Perseverance is not always the answer

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

I enjoy reading entrepreneurial books and articles. I have a fascination with people’s passions and what makes them do what they do. I’m also a fan of research and while running a business I wanted to know more and to ensure I was doing the right things. I remember reading some quote about how success is just on the other side of feeling like giving up. Reading that advice was really detrimental for me, in fact. You see, I’m not a quitter. I persevered so much that my health collapsed. To be fair, I didn’t heed the advice in the same articles of weeding out toxic elements and doing what you love.

Exercise your Super Power

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

“Choosing” is the most important activity of your mind. "Choosing" is the most important activity of your mind. Yes, I wrote that twice. Because it is that important. I'll write it again. "Choosing" is the most important activity of your mind. Whether you are exercising choice in the moment or in respect of the bigger picture, choice is a proclamation to your subconscious mind and a prayer to the universe. Choice is the mechanism with which you harness and focus your resources and it is how you collaborate and co-create with forces beyond the comprehension of your logical mind.

As empreendedoras moçambicanas concentram-se na criação de impacto com as suas empresas

July 8, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Relatório de eventos

O desejo de causar impacto através dos negócios foi o tema de conversa no segundo evento da série Lioness Lean In Webinars em Moçambique, realizada a 6 de julho de 2022. Cerca de 100 mulheres empreendedoras de todo o país reuniram-se online no dia 27 de setembro de 2022 para participar no webinar organizado pela Lionesses of Africa em parceria com o Standard Bank Mozambique e a Embaixada do Reino dos Países Baixos. O objetivo era que as empresárias do país partilhassem as suas experiências de criação de impacto, inspirando-se mutuamente com as histórias das suas jornadas empresarias e criassem ligações para o sucesso e colaboração empresariais.

A minha Carreira ou a minha família?

July 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Erica Paiva

A mulher empoderada dos dias de hoje, recebe essa questão quase todos dias de forma irônica como se nao pudesse escolher e tivesse que cegamente consentir que não existe a possibilidade de seguir com a carreira em detrimento da família, e apenas ao homem e dada essa possibilidade de poder aventurar na sua carreira acadêmica ou profissional e deixando o cuidado da família na responsabilidade da mulher. Mas será isso correcto?

Navigating the world of global uncertainty

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / by Janeal Haskins Head: Forex Sales and International Banking

A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact and the widespread insistence that they were obvious in hindsight. The term was popularized by the book, The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You're Not a Rich White Guy by Kathryn Finney

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Book Review

Build the Damn Thing, is an indispensable guide to building a startup business and breaking down the barriers for diverse entrepreneurs, written by the visionary venture capitalist and pioneering entrepreneur Kathryn Finney. This riveting book is a hard-won, battle-tested guide for every entrepreneur who the establishment has left out.

Let’s talk Debt!

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lionesses of Africa Operations Dept

We saw a fascinating statistic recently regarding job applications and the differing actions of women vs men. In job applications according to an original study by Hewlett Packard and discussed by the Harvard Business Review (‘HBR’) back in 2014 (here) and continually confirmed in more recent studies such as from LinkedIn here, men will apply to jobs if they feel they match 60% of the requirements on the job application. Women? They will apparently agonize for ages over the last 5% on the way to 100% certainty.

27 Useful Facts About Communication

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Laura M Camacho, PhD and Culture Fixer

Small changes in the way you communicate can bring big changes in the life you live. I see this reality every single day.

My ABC of business: Woman, stop being emotional about your business!

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Woman, stop being emotional about your business! If you are a woman in business, you might feel offended by this! How can you say that Lizl? Well, as tough as it is to say...it's time to put the emotions away! And believe me, I am preaching to myself!

Why is it so difficult to ask for help?

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

In an article that I recently read, which led me to a TED talk with the same topic by Heidi Grant, I came across some very useful tips, coupled with a deeper understanding of why I am always struggling to ask for help. I used to be the top student in my class since primary school and getting a prize at every prize-giving ceremony was etched in my childhood memory. Seeing my parents sitting there and watching with pride as I stood up to claim my prize. I never participated in any sports. Could it be that the individual achievement was an incentive for me to perform well and that all the praises were for me and not a team? Could it be that I valued being viewed as an independent person who was good at solving her own challenges without “bothering” others and asking for help? Luckily, as I progressed in life, I quickly learnt that collaborating and asking for help is very normal and was not a sign of weakness on my part.

How to Press Your Internal Reset Button and Get Unstuck

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

When your laptop or phone begins to slow down to the point of unbearable speed, a wave of terror takes over you. You have horrifying visions of being without your precious device for a few hours. The good news is the simplest solution is often the most effective. Most likely, once you restart the device, it will work again perfectly. It’s the same with you. No matter what work you do or where you are in your career, you also feel as if your operating system is not functioning at its maximum capacity.

Charlotte Flavienne Binya, an innovative agri-food processing entrepreneur from Cameroon

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Charlotte Binya, founder, Country Foods SARL (Cameroon)

Startup Story

Charlotte Binya is the founder of Country Foods SARL which is an agri-food company based in Douala, Cameroon, producing products such as fish, pork, beef sausages, natural jams, natural fruit juices and peanut butter. Holder of an engineering diploma in transformation and quality control of fishery products, Charlotte is also a trainer in the food industry and delivers several training courses in the food industry, as well as with international organizations, individuals or companies wishing to update their teams in the food industry.

Wada Kealotswe, an eco-friendly pencil manufacturer from Botswana creating jobs and positively impacting the planet

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Wada Kealotswe, founder & director Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera (Botswana)

Startup Story

Wada Kealotswe is the founder and director of Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera in Botswana, a company that manufactures eco graphite and colour pencils. The business has been running for 2 years and today has 3 permanent employees and 15 part time employees, mostly youth who have never worked before. Wada is a Development Economist from Botswana with over 10 years’ experience doing developmental work, and a graduate from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The company was a 2021 runner-up for the Catalyst SEED award in the Waste Management category, and its stories have been featured on global platforms like Forbes and Xinhua.

Adanne Uche, a pioneer of healthy food processing in Nigeria

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Adanne Uche, Founder & CEO, Ady's Agro Processing Limited (Nigeria)

Lioness Weekender Cover Story

Ady's Agro Processing Limited, a food processing business in Nigeria providing families with healthier cooking ingredients.

Adanne Uche is the Founder/CEO of Ady's Agro Processing Limited formerly known as Ady's Food Mart, a food processing and packaging business based in Lagos, Nigeria, that is focused on providing families with healthier cooking ingredients in Nigeria, Africa and the world where African dishes are appreciated. Having 2 failed businesses, she founded Ady's in 2016 from her kitchen and no structure to a now globally recognized brand, that empowers and motivates both the young and old generation. She is a seasoned and resilient entrepreneur who despite the harsh business terrain have stood the test of time.

My career or my family?

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Erica Paiva

The empowered woman of today receives this question almost every day in an ironic way. As if she could not choose and had to blindly consent that there is no possibility of pursuing a career to the detriment of the family, only to the man is given that possibility of being able to venture into his academic or professional career and leaving the care of the family in the woman's responsibility. But is that right?

Most People Think Imposter Syndrome Reveals Your Gaps. The Truth Is It Reveals Your Growth

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Imposter syndrome is not based on logic. The most successful people still experience the feeling that everyone will find out that they know nothing, that their success is based on luck, and that they don’t deserve to be there. It’s a debilitating pattern and one that can keep you playing small if you buy into your own story.

Create your underlying theme

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Determining what our purpose is in life can be one of the hardest questions that we as humans are compelled to answer. It is the guiding light we seek to help us create value that is meaningful to us far beyond the remuneration, adoration and adulation we may enjoy from our worldly pursuits. Our purpose is also where we are challenged the most.

My ABC of business: How to gain the support of your clients, even though you disappoint

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Recently in the span of 48 hours, I received complaints from two individual customers about product breakages. Because I am so pedantic about delivering a quality product, I was initially completely stunned. It felt like a barrage coming my way. I remember a heat rush going to my head, as I tried to make sense of it all. I took a deep breath and took a 5 minute walk before I replied.

Lioness Launch / Ethiopian ready-to-wear clothing brand, Kunjina, launches new concept collection

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Kunjina Tesfaye, founder, Kunjina (Ethiopia)

Lioness Launch

Kunjina, a unique Ethiopian ready-to-wear clothing brand that mainly caters to women within the age range of 25-40 and founded by Kunjina Tesfaye, is launching its new concept collection this month. The collection named UDET, a Geez word meaning cycle, is Inspired by Kunjina's personal experience. The collection revolves around topics like fear, productivity guilt and growth. It shows the process of self-doubt, transformation and self-actualization using the metamorphosis cycle of a butterfly as a metaphor.

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.

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