Ideas need brave actors

January 10, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

In the kind of creative space that Brandbuilder operates in, there is never a shortage of ideas. We often think of ourselves as an idea generating machine. The trouble with too many ideas and too much creativity is that you can very quickly end up with nothing but hot air - multiple voices telling multiple wonderful stories, but very little happening on the ground. That makes it really important to have systems for turning those ideas into solutions that clients will be prepared to pay for. That, and a team dynamic that contributes to better results.

Pitsi Ledwaba, a South African entrepreneur building a natural, organic beauty brand

January 10, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Pitsi Ledwaba, founder of Bonolo Naturals (South Africa)

Impact Partner Content - Absa

Pitsi Ledwaba is from Polokwane in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and the founder of Bonolo Naturals, a growing natural, organic beauty brand. For the past 12 years she has been in the retail industry managing both local and international brands. It is where she fell in love with beauty, fashion and everything that makes people look and feel good.

Are you an impostor?

January 10, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Marjon Meyer

This sounds like a nasty accusation, yet the impostor syndrome is real! Do you sometimes feel that others’ applause for you is not earned or deserved? This happens when people doubt their accomplishments or a person has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”, despite external evidence that they are competent. These self-perceived “fraudsters” tend to be highly competent individuals. While both men and women are affected, this syndrome seems to be more prevalent amongst high-achieving women.

Resilience is the Entrepreneur’s Character

January 10, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Sibongile Mtsabe

Entrepreneurship is what Africa needs right now. Africa needs those who would put ideas into implementation and make things happen.

It has never been an easy road but it’s doable. It takes courage, endurance, passion and believing in yourself.

Quote of the Day by Agnes Chikukwa Hove

January 6, 2021 Melanie Hawken

“Your life has a purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count.”

Agnes Chikukwa Hove, founder, Sequor Consulting (South Africa)

Entrepreneur Advice from Celine Uwineza / Surround yourself with the right people

January 6, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza, founders of RightSeat (Rwanda) — **Denise Umunyana and Celine Uwineza**, founders of RightSeat (Rwanda)

Surround yourself with the right people!…

“Start! Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams and support you.”

Celine Uwineza, co-founder of RightSeat (Rwanda)

Siwela Sweetness Masoga, a South African wine producer creating quality accessible wines

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Siwela Wines, a new generation, trail-blazing female black-owned wine business.

Siwela Sweetness Masoga is a biotechnologist, wine maker, and founder of Siwela Wines, a South African wine company focusing on the production of quality accessible wines. Siwela also runs a wine academy focusing on education and training within the wine and hospitality industry. Siwela Wines is currently amongst the few youth female black-owned wine businesses in South Africa and was launched in 2018.

Nidia D’Almeida, a Mozambican entrepreneur helping businesses protect their intellectual property

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Nidia D’Almeida, founder of API - Agência de Propriedade Intelectual (Mozambique)

Startup Story

So many businesses wonder if you can protect your Intellectual Property Rights in Mozambique, and the answer is yes, you can. Entrepreneur Nidia D’Almeida, founder of API - Agência de Propriedade Intelectual, is there to show you how.

Josefa Amélia Massinga, a Mozambican entrepreneur taking floral decor to a new level

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Josefa Amélia Massinga, founder of Florista Flor Khyathu e Servicos (Mozambique)

Startup Story

Every great event needs great floral decorations to create memorable occasions, and it is the same with creating the right impression in a home or office. In Maputo, Mozambique, entrepreneur Josefa Amélia Massinga, founder and CEO of Florista Flor Khyathu e Servicos, has just the floral decorations and expertise to turn any event or space into something truly special.

Charlene Shapiro, a South African entrepreneur supplying the hospitality industry with quality food products

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Charlene Shapiro, founder of CNC Products (South Africa)

Impact Partner Content - Absa

Charlene Shapiro is the founder and Managing Member of CNC Products in South Africa. She is an all-rounder entrepreneur and has 29 years’ business experience working in the hospitality industry. Charlene's business is focused on providing high quality service and affordable food products to the hospitality industry, corporates and home users at large. Her experience in sales and marketing come from her years spent in the newspaper industry. She is proudly continuing a family legacy of service and is proud to have her daughter, Kerry, continuing with the same passion at CNC Products.

Move the Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur by Shelley Brander

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

People always ask Shelley Brander, author of the new book Move the Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, what possessed her to leave the successful advertising firm she founded with her husband to open a local yarn store. And then they wonder how that one storefront grew into an e-commerce business, and from there into a global movement to Knit the World Together. In Move the Needle, Shelley shares stories from her life to show that you can pursue your life's passions, both personal and professional, no matter how quirky or impossible they may seem to everyone around you.

“Mola Mia…”

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Screen Shot 2021-01-03 at 10.41.11 AM.jpg

By the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept

January, just the mention of that month brings high hopes and expectations of greater things. Given the low base that was 2020 (although as we pointed out in our last Blog, 2020 was a year of such incredible opposites, not only of terrifying lows but also for many Lionesses, incredible highs), 2021 for the entire world from a health perspective has to be better!

Consulting is a hungry beast

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Thembe Khumalo

Many people dream of a career in consulting; working the hours they want, with only the people they like, and being in charge of how much money they earn, as opposed to being at the mercy of some rigid salary scale. It almost sounds too good to be true, and in many ways it really is very, very good.

The Best Feeling In The World

January 3, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Eldari Visser, founder of Picketfence Life

This bee is loaded with the future of his nest. The stuff that yummy honey is made of for the existence of that nest. Bees need this as a crucial part of their future. After and during the time of COVID-19, many people still do not have the slightest idea of where to even start to look for their own juicy extras to make sure their families are ok or will be ok! They have lived by doing the same thing week to week or even day to day. Unfortunately, this has happened to even the most seasoned, experienced bee entrepreneurs. In the blink of an eye, their nests were empty and the panic set in.

5 Steps To Silence Your Inner Critic

December 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

by Usha Maharaj

Do you often hear a negative inner voice that makes you doubt your decisions and your self-worth? You are not alone! This inner voice, your inner critic, may act as an invisible barrier to trying new things, reaching your full potential, or enjoying your life.

Managing performance in the New Distance Economy

December 31, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Screen Shot 2020-12-31 at 5.07.52 PM.jpg

by Marjon Meyer

The future is not what we used to think it would be…our world is literally infected with new ways of thinking and working. With so many staff members working remotely, the way organisations manage performance has to be adjusted. There should also be a bigger focus on re-skilling and constructive feedback to build confidence amongst staff. Problems and challenges need to be solved differently and creatively.

Power Your Profits by Susie Carder

December 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Power Your Profits by Susie Carder is a comprehensive, bulletproof start-to-finish plan for taking your business from startup mode to the multi-million-dollar mark, straight from the inventor of the Predictable Success Method™.

Esta van Heerden, a South African biotech leader in environmental clean-up

December 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Esta van Heerden, founder of iWater Pty Ltd (South Africa)

Startup Story

Many women entrepreneurs in Africa are driven to start their businesses because of an identified need. For Esta van Heerden, founder of iWater Pty Ltd in South Africa, she is passionate about the environment and wants to ensure that all citizens have access to clean water in the future. She also believes that companies that have contaminated the environment MUST clean it up! Her business is now offering companies a solution to this clean-up need, harnessing the best of technology solutions to aid the process.

Agnes Chikukwa Hove, an entrepreneur educating South Africans in financial wellness

December 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Agnes Chikukwa Hove, founder of Sequor Consulting (South Africa)

Startup Story

Helping people to make the right financial life and business decisions is what drives entrepreneur Agnes Chikukwa Hove, founder of Sequor Consulting, in South Africa. Today, her company provides specialist financial training and money management coaching that also builds the confidence needed to make smart financial choices.

Lucia Molefe, a South African entrepreneur baking her way to success

December 27, 2020 Melanie Hawken

Lucia Molefe, founder of Mokgalaka Creations (South Africa)

Impact Partner Content - Absa

Lucia Molefe is the founder of Mokgalaka Creations. She was always good with her hands and had a passion for making cakes and cooking, as she would make the occasional cake and platter for friends and family. In 2006, Lucia embraced this skillset and registered Mokgalaka Creations as a business. Immediately, she began taking cake designing and decoration classes after working hours to sharpen her God-given talent. During this time, she began growing her home-based business part-time. In 2008, Mokgalaka Creations had begun taking off. It was in this year that she resigned after 15 years of service with the Department of Social Development to focus full-time on her passion and her business.