Anatomy of building a business that works for you by Naomi Alabi

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

If you want to stop over thinking and start your business but are experiencing analysis paralysis because you are overwhelmed with information, then author and entrepreneur Naomi Alabi has the answers. Why? Because she has personally been there. In her new book, Anatomy Of Building A Business That Works For You, she says that our world was built by people who dared to dream bigger. People who took their ideas, were patient through a number of small tasks which ultimately grew into the big businesses that we all love to celebrate.

Protecting your Intellectual Property as an entrepreneur

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Seno Namwandi

Intellectual Property (IP) is widely spoken of but not always well understood. The IP ecosystem is complex, broad and has to balance varying interests from creators to financiers to consumers. It is relevant to the songwriter, medical technician, architect, software coder, business owner etc. IP is loosely defined as a legal right granted to a property that arises as a result of intellectual activity or creative input. It is inherently a legal right granted by a government body to exclude unauthorized third party use. Enforcement varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction which can be complicated. However, through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), there are a set of uniform legislations and regulations to govern IP.

Recruiting in Femicide South Africa

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Kulani Shiluvane, Founder and Chief Consultant, Shiluvah

One of the services that we offer at Shiluvah is recruiting the best talent for our clients, a majority of which are SMMEs. SMMEs that do not have the budget for offices in high rise buildings in well known locations; SMMEs that are still trying to make a name from themselves and grow into the well known organisations people have come to know and trust, and whose authenticity is unquestionable. And while such facts shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to sourcing talent – in Femicide South Africa, it is and here’s why.

Rest is more than just sleep

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Ashika Pillay

There’s no doubt that many of our minds are on hyper-alert. The stress response of feeling vigilant, worrying , planning, working, and dealing with immediate day-to-day chores can be overwhelming. At this time of lockdown when we supposedly have “more time”, we can actually feel burnt out, because so much is changing, uncertainty pervades and the balance of the “known” is thrown off. Expectations of “being more productive”, having more family time, exercise etc can actually deplete us by making us feel like we are not “making the most” of the time that we have? A spectrum of emotions like guilt, shame, anger, anxiety, frustration are part of what we experience through the day.

Quote of the Day by Lombuso Mthethwa

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Know your customer and provide a product or service that will first make their lives better, then make your money, because if you take care of your customer and their needs, you will never run out of customers.”

Lombuso Mthethwa, founder, Mom’s Club Eswatini (Eswatini)

Entrepreneur Advice from Ijeoma Ndekwu / Be consistent

July 16, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Ijeoma Ndekwu, Founder, Redrick PR (Nigeria)

Be consistent…

“Start with what you can adequately manage to ensure the optimum delivery in client or consumer experience; and be consistent.”

Ijeoma Ndekwu, Founder, Redrick PR (Nigeria)

Bringing the human into our digital meetings

July 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

Digital meetings are very different to meeting in person, we miss the real essence of human connection and can miss many of the subtle cues we would have potentially picked up when being in front of someone such as body language, facial expressions and the energy/vibe of the person.

Women Working Better: 3 things you can do right now to ease the overwhelm on yourself and your team

July 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech

As if it wasn’t already challenging enough to manage a business and lead a team of people every day, we suddenly all find ourselves facing the global Covid-19 pandemic. Along with eerily quiet city streets and deserted tourist attractions, we have collectively found ourselves at home, trying desperately to maintain a semblance of normalcy while our living rooms have been turned into offices, gyms, classrooms, playgrounds and movie theaters.

Anxiety = Uncertainty x Powerlessness

July 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

This equation comes from Chip Conley’s insightful book ‘Emotional Equations’. Chip believes that the product of what you don’t know (uncertainty) and what you can’t control (powerlessness) creates the emotional condition of anxiety, which is greater than the sum of its parts.

Quote of the Day by Laura Camacho

July 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Your particular failure has the seeds of future success. Don’t forget to nurture them.”

Laura Camacho, founder, Mixonian Institute (USA)

Entrepreneur Advice from Bernadette Umunyana / Get good investment advice

July 15, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Bernadette Umunyana, founder, Dokmai (Rwanda)

Get good investment advice!…

“Be careful when considering long-term loans for investments. The interest rates are high and the benefit margins are small.”

Bernadette Umunyana, founder, Dokmai (Rwanda)

Quote of the Day by Georgina Angélica

July 14, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“I finally started to realize what it really means to 'live in the present moment', to do what is possible today, neither more nor less.”

Georgina Angélica, Educator, Trainer, Conciliator and Change Agent (Angola)

Entrepreneur Advice from Amanda Aminah Masire / Stay in your own field

July 14, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Amanda Aminah Masire, founder, Greenhouse Technologies (Botswana)

Stay in your own field!…

“Be focused, stay in your own field. Don’t run away from your problems, don’t hide them under the carpet, they will grow - ask for help if you need it.”

Amanda Aminah Masire, founder, Greenhouse Technologies (Botswana)

Quote of the Day by Alisha Rabbipal

July 13, 2020 Melanie Hawken

“Perseverance is all it takes. Never give in to defeat without a challenge. Claim your reign.”

Alisha Rabbipal, Managing Director, KZN Law Offices, (South Africa)

Entrepreneur Advice from Amália Ngoca / Start with what you have!

July 13, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Amália Ngoca, founder, Malita Investimentos (Mozambique)

Start with what you have!…

“Women do not be afraid of challenges, and just start with what little you have - by just starting you won’t want to stop because you will enjoy what you do.”

Amália Ngoca, founder, Malita Investimentos (Mozambique)

Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, a creative force in contemporary floral design

July 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Mariana Agness Francisco Eria, founder of The House Of Agness (Mozambique)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Mozambique’s The House of Agness, a pioneer in floral design luxury and modernism

Mariana Agness Francisco Eria is the founder of The House Of Agness in Mozambique, a unique contemporary floral design company inspired by minimalism and sustainability. She is passionate about all things minimal and meaningful, and her business reflects that passion. The House of Agness focuses on contemporary floral design thats seeks to become evermore sustainable in the techniques used in its designs, such as foam free arrangements. Another notable characteristic of The House Of Agness brand is that it seeks to empower women through its supply chain, being that 90% of their suppliers are made up of women-owned businesses. With 5 years in the marketplace, this brand has surely become a reference point for Luxury and Modernism, both in Mozambique and beyond its borders.

Lioness Launch / South Africa’s Nuel Lifestyle Concepts launches new safety Visor Hat for school children

July 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lebitso Ramphore, founder of Nuel Lifestyle Concepts (South Africa)

Lioness Launch

As safety is now a key priority for everyone as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to keep school children safe is now top of mind for parents. In South Africa, entrepreneur Lebitso Ramphore, founder of Nuel Lifestyle Concepts, has launched a functional alternative to wearing masks for school children.

The Remote Era and New Partnerships

July 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Catia Mondlane, Founder Isabella - Estética & Cosméticos

The COVID-19 driven economy has brought major challenges to many industrial firms and business owners. Now makes it the perfect time to re-evaluate what really creates value, what is critical to clients at this moment, and what would those new offerings and capabilities look like after all.

Review, Readjust, Reset, Reboot Yourself

July 12, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Marjon Mayer

Review, readjust, reset, reboot – ready? Nothing will ever be the same, I hear so many people say. It may be true to some extent, but I think that many things may settle back to more or less where they were – perhaps we just would have learnt to appreciate these more. So, nothing will even be the same again, or closer to the expression – The more things change the more it stays the same?

Insights and lessons from a pandemic

July 11, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Claire Holden, Empowerment Coach

I was in a meeting yesterday where we all agreed that we’re sick and tired of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re tired of talking about the need to ‘pivot’, the ‘new normal’ and the uncertain future. Our news feeds are filled with stories of loss, blame, uncertainty and recriminations. It’s exhausting. The constant anxiety and barrage of bad news shuts down our thinking and saps our energy. We need creative, innovative thinking and an abundance of energy to be successful entrepreneurs, so it’s imperative we change the conversation!