I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… “New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.” Alex Morritt Every successful individual has a story to tell about when they felt like giving up… when they felt as though they had nothing left in them to give. I have learned that Continue Reading
If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. Henry Ford Time flies when you are having fun. It has been an amazing privilege to lead OWIT Nairobi for the last 2 years. We have accomplished much, reached some pivotal milestones – hosting the 18th Annual OWIT International Conference, the 1st ever on African soil; finalising our 2023 Strategic Plan, holding a business meeting on the 1st Tuesday of every month with inspirational speakers who equipped our members will the skills to build thriving businesses, developing an export accelerator that we hope to launch in 2020 and building strong strategic partnerships that have enabled us to bring back our quarterly ½ day partner-led training workshops for women in business, just to name a few. As I look back, I feel honoured to have been part of an Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No 41: 2020 Here We Come! The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion. Terry Orlick It was an honor to be amongst the 100 women in business finalists Continue Reading
It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see. Winston Churchill The African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, is a free trade agreement whose main objective is to create a single continental market for services and goods, with free movement of investments and trade people. AfCFTA entered into force on 30 May 2019 for 24 countries that had deposited their instruments of ratification. AfCTA provides the potential opportunity to unlock a 1.2 billion people opportunity with a combined GDP of 3.4 trillion USD. The United Nations Economic Commission on Africa projects a 52.3% increase of the intra Africa trade with increased opportunities of scale, reduced barriers for market access and enhanced competitiveness across the African continent. The AfCFTA has the potential to produce opportunities in economic sectors where women are concentrated, including Agriculture, Manufacturing Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No. 39: The Heart of Governance “Emotion can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones: The difference is Emotional Intelligence” Six Seconds October was a busy month – I spoke at several conferences. I love being part of the Women On Continue Reading
Trade can play an important role in driving women’s economic empowerment but we need a more inclusive trading system that will allow more women to participate in trade and to reap the economic benefits of global trading. This week, I am attending my final international event as the President of OWIT Nairobi. As I join thought-leaders who have convened here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for SheTrades Global 2019, I am excited to be part of discussions to ‘chart the next milestone in transforming the global agenda on women and trade.’ 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and two years since the launch of Buenos Aires Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Significant efforts have been made to speed up progress on women’s participation in the economy and trade. To Continue Reading
The Queen of Hearts: The Confessions of An ‘Accidental’ Leader I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life… So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No 38: Beware of the “Queen Bee” “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Madeleine Albright I participated in the Women In Tech Week 2019 – Women in Tech Africa’s Flagship event where women discuss leadership, Continue Reading
“Next time, ask: what’s the worst that will happen? Then push yourself a little further than you dare…” Audre Lorde There’s a ceiling to the amount and rate of growth you can achieve and maintain in your own domestic country market. According to the Institute of International Economics, companies participating in global trade not only grow more quickly than those that don’t, they’re also less likely to go out of business. Trading international also benefits you with competitive advantage in the domestic market with benchmarking quality products and services and innovation of world class technology in domestic markets. Trading across borders also buffers against the political uncertainty that occurs through periods of transition. The instability of the political environment poses a risk to economic growth and diversification, by way of trading in different markets, can help to minimise the impact of political uncertainty. Continue Reading
I didn’t purpose to be in the space that I find myself in. God plucked me from the path that I had set out for myself & set me on an alternative journey. At the start it all appeared somewhat ‘accidental’ but I know now that it was no accident, rather His design, His purpose for my life…So now that I am here, these are my confessions…the lessons I am learning about being a woman in business, building an empire, one brick at a time… Lesson No 37: Using Head + Heart “It’s easy until you have to do it” Mucha Mlingo Progress. Not perfection. I finally got into the pool this week. My son started at his school 5 years ago & I have been telling myself – for 5 years, that I would utilise the option that parents have Continue Reading
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” Jimmy Dean e-Commerce can contribute to women’s empowerment & circumvent the challenges that women in business face, allowing them to sell their products online. Building the e-Commerce ecosystem will be key to allowing women entrepreneurs to access markets and grow their business, thereby employing more women, as data shows that firms run by women tend to employ more women. According to UNCTAD, global e-commerce sales grew 13% in 2017, hitting an estimated $29 trillion. A similar surge was seen in the number of online shoppers, which jumped by 12% and stood at 1.3 billion people, or one quarter of the world’s population. Though most internet buyers purchased goods and services from domestic vendors, the share of those buying from abroad rose from 15% Continue Reading