In plain terms, personal branding is the widely-recognised impression or perception of an individual, usually based on their expertise, experience and achievements within an industry, community or marketplace. To put it simply, “Your personal brand is how you promote yourself,” explains digitalmarketing.org contributor, Gary Henderson. “It is the unique combination of skills, experience, and personality that you want your followers to see.”

Personal branding tells your story; it is the effort you make to communicate and present your value to the world. You may be wondering: Why can’t I just let my work speak for itself? But in a world where competition in nearly every field shows no sign of slowing down, what will you do to stand out?

Start thinking of yourself as a personal brand

For a long time, we’ve associated branding with companies, but today, almost every individual has a personal brand – including you. The question is: How do you want to mould and cultivate that? What do you want to be known for? What qualities do you want to be associated with? What words or ideas do you want to pop up in people’s minds when your name comes up? “Once you understand how you wish your brand to be perceived, you can start to be more strategic about your personal brand,” Forbes writer, Shama Hyder says.

What’s your online presence like?

You can only begin to work on perception when you know what the current one is. A good place to start is Google. Contrary to popular belief, typing your name into a search engine (regularly) is not weird; it’s a necessity. Building a strong personal brand is not just about being good at what you do, but being responsive to what is being said about you.

Start with a personal website

Before you dismiss the idea, let me tell you this: You don’t need to have tons of content or be a mogul to have a website of your own. All you need is a two or three-page site, with a brief bio, your CV, and links to your social media pages, and you can always expand on it as time goes on. More importantly, a personal website is one of the best ways to rank for your name on search engines.

Be purposeful in what you share

Every tweet, Instagram photo and Facebook status update you share contributes to your personal brand. So, what are you sharing? Social media is a great tool for building your brand but are you currently making effective use of it to let people know what you’re about, push content that’s in line with your brand and highlight your passions/areas of interest? If not, it might be time.

Associate with strong brands

“Your personal brand is strengthened or weakened by your connection to other brands,” says Hyder. So find and associate yourself with strong brands that can help improve yours. A great place to start is your University, company and colleagues. Is there an alumni newsletter you can contribute to? What unexplored opportunities might there be at your organisation? What networking events are close to you?

Ultimately, a personal brand is ever-evolving. The more you refine your brand, the more targeted your message becomes and the more you will be doing the work you want to do, with the people you want to work with.

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The post HOW TO CREATE AND BUILD A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND – AND WHY YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD appeared first on SCHICK.

However, as the world comes to terms with ‘the new normal’, it appears that, for many of us around the world, remote work might be our reality for the foreseeable future. In other words: It’s time to make the best of it.

Here are some practical, helpful suggestions on how to achieve a better work-life balance:

Plan your day ahead

Having a laid-out plan for the day, detailing exactly what you want to accomplish, is important. Make mental notes or write your to-dos on a piece of paper (and even stick it somewhere visible) for a greater chance of achieving your daily goals.

Have breakfast

It can never be over-stated: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps unleash the energy you need to take on whatever the day brings. However, remember to opt for a light breakfast, as heavy meals tend to make you feel tired over time.

Take breaks

You can set a reminder every hour or two to take a 10-15 minutes break. While at it, take time to check on the kids, have a snack or even watch a little TV – whatever works for you. As long as you are taking a break from the computer screen, it’s good news.

Set up a workstation

Having a dedicated workspace makes working from home so much more organised. To the best of your ability, just ensure the space is comfortable and quiet enough for you to work.

Embrace early nights

Yes, even now, “early to bed, early to rise,” is still great advice. Whilst a nightly four-hour Netflix binge is always tempting, giving your body enough time to reboot will do you wonders.

Enjoy your weekends

Unless you’re working to meet an important deadline or attending to an urgent situation, your weekend should belong to you and you alone. Make a fancy meal, see a few good films, catch up with your favourite people and take time to actually rest.

Talk to someone you trust

Having a good balance of both work and life can be tough, especially at this difficult time, so don’t be too hard on yourself. If you need to get things off your chest, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and speak to a friend, relative or even colleague about how you’re feeling. We all have challenges and need to lean on one another, from time to time.

Seyifunmi Oyetunji loves to write about fashion and lifestyle. She currently runs a blog at bricksandlaces.wordpress.com. Follow her on Instagram at @seyifunmioye.

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Meet the creator of skincare brand ‘Fante Gold’. The Los Angeles native better known as Bridgette Forson founded her authentic skincare brand a few years ago after her daughter developed extreme case of eczema. Determined to find a cure and finding the everyday skincare products did not work the entrepreneur took things into her own hands, suddenly this birthed Fante Gold. Bridgette is the epitome of superwoman from balancing motherhood to a career in education and public and health. She simply describes her unconventional journey towards business; ‘I am learning to navigate the landscape of an entrepreneur’. We discuss why shea butter matters and how her culture has shaped her growing brand…

Can you tell me a bit about your brand and where did the name come from?

Fante Gold is a line of natural skincare products such as body butters, creams, and body washes that incorporates the use of organic ingredients such as shea butter, cocoa butter and African black soap from Ghana, West Africa.

I am a first-generation Ghanaian, born and raised in Los Angeles California. My parents are both of the Fante ethnic group and as a proud Fante girl, I incorporated that into my brand name. Since Ghana was formally known as the Gold Coast, and is known for producing the most gold on the continent of Africa, I thought it would be fitting to also incorporate that into my brand name. Hence the name Fante Gold; paying homage to both my heritage.

What inspired you to create Fante Gold?

Fante Gold arose from an immediate need in my family. My husband and I have two children, both of whom developed eczema during infancy. However, our daughters were considered a severe case. I tried various over-the-counter creams and ointments all to no avail. My mother suggested giving shea butter a try, and I did. I mixed shea butter from our mother country Ghana with different skin nourishing oils to obtain a product that helped ease the discomfort my children were experiencing. Eventually I started experimenting with different natural fragrances and that is how I developed a line of uniquely whipped body butters.

Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I never thought being an entrepreneur was an option for me. In fact, I am still getting used to being called that. My parents held successful, yet traditional roles in the work force and I believed that was also my destiny. I have a master’s degree in early childhood education and in public health, so I believed that I would be working in one of those fields, either making a difference in the educational industry or working to improve health care management systems. I am learning to navigate the landscape of an entrepreneur and though it is challenging, I’m enjoying the journey so far.

You are an American Ghanaian who grew up in LA, how has your heritage played a part when it comes to your brand?

My Ghanaian heritage plays a major role in my brand. The major ingredients of the products are either shea or cocoa butter, both ethically sourced from Ghana. My brand is exposing people in the United States to the richness of resources found in Ghana and that resources such as shea and cocoa butter have many beneficial skin and health uses.

Can you tell me a bit about the products and what distinguishes you from other skincare products at the moment?

Fante Gold continues to expand the number of products available to consumers. Currently we offer whipped shea body butters in a variety of tantalising fragrances, shea and cocoa butter body lotions and face creams, African black soap, West African exfoliating sponges and  lip balm. Fante Gold products help the skin maintain long lasting moisture and improve the long-term elasticity of the skin.

Our products are unique in that they are safe for even babies to use and are free from harmful chemicals such as parabens, formaldehydes and phthalates. A range of organic and natural oils are used to develop our unique line of skincare products.

Where do you see Fante Gold in the next five years?

In the next five years, Fante Gold will be an international brand, with customers from all over the world. Fante Gold will have several store fronts in the United States and abroad and become a household name. It will be recognized for producing high quality, safe and luxurious skin care products for women, men and children.

What advice would you give to other women who strive to be entrepreneurs?

I would encourage other women who are interested in being entrepreneurs to dream big. When I started Fante Gold, I had small dreams for myself. I guess I never thought that I could compete with big brands. Although, I still have a lot of work to accomplish and to learn, I no longer limit myself to small goals and aspirations for my company. I would encourage other women to believe that they are capable and deserving of taking their businesses to great heights.

Lastly, who would your dream customer be and why?

My ideal customers are people who care about what they put on and in their bodies. As well as people who appreciate natural ingredients, while seeing the value in using them to heal and treat our bodies.  The wave of natural, organic and cruelty-free products has hit the cosmetic and skincare industry hard. I believe it’s important that we value these attributes in our products, to ensure that we are holding ourselves accountable by striving for safe and effective products for ourselves and future generations.

You can visit the Fante Gold Website https://www.fantegold.com/ and follow the brand on Instagram Fante_Gold.

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Here are 15 good professional habits every 20-something woman should have:

1. Make your social life, well, more private. Not every work colleague or future employer needs to know what you’ve been up to at the weekend. Some relationships are just best kept professional. The way to get around this and still enjoy social media is to set up or adjust your privacy settings on your Twitter, Instagram, etc. accounts so that only certain information is available to a certain group of people.

2. Keep a digital professional address book. Just so you don’t have to go searching through a ton of old emails for that Great Chick You Met At A Business Conference’s phone number. Doing this saves you a lot of time, and makes it way easier to find contact information when you need it. Also make a habit of constantly updating your address book every time you receive a new business card.

3. Build your LinkedIn network. The Lord knows I don’t play around with my LinkedIn. It’s a great little tidy profile of my ‘greatest hits’ so far – as it should be yours. As your professional network in the real world grows, don’t forget to build your online network as well. It’s a very useful way to find out what your colleagues and peers are up to, as well as a great tool to market yourself.

4. Update your C.V. every 6 months. The trouble with waiting any longer is that you’ll most likely have forgotten the details of that project you knocked out of the park, or that kick-ass work experience or the super awesome course you attended. It all becomes blurry after a while! So, whether you’re in search of a new job or happy right where you are, keep your C.V. refreshed.

5. Maintain relationships with old colleagues when you move on. Because you never know who could be useful to you in your career. A simple “Been a while! What’s new with you?” can go a LONG way.

6. Establish a solid online presence. Especially if you work in creative fields like writing or graphic design. A great way to do this is to creative a portfolio online that displays your best work, flaunts your skills and shows you off to the world.

7. Always send a ‘thank you’ or follow up e-mail after a meeting with a business contact. Because a little gratitude and good manners hardly goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

8. Understand your value. By your mid-20s, you’ve most likely had more than one job, so it’s important to assess your skill set and know your worth. This includes understanding when it’s time to stop ‘working for the experience’ as opposed to payment, the kinds of opportunities that are and aren’t worth your time, and what you don’t need to tolerate.

9. Compose award-winning emails. There’s nothing worse than an unprofessional email with lots of fluff, no specific point, and/or bad punctuation/grammar. Remember that a lot of the time, the person on the other side of the screen does not know who you are, so portray yourself in the best light. Commas don’t bite.

10. Find a mentor. Know someone on your desired career path with 10 to 20 years more experience? Do your best to get across to them, express interest in learning from their experiences and feed off their knowledge (like a leech). It’ll make all the difference.

11. Sorry, but you need to get the hang of networking. Both online and in the real world. Remember that networking is really about being authentic, building lasting relationships and seeing how you can also be of help to others. So keep your friends close and your networks closer.

12. Always be 10 minutes early. It honestly shows your organisational skills and overall reliability, so don’t take punctuality lightly.

13. Get organised. That means always having a notebook in your handbag, setting endless reminders on your phone, writing long lists and working from a neat and tidy desk. Whatever it takes to stay on top of things.

14. Have work-appropriate clothing. If your work requires you to dress formally. Remember that your outfit isn’t just your outfit; it’s a form of non-verbal communication – so wear what you mean.

15. Respond to e-mails within 24 hours. Sooner, if it affects the workflow process. If you’re swamped, a simple confirmation of receipt is always helpful. Going away on holiday? Leave an out-of-office auto response letting people know when you’ll be back in touch. It’s the little things.

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She first started off collaborating with Puma, and then released her beauty line in partnership with LVMH and dropping it like it’s hot with her new Savage X Fenty lingerie line. The world can’t wait to see what she has to offer with her new line Called Fenty which was a name gotten from her last name which a lot of people didn’t know about. It’s been announced that the brand will be based in Paris and the line will include ready to wear clothing, shoes and accessories and its set to debut this spring 2019.

“Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us. Mr.Anault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”

This is a deal breaking move in history and not to worry what the future is going to be like for upcoming entrepreneurs of colour. She has been able to manage a multipreneur life in music, fashion and beauty industry and this has sparked a call on diversity problems in the industry. She is an icon that has won numerous awards including that of CFD fashion award for her kind of style which is very experimental and she’s always ahead on trend and we are looking forward to more from Rihanna.

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We have compiled the top 5 skills every SME entrepreneur needs to be equipped with to excel.

Customer Service: This skill is the bedrock of every successful business and as a service provider, face to face interactions with customers is inevitable. We recommend that all entrepreneur should be equipped with this skill. Customer Service Management courses would help entrepreneurs understand, interact and manage relationships with their clients. Platforms like Alison provides free trainings and diploma courses on customer service.

Book Keeping | Accounting: Every entrepreneur needs to have a basic understanding of the double entry principle which states that every financial transaction has equal and opposite effects. Accounting skill would help entrepreneurs manage their income, expenditure and profit better. Book keeping skill would help keep track of purchases, sales, receipts, and payments. Platforms like Accounting Coach can help acquire these skills.

Graphics Design: With the wave and impact of social media, the need for well curated social media pages with great aesthetic is on the rise. Entrepreneurs need to be able to brand their services to get the attention of prospective customers on their timeline thus the need for graphics design skill. Platforms like Canva can help entrepreneurs learn the basic graphic designing skill required for flyers, logos, posters and marketing communications.

Project Management: Managing, initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing of a client’s order requires a meticulous skill every entrepreneur should acquire. Project management would ensure targets are met and goals are achieved over a defined timeline. Platforms like Airtable have various project management templates and tools to help get started.

Brand Management: Managing the image of your brand as an entrepreneur is important and this skill constitutes various micro skills you need to ensure your brand excels. Self-confidence is a major skill you need to master as for your brand as well as for yourself, Employee Management is also an important skill entrepreneurs need to be equipped with to ensure employees satisfaction. Public speaking skill would ensure continuous development for your brand.

We hope these skills mentioned would help all SME entrepreneurs excel in their business.

The post #SCHICKATWORK: 5 SKILLS YOU NEED TO EXCEL AS A SME ENTREPRENEUR appeared first on SCHICK.

The panel discussion focused on women who in diverse ways embody today’s power woman. The collection is now available to shop at Alara Lagos. Below are pictures from the event.

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She was a guest of UN Women where she got the opportunity of speaking at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2019 panel. As an invaluable member of the panel, she shared how she’s been able to harness and leverage her brand equity in pushing for the advancement of women in Nigeria and beyond.

Since returning from the speaking engagement, Stephanie has written an essay about the experience, which you can find below:

”To be given the opportunity to speak at the United Nations Commission at the Status of Women Conference reinforces the notion that celebrities have a role to play in society beyond the glitz and glamour of show business. As a Nigerian woman with an enormous platform like mine, I feel it is crucial to leverage the privilege of my celebrity and visibility to start and push thoughtful conversations around Girl Child Education and Early Girl Child Marriage. These are two issues amongst many others that relate to women and the girl child that I am passionate about.

As a public figure and a positive role model to young women across the breadth of Nigeria and beyond, I have been able to leverage my brand equity and celebrity to foster productive relationships amongst young women whilst creating awareness around job opportunities and computer literacy – especially in the area of coding. It is without a doubt that, impacting young girls/women with such skills will not only make them independent and self-sufficient but also valuable assets to society and their families. 

As we have witnessed in Northern Nigeria, young girls below the age of 18 are sold or traded into marriages as bonds or promises to men older and more advanced than them. Through my network and my foundation ‘The Future is Her’ we have been able to partner with other charities to create awareness for free computer coding training, free transportation, free feeding and free laptops for young girls in Northern Nigeria interested in coding. I have also used my social media platforms as tools to seek and bring likeminded girls together for mentorship and career counselling. The most recent of such endeavour was the Baker’s Brunch where I sent out a search for girls in the baking industry to spend a day with the CEO of Nuts About Cake, Nike Mejkodunmi, to learn about baking and running a bakery.

As a TV Host, I know first-hand how difficult it is for up-and-coming hosts to get their foot in the industry especially as women, we are subjected to sexual harassment from producers and directors. This realization led me to start the SCTV Presenter course which aims to teach prospective female hosts practical skills and mentorship on how to break into the industry on merit. I have also gone further to secure jobs and internships for some of our alumni.

I was delighted to share these strides and many more that I’ve started in Nigeria. I’m hopeful that in the near future, I will be able to expand my efforts for these causes beyond the shores of Nigeria to other parts of Africa.” 

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Saying #SheCan are Tosin Oshinowo, Lola Shoneyin, Foluso Gbadamosi, Chiamaka Obuekwe (Social Prefect), Tolu Ijogun, Kanyin Adio-Moses, Aramide Abe, Ozoz Sokoh (Kitchen Butterfly) among other influential women. The conversation continues at a discussion on Friday, March 15, 2019, from 6pm to 8pm at Café One, Lennox Mall, Lekki, Lagos.

You can register for the event here.

Want to know more about Café One? Be social:

Instagram: CafeOne_Nig

Twitter: CafeOne_Ng

Facebook: CafeOneNg

Website: www.cafeoneng.com

The post THESE 33 FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS TELL YOU #SHECAN! appeared first on SCHICK.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!!!

SOUTH AFRICA

NAME: Bonang Matheba

COUNTRY: South Africa

INDUSTRY: Media and fashion

BIO: Bonang is an award-winning radio host, TV presenter and style icon. She made history in 2013 when she joined in June 2013 when she joined Halle Berry, Olivia Wilde and Emma Stone as the first African brand ambassador for Revlon. She is a TV personality, radio host, businesswoman and philanthropist. Her presentation for SABC 1 music show (now known as LIVE AMP), built her spotlight in the industry.

NAME: Masenate Mohato Seeiso

COUNTRY: Lesotho

INDUSTRY: Royal Family of Lesotho

BIO: Masenate is the queen consort of Lesotho as she is married to King Letsies III of Lesotho. She was the first commoner to marry into the royal family of Lesotho. Since becoming the queen, she has become an activist for several charity organizations. She has also had the strongest interest in enabling the works to promote projects relating to HIV/AIDS.

NAME: Helena Ndume

COUNTRY: Namibia

INDUSTRY: Medical

BIO: Dr Helena is known for her charitable work concerning eye illness and surgery. She has actively ensured about 30,000 blind Namibians have received eye surgery and gotten intra-ocular implants for free. She is one of the only six Namibian ophthalmologists and is currently the head of the ophthalmology department at Windhoek hospital, which is the largest hospital in Namibia.

NAME: Sonia Paiva

COUNTRY: Swaziland

INDUSTRY: Food Science & Entrepreneurship

BIO: Sonia is a Swaziland serial entrepreneur making an impact in the agricultural business and food processing sectors in her country. Her food processing company, called “Eswatini Kitchen” comprises of 100% female  staff members, which is her way of women empowerment

NAME: Amantle Montsho

COUNTRY: Botswana

INDUSTRY: Sports

BIO: Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, she has also competed at the 2011 world championships in athletics in Daegu, South Korea, beating Alleyson Felix to become Botswana’s first World Olympic track and field winner. She represents a woman of value, a fighter, a woman of success and has played a major role in supporting the equal rights movement for women in sports.

NORTH AFRICA

NAME: Sofia Boutella

COUNTRY: Algeria

INDUSTRY: Entertainment

BIO: Sofia is an Algerian actress, model and dancer, she is the daughter of popular Jazz musician Safy Boutella. Sofia was selected to choreography for Nike as a femininity and hip-hop role model, this opened more doors for her to work with several A-list artists such as Rihanna and Madonna. Sofia has also featured in a number of movies that include Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Mummy.

NAME: Dr Hend El Sherbini

COUNTRY: Egypt

INDUSTRY: Business

BIO: Dr. Sherbini is the CEO of Integrated Diagnostic Holdings a medical laboratory company. She has been recognised by Forbes for her powerful moves by going public with IDH and putting it on the London Stock Exchange where it was valued at $668million as at 2016.

NAME: Asmaa Boujibar

COUNTRY: Morocco

INDUSTRY: Science

BIO: Asmaa was a NASA researcher that focuses on metal-silicate partitioning of sulphur and new experimental and thermodynamic constraints on planetary accretion. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

NAME: Hend Sabry

COUNTRY: Tunisia

INDUSTRY: Entertainment

BIO: Hend is a Tunisian actress living in Egypt, she has starred in over 25 films and television shows put together. The actress, in 2010, was appointed by the UN World Food Program as an ambassador against hunger. She was also listed as one of the most powerful Arabian women by Arabian Business.

NAME: Alek Wek

COUNTRY: Sudan

INDUSTRY: Fashion

BIO: Alek Wek is a Sudanese British model from the Dinka ethnic group in southern Sudan. She and some family members fled to Britain to escape the civil war in Sudan and she was discovered at the age of 18 at an outdoor market in London by a Models 1 scout. She has had a successful modelling career to date. Her first appearance was in a music video for Tina Turner before she was signed to Ford Models in 1996. In 1997 she was named model of the year by MTV and became the first black model to appear on the cover of Elle. She inspires many African girls to believe they are beautiful. Alek draws upon her experience as a refugee to help highlight their plight and is a member of The US Committee for Refugees’ Advisory Council.

The post SCHICK WOMAN: INFLUENTIAL WOMEN AROUND AFRICA (NORTH & SOUTH AFRICA) appeared first on SCHICK.