On a perfect, blue sky morning in Maputo, Mozambique, over 120 women entrepreneurs gathered together for the first Lioness Lean In of the year in the country. The aim was to inspire one another, to connect for business, and to listen to successful women business builders and product creators share their stories. As always, it was an unforgettable morning, with business done, new relationships formed, and a significant amount of entrepreneurial energy in the air.
Read moreQuote of the Day by Karen Wessels
Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales and VA Connect (South Africa)
“I believe in the power of reciprocity. First add value and then ask for assistance or help with whatever it is that you require.”
Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales and VA Connect (South Africa)
Read moreCourageous conversations 101
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.
Read moreSocial Media and the Workplace
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.
Read moreCindy Leah, a South African photographer creating opportunities for other women photographers on the continent to thrive
Cindy Leah, founder of The African Pictionary (South Africa)
Take two challenges - one, the need to address the gender pay gap for Africa’s women entrepreneurs; and two, the need for consumers to source world-class images on Africa; and you have a recipe for a great business. The highly creative Cindy Leah, founder of The African Pictionary, is on a mission to create a business that provides an impactful solution to both challenges.
Read moreLIONESS LAUNCH: Liberian entrepreneur Lena Marshall launches new specialist Food Safety training programme for the country’s street food sellers
Lena Marshall, founder of Marshall and Nimene Group of Companies (Liberia)
Across Liberia’s cities, women who make their living as street food sellers are about to get the opportunity to access critical basic food hygiene training because they are selling foodstuffs for public consumption. Lena Marshall, founder of Marshall and Nimene Group of Companies in Liberia has developed specialist food hygiene training courses specifically aimed at training these women food sellers. The course is being offered as part of Lena’s Women Empowerment Program.
Read moreGrit & Grind: 10 Principles for Living An Extraordinary Life by Rhonda Vetere
Rhonda Vetere
It's not WHAT challenges you face in life but HOW you face them that determines how fast you reach your goals. Rhonda Vetere, seasoned C-Suite technology veteran and author of the new book Grit & Grind, knows first-hand that there's no such thing as a perfect, struggle-free life. In her work as a Global Technology Executive, she's faced down some of the biggest financial crises of modern times, and she knows it's not WHAT challenges you face in life but HOW you face them that matters.
Read moreA Tool to Succeed Through Uncertain Circumstances
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.
Read moreEntrepreneur Advice from Joy Ndungutse: Passion can get you to where you want to be in business
Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
You need to be passionate about what you're doing....
“Something small can create an impact, .... You don’t have to have a lot of money to start a business. You can start small, but you must have a passion for what you’re doing.”
Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana, co-founders of Gahaya Links Cooperatives (Rwanda)
Read moreQuote of the Day by Swaady Martin
Swaady Martin, founder and CEO of the SWAADY GROUP
"Our (African) artisans are not set-up to scale their activities and are often paralyzed by the prospect of growing their business beyond the “enough-to-live” stage."
Swaady Martin, founder and CEO of the SWAADY GROUP
Read moreNigeria’s Mo Abudu, founder of EbonyLife Media, receives 2019 Médailles d’Honneur at Cannes
The CEO of EbonyLife Media, Mo Abudu, has been recognized for her significant contribution to the media industry and awarded the 2019 Médailles d’Honneur at the MIPTV ceremony in Cannes, France, on April 8, 2019. She makes history as the first African and Nigerian recipient of this prestigious award, given to senior executives who have made their mark in the global television industry, as well as contributed to the development of the international television community.
Read moreItweva Nogueira, an Angolan entrepreneur providing specialist legal advice to big and small businesses
Itweva Nogueira, founder of law firm I. N sociedade de Advogados (Angola)
In business, having a good source of legal advice is essential in order to deal effectively with all the challenges that present themselves along the journey. In Angola, one woman entrepreneur lawyer is creating a highly successful business that is helping businesses large and small with their legal needs. Itweva Nogueira, founder of law firm I. N sociedade de Advogados is just the legal advisor that entrepreneurs and business leaders need on their side.
Read moreDorothy Mofomme, a South African entrepreneur building innovative, specialist technology solutions for Africa’s railway sector
Dorothy Mofomme, founder of Valotech228 (South Africa)
The railway sector has always been a tough one, particularly for ambitious women entrepreneurs to enter. But for entrepreneur Dorothy Mofomme, founder of Valotech228 in South Africa, she saw the railway sector as one filled with businesss opportunities and one that had the potential to create employment for young people. Her growing business is testimony to her tenacity and vast specialist experience.
Read moreWork Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses by Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur
When Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur met in college in 2002, they bonded instantly. Fast-forward to 2010, when they founded the popular fashion and design website Of a Kind. Now, in their first book, Work Wife, Cerulo and Mazur bring to light the unique power of female friendship to fuel successful businesses. Drawing on their own experiences, as well as the stories of other thriving “work wives,” they highlight the ways in which vulnerability, openness, and compassion — qualities central to so many women’s relationships — lend themselves to professional accomplishment and innovation.
Read moreLIONESS LAUNCH: Renowned South African spa product brand, Elim Spa Products, launches new UV Spritzer to protect delicate hands
Shantelle Booysen, founder of Elim Spa Products (South Africa)
Customers who regularly use UV lights in salons will have a new product to help them protect the delicate skin on their hands during these sessions, thanks to a great new UV spritzer being launched by Elim Spa Products in South Africa. Founder Shantelle Booysen is not only creating greater awareness amongst women of the need to protect their skin when using UV lamps in salons, but is also now creating a specialist skincare solution with the launch of her new UV spritzer.
Read more3 things to start doing today to be the best version of yourself
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.
Read moreA deeper look into our career journey
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.
Read moreJohannesburg’s women entrepreneurs come out in force to share, inspire and connect at the Lioness Lean in event on 5 April
There is always incredible energy at a Lioness Lean In event in Johannesburg, and the latest event on 5 April was no exception. The focus of the morning was on celebrating women entrepreneurs in South Africa as the key drivers of socio-economic growth and impact. And, the women entrepreneurs on the speaker panel were truly inspirational examples of this.
Read moreCelebrating women entrepreneur job creators at the 3rd Lioness Lean in event in Cote d’Ivoire
Lionesses of Africa’s key focus for 2019 on celebrating and acknowledging the power of Africa’s women entrepreneurs to create much needed jobs, continued and was the key topic for discussion at the 3rd Lioness Lean In Event in Cote d’Ivoire on 29 March. Women entrepreneurs who were looking to take their businesses to the next level and be the next job creators in the country, gathered in the city of Abidjan for a morning of sharing, inspiring and connecting for greater business success. The much-anticipated event was again hosted by Lionesses of Africa in partnership with Ambassade du Royaume des Pays-Bas.
Read moreYou Are a Mogul: How to Do the Impossible, Do It Yourself & Do It Now by Tiffany Pham
As the founder of Mogul, Tiffany Pham created a global technology and media empire by the age of twenty-seven and is living proof that the old rules of success no longer apply. In her book, You Are A Mogul, Tiffany writes the new rules for following your passions and forging your own path in an age of change and disruption.
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