the pride of Africa's women entrepreneurs
by Thembe Khumalo
“We need to get more like-minded people together. Lets put together a group of other people like ourselves, and we can really make an impact.” Unfortunately the last time I had a conversation like this will not be the last time I will have this conversation; and the problem is, I have a problem with this kind of thinking.
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by Margaret Hirsch
Collaboration is the name of the game! The old African saying “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together,” it is so true, in business as well. I see so many startups who go really fast and then fail.
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by Sonya Skipp
iFacts, a leading employee screening and vetting organisation, has published its annual employee screening trends report. With these insights, iFacts offers an overview of the current trends in employee screening and vetting.
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by Marilize Jacobs
Being a single mom of twins is a full-time job. So is running my own business. This is what I do for a living and for the last couple of years I have been on a quest to feel truly at peace with my daily actions. I wanted to derive happiness from the fact that I was my own boss and had the freedom to live my life accordingly. In a nutshell: I wanted to be happy at work. Really happy.
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by Thembe Khumalo
In the world of entrepreneurship, there is no place to hide. Where the corporate world might have allowed you the cover of a jacket and tie, a shiny pair of shoes, and an impressive title, entrepreneurship strips you naked, and leaves you with nothing but yourself and your wits — or whatever it is that you bring to the table.
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by Margaret Hirsch
As traditional offices evolve into virtual workspaces, the impact of working from home on individuals is undeniable. We were forced into this during Covid and suddenly Zoom became a household word and we were able to continue working from home which felt really strange initially - but it was so super to be able to go to the loo without walking across a busy shop and to make a cup of tea when you felt like it and not wait for the “tea lady” to bring it to you at 10am and 3 pm!
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by Lori Milner
If you ask someone if they like surprises, they'll say of course. That's because they are picturing the surprises they would like to receive. You only like the surprises you want, but we know life also gives us the surprises you don't want. These come wrapped in challenges, setbacks or even loss. When these surprises arrive unannounced, they can knock us off our feet, leaving us feeling helpless to participate in the solution.
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by Sharon Castle
As I write this, I’m sitting overlooking a river in a wild space in Africa. Each year my husband and go on an adventure to a new place and explore an area we haven’t experienced before. Deciding to take a full 23 days off mid-year has become a regular thing for us for the past few years and it’s enriched my life in too many ways to explain.
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by Thembe Khumalo
Maya Angelou says that courage is the most important of all the virtues, because “without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” Of all the virtues required in our nation at this time, courage is probably the one we need the most, and not just courage but consistent courage. Here are my thoughts on how we might begin to find our courage:
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by Sharon Castle - Lifestyle and Wellness Coach
There’s a common belief that happiness is something you have to look for. I used to believe that too. Eventually after exhausting myself with my affirmations, meditations, journal writing, juicing, fasting, exercising and so on and so on…….. believing that I had to tick all the boxes that the experts told me I had to achieve or else I would be unhappy.
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by Paula Quinsee
When data was studied on why so many employees were resigning, it was found that employee discontent is rooted in the intrinsic need for status and autonomy, two essential drivers of human motivation. When employees feel their sense of status and autonomy are under threat—creating a physiological fight-or-flight response—they’re more motivated to quit. (Source)
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by Ntsoaki Sibiya
In my journey as a mentor and entrepreneur, I have learned the power of personal mastery and self-actualized leadership as the key weapon in achieving success as an entrepreneur. You cannot reinvent a business without reinventing the person who is leading that business. Therefore, in understanding your purpose, strengths, and talents as a leader you become more inspired and confident in the knowledge of what your skills and talents can achieve, and you are able to inspire your team to follow suit.
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by Paula Quinsee
Do you know what your staff turnover is costing you? Stats based on Remchannel's survey of almost 40,000 employee resignations and the recruitment and HR process costs associated with filling those vacant positions total almost R24 billion. The main reasons cited for resignations in the PwC Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey is because employees don't find their current job fulfilling, feel they can't be their true self at work, don't feel their team cares about them, and feel like their managers don't listen to them.
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by Thembe Khumalo
It is a beautiful thing when a personal brand lives out its own manifesto. It fills me with awe and wonder to watch someone else unleash the full force of their fabulosity on the world. In case you’re wondering, yes fabulosity is a real word, made famous by fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons.
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by Rochelle Roos
If organisations want to compete and thrive in today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape - change is not only inevitable but essential. Change strategies are crucial in various scenarios, including when an organisation suffers from market disruptions, significant growth, or restructuring. Other common examples are businesses that want to foster new culture, enhance employee engagement, promote diversity and inclusion, or address performance issues like declining profitability, or decreased customer satisfaction.
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by Lori Milner
We tend to associate habits with self-care activities, such as drinking water, exercising, and sleeping well. What about the habits that play a role in your professional life? What if you mastered the habits of speaking up in a meeting, sharing your ideas or being seen? Why do we do things that are not in our own best interest and, over time, can sabotage our progress even though it's not our intent?
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by Teboho Seretlo
All in the day of a small business owner in South Africa.
It’s been a minute and my creative writing juices dried up while I was chasing some business opportunities and non-paying clients out there. So, these past few weeks, I have been finalizing some projects, dealing with good news of funding applications I submitted on behalf of clients being successful and all sorts of other things. My spirits have been high after landing these successes and I was excited at the prospect of my bank balance swelling, if only a little bit.
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by Thembe Khumalo
We keep hearing that social media has become a vibrant and influential landscape for getting ahead in your career — some are even calling it a necessary evil. However, many executives remain hesitant to participate, unsure of the “correct” way to navigate it, and even of the value it holds for them. I like to think of social media as one big global cocktail party, where everyone is invited, but attendance is optional. By understanding how the party unfolds, and what different people are doing at the party, you can align your goals with purposeful engagement and unlock the immense potential of social media to support your career and personal goals.
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by Sonya Skipp
Sapien Labs Mental State of the World report scored South Africa as the lowest in terms of mental well-being in 2022. Unaddressed mental health conditions among the workforce were noted as being the most concerning. Mental health issues in the workplace cost the South African economy more than R160 billion annually.
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by Lori Milner
Perfectionism is often worn as a badge of honour, something to strive for. The intention is that it makes you better, but the impact is devastating. In the words of Ann Wilson Schaef, "Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order”. Perfection is an illusion and stops you from your best work because behind the façade of being a perfectionist are the deepest fears of being judged, failing or not being enough.
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