Tell us about yourself?
I am a lifestyle blogger and student . I'm absolutely in love with travel , food ,writing and photography . I currently study CIMA(chartered institute of management accounting ).
2. Tell us about your business?
Apart from running my blog 'The Art of reinvention' , My sister and I formed a makeup branch in Southern Africa of an international Dubai based cosmetics company called GlamGals . The opportunity was completely unexpected but proved to be incredibly fruitful . It was important to us to bring an international brand to Botswana first, as we are very aware of the strained variety of makeup brands that we get
3. What does it mean to you to be a lifestyle and beauty entrepreneur and what are some of the challenges you face an an entrepreneur in the lifestyle blog and beauty industry .
To me its first and foremost about engaging in something that brings you happiness.
Bringing to the table a skill that you enjoy and radiating that through the way you handle your business and showcase it to the world .
In terms of challenges , Opportunities are incredibly scarce in Botswana. The whole concept of blogging per say hasn't quite reached the level of recognition that would pay your bills. Companies are skeptical to explore the idea of working with bloggers but I'm glad a few are warming up to it. This is why when we started running our makeup company it was important to me that we worked with up and coming influencers and gave them the fair chance we knew all too well was incredibly hard to find .
I'm terms of the beauty industry .The challenge we faced was bringing an entirely foreign makeup brand that people knew nothing about. We knew getting people to turn aside from a popular brand their familiar with to one smaller in size was hard in the beginning , but the more people learnt about it since we launched,the more people are giving the brand a shot .
4. The lifestyle blog and beauty industry is is still seen as a hobby in Botswana and not a business venture, moreover not a sector that could contribute to the economy of Botswana, what reason could this be and secondly how can we move from this outlook to the lifestyle blog and beauty industry in Botswana being taken commercially serious
As I brought out earlier, I feel that companies and people still haven't embraced the idea of blogging with open arms . People don't see the value, skill, time or dedication it takes . People tend to think its something that can be achieved by anyone. What they don't know is there is more to it than 2 sentences and a few great pictures. It takes a lot to produce quality content that will actually move and 'influence' the way people think, dress or feel.
Right now some of the biggest companies in the world are reaching out to social media influencers like bloggers or you tubers , reaping big results . They have acknowledged the indisputable power of social media influence and are using it to their fullest advantage. Change is scary but you'll never know until you try . Companies in Botswana And people in general need to take influencers in Botswana more seriously before there're undeniable talent and capabilities are recognized in other countries and their whisked away by the abundance of opportunities no one would give them Here . All their potential and possible influence. Gone.
People need to start looking ahead to what and who will matter tomorrow. We live in a world that is becoming more digital by the second . What is going to matter tomorrow?. Who will call the shots . We have to think ahead and look at the bigger picture .
5. As a woman entrepreneur, what advice could you give to other young women who would like to start a business?
Never forget why you started or want to start . Don't do it just because it's the 'trendy' thing that everyone is getting into or simply sticking yourself with something you don't really enjoy, for the money. Life is too short for that. You need to go into it with a complete heart and mind. That's the only way you won't be deterred . Yes they will be disappointments and people won't always value or appreciate what you're doing but you'll always have the satisfaction of knowing you tried. Of knowing you put everything you had and could possibly give. It's OK to fail . Failing doesn't make you a failure .
6. What words do you live by to get you through to the next day?
"We are as indestructible as we choose to be for we are never irreparably broken "These words got to me the first time I ever Read them because of how much truth they carried. These words were literally a life saver for me. They gave me A feeling of empowerment and enlightenment. It is no secret that sometimes life unapologetically destroys who we are on the inside. Sometimes it takes everything we are and crushes it into little unrecognizable pieces that once made up who we were, what we stood for, our dreams, our aspirations. We always have a choice. Even when situations seem like no brainers there is still always a choice. You can either stay on the ground or you can get back up and fight harder.why? Because you can. Because you choose the kind of stuff you’re made of. You call the shots. Are you going to be discouraged by criticism, afraid of failure ? or are you going to take chances, ownership and realise that it will never be too late for you to become someone that you’re proud of. Stop blaming people for your lack of happiness, stop making excuses and do something about it. If you can change something, change it. If you cannot then find it in yourself to accept it . You can point as many fingers as you want but at the end of the day the only person who will save you is yourself. You need to want it. You need to want to get better. 'The world is not a wish granting factory ' It owes you nothing .Acknowledge your weaknesses and get help because that does not mean you're any less of a person, it means you were strong enough to admit that you could not get by, by yourself. Sometimes you have to create your own happy ending. You can get through anything as long as you remember to ask yourself . If I’m going to be indestructible , what am I made of?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Social media
Business (GLAMGALSBW (Facebook,twitter, Instagram and snapchat)
Personal/blog
Instagram (Ndazipa)
Facebook( the art of reinvention )
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