Get What You Want: How to Go from Unseen to Unstoppable by Julie Solomon

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

In Julie Solomon’s new book, Get What You Want: How to Go from Unseen to Unstoppable, this empowering guide is for women who are tired of being told "just be yourself” in life and in business. Julie is the host of the chart-topping The Influencer Podcast and in her new book, she teaches you how to shake off outdated ideas of what is possible. She encourages you to use your newfound confidence to make anything you want happen, and start getting seen and known for getting things done.

Embrace Meaning

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

Last weekend we asked you to reach for your inner Steve or Elon a.k.a. ‘war leaders’ (ok, we did say ‘not too much Steve or Elon’ - as these are 100% ’power, drive and complete belief’ that would completely exhaust many of us mere mortals on the best of our days), to keep ourselves and our decision making focused and processes nimble for what looks like difficult times ahead. As troubles rush towards Africa in the form of inflation; lack of staple foods, cooking oils and fertilizers (see here); ongoing droughts in East Africa; western Central Banks raising interest rates and cutting off at the kneecaps the fix of cheap money that has kept the globe hooked (and a rush to higher yielding investments - such as in Africa), it could create recessions, civil unrests, and so on.

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge, a luxury jewellery brand builder changing the lives of Kenya’s artisans

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge, founder and creative director, Umutoni (Kenya)

Startup Story

Umutoni Thuku-Benzinge is the founder and creative director of Umutoni, a luxury jewelry brand where every piece is handmade with love by the best artisans from the heart of Kenya. She is on a mission to empower the disenfranchised through her ethically driven jewellery. With a degree in Economics and background in the IT industry, Umutoni is utilizing skills developed in her professional background to share the narrative that jewellery can be an agent for social change. Having spoken at Cambridge University, being featured in Forbes and BBC, she's keen to share the brand story and continue to make an impact as she continues to amalgamate her worlds together.

Sasha Knott, a South African techpreneur building an innovative recruitment solution connecting companies to talent

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sasha Knott, CEO, Job Crystal (South Africa)

Startup Story

Sasha Knott, the CEO of Job Crystal in South Africa, started her career in IT and moved quickly in her career finding her passion for entrepreneurship and combining this with technology that works for the customer and often disrupts industries. Sasha’s current plan is to make job seekers lives easier while helping SMEs find talent fast and effortlessly! With Job Crystal’s new system called Crystal which combines RecTech, AI, machine learning and UX functionality that makes it easy to find the needle in the haystack for SMEs looking for talent. The vision is to make a dent in unemployment.

Jane Maigua, Kenya’s macadamia nut agri-processing pioneer

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Exotic EPZ, a Kenyan macadamia nuts processing and export company supporting smallholder farmers

Jane Maigua is the CEO of Exotic EPZ, a macadamia nuts processing and export company based in Nairobi Kenya. The company was restarted in 2017 under Jane's leadership and has grown its supply of high quality nuts from Netherlands to a growing customer base in USA, Spain, Germany, Italy and China. Jane has two business partners, Charity Ndegwa and Loise Maina, and together they have established the only solely woman-owned processing and export company in the macadamia value chain in East Africa. Exotic EPZ employs over 100 workers giving them a decent employment, and it sources its raw nuts from over 5000 small holder farmers. Of the company’s workers, 85% are women and 75% are youth. Exotic EPZ’s commitment to environmental sustenance has been demonstrated in its use of solar power to run its processing factory and recycling of shells as boiler fuel, in addition to use of energy efficient processing systems. Currently the company is launching a campaign for planting of macadamia trees as a source of income as well as for carbon sequestration.

Ruth Obizo, a Nigerian beauty entrepreneur creating professional make-up experiences

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

**Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka, founder, GlambyRuthie (Nigeria)**

Startup Story

Obizo (Ruth) Chiamaka is the founder of GlambyRuthie in Nigeria, a brand focused on providing the best makeup services for women across the nation and the training of aspiring makeup artists. She is also studying accountancy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and currently pursuing her ICAN qualification. Ruth founded GlambyRuthie in 2020 and is focused on growing her brand, getting involved in fashion shows, and looking for collaborations in the beauty industry.

Sibongile Mthimunye, a South African entrepreneur building an environmentally friendly cleaning business

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Sibongile Mthimunye, founder, BWGL Group (South Africa)

Startup Story

Sibongile Mthimunye is the founder of BWGL Group in South Africa, a specialist business providing cleaning services to companies, businesses and households. Sibongile’s business is also a distributor of natural and environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The business was founded in 2020 and is growing and continuing to employ women from local communities. Sibongile is harnessing her 23 years of experience working in both the non-profit and corporate sectors for the benefit of her own business.

Theddy Ladislaus, an impact driven business builder in Tanzania

June 19, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Untold Global Limited, a pan-African group with interests in Healthcare, Agriculture, ICT and Strategic Communication.

Ms. Theddy Ladislaus is the Founder and Managing partner of Untold Global Ltd, a pan-African group of companies with interests in Healthcare, Agriculture, ICT and Strategic Communication. She is synonymous for having devised high impact business & governance strategies aimed at solving socio-economic issues in a number of markets and communities. She is a leader with a long track record which goes back to her teenage years where she served as the youngest member of the parliament in 2014 under the 4th President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Her passion for policy and governance have earned her a place on the global stage where she have participated in the formation and development of governance strategies in the youth sector.

Are you tough enough to make the difficult decisions AND show you care?

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Department

“People want to know that the person leading their [company] is tough enough to bring them through, but they also want to see that the leader gets it, understands how anxious, confused and worried about the future they are.”

…from the great book ‘Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons’ by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Head of the WTO, and exactly captures what we as leaders need to show in the coming months (possibly year) as events across the globe, inflation, possible Stagflation as we discussed (here) and especially the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions, continue to impact our countries and communities.

Unfiltered: Proven Strategies to Start and Grow Your Business by Not Following the Rules by Rachel Pedersen

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book review

If you have ever wondered how to move the needle quickly to build your business, then Rachel Pedersen, author of Unfiltered, has just the advice and experience you are looking for. In 2013, Rachel was a single mum, freshly off of food stamps and struggling to get her life on track. Three years later, she was leaving her 9-to-5 job to launch a consulting business with her husband. Today, she is the founder and CEO of two multimillion-dollar companies and an expert in every aspect of social media, helping businesses with massive, needle-moving growth.

Follow Your Bliss

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

I’m crazy about MasterChef Australia for a number of reasons. I am, of course, really interested in people who are changing their careers and who have the courage to switch paths, sometimes quite late in life. It’s so interesting to see how the contestants often comment on how they have grown as a person so much more than they anticipated. They entered the competition to gain skills and a head-start in becoming a chef. Not only do they all (not only the winner) pick up new skills in their chosen profession, but they push themselves to grow. In doing so, they discover a profound flow experience in the creation of food. It is a creative exercise and requires imagination, skill and knowledge. What an amazing journey they are taken on and it’s no wonder there are tears as each contestant is eliminated from the competition.

Your people don't want to come back to the office…

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

We live in a world where we glorify professional stress, extensive work hours, extreme dedication. We live in a world where saying ''no'' to extra work is seen as a weakness. As a result you end up over-worked, exhausted, traumatized... which you then simply call ''the price of being successful’'. As my colleague Bogdan Manta says, ''Balance is not something you find; balance is something you create.''

Be Fascinated With Yourself

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Sometimes you just have a good day. Today was such a day!

On the brink of burnout and with a catastrophic loss of confidence after some challenging life events, my client reached out for some support. She wanted more confidence and to be more effective, more efficient, and more organised. According to her, she couldn't organise a drinks-party in a brewery. She lamented that she had been such a go-getter, but now was such a disappointment ... to herself, her family and her boss.

Keep moving!

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nontobeko Mbuyane

Most of us will experience hard choices, stressful events and difficult situations that will impact us in one way or another for the rest of our lives. Hard times happen and they teach us lessons, make us stronger, and give us a deeper sense of self. After all, would sitting in the sun mean as much if you hadn’t experienced the storm first? Elizabeth Taylor once said: “You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other, and darn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.”

Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business by Francie Hinrichsen

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book review

Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, written by Francie Hinrichsen, MBA, is your go-to guide to launch, plan, and grow your business so you can create a future you feel giddy to wake up to. This book will sashay you along each step to begin your own dream business and help you fashion your new lifestyle of freedom like a breath of fresh air.

Paula de Morais, a dynamic Angolan entrepreneur passionate about health

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Paula Cristina Cardoso de Morais, founder, Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina (Angola)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina, a centre of excellence in physical and mental rehabilitation in Angola

Dynamic, resilient, proactive, and determined, Paula Cristina Cardoso de Morais, founder of Centro de Fisioterapia Ana Carolina in Angola, is an entrepreneur of recognized merit. Inspired by the health condition of her daughter and believing in the power of overcoming, Paula is focused on making her contribution to the humanization and evolution of health services in her country, with a particular impact on special children and their families.

Lioness Launch / New online engagement ring design service launched in South Africa

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Launch

Preposal is a new online service founded by Lucinda Dabbs in South Africa that helps your partner surprise you with the engagement ring of your dreams. Her newly launched platform allows you to create a profile and you’ll be guided through a set of questions to help you narrow down the specifics of your perfect engagement ring. Then, when it’s time to propose, your partner simply logs in on their side and downloads your Preposal mood board. This single-page tool contains all the information and vocabulary they need to confidently make this life-changing purchase. Thanks to Preposal, you can say yes to them and to your dream piece of jewellery.

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu, a Kenyan entrepreneur with a passion for training and consulting to elevate opportunities for the youth

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu, founder & ceo, Woven Link Africa (Kenya)

Startup Story

Flacia Wanjiru Nyamu is the founder and ceo of Woven Link Africa, with 19 years of combined experience in youth capacity building programs. Her greatest accomplishments are in setting up systems and structures for design, delivery and management of vocational education, entrepreneurship, and employability programs. She has worked with various organizations in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, and UK.

Stacey Spilsbury, a South African entrepreneur helping clients to connect mind, body and wellness

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Stacey Spilsbury, co-founder, Connectable Life (South Africa)

Startup Story

Stacey Spilsbury is the co-founder of Connectable Life in South Africa, an online platform that connects Mind, Body and Wellness specialists with clients. She grew up in the heart of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. She is married to an incredible man, father and farmer, and they have 4 earth loving, wild and free, little boys. Both Stacey and her husband are passionate about Family, Faith and Business. She has a background in marketing and worked for a few years in London, UK before getting married and settling down back in South Africa.

Greater focus required in the manufacturing sector

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa

As the fourth largest contributor to gross domestic product, manufacturing is a key sector to the country’s recovery plan and achieving our future growth by creating jobs and lessening the country’s reliance on imported products.

Absa is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of the Manufacturing Indaba, which will take place on 21 and 22 June 2022 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

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