Nine Major Keys from #SheHiveNairobi
I learned some things. I want to share.
Last week was lit!
I decided to attend #SheHiveNairobi, the signature event of She Leads Africa — an organization that looks to give young African women the tools to achieve their professional goals. This was the first time SLA was bringing their professional bootcamp to East Africa, and I really wanted to get some biz training right as I prep to launch my own media company here in Kenya.
There were A TON of heavyweights handing out information left and right, and I wanted to highlight 9 key pieces advice that hit home for me. Here they are in no particular order:
- It’s all about PEOPLE — If there was one consistent theme I heard throughout the bootcamp, this was it: People matter. It could be your customer, your co-founder, or even your staff; how you understand and manage them is a key part of any business’ success. This advice came from the likes of Neo Amadiva CEO Maureen Murunga and Tribe Hotel’s Shamim Ehsani. Having a top-notch product or even superior service can mean nothing if this isn’t understood.
2. What formula? — If you take a look at Ory Okolloh’s career trajectory, you can tell she is living life on her own terms. And that’s the advice she — one of Africa’s most successful women — shared as the surprise guest speaker on day two: there is no formula. She was very open and honest about her life decisions — majority based on gut instinct — — and emphasized that there are no rules to achieve the work and life you want. I hear ya, Ory! I hear ya!
3. Be open to sharing your idea — Let’s keep it real, we all have this one idea we want to hold tight to our chest because we know “Felicia” over there has a tendency to “borrow” ideas. Well, according to Weza Tele founder Hilda Moraa, it is only by sharing your ideas that fellow co-conspirators can buy into it and eventually help you grow. That was her experience working for iHub where some of the people she met there were part of what became Weza Tele. (You can read more tips from Moraa in her book here). So #ByeFelicia and let’s get to sharing!
3. Make it your own special sauce — So what if “Felicia” does end up taking this brilliant one-of-a-kind idea you have? Capital FM Kenya host Wanjira Longauer says it shouldn’t matter because you have to make everything you do your own! That is what will make it very hard for others to replicate. Longauer’s voice, energy and humor — all a riot — are what makes her stand out from other radio personalities (and she was handpicked by Capital FM owner Chris Kirubi!) So always consider what makes you unique and work it!
4. Stand for something — Think of the number of hair salons we have in Nairobi. There must be hundreds of thousands, right? But somehow Murunga has been able to make her Amadiva Beauty-branded salons one of the best-known in the city. Her tip: let your product stand for something. Her product is aimed to increase the mood and self-esteem of every woman who comes to sit in her salon chairs. As women, we face enough mini-aggressions daily that are set on bringing us down. But get your hair done at Amadiva Beauty, and you’ll leave not just with a fresh new coiffure, but also with an important reminder: YOU MATTER!
Take my money, honey! When can I book my first appointment?
5. Embrace diversity and inclusion — No doubt the big draw to #SheHiveNairobi was Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom. The standout part of his talk for me was hearing his efforts to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in Safaricom. Because, if nothing else, diversity and inclusion is good for business. This was driven home during the Q&A session when a young muslim lady asked him how she can fight cultural stereotypes to also climb the ladder as a businesswoman. Where are the spaces for women like her to succeed?
Collymore’s answer, unfortunately, did not hit the mark for me. He talked about how his coast regional director was a Muslim woman and her knowledge and insight allowed her to make headway with the community there unlike any of her predecessors. This is all sounds good and dandy, but what this lovely Muslima was getting at is how does a muslim woman like herself move outside the stereotype of only working in muslim heavy spaces? Would she be able to rise the ranks her in the Nairobi office? I don’t know.
What I do know is that as soon as Collymore’s session was over, I scuttled over to her to get her info, because she gets it. I’d want that kind of insight on my team!
7. Want my money? Show me you can scale up: Winnie Mwangi of LGT Impact Venture came through to give tips on what attracts investors to your idea. Her main answer (among others): Have a clear strategy for scaling your business up. Doing so immediately indicates you understand your company, your market, and have foresight for growth. And we all know growth = money. So if you are a kiosk owner trying to get some investments in, show how you can grow that one kiosk into 50 kiosks. Because that’s the businesswoman I’d want to put my money in.
8. Thicken your skin — Back to CapitalFM’s Longauer. Working in the public eye, she is used to getting unsolicited feedback, both positive and negative. So if you want to work in the entertainment business, you need to turn your skin into an alligator handbags. We know Kenyans can be brutal. But I think her advice applies to any woman in business because there will always be someone with something to say. Thicken. That. Skin.
[SN: Longauer also had my favorite line of the whole bootcamp. A native New Yorker, she said: “They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. No! if you can make it in Kenya, you can make it anywhere.”]
9. Image is EVERYTHING — The last session was a business etiquette class with Eunice Nyala, who, to put it simply, specializes in coaching businessfolk on how to act right. Confession: I thought it was a throwaway session, and even considered sneaking out early. Miss Nyala — I openly admit I was so wrong and I would say this session was the hidden-gem of the whole #SheHiveNairobi weekend.
If you get down to the meat, her session was about self-confidence and how you carry yourself. We can all agree that Kenyan women are smart, ambitious, and hardworking. But if you do not package yourself right, it is very easy for people to dismiss all these things. And there is data to back this up.
I could tell from the group’s responses to some of the things Nyala said — like one should wear makeup wherever you go — that all this was hard to hear. But her tough love was so necessary to hear. I’ll probably blog more about this.
That’s it. Overall, if you don’t get yourself to a #shehive event the next time they come to Nairobi, or a city near you, I. KNOW. YOU. AIN’T. SERIOUS. This is just a pinch of all the great advice that was shared from all the amazing speakers!
I’m interested in your thoughts on everything I wrote. And #SheHivers, what sessions hit home for you the most?
Paula Rogo is the CEO and Founder of Dhako Media which aims to create innovative media content from the millennial East African woman. Sign up for our pre-launch newsletter at http://www.dhakomedia.com
