Pricing cringe

May 2, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

Pricing - I avoid this topic, a lot. It is because it makes me uncomfortable. I have no direct reason, so I know it must be deep and attached to money in general. This is a major issue because I run a business, I make products which I sell, every day. What am I doing? What have I been doing? Ah…sigh… I need to dig deeper and solve this mystery. At some point in my business, my analysis pointed to something off with our pricing, and it is still there. This is because I made a few major errors in the beginning.

It's never too late to reinvent your personal brand, here's how...

May 2, 2021 Melanie Hawken

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by Lori Milner

7 ways to create the best version of yourself...

I have coached and trained hundreds of people on personal branding and the number one question I get asked is… “Is it too late for me to reinvent my brand and change perceptions?”

How to bounce back…

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

By the Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept

Marc Andreessen, cofounder of a16z with Ben Horowitz, likes to joke “…the best thing about startups is that you only ever experience two emotions: euphoria and terror. And I find that lack of sleep enhances them both.”

The Bouncebackability Factor: End Burnout, Gain Resilience, and Change the World by Caitlin Donovan

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

For all those women entrepreneurs who have experienced burnout, help is at hand from author and burnout expert Caitlin Donovan, in her new book The Bouncebackability Factor: End Burnout, Gain Resilience, and Change the World. This is a deep and real examination of the true causes of burnout and how to heal them within yourself.

Create Yourself, and then, Re-Create Yourself

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

“Life is not about Finding Yourself, It is about Creating Yourself. “ — George Bernard Shaw

As soon as your mother knew that your arrival was on the horizon, she started to have thoughts, ideas and dreams about you and for you. The fashioning of you began. Without your involvement. Without your awareness. Without your consent. As your young life unfolded, chapters were being written for you and yet you were told that this book, this life, is yours.

High Jump Moments

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Justina Luelo

We’ve read articles on social media about how high heels make some women look different. And many times, with friends we talk about how Maria looks different today because she is wearing a pair of high heels that we have never seen before, and how she is tall and slim ...!

Accelerate your Digital Transformation Journey, a must read for Board Members, C-level Executives and Business Owners

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho

“At least 40% of all businesses will die in the next 10 years… if they don’t figure out how to change their entire company to accommodate new technologies.” — John Chambers

Digital Transformation is often pigeonholed as an IT topic or project that only concerns the CIO or CTO….but it is much more than that. It is really all about rethinking your business in the Digital Age.

Sinah Mojanko, a South African recycling entrepreneur creating opportunities and jobs

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Sinah Mojanko, founder, TiyAmo Recycling (South Africa)

Startup Story

Sustainable waste management is a growing business sector on the African continent. In South Africa, TiyAmo Recycling, founded by Sinah Mojanko, is aiming to grow and coach a new generation of recycling entrepreneurs who can tackle the problem of waste.

Clara Njeri, a Kenyan entrepreneur creating a natural bath and beauty product manufacturing business

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Clara Njeri, founder, Naturalglam (Kenya)

Startup Story

Entrepreneur Clara Njeri is the Director at Naturalglam, a business which she started at the age of 21 as a result of trying to clear her own acne. The business started more like a hobby, but three years later, the company has grown to having one major physical shop in Nairobi and a network of distributors. Her Instagram Sensation business is slowly growing to be a powerhouse.

Chiinga Musonda, a pioneering artisan chocolate brand builder

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Chiinga Musonda, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia) — **Chiinga Musonda**, co-founder of Savanna Premium Chocolate (Zambia)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Savanna Premium Chocolate, a bean-to-bar brand putting Zambia on the global chocolate map

Passion is one of the key ingredients to building any successful business and brand. And, in the world of artisan chocolate making, it is one of the Savanna Premium Chocolate brand’s strongest assets, thanks to founders Chiinga Musonda and Lynna Musonda Phiri.

Thokozile Mangwiro, a South African premium quality, natural hair care product manufacturer

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Thokozile Mangwiro, founder, Nilotiqa (South Africa)

Impact Partner Content - Absa

It is in growing her own natural hair for the past 15 years that Thokozile Mangwiro found her inspiration to create a natural hair care product line. After going to several salons and an endless search of locally produced products that truly work for afro natural hair, it was clear that there was a HUGE gap in the market for professionally formulated products for natural hair. Thokozile, like many other women, struggled with extremely dry hair. This, and the lack of knowledge, led to intense research and experimentation with natural ingredients such as Shea butter and avocado oil for skin and hair. After several years of research, formulations and product testing, Thokozile launched Nilotiqa, a line of products that are proudly made from organic and naturally formed ingredients to deeply moisturize and nourish natural hair.

What is in a moment?

April 25, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Dalinka von Marées

While on a run a few days ago, I realized with a renewed jolt that I’d been running on autopilot – and that that was very much a reflection of how I frequently go about my days, weeks and months. My brain disconnects from the “rest of me” and embarks on one of its jaunts into multi-streaming: the simultaneous processing of information, conversations, to-dos, reviews, plans, actions…like an endless stream of Matrix-like numbers, figures and letters running across my mind’s eye.

Jodi Fittinghoff, a South African leading designer and manufacturer of customized bags and packaging

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Jodi Fittinghoff, co-owner, Jodam Manufacturers (South Africa)

Startup Story

Companies looking for customized bags manufactured to the highest standards and produced locally in South Africa know that Jodam Manufacturers, founded by Jodi Fittinghoff, is the place to go. Operating for 35 years, the business has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that produces the highest quality bags with innovative design and creativity at their heart.

Lioness Launch / New South African children’s skincare brand, Raising Uhuru, looks to nature for inspiration

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

South African children’s skincare brand, Raising Uhuru, came into existence when a young and curious first-time mom, Minky Mokapela, was faced with the challenge of her baby’s terrible eczema. The baby’s skin would get so dry that it would develop scabs that would lift and flake off creating a considerable level of discomfort for her, and the only effective products contained steroids. Thanks to her curiosity, Minky began to research natural ways to treat her daughter’s skin after finding out that long term use of steroids had adverse effects. She knew that mother nature definitely had an answer. Using natural oils and butters such as Cocoa butter, Shea butter and Jojoba oil, she created the Raising Uhuru children’s skincare range that is beneficial for all skin types and complexions.

Brand Storytelling: Put Customers At The Heart Of Your Brand Story by Miri Rodriguez

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Written by the award-winning storyteller Miri Rodriguez at Microsoft, Brand Storytelling: Put Customers At The Heart Of Your Brand Story is an actionable guide that goes beyond content strategy. Instead, it demonstrates how to leverage brand storytelling in the marketing mix to strengthen brand engagement and achieve long-term growth, with advice from brands like Expedia, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adobe and Google.

You’ll never do wrong by doing right

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

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By the Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

‘Doing right’ means different things to different people, but in business it is absolutely essential and represents your core values. The above photo showing the impact that UZURI K&Y, the Rwandan business founded by entrepreneurs Kevine Kagirimpundu and Ysolde Shimwe, has had on so many lives as a perfect example of this. So, “What are the core values of your business?” could have been the title this week…

Indrani Govender, a construction business founder, creating jobs and changing lives

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Indrani Govender, founder, Ricinz Construction (South Africa)

Impact Partner Content - Absa

Indrani Govender is the founder and owner of Ricinz Construction, a business established in 2010 in South Africa which today employs 20 people. The single mother of two boys, Indrani is an award winning entrepreneur recognized for her business and the number of jobs she has created in the community. Her passion is to uplift women and youth and ensure a better life for those who have given up on life. She now strives to create wealth for all her employees.

Mavis Nduchwa, a Botswana honey aggregator transforming communities

April 18, 2021 Melanie Hawken

Mavis Nduchwa, Founder and CEO, Kalahari Honey (Botswana)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Kalahari Honey, changing the world sustainably, one bee at a time

Mavis Nduchwa is the Founder and CEO of Kalahari Honey, a honey aggregator from Botswana whose mission is to build sustainable communities using bees. Founded in 2015 the company uses beekeeping as a tool to mitigate human and wildlife conflict by training and supplying rural farmers with beehives. Kalahari Honey creates jobs for more than 500 families and counting. Mavis is a former BBC Food Chain 2019 Judge, UN SDG We Empower Awardee 2020, and a 2020 African Business Hero.

Five tips to reframe 2021

April 17, 2021 Melanie Hawken

by Charmel Flemming

As I moved gently into 2021, I was extremely aware of the negativity surrounding the impact 2020 would have on us. It was, by all accounts an unprecedented year! My husband and I each run our own businesses from home. We have two daughters aged four and seven. 2020 encouraged us to work smarter and brought us closer as our family shared the same space 24/7, for months at a time. I am by nature, a life-loving entrepreneur, with a positive outlook on life and all the possibilities open to us, just waiting to be grasped and explored.

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