It’s all about finishing

February 20, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko

I hate finishing. The process. But the aftermath is wonderful. I am talking about finishing in fashion design sense. Finishing is a process of … literally ‘finishing the garment’. And it is a lot of work. It includes putting in zips, embellishments which could be 100 little beads, ironing (my pass time hate), putting in buttons, cutting off threads, making sure all stitches are in place; ironing again, putting labels on…etc. So almost like quality control but slowly. It doesn’t matter how fast you are in life, you can never ever hurry finishing. Little things take forever to finish.

A must-read for the entrepreneur: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

February 20, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

Quote of the Day by Mariana Agness Francisco Eria

February 20, 2018 Melanie Hawken

“The mistakes along the way are going to be the bricks to build the foundation of your business.”

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

Entrepreneur Advice from Ally Angula: Structure your planning and goal setting

February 20, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Ally Angula, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia) — **Ally Angula**, co-founder of Leap Holdings (Namibia)

Structure planning and goal setting…

“In terms of planning, set goals for the month, broken down into weeks and then set three main goals for the day to help you be intentional. Do block sessions during the day focusing on these goals.”

- Ally Angula is a qualified chartered accountant and co-founder of Leap Holdings, a group of companies involved in the growing of fresh produce, garment manufacturing and retail in Namibia. She is also the founder of My Republik Brand, Namibia’s first locally designed, manufactured and retailed clothing brand with a flagship store situated in the Grove Mall in Windhoek's Kleine Kuppe suburb. Ally was chosen as a Desmond Tutu Fellowship Programme Associate in April 2013 and was one of two Namibian entrepreneurs selected to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama in Kenya. More about Ally.

Your dream, your business, your ambition starts with you

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Du Preez, the exclusive coach for Picketfence.life

As a woman I know what it is like to put the needs of others ahead of my own, to constantly juggle various balls. Never dropping any of them, that would never be an option! At the very heart of this is You, a Super Hero, the one who others depend on. We inspire, protect, love and fight for others.

Why blogging is good for your business

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of SnappSales and VA Connect

The year was 2013, I had quit my day job and I was trying my hand at this thing called “entrepreneurship” full-time. I had started a side-line business a few years ago and decided that this was the year to give it my all.

How to improve employee boss relationships

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Having good relationships at work is not just good for workers, it’s good for companies. The well-established American consulting company, Gallup says that people are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs if they have a friend at work. And engaged workers are productive workers.

Look Great on Video

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Laura Camacho, founder of Mixonian Institute

Video is where it's at. Whether it's a job interview or early-stage pitch or other key meeting, video is faster, cheaper and more convenient than in-person, yet more personal than talking on the phone.

Quote of the Day by Tracy Mulei

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

“… there will be lots of sleepless nights, tears, prayers while you are stuck in the traffic jams and experiencing long working hours, but at the end of the journey it's all worth it.”

- Tracy Mulei, founder of Shujaa Delivery (Kenya)

Entrepreneur Advice from Samantha Rice: There comes a time when you just need to jump in

February 19, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Samantha Rice, founder of Creative Compass (South Africa) — **Samantha Rice**, founder of Creative Compass (South Africa)

There comes a time when you just need to jump in…

“It never feels as though it is the right time to take the leap - sometimes you cannot prepare any more, you just need to jump into the deep end and learn how to swim.”

Samantha Rice, the founder of Creative Compass, is a South African creative media expert with a passion for helping her clients to realize their business visions. She is a qualified journalist who has specialized in communication design and brand development. Samantha has traveled through the editorial space, as well as the advertising agency side, and has worked across many communication platforms. She has a passion for carving out the creative course for businesses. Read Samantha’s startup story.

3 Talented women chef entrepreneurs sharing their culinary love in South Africa

February 18, 2018 Melanie Hawken

L-R: Chef Naledi, Chef Teddy, Mogau Seshoene (The Lazy Makoti) — L-R: Chef Naledi, Chef Teddy, Mogau Seshoene (The Lazy Makoti)

South Africa has long been known for its lively culinary scene. But three women chef entrepreneurs in the country are demonstrating that it’s not only about creating great food for customers. It’s also about sharing their culinary knowledge with others. Chef Naledi, Chef Teddy and The Lazy Makoti, otherwise known as Mogau Seshoene, are all taking their specialist knowledge and expertise to the next level by teaching others how to cook.

The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business: Make Great Money. Work the Way You Like. Have the Life You Want, by Elaine Pofeldt

February 17, 2018 Melanie Hawken

The rise of one-million-dollar, one-person businesses in the past five years is the biggest trend in employment today, offering the widest range of people the most ways to earn a living while having the lifestyles they want. In The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business, Elaine Pofeldt outlines the pathways to joining this entrepreneurial movement, synthesizing advice from hundreds of business owners who've done it.

Negative self-talk damages your soul: 5 Tips to help you silence your inner critic and boost your self esteem

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Screen Shot 2018-02-16 at 12.00.23 PM.jpg

by Deborah Hartung, founder of Pivot PeopleTech

You will never speak to anyone as often as you speak to yourself – that silent little voice in your head that is hyper-critical of everything and keeps on telling you that you are somehow ‘not enough’. We call it negative self-talk and it is really bad for you because it breaks you down and keeps you from being the best version of YOU. Here are 5 tips to help you silence your inner critic and boost your self-esteem.

Gaceri Kirimi, a Kenyan entrepreneur building a niche on-demand laundry business for busy people

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Gaceri Kirimi, co-founder of Destello Laundry Cleaning Services (Kenya) — **Gaceri Kirimi**, co-founder of Destello Laundry Cleaning Services (Kenya)

As entrepreneurs, we all know how difficult it can be to balance work and life commitments, and when it comes to managing household chores such as laundry, it can be difficult without help. That’s where Destello Laundry Cleaning Services comes in, helping Nairobi’s busy professionals and families to deal with the chore of doing laundry each week.

How change management can support common business challenges

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Leigh Ann Gowland, founder of Employee Driven Change

The old adage “the only constant is change” often flippantly quoted negates the importance of good change management. It is important to remember that not all change is created equal and the value of a good change management strategy lies in understanding and supporting unique change management requirements of the business. To demonstrate the importance of carefully constructed change management strategy we explore factors to be considered in three different business change scenarios and how change management could support these efforts.

Location Based Marketing, what is it and how to take advantage of this trend

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lynette Hundermark, managing director of Useful & Beautiful

Location-based marketing has been around for a few years now and has been a much hyped-up trend especially with the advent of apps, but what is it exactly? In layman’s terms, location marketing means using the physical location to inform and optimize messaging and communication from brand to a consumer in order to create a one-on-one relationship to deliver the most relevant message at the right place and right time (context marketing).

Quote of the Day by Annie Muronda

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

"Being an entrepreneur has been life changing. It has opened my world and view point, I feel I am more connected to the world around me.”

- Annie Muronda, founder of Rufaro Garments (South Africa)

Entrepreneur Advice from Lunice Johnston: Be disciplined and professional

February 16, 2018 Melanie Hawken

Lunice Johnston, founder of Lunice Johnston Communications (South Africa) — **Lunice Johnston,** founder of Lunice Johnston Communications (South Africa)

Be disciplined and professional…

“Be disciplined - wake-up every morning with a purpose… dress up, take your handbag and physically go to a workspace, even if it's at a dining room table. Don’t ever fall into a habit of working in your PJs. Allow yourself enough me-time, as you will certainly bear the fruits. Be professional - your personal brand is of utmost importance in building your business.”

- Lunice Johnston is the founder of Lunice Johnston Communications, a South African communications professional with a passion for guiding her clients on their own business journeys in the public domain. Her company specialises in media relations, PR, reputation management, crisis communication, stakeholder management, social media management and training.Read Lunice’s startup story.

What’s the story we tell ourselves?

February 15, 2018 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress

Welcome to 2018, it is amazing to be here. My overarching theme for 2017 which had a massive impact on my life is, ‘What is the story we tell ourselves?’ So, what is the story we tell ourselves? Often this story gets moulded from childhood by our parents and teachers on what we can, can’t, should or shouldn’t do.