One of the first things I did when I came back from the Mogul Moms event was to go through my closet and sort out my clothes. I threw out quite a lot of garments that did not fit me anymore. This wasn’t only because of the brilliant advice from the stylist speaker, but it also seemed to fit the trend of the day: clearing out the clutter that no longer served a purpose and taking time to look after myself.
We were suitably spoilt at the Mogul Moms Expo with some excellent speakers that had rather a lot to say about being a better woman in business.
We were also treated to some fabulous exhibitors who had some relevant things for us as women and moms. I loved the Babarazi store which had a lot of useful items that I’d seen elsewhere such as the tray you use in the car for kids, the shampoo head protector and those lovely implements (construction eating) for kids to enjoy their eating that Nicky loved at another baby expo. I settled on a pillow for the car which is what he really needs at the moment.
The Calvin Klein stand was a hit for us to get all made up. Here you can see fellow blogger Funso getting all dolled up and myself afterwards.
There was another pampering stand from Africology which Funso tried and enjoyed. It was one of those that you climb in and it gives you a massage called a Lympha-stim.
I also won a prize for lazer treatment at The Lazer Beautique. That should be interesting!
The food and drink was also lovely and I have to say that the setting (Laghams Lifestyle Estate in Fourways) was so classy and very appropriate.
Well, enough about that. Onto the words of wisdom from the speakers.
Unfortunately due to family commitments I was only able to attend the afternoon session but Funso filled me in on what stood out for her in the morning.
She liked Dr Diaho who had the following tips: go beyond the business plan, research trends, choose the right business structure, have a source of cash, be flexible, don’t give up and don’t let age be a deterrent.
Gary Smith from Ubuntu Business Consulting had a lot of really useful information. He did his MBA on strategic planning and its positive effect on business so it was predictable that he believes very strongly in it. Interestingly he was homeschoolled apart from the last three years of high school which he completed at Intec. He learnt a lot from his entrepreneur father. He said that operations, marketing and finance are very important facets of your planning. You need to do extensive research so that you stand out from your competition and add extra value to the client. You then need to formulate your plan and work on that plan every day. You need to have a vision and a focus for your company which will keep you going. I think that this would be a good man to have around to make your business successful and the company runs lots of workshops and programs to help.
I’m going to mention Neli Magangane’s talk briefly on Risk & Compliance because it is an important thing to have as a business owner. You need a compliance officer to make sure you are not open to threats as well as enjoy the advantages of having all the legal requirements in place. After her speech someone in the audience told a story of how they had missed an opportunity for two years because some legality was not in place. So make sure you are covered. She also mentioned the importance of employee contracts: it seems that many people hire their friends and relations and this makes it hard to let them go without anything in writing beforehand.
I just loved Queen Ramotsehoa‘s speech. I think the thing that really endeared me to her was the way she started off by saying how we as women have to actually handle another business as well – ie around the house as men have “no hands”!
She also was a big encouragement for us to stop judging ourselves and take time to care for ourselves. I loved the way she said that your helper / domestic is part of your support structure – an essential, not a luxury. She said that we have to get that support system in place for the times that we cannot do everything – the lift club, the friends etc. (Family cannot listen as well as friends, they draw strength from you). We need to take care of ourselves: it is also no good to work yourself to a standstill. You need to figure out the hours you need and have a healthy lifestyle – look after yourself.
Assess yourself from a spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical standpoint and then figure out what is in place and what is missing. Make a commitment to your plan as though you matter with lists, dates and the money involved. Then you will succeed.
Lastly I must mention the stylist, Bontle, who says that all we really need is a white shirt, a trench coat, a tote bag, shift dress, polo neck, jeans, belt and a tailored suit. She was looking absolutely awesome and made the point that we don’t need to go out and buy more clothes: work with what you have. She is going to use the same outfit again but with different accessories – a different belt, a tulle underskirt, different shoes and earrings. By the way she says that the belt really gives a lovely hourglass look. The blazer is also a fashion winner.
I also have to mention the MC Penny Lebyane. The broadcaster added a sense of flair and fun to the occasion, as well as opening up about her hard times and how she recovered from them. Also hats off to organiser Mirielle Bhikha for putting together the event.
There was lots to digest and I think that I would like to make time for the full day next time. I always thing there is often just one thing that you can pick up from another person and there were so many on that day that I did miss. Mogul Moms will also be on the move in other cities so keep an eye on their website, Twitter and Facebook.
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