Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I grew up in a family where both parents were entrepreneurs. I was fond of my father and sincerely admired the powerful and successful man he was at the time! Although he never really mentored me to be an entrepreneur, he would always push me to believe in myself. He made me believe I was smart, he made me believe I could hold the biggest title in politics or as an employee, then I could on my own imagine achieving. This gave me confidence in myself and allowed me to be super ambitious.

But in me, I have always loved to challenge myself to achieve the impossible, the unexpected from a woman, so I wanted to be like him…. not achieve the titles he had in mind for me. I remember one time I had a fight with my elder brother, and he said to me, ‘You are a woman, all we are waiting for is to marry you off and be a wife to someone, that is all you can be.’ He probably just said that in the heat of the childish sibling fight, but I never forgot that statement. I was hurt and disappointed that, that was all I could be?! That is all that is expected of me?! But I took it as a challenge, I would prove them all, including society, wrong someday. And all these played a great part in making me want to be more and believing I could be more and the perseverance to keep going, even when it is not all rosy.

In college I was renting out movies/ DVDs to make my own income. After college I got married and started a family at 22, experiencing the challenges of managing a household. I started a maids training company, then later a diet foods company operating from home. Seeing these initiatives wouldn’t give me wealth, I got a job in the telecommunications industry, and it was there that I was exposed to technology and innovation and founded my 1st start up, JamiiAfrica, which was later acquired, and now Mipango Fintech, a construction company I co-founded, and more.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

We aspire to be a leading provider of value-added services for customers to banks and financial institutions.

Book Review

Natalie Franke’s new book, Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition, is a fresh, inspiring call for other entrepreneurs to see the power in community and forming connections with other like minded entrepreneurs. It is the perfect read for those who are on their entrepreneurial journeys and feeling alone, but ready to set off on a journey to true belonging.

Many people feel more alone than ever despite living in the most connected society in human history, and for many entrepreneurs their journeys to building successful businesses can be a lonely one. Natalie Franke’s new book, Built to Belong: Discovering the Power of Community Over Competition recognizes the need to belong in communities of like-minded people the same way that we need oxygen–our physical bodies require it. She believes we perform better and have greater successes as individuals when we are connected to the collective and when we stop looking at others as competition.

Join author Natalie Franke as she shares her story of longing for connection in the chaos and lessons learned on her journey to true belonging. Together you will uncover how to:

• Kick scroll-induced jealousy to the curb and transform the way that social media makes you feel about yourself and others

• Overcome loneliness by finding your people and cultivating true community in your personal and professional world

• Strike the balance between camaraderie and competition so that you can live a deeply fulfilled and joyful life

Natalie Franke believes that as human beings we are not highlight reels, we’re done fanning the flames of comparison, drowning in our insecurities, and being pitted against one another. She encourages us to say no to the endless rat race of getting ahead, and goodbye to the narratives that leave us feeling left out and alone. She believes we are destined for something better, we’re made for so much more, because knit into the fabric of our DNA, we were Built to Belong.

Author Quotes

Finding true community in a fiercely competitive world can feel like an impossible task.

We are surrounded by ideologies of scarcity, endless comparison, and winning at all costs. Our world pits us against one another as competitors rather than collaborators, as a threat instead of a friend, and we all suffer for it.

This book charts a new course forward. It is a rallying cry to transform our lives, how we feel about ourselves and others, all while cultivating deeply rooted relationships that raise the tide for all.

Built to Belong is a bold reminder that we can succeed while cheering for the success of others too. There is room for all of us to make and mark and thrive together.

About the author

Natalie Franke is one of the founders of the Rising Tide Society, a community of 77,000 creative entrepreneurs who gather in over 400 cities around the world in the spirit of community over competition. She took a hashtag (#communityovercompetition) and turned it into a movement and vibrant community that now spans the globe. Natalie currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and son, and serves as the Head of Community for HoneyBook and Rising Tide—leading a team of world changers in the pursuit of empowering the creative economy to rise together doing what they love.

www.nataliefranke.com 

by Lori Milner

“Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter” – Greg McKeown

For many of us, turning down a request or invitation can be extremely difficult. One small word can trigger emotions in us like guilt and shame. Ultimately, we are scared that someone won’t like us or reject us because we said no. The reality is you need to maintain healthy boundaries. You cannot possibly say “yes” to every request and invitation that comes your way, and if you try to do that, you’ll only burn yourself out. If you haven’t already…

Time management is boundary management. The way to stay focused on your goals and what matters most is developing the art of saying no. Ditch your default of people pleasing and be the master of your calendar. Inevitably, there are going to be those times when there is an urgent request, or a crisis and you will need to drop everything to make it happen. But let those instances be the exceptions and not the norm.

Consider why you are really giving away your yes so easily:

• Are you comfortable saying no when appropriate?

• Do you avoid conflict to the extent that you fill your work and life with other people’s urgencies that keep you from things that are more important?

If this is you, here are some tools to navigate the art of saying no:

Manage expectations

“Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine.” – Bob Carter

When someone asks you to do something, do you hear yourself saying ‘No problem, I’ll get it done by tomorrow’. Even though you know you have very little capacity in your calendar as it is. It’s human nature to want to please others and there is a fear of damaging your reputation if you say no. If someone asks you to assist with a document or task, instead of your default reaction committing to it the next day or even the same day – rather ask:

‘What is the latest deadline you need this? My calendar is swamped until Tuesday, would Wednesday morning work for you?’.

You will find that they will probably agree to it unless there is a genuinely urgent need for it sooner. But again, let that be the exception and not the norm. You don’t want to compromise quality for quantity in your eager need to please others. You are remembered for your latest contribution, not something you did well a few weeks ago.

What if it’s my boss?

“One key to successful relationships is learning to say no without guilt, so that you can say yes without resentment.” – Bill Crawford

It’s all well to say no to your colleagues but what happens when it is your boss or someone more senior than you who makes the request? You can respond by saying ‘here are the key priorities I am working on right now. If I take this on, then something needs to give. Where would you prefer I focus – what is most important for you?’. In this way, there is zero guilt. You have expressed your situation clearly and now the ball is in their court on how you should proceed. You are being responsible in terms of ensuring top quality and delivery. After all, it is your reputation on the line if you don’t deliver to a high standard.

The yes sandwich

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” – Josh Billings

Often, it is not the fact that you said no but perhaps the way you said it. My co-author Nadia Bilchik and I published ‘Own Your Space: The Toolkit for the Working Woman’ in 2016 where we spoke about the ‘Yes Sandwich’. This is an approach that allows you to turn down a request in a way that softens the blow and helps the other person not to take your ‘no’ so personally.

It has 3 layers:

Layer 1: Begin by positively acknowledging the other person’s intent.
Layer 2: This is where you graciously say no.
Layer 3: Offer an alternative (this is optional)

Let’s say you are invited to attend a webinar, online networking event or social chat after hours, you could say:

1. ‘Thank you so much for the invitation and for thinking of me.’

2. ‘Unfortunately, this is my family time, or I have made another commitment already’.

3. ‘Please think of me for the next one as I would love to support you.’

In this way, the person doesn’t feel hurt or offended and you have left space for them to approach you again without feeling put out or personally attacked.

Protect your downtime

“The oldest, shortest words – ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – are those which require the most thought.” – Pythagoras

Saying no is not just about protecting your weekday calendar but setting boundaries on your recovery time too. When you are faced with a request like attending a family lunch or an online game of trivia, ask yourself these questions before you respond:

• Am I saying no out of fear or guilt? If so, it is probably a no.

• Does this energise me or drain me?

• What am I giving up by saying yes?

• Does this excite me?

The ultimate question to ask yourself comes from author, Derek Sivers:

“Is this a “HELL YEAH!” or a no?

When you are deciding what to do, anything that doesn’t completely excite you should automatically default to a no. Derek says, “When you say no to most things, you leave room in your life to really throw yourself completely into that rare thing that makes you say, “HELL YEAH!” We’re all busy. We’ve all taken on too much. Saying yes to less is the way out”. Don’t fall into the trap of giving away a yes because your calendar is empty at the time of the request, even six months from now. How many times have you agreed to attend an event because you figured you have nothing on so you may as well? But fast forward to the date in question and you are cursing yourself you agreed to it.

Create a mental buffer

“Sometimes no is the kindest word.” – Vironika Tugaleva

If saying yes to requests rolls off your tongue a bit too easily in the moment, then have this default ready: ‘Let me check my calendar and I’ll get back to you’. It gives you some breathing room to pause and check your priorities and capacity. Once you have decided what will work for you, then get back to them with the time frames that ensure your work and mental wellbeing won’t get compromised.

Conclusion

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage pleasantly, smilingly, and non-apologetically – to say no to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger yes burning inside.” – Stephen Covey

The reality is that saying No is always going to feel like a challenge unless you have a yes big enough to keep you focused.

Remember, when you say yes to someone else, you are inadvertently saying no to what matters most to you. Ask yourself:

• What do I really value?

• What matters to me?

• What am I committed to?

The results you have in your life now and what you are committed to. If you are in shape, you are committed to your health. You need to know what matters to you because when those decision moments come on whether to say yes or no, you can choose the value that you already know matters most. When you start second guessing yourself and feel the need to justify your response, remember Ann Lamott’s wise words – “no is a complete sentence”.

Here’s to owning your no,

Warm wishes
Lori

by Shato Babitse 

Today, women comprise nearly half of the global workforce. The additional productive power of women entering the workforce from 1970 until today accounts for about 25% of current GDP. This makes women a strong force in the global economy, one that is growing as more women across the world enter the workforce in greater numbers, than ever before.

With such an influx of women into the corporate world, it would seem inevitable that more women would begin to fill executive offices. Sadly, it hasn’t been the case. There are, however, a few who successfully make it to the top of their field, but it is a long, hard climb. And what these women tend to have in common is the vital role that mentorship played in the course of their professional journey. 

It is imperative that more women in leadership positions actively support and contribute to a mentoring uprising in the modern workplace. This is one lever we can activate to advance more women in their work, to help them gain access to capital and economic opportunities they may otherwise miss, and to be better prepared for opportunities when they come. In a recent article by Heather Graham, she observes that we often measure success by what many consider to be “masculine” qualities, and that we could all benefit from celebrating “feminine” leadership attributes more than we do. I believe that as women leaders, we have a responsibility to use our power to help lift other women up. Why? Because mentored women are statistically more successful in the workplace than non-mentored women. They rise to positions of power and influence more quickly and with fewer hurdles than women who don’t have a mentor. According to a study conducted by Development Dimensions International Inc. (2013), an overwhelming 63% of women were reported to have never had a mentor. This indicates a big development gap, considering that 67% of women rate mentorship as highly important in helping to advance and grow their careers.

Many women work in what we perceive as isolation, often feeling like they are not part of the ‘boys club’. Mentorship can help crack open the unhealthy belief that “I am alone”. It helps build a sisterhood and provides a sense of companionship and solidarity. 

Additionally, it is particularly beneficial when a female leader mentors multiple women, as it creates a domino effect that encourages those mentored women to eventually mentor other women, which then becomes a catalyst to a long list of organizational benefit, community building and hopefully more women in leadership roles. In a report by the Global Leadership Forecast of 2015, it states that the top 20% of financially  successful companies are comprised of 37% female leaders, compared to the bottom 20% of companies who are reported to have less than 19% women leaders. It is therefore evident that the female frame of reference is clearly of great benefit to any organization’s growth.

Despite the significant improvements in the advancement of women all around the world, the majority of top leadership positions are still held by men. And although some women are breaking the pattern, others struggle to thrive. So, let us steer the conversation, and help elevate one another.

With the global  COVID – 19 pandemic came the work-from-home era which made it a lot easier for people to combine a full-time job with one side hustle or more. Nevertheless, some of us have struggled to properly balance their side hustles with their day jobs, especially as some offices are reopening physically and employees are starting to work from the office. So, if you’re one of those people, here are some tips to bear in mind:

SET CLEAR AND REALISTIC DAILY GOALS

If you’re not in the habit of writing to-do lists and plans for the day, now is probably the best time to pick up that habit. Goal setting helps you focus and prioritize properly. In setting these goals, try to be realistic about how much you can get done so that you don’t end up overburdening yourself or coming short of the goals you have set for yourself. For example, if you freelance as your side job, you could set goals to write at least one blog post per day. The key factor here is to BE REALISTIC as to your individual capacity.

MANAGE YOUR TIME WISELY

In Mike Okri’s voice, “time na money o, time na money”.

Having a schedule helps you manage your time properly. Avoid taking on jobs with short time frames and work based on your schedule. Take advantage of your free time like weekends, public holidays, and even lunch breaks to work on your side hustle. If you work from 9am to 5pm, you can factor in the hours before or after your full-time job and get a few things done within that time frame.

DELEGATE TASKS OR OUTSOURCE RESPONSIBILITIES

This is one thing people who have side jobs often fail to remember to take advantage of. Don’t be that person who tries to do every single thing especially when it’s outside of your expertise.  For example, if your side hustle involves a lot of social media management, you probably won’t be able to devote enough time to build new clientele online because of your 9-5. You can outsource the social media engagement to a third party so you can stay focused at your day job but still have some time to  build your client list.

BE CONSISTENT AND DISCIPLINED

Trying to consistently deliver good quality and standard at your 9 – 5 and side hustle can be quite daunting. But maintaining that good quality helps you to avoid getting fired and also build your side hustle systematically. Try not to take on too many orders if it will compromise your quality or affect your day job. In other words, no go do pass yourself.

 

Having a source of income is important but having multiple sources of income is ‘importanter.’ Did you find these tips helpful?  Tell us in the comments!