social media? Develop a Mindful Media approach.

August 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Ashika Pillay

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”

— Jim Morrison

Social media is pervasive. Even the fact that you are reading this - is evidence of how much content is out there. The question is, are you “choice-full” about what you consume or are you a victim to relentless barrage of news items, posts about other people’s lives, polarized journalism, political agenda, and conspiracy theories.

Own your morning. Own your day.

August 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

The most important habit I have developed over the years that has given me more time in my day, more ‘me time’ and more energy, it’s this – waking up earlier. This is sacred time when no one else is awake and it’s the only gap I have in my day to truly focus on developing myself. Self-leadership can’t be found in a one day seminar or a book you read a few years ago, it is a daily discipline. Now, no one is going to give you this time. It has to be consciously carved into your day. I know you are thinking ‘It’s easier said than done’ – fair enough. So here are some tips on how to actually get yourself to wake earlier.

How to Boost Your Motivation

August 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann, Author & Speaker

It’s not easy to maintain self-control, especially when things are difficult. Personally, I’ve found life very difficult over the past few months with the pandemic, lockdown and load shedding in South Africa. I’ve noticed that many people have abandoned their diets and have had difficulty staying focussed on their business objectives. So how can we keep motivated and working towards our goals?

The business of mask making

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

Why don’t we make masks for sale? That was the message from my mom recently. I decide to call her to talk to her about my thoughts. Her question is on point, this seems to be the only item anyone with a sewing machine should be doing currently. Ignore all the wedding, graduation, party or any other event outfits you had orders on; if the last time you touched your sewing machine is 10 years ago… now it’s the time to bring it out again. There is an advert flyer I say it said South Africa needs 36 million masks and you can get to make some of them. What a number!

Lessons from Burnout into Lockdown

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann, Author & Speaker

A few years ago, I experienced a burnout. I developed a stress-induced autoimmune disease and suffered from chronic fatigue for three years. It had a significant effect on my life. Lately, with South Africa being in lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I have noticed a few similarities and differences between that period of my life and now.

It makes good business sense to invest in women

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Dr. Linda Zuze, founder and director, Chimango Research

As a researcher, I get to wake up every day and to ask questions for a living. One of the most consistent findings that I’ve encountered over the years is that women’s success benefits a lot of people around them. Children have a better chance of attending school, being fed and living in a safe environment. It is true that there is far greater recognition about the importance of the gender angle when discussing inequality than there has been in the past.

Harness the power of your positive aggression journey

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Mbalenhle Ndaba

A positive aggression journey is to breathe your way into a peaceful state. Aside from spiritual paradigms about peace and harmony, which I am convinced are the only lasting way to sustain peace, there are several things we can do to enter a more relaxed state. In the journey of positive aggression, every individual should know how to master their emotional equilibrium. Winners do not dwell on what is wrong, they work on what is next.

5 tough things to talk about with your future co-founder

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Claire Keet Pollock and Sinal Govender, Co-Founders of pop.law

Like choosing the person you marry or have babies with, choosing a business partner is not a decision to be taken lightly. The romance of any honeymoon period wears off, but none so quickly as the business partnership honeymoon. If you’re a fast moving entrepreneur, then you’ll know that seizing opportunities and getting some skin in the game fast is extremely important. This means that your relationship with your co-founder/s will need to evolve quickly. Moving out of the fun ideation phase of a business into difficult startup territory puts massive pressure on people who are in business together. The foundations of your partnership will become really important and it helps to have at least spoken about some of the following things.

Effective invoicing is critical for your cash flow management

August 8, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Ronel Jooste

Many business owners find the invoicing process quite tedious and this is also a process that many businesses neglect. Invoicing is, however, a critical process for your cash flow management.

What is the Pandemic offering you?

August 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann, Author & Speaker

In the first week of 2020, I drove from my home in Johannesburg to Durban to spend a week interviewing my grandmother about her life for a book. It was fascinating to hear about how life was as a teenager for my grandmother during the Second World War in England.

Emotional Contagion

August 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Ashika Pillay

It’s not just the virus that’s contagious…

With the advent of COVID-19, most people have become familiar with concepts related to infectious disease, how viruses are spread and transmitted. However, beneath the real threat of the virus and its impact on our health and wellbeing, lurks another infectious disease. Anxiety and fear are real threats that pose a massive risk to us.

Coronavirus Anxiety

August 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Julia Ranzani

Every now and then when I check the CORONAVIRUS WORLDOMETER or hear NEWS ABOUT COVID-19. I get this ice cold fear running down my spine. I can’t help it, my mind jumps to horrific images inspired by silly doomsday action movies. So for a moment I’m overwhelmed with CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY.

Ignore the NO, focus on the YES

August 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko

Two weeks ago I submitted my writing to an organization that is looking for content writers. I was referred by a friend. After 2 weeks I was about to ask if they had received my work for the opportunity but I received the reply first. And it was a NO. I will admit, I feared that it was a no before I opened the email; I tried to reprimand myself. Why am I expecting the worst? Well I did receive the worst.

Top 10 Keyword Research Tools To Boost Your Organic Traffic

August 1, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Wuraola Ademola-Shanu

If people can’t find your site on search results, you are missing out on traffic, leads, and most importantly, sales!

One of the best ways to solve the problem of low traffic is with keyword research tools. Google uses keyword as an important SEO ranking factor. This is because searches only find content that Google thinks is relevant to what they are searching for.

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