LADIES IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE GLOBAL MARCH 2021 EDITION

Ladies In Business Ideas. Innovations. Change

March 2021 Vol. 1 No.1

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT OUTFIT FOR YOUR

BODY STRUCTURE BIRTHDAY 5 Mistakes Women make when trying to choose their

RIGHT FIT Partner

BUSINESS INNOVATION ACADEMY

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye FORMER MINISTER OF FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT, GHANA

SHEDS LIGHT ON HER POLITICAL JOURNEY

Content.

Ladies In Business Magazine Global

06. COVER STORY HEALTH & FASHION & 16. LIFE STYLE 19. LIVING WELL LEGAL & 22. BUSINESS 24. MEN’S CORNER PERSONAL 27. PROFILE PAGES 34. SPIRITUALITY LADIES IN 40. FITNESS & FIT 45. POLITICS Ladies in Business Magazine Global Ideas | Innovation | Change

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US

ABOUT

L

adies In Business Magazine Global – is the new face for the new generation of magazine publication that showcase and feature both ladies and women in business Globally.

This magazine is a female based publication. It is meant to bring out and promote all unsung heroes, philanthropist, and the unknown faces of female entrepreneurs Globally. To talk about their struggles and success.

This creative and engaging magazine publication is on prints and online, but strictly meant for female entrepreneurs only. Especially business starters, intending business owners, young entrepreneurs and upcoming ladies and women in business. For them to be SEEN, HEARD & RECOGNISED.

Ladies in Business Magazine Global Ideas | Innovation | Change

They have not been able to balance their life and businesses together due to several reasons. And this has bring about many conflicts in terms of what a woman can really achieve or not. But truthfully, a woman can actually achieve it all but not at the same time. It will all come through at one stage/phase or the other.

Therefore, Our focus regarding this magazine is on the totality of how women can still make things happen for themselves while they achieve their dreams. But in recent years, things have drastically changed to a greater level that every lady or woman out there have actually gotten themselves into a state of excellent performance to do one business or the other through SelfMotivation, Self-Actualization and SelfDevotion.

The magazine comes out with powerful features at every quarter. It is always very colourful and dynamic with lots of articles and content. It comes with different segment with topics to discuss on every issue relating to women and their struggles.

So far, the magazine reach has been extended from Nigeria to Ghana, South Africa, UK, US, Australia and now UAE.

But nevertheless, much more are still in place to be done because the young entrepreneurs and business starters are still not able to find their feet in the mist of trying to balance between whom they are, what kind of business to do, what their business portray, what other ladies in business are doing, whom to emulate, how to cope as a lady in business, how to generate more profits and how to meet up in all aspect of their lives.

Before now, women are not found in the fore front of business operations and business corporate world due to various challenges they encounter as a woman.

Our audience consists of ladies and women who wants to explore to greater lifestyle, wonderful destinations, improve on their sense of belonging, grow their businesses, develop themselves to

about us...

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learn quickly, learn easy ways to make profit, stay healthy, find out about the latest technology, gadgets and information, learn networking tips, get social and eventually get success.

The magazine is not just a publication, but also a platform for ladies and women in business who have been inspired as a member and have also read about how we are making a difference with them Globally. We also give them lots of ideas, innovation and change that will make them more effective and efficient in the business world.

The difference between Ladies in business Magazine Global and other magazines for women is that we are not promoting the celebrities, the politicians, the household names and known faces. But we do support, connect and collaborate with them as mentors and philanthropist. And we create a platform for everyone to reign and shine.

modern business gadgets and technology. v To empower them through series of business training and development and business strategies. v To mentor them through their business journey as it comes. v To deliver and create genuine relevance to every lady in business and do a feedback follow up process. v To use the magazine as a platform to locate, showcase and feature them and their businesses. v To help them achieve success at last and celebrate their wins.

OUR CULTURAL BEHAVIOR: v YES I CAN BE SMART! v YES I CAN PROGRESS! v YES I CAN MAKE IT! v YES I CAN EXCEL!...

Ladies.......welcome on board.

OUR VISION: To create a excellent and sophiscated platform for every lady entrepreneur who is craving for herself and her business to develop through IDEAS, INNOVATION AND CHANGE. OUR MISSION: To ensure that every lady doing business is prepared and ready to be SEEN, HEARD and RECOGNISED without fear but with great confidence to excel.

OUR CORE VALUES: v To fetch them out of their shell to gain confidence to excel and be able to compete in the business world. v To lead them into the secret of wealth creation and transformation.

ADESHOLA HELEN ONADIPE

v To educate them through the use of about us...

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EDITOR'S W NOTE

LAUNCHING TO MARCH FORWARD! ith the Grace of Almighty God upon me to write as the CHIEF EDITOR of this wonderful, creative, distinctive and incredible magazine publication called LADIES IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE GLOBAL. I am so full of joy from the indepeth of my heart even on this isolation bed as I write now. But I knew this is just an isolation bed, not my private bed. Because I am so full of hope and joy. Knowing fully well that I'm going to publish this note to you all excellent ladies and women in business here.

Now we are officially launching this one of it's kind Female magazine in UAE. All the way from Africa in Nigeria. It was indeed a big dream come true. Little did I know that something called COVID-19 will occur when I did the launching in 2018 in Nigeria. And I mentioned back then that we are establishing in DUBAI, GHANA, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA and US. Some were fulfilled and some were not. I am not writing this note to complain about what did not happen, but I'm rather very greatful to Almighty God for all that happened.

Launching this my baby officially here in UAE is something I will never forget in history. Especially, coming into UAE where I knew no one with nothing but Hope and Faith to make things happen. And to God be all the glory, it's indeed happening right now. I had all our four editions done and dusted in 2020. Despite COVID-19. Our online presence was increased extensively. And I can categorically tell you that, my vision and mission were indeed validated.

I won't forget the great treatment I received from people in UAE. Especially the women i have come across with at seminars, conferences, events, individually, social media and etc. And also my new partner here in Dubai, Mrs Nazia Shah. Meeting all of you was a great new experience and adventure. Living in UAE with some people have been very difficult. But with you all ladies and women in business present here today, you made me sing a different and new song. In which I am dancing to right now.(Dancing).

Today,13th of March 2021 is a great day to celebrate ourselves. Even as we still celebrate the INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Globally.

Therefore, I celebrate you all today. As we share and tell our struggle and success stories. And I'm here to also let you know that you are not alone. We shall all rise above and beyond. As we make progress to be successful together. This 2021is our year of SUPPORT, CONNECT & COLLABORATE! These we shall live by everyday. Support one another, engage and connect more. And then collaborate extensively.

That way, we are bound to rise and shine together. And i will like to be the first to congratulate you all, that indeed, you have all been SEEN, HEARD AND RECOGNISED. And I'm so proud of you all!

Therefore, I will like to say THANK YOU, for bringing out yourself.

THANK YOU, for not giving up on yourself. THANK YOU for being a good example of leadership and womanhood. THANK YOU for standing tall and high. THANK YOU for working so much on yourself.

And THANK YOU, for being a wonderful and hardworking lady in business that you are.

THANK YOU ALL! And God bless! e d i t o r ’s n o t e . . .

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COVER STORY

HON.

ELIZABETH

AFOLEY QUAYE FORMER MINISTER OF FISHERIES & AQUACULTURE, GHANA

H

on. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, is former Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture, Ghana. In this interview with WOMEN IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE GLOBAL, she shares her experience as a woman in politics, serving both her country and the people of Krowor constituency in Greater Accra

Region as Member of Parliament. Her impact was immense in both positions and we get rst-hand information on her next move after this experience.

What were your aspirations in life before politics?

Born within the coastal belt of the Greater Accra region of Ghana, I have great love and passion for agriculture, namely poultry and livestock production, sheries, aquaculture and agro-processing. Before politics, my aspiration in life was to become an 05

agricultural entrepreneur to empower women and youths to venture into the eld of agriculture. In addition to providing food and employment in Ghana and across Africa.

The passion to success in my dream profession and life in general motivated me to venture into livestock production, agro-processing, real estate development, batik, tie and dye production.

Therefore, am proud owner of a huge poultry farm, which I started as small scale from scratch.

Through dint of hard work, my endeavors in agriculture became fruitful and today more youth and women (both young and old) are into agriculture due to my pace setting ability.

Another objective was the empowerment of women, and this motivated me into establishing Krowor Women Empowerment Program (KWEP) in 2015. I still serve as patron there, and many young women have been trained and empowered in various elds of their personal interest, including fashion designing, beauty and therapy, hair dressing amongst many others. This is primarily to help young ladies start life and also to boost vocational education amongst women.

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the Treasurer to the Agribusiness Students and Associates and it goes on and on.

I was also a polling station secretary until I took the political stage in Krowor by storm in the midst of challenges within the constituency and managed to put a great amount of hope back into the party by standing against all odds to run the race of the Krowor parliamentary primary in 2015. I believe that victory cannot be won on a platter of silver but with hard work and dedication to duty.

To avoid any conict of interest and to avoid any impression of impropriety, I liquidated all my private businesses and holdings upon the assumption of public ofce.

Tell us about your educational background and positions occupied over the years before holding political ofce?

I hold a Master of Philosophy degree in Agricultural Administration from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from the Central University College. I obtained a National Diploma in General Agriculture from the University of Ghana and a certicate in General Agriculture from the Kwadaso Agricultural College.

I worked with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana as a Principal Production Ofcer for twenty (20) years from the year 1995 to 2015. In 1993, I was appointed Director of Blossom Dells.

My innermost drive to have an impact on my generation and as attested to by my peers made me take up some leadership roles while in school. I was the head girl right from the preparatory school. I always endeared myself to my mates. I was the National Secretary of the Agricultural Colleges Students Union,

Tell us about your major achievements as Minister of State?

Respectfully, I was elected as Member of Parliament by the people of Krowor and received my appointment from the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to serve as Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister in 2017, I made a promise to myself that I would not only serve in humility but I would also consciously ensure that women and youth empowerment remain at the top of my agenda. One guiding principle has always been to be a generational thinker, to think about the generation yet unborn and to protect the environment.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture sector prior to my entering into ofce was enormously inactive and dormant. Upon entering into ofce, I designated the sector as a major driver for improving household incomes and rural development. Today, the sector plays a critical role in the economic transformation of the country by contributing signicantly to GDP, job and wealth creation, poverty reduction as well as food and nutrition security.

Under my leadership, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has undertaken numerous projects, programs and activities in the areas of sheries infrastructure, sustainable sheries management, aquaculture development, and sheries law enforcement as well as post-harvest and aquatic animal health.

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Infrastructure development is key to the transformation of the sheries sector.

Under my leadership, infrastructure including landing sites and shing harbours, Fisheries College, improved processing facilities and hatcheries which enable the smooth functioning of the sector have been constructed.

The following are key infrastructural developments in the sector since 2017; The Completion of the Anloga Landing Site in 2018. The completion of the landing site has provided a safe place for sh handling prior to reaching consumers and ensured safety of shing gears and properties, improve the hygienic handling of sh and shery products to meet international standards for domestic consumption and export.

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The Construction of Jamestown Fishing Harbour Complex secured a US$50 million Chinese Grant. All preparatory works including the design and the signature of the implementation Agreement were completed. His Excellency, the President cut sod for construction in December 2018 and all is well on course.

Under my leadership, detailed construction designs and environmental impact assessment studies for the construction of landing sites at Teshie, Axim, Winneba, Mumford were completed. His Excellency the President cut sod for the construction of the Axim and Moree landing sites. Currently, works are ongoing in ten (10) sites namely, Teshie (Greater Accra), Gomoah Fetteh, Senya Bereku, Winneba, Mumford, Moree (Central Region), Axim, Dixcove (Western Region), Elmina & Keta (shing port) To enhance the level of expertise and skills both at the technical and strategic level, the Phase I of the Anomabo Fisheries College made up of administrative block, laboratory, classrooms and hostels as well as internal and access roads was at 93% completion before my departure. I also commenced preparatory works to ensure the rst batch of students are admitted into the College for 2020/2021 academic year.

In addition, an Aquaculture Training Centre was established at Dawhenya. Preparatory works for the construction of the Centre have been completed and construction work is scheduled to commence this year. The Centre after completion will provide skills training in various areas of aquaculture including production, farm management, sh health, feed formation and processing for unemployed youth to take up aquaculture as a viable economic enterprise.

To support women and shermen, an Ice Plant and Cold Store Facility with a Plate Ice Making Machine and capacity of 3tons per 24 hours was provided in Nungua. The provision of the Ice Plant is

to help reduce post-harvest losses and improve the returns on investment by shers.

Under my leadership, four (4) public hatcheries namely, the Pilot Aquaculture Centre at Kona-Odumase in the Ashanti region, the Ashaiman Aquaculture Demonstration Centre at Ashaiman, Vea Hatchery in the Upper East Region as well as the Aquaculture Research and Development Centre at Akosombo have been rehabilitated. This was to ensure that quality ngerlings are produced and accessed from public hatcheries by sh farmers.

For Aquaculture development, the structural transformation of sh production which I brought into the sector is driven by the promotion of aquaculture as sustainable economic enterprise. The sector under my leadership has for the past four (4) years introduced a number of policies to revitalize the aquaculture industry and to increase domestic sh production, reduce sh imports and create additional job opportunities.

Under my tenure, the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ) Programme under The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development was initiated

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to complement the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) Programmes of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). The objective of AFJ is to create additional 3,000 jobs, increase domestic sh production, rejuvenate distressed farms as well as develop the aquaculture value chain.

AFJ is currently being piloted at some selected institutions including the James Camp Prisons, Pentecost Youth Association at Adansi, Wenchi Youth Association, Osei Tutu Senior High School in the Ashanti Region and Dormaa Senior High School in the Bono Region. The James Camp Prison for instance have been supported with 4,300 ngerlings, 420 bags of sh feed and 3 sh ponds. A total of 321 youths have so far been trained in modern methods of aquaculture productions. In addition to renovation of hatcheries ongoing at Sefwi Wiawso and Dormaa Ahenkro, and 108 ponds/ tanks, 11 cages constructed in 13 regions awaiting stocking for AFJ. Harvesting will commence in March 2021.

In the containment and prevention of sh disease, the Ministry vaccinated aquaculture establishments along Volta enclave with a total of Three Million, One Hundred and Ninety Thousand (3,190,000) Doses of Aquavac Irido Vaccine. The vaccination formed part of my efforts to contain and prevent sh disease which poses a major threat to the promotion of aquaculture in Ghana.

Tell us about your major achievements as a Member of Parliament and some of your initiatives?

As Member of Parliament of Krowor, with the little resource at my disposal I miraculously managed to turn the dwindling fortunes of my constituency around by making it a land of prosperity and a preferred hub for investment.

I initiated so many projects in my constituency. An integral part of my mission and agenda was my steadfast belief that my country's and Africa's

greatest wealth is its people. Ghana and Africa will continue to rise as we focus a greater part of our developmental effort on harnessing the skills, potentials and ingenuity of our people. There is tremendous potential in each African to create, innovate and transform our continent.

Notable amongst my achievements is the use of my position within the top echelons of power to support women, children and the youth. These include the Krowor Women Empowerment Program; Construction of an ultramodern mother and child shed; Payment of School fees at the Tertiary and basic levels for students in the Constituency; Donation of laptops and other educational materials to some visually impaired students in the constituency; Donation of sewing machines and accessories to dressmakers and tailors; Training of Beauty Therapists since 2016 till date; Training of people in various vocations in various training institutions; Scholarships for constituents to offer Masters' programs abroad; Donation of tricycles to some constituents; Support to widows in various forms; Upgrading of Lekma Polyclinic into a General Hospital; Construction of an Eighteen-Unit Classroom Block for Nungua Senior High School; amongst others.

Tell us about some of the challenges faced with as a politician?

Representation is at the core of democracy. Some of the major challenges that I faced as a politician are as follows: a. High unemployment in Ghana: Most youth and persons within the working class bracket still struggle to nd jobs. I however introduced so many laudable initiatives within my sector to tackle this menace such as the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs program which provided so many jobs to the unemployed. b. High poverty rate: Most Ghanaians earn less than their counterparts outside Ghana. During my stay in ofce, I introduced a lot of initiatives aimed at 10

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye with Ghana's President Akuffo Addo.

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye with President Akuffo Addo of Ghana.

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye

Hon. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye represents country during international event.

poverty reduction. Aquaculture for Food and Jobs program which I initiated had a great effect on poverty reduction. c. High illiteracy rate: Illiteracy rate in Ghana tend to be high. During my tenure as Minister and as Member of Parliament, it was my objective to ensure that all children of school going age attend school. I have on several occasions also advocated and in some instances funded the education of young, matured and aged people. Our Government in 2017 also introduced the Free Senior High School policy aimed at reducing illiteracy rate. I also organize free pre- Senior High School programs for my constituents prior to their Senior High School education.

High monetization of politics in Ghana: Corruption in Africa has become a canker that must be seriously addressed. This is mostly due to the high monetization of politics in Ghana and in Africa. Funding of political campaigns cost a lot in terms of money and resources and if care is not taken, one may use unorthodox means of raising funds. To solve this menace, I have over the years advocated for drastic institutional reforms and I have embarked on several educational tours to educate the people and to bring an end to this menace.

In your opinion, do you think the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will benet the sher folks in terms of trading?

It is my considered and humble opinion that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will benet the sher folks in terms of trading by: A. Establishing a single continental market for sheries and aquaculture goods and services, with free movement of business professionals and investments, accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union.

B. Expanding intra-African sheries and aquaculture trade through better harmonization and coordination of trade

liberalization and facilitation across Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and across Africa.

C. Resolving the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite the integration processes with the sheries sector.

D. Enhancing competitiveness at the industry and enterprise level within the sheries sector by exploiting opportunities for scale production, continental market access and better reallocation of resources.

How do you make politics attractive to women in Africa who wants to enter into politics?

The glass ceiling explains the subtle, invisible obstacles women face on their way to public ofce, which until recently was practically if not formally closed to them. I belong to the school of thought that believes that girls and women have a right to engage in civil society, vote in elections, be elected to government ofce, serve on boards, and make their voices heard in any process that will ultimately affect them, their families, and their communities. I also believe that, investing in girls' and women's right to political participation is a necessary step to achieving global gender equality and democratic governance. I am currently mentoring a lot of girls and women in Ghana so they can become responsible future leaders.

Also, Women in positions of authority tend to: resolve national crises without resorting to violence, advocate for social issues that benet all, and allocate budgets to health and education What are some of the misconceptions about you and how do you wish to correct those impressions?

Today, women everywhere are breaking the glass ceiling in politics but our voices still go unheard and our contributions are too often sidelined. One of our top takeaways is that harmful gender stereotypes continue to hold us back.

Damaging gender norms stall progress and perpetuate misconceptions that hinder our ability to ascend in the political, business, and community 11

spheres. Some of the misconceptions about me and in specic terms about women in leadership are that, women are not suitable for leadership positions.

There is an erroneous impression that our male counterparts are to lead and that women must be submissive at all times to men. There is even the issue of discrimination in Parliament. There are not enough women in Ghana's Parliament. Not just in parliament but all levels of Government need to adopt afrmative action measures and amend the internal rules so as to give preference to women over men (according to their capabilities) for decision-making positions (including ministerial positions, committee chairs and leadership positions in the Parliamentary setting) in cases where qualications are equal or commensurate with their representation in the Government.

Also, the misconception that women are risk-averse. This has affected me greatly. In Africa, women are perceived to lack condence. There is a perception that women fear failure, women lack ambition.

The “Fix the Woman” myth is all too common in the workplace. It inhibits women's career advancement and those who enforce it fail to reect on the bias that perpetuates. It overestimates men's potential at the expense of their female counterparts. In the light of the above, I believe that, all these erroneous impressions concerning women must come to an end through education and sensitization. I have on my own done a lot to educate my people and this erroneous impression is gradually fading away.Also during my tenure as Member of Parliament, I did a

lot to ensure that the afrmative action bill is passed into law. Today, this law will soon see its passage as a lot of work has already been done on it. I have been able to erase the misconception that women are not condent and are mostly risk-averse. While in ofce, I took so many bold initiatives which my male counterparts over the years could not take such as the sheries closed season which sought to drastically replenish Ghana's and Africa's depleting sh stocks.

If you are not in politics today, what other profession would you be interested in?

My venturing into politics was a response to the fervent call from my people to serve. I managed to put some lease of hope into the people of my constituency and country by standing against all odds to run the parliamentary primary race in 2016. I have always believed that victory cannot be won on a platter of silver but through hard work and dedication to duty.

All was not well when I took over the political stage in my constituency and as Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. I entered ofce in 2017 when our entire nation was in crisis; a crisis created and s u s t a i n e d b y t h e mismanagement, incompetence and corruption of the erstwhile Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. Economic conditions were worsening by the day and there was so much suffering in the land. I had to work day and night, burn the midnight oil, and work assiduously and tirelessly to put things back on track.

My passion has always been to venture into the eld of agriculture whenever I 12

get slightest opportunity to do so. Thus, if I am not in politics today, I would go into sheries, aquaculture, poultry, livestock production or any other form of agricultural production on a wholesale like before, prior to my political appointment. I would continue to, as I already am currently doing, continue to empower more women and youth into agricultural, sheries and aquaculture production. This is so because I believe in the potential of women and the youth and I also believe that in order to ensure food security, poverty reduction and sustainable job creation, agricultural production must be enhanced.

What are your plans for the future, as one journey ends? Will you venture further into politics or take a new pattern in the private sector?

The battle of life continues and as my stay in ofce as Member of Parliament and Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has successfully come to an end, I have come to appreciate even more the potential of Ghana and Africa to provide prosperity and security for its people.

The journey so far has been worth the effort. We as a people have been confronted with various challenges but we can collectively as a people, work hand in hand together to chalk major successes that we can be proud of.

Respectfully, while I am open to serving my country, continent and the world in the best possible way, it is my desire to also consider other available opportunities as they emerge. With my strong passion for agriculture, it would not surprise me if I become one of the world's most renowned agriculturist in the next few years.

My innermost driving force is women empowerment, youth empowerment in agricultural, sheries and aquaculture development.

I am open to working both in the public and private space so far as I am able to provide my country and continent the needed development and opportunities.

I have been vindicated as Ghana and

Africa as a whole has seen huge payoffs in terms of my unprecedented closed season exercise which I organized successfully. This replenished Ghana's depleting sh stocks.

I invested so much resources in paying fees of students, building of educational infrastructures and the supply of educational materials. Paying medical bills of the less privileged was one of the areas I supported greatly. This has led to improved educational outcomes and favorable health indices for our people.

I undertook, and in some instances completed, major institutional reforms and built strong and viable institutions.

I invested in building robust infrastructure to stimulate economic growth throughout the constituency, country and continent. This created jobs and it is creating even more jobs. Indeed, these are also key demands of the global compact encapsulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which we as a nation have together agreed to uphold.

I look forward toward to empowering more women and the youth into agricultural, sheries and aquaculture production either in public ofce or in the private space.

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FASHION & LIFE STYLE

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT OUTFIT FOR YOUR BODY STRUCTURE

beautifu l thing we see around us takes a lot of thoughtfulness.

Making the effort to look good by wearing what atters our gure and body shape requires some attention and thoughtfulness. Being intentional about what we wear is key. So let's have fun taking a look at some major body structures we have, while trying to decipher what category you fall into.

There are ve different women's body shapes and structures namely; Apple shape, Inverted Triangle shape, Rectangle shape and the Hour Glass. If you are not sure of which of these categories you r body structure falls into, you could start out by taking your body measurement to know your body statistics. This would help you determine which category your body shape is thus aiding your choice in making sure your outts ts beautifully and proportionately on you. Always remember that whatever you wear, it's important the outt accentuates your advantages, this way you feel more condent and appear more attractive to others. Always bear in mind that whatever your body structure is, you are a beautiful woman.

M

ost women are often under pressure to keep up with styles and designs that are trending .The pressure to stay fashionable and current is what most women contend with on a daily basis. The secret to handling this pressure would be for every woman to own their style. A woman's ability to create and own her style gives her the opportunity to be unique with huge room for self expression. Never try to be like someone else! Create your own statement pieces by understanding your body structure and what works for you. I see a few women so obsessed with following what is trending for every season, while forgetting to consider if the new style or design trending would atter their body shape.

The best way to choose the right outt for your body shape is to adapt whatever style that is in vogue to suit your body shape but if you do not understand your body shape and structure you might nd it hard to do that. Looking fashionable and fabulous really takes some effort. Every

THE APPLE SHAPE This shape belongs to women who are round in stature just like the shape of an apple. This category of women have a heavier upper body in comparison to the lower part of their body. The have bigger bust lines, broad shoulders and undened waist lines. Since the major challenge of this body structure is an undened waist line, it is better to wear outts that would take attention away from that part of the body and highlight the advantages of this body structure.

You need to wear outts and neck lines that would create an illusion of an elongated waist line.

Things to wear: Your shoulders are broader than your hips, so with this in mind comfy tops happen to look amazing on you. A-line or empire cuts are ideal for your body structure. Flared tops and bottoms would look great on you.

Printed dresses and patterned jacket would be a great choice. Slightly tted jacket on boot cut pants, straight leg pants and palazzos would work to your advantage. A short wrap dress would look great on you. Soft textured fabrics and diagonal stripes would make you look slimmer.

Things to avoid: Avoiding extremely tight outt and gure hugging dresses. Stay away from 15

skinny jeans and long dresses, it would make you look bulkier and short.

INVERTED TRIANGLE The women in this category of body structure have wide shoulders, slimmer legs and hands. The upper part of the body is bigger than the lower part and this body structure is the most athletic looking body shape. Focus should be on enhancing your arms, legs and shoulder. The major focus should be on balancing your broad shoulder by wearing outts that would add volume to your hip line and enhance your lower body by making it fuller.

Things to wear: This body structure looks great in ared and owing dresses and skirts. Tops that are free and longer than the hip line. A-line dresses, boot cut, high waist pants and skirts.

Straight cut jeans and dresses that have inverted tucks. V-neck line would look great because it creates and illusion of narrow shoulders.

Things to avoid: Stay away from tops or dresses with heavy patterns, capes, rufes and layers on the upper part of your body. If you are able to take attention away from your shoulder and focus on enhancing the lower part of your body, you would be ne.

THE PEAR SHAPE Women with the pear shaped body structure have wide hips that are visually bigger than their bust lines and small shoulders. The focus should be on accentuating the upper part of your body so you can create an illusion of an hourglass gure.

Things to wear: Tops with rufes, capes, wider neck lines would make your shoulder look wider. Boot cuts pants, Aline dresses with rufed tops, skinny jeans with loose tops and pencil heels.

Off shoulder tops and structured jackets with an A-line skirt would look great on you. V-neck, scooped neck line and boats necks would be a good balance for your lower part. Push up bras are recommended to balance your upper body.

Things to avoid: Avoid tightly tted tops and loose bottoms which would not atter your gure. Long owing tops and dresses does not enhance your body structure. Avoid loose tted dresses and tops. Stay away from balloon dresses.

RECTANGLE SHAPE Women with the rectangle body structure have the model body shape.

They have their shoulders and hips in the

same proportion. They have a straight gure and the weight is evenly distributed. Your arms and legs are your greatest assets, so make sure whatever you are wearing enhances these assets. You look great in tted structured dresses with belt for your waist line.

Halter necks, High neck dresses, sleeveless and strapless dresses and tops, dresses with statement collars and embellished necklines would atter your gure. Blazers, long jackets and jump suits would look great as well.

Things to avoid: this body shape would get away with most styles so there are only few things to avoid. Avoid long loose dresses and tops. Do not wear clothes that highlight your waist. Wide and huge necklines does not atter your gure.

HOUR GLASS SHAPE Women with the hour glass body shape are described as curvy with a dened waist line. Your bust line and hips are even. Hour glass is the envy of almost every woman because of the total balance in the body structure. Dresses sits well on this body shape so make the best of it. You look great in tted dresses, wrap dresses and tted tops.

High waist skirt and pants, pencil dresses and skirts looks great on you. Vneck lines, round neck and boat neck are great neck lines to consider. Elbow length sleeves, cap sleeves. Flutter sleeves and a tank top would be great options. Stretchy, skinny jeans and leggings are perfect for your body shape.

Fitted tops, jackets and pleated waist are great.

Things to avoid: Avoid shapeless dresses and loose tops. Be weary of owing styles with gaudy embellishments. Loose clothing must go with a belt. This style can get away with almost anything, it's the most favored of all body shapes and structure.

These are the ve major categories of women shapes and structure. Most times often than not, some women combine more than one of these body shapes. Always keep in mind that whatever your body shape and structure is, you are a beautiful woman.

All you need to enhance your body structure and shape is to understand what atters your unique gure and stature. This should also help you know if a dress does not t you or looks out of shape on you, it's simply not appropriate for your body structure. It's all about mixing and matching and having fun at doing that till you nd what is best for you.

16

HEALTH & LIVING WELL

MANAGING IT ALL WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND

I

f you are like me, you handle of lot of competing obligations simultaneously: daily life, career, family, and social life.

But sometimes, even though we are successful at managing it all, we feel overwhelmed and exhausted. That was me. I “did it all,” but I wasn't enjoying my life. I was mentally and physically exhausted at the end of each week. Thankfully, I discovered a better way by utilizing practical time management tools, leveraging resources, and developing effective mind management techniques. Here are my top ve tips for managing it all without losing your mind.

1. Develop a meditation practice.

The key benet of meditation is the ability to act rather than react. A daily practice of just ve minutes can reduce stress and anxiety, improve your ability to deal with difcult times and people, and increase focus and productivity. Adopting a mind management practice such as meditation is the key to not only handling it all, but enjoying it as well.

2. Build and leverage your support network.

We may be able to do it all ourselves, but that doesn't mean we should. If you, like me, do not naturally seek help from others, this will be a learning process. I can do a lot, all at

the same time. And there is a part of me that celebrates myself when I think about all the things I can handle. But there is a price to pay. Mental overload, emotional drain, extreme calendaring and planning, and ultimately exhaustion. Nobody can keep up a break-neck pace indenitely. By allowing others to help us, we can “nd” more time.

Asking for help to manage our competing obligations is not only acceptable, it is strong and wise.

To get the help you need to live the life you want, invest in creating your support network. For some people, this can be family members; for others, it can be friends; and for others, it could be paid support, like a nanny, housekeeper, virtual assistant, or paid services.

Think about all the people and services in your life that could assist you with personal and professional responsibilities, e.g. family, friends, neighbors, teachers, staff, and others specic to your life. Also consider paid services like grocery delivery, drivers, online personal shoppers, and the like.

3. Be realistic about how much time you have.

Time is nite, but our responsibilities often feel innite. It is crucial to ensure that we are not trying to pour more activities and responsibilities into the cup of time than it can hold. When we do this, no matter how hard we work, or how efcient we are, we cannot possibly do it all.

Start by quantifying the time needed on a weekly basis for all the things you want and need to do. This means determining how much time you either want to spend or how much time is required. Then add it up. There are 168 hours in each week; if you have more than 168 hours of responsibilities and activities, then you have set yourself up to fail. In order to reduce to less than 168 hours, leverage your support network, having someone else or a service handle some things, or dropping some activities or responsibilities.

4. Use words that help you manage your time better.

One of the greatest creators of stress is how we talk about time. The words we use can help or hinder us. Change the language you use when talking about time. Stop 18

HEALTH & LIVING WELL saying “I don't have enough time” or “I'm so busy.” Those words don't help you. When I stopped saying “I'm so busy,” my life totally changed. I lost the feeling of constantly running from one activity to another. Maybe I am still running from one thing to another, but I don't feel the negative effects of it.

Change “I don't have enough time” to “I have too much to do.” When we focus on our perceived lack of time, we become victims of time. We don't have control over how many hours are in a day: no matter what we do, there are only 24 hours. But we have control over what we do. By focusing on having too much to do, we empower ourselves to make changes and reduce what we must do.

exercise) — and sync it to all your devices. I put everything in my Google calendar, which I can access on all my devices (work laptop and phone, personal laptop and phone, and any other device with internet). I follow the calendar. This is especially important for me when it comes to exercising. I can always nd a reason not to work out, but if I have my workout scheduled in the calendar, then I'm much more likely to do it.

When things don't go as planned, I recalibrate and review at the end of each day, week, and month. Of course, no matter how carefully we plan our lives, we don't have control over everything. Your calendar is your aspirational plan — the way you

5. Organize and plan your time effectively.

Keep all your various responsibilities in order and successfully handled by organizing and planning your time. When I have lots to do, I want to jump in as quickly as possible and tackle things. Who has time to plan? Resist that temptation. Take a breath, and take the time to plan. Would you build a house without rst drafting a plan?

Of course not. Take the same approach to your day and your life. You actually save time when you make a good and thoughtful plan. And when you take ve minutes to meditate before you plan, your planning will be even better.

I advocate planning and putting everything on one calendar — work deadlines and appointments, family obligations, and personal items (like

want the day to go if you could control everything. But not everything will go as planned, so remain exible and readjust when things change.

Using these time and mind management tools and techniques, you can have the life you desire without feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

Jamie Jackson Spannhake is a lawyer, writer, and work-life integration coach. She is author of The Lawyer, the Lion, & the Laundry: Three Hours to Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, available at www.JamieSpannhake.com and Amazon. Find more of her content, including workbooks, a blog, webinars, virtual coaching, and more at www.JamieSpannhake.com.

You can reach her directly at jamie@spannhake.com, and on LinkedIn (@JamieSpannhake), Facebook (@LawyerLionLaundry), and Instagram (@LawyerLionLaundry).

19

Do you have a program or event coming up? Are you looking for a media crew to cover such event?

Then Ladies In Business Magazine Global is here for you! We provide full media coverage for your upcoming events, business forums, conferences or symposiums. Including social media promotions and a feature in our Event and Happening segment! We also create awareness and publicized your upcoming program for people to know and attend your upcoming event.

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LEGAL AND BUSINESS

5 BUILDING BLOCKS OF A

LEGAL CONTRACT C

ontracts are a big part of commercial and business transactions.

As a matter of fact, your company is set up to sell either physical goods, intangible services or digital products, either way you are selling something.

You are exchanging something of value with your customers or clients which they pay for in cash or kind. That is a contract of sale.

Apart from the basic contract of selling, your company will enter series of contracts, so it is important to lay the proper foundation by nothing these 5 important things about contracts in business.

For instance, as an entrepreneur, you will enter contracts with your employees, your landlord (if you use a physical structure), your website designer or app designer, your suppliers, independent contractors, etc.

So, as you see contracts are an important part of your business. Therefore, it is

important to know what a contract is and what makes it valid(legal).

Let's get started.

To keep it simple, a contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties and for it to be legal and valid, it must have these essential features.

Firstly, there must be an offer by one party and acceptance of that offer by the other party(ies).

For example, Magnolia Limited (a ctitious company name) needs a legal adviser for their company; they reach out to our law rm Charis Legal Practice and make us an offer.

We accept their offer and we both agree on scope of our services which they need, the duration of the transaction and many other important details (acceptance).

We have a written contract containing all the necessary details of our business arrangement which representatives of the 21

company and the law rm sign.

Secondly, there must be consideration, meaning a party will give the other party something in return for the stated benets.

Each party has a benet to be gained from the other party and in exchange for that, it has obligations to fulll towards that party.

As in our example above, Magnolia Limited agrees to pay #10 million naira as fees in exchange for the legal services our law rm will provide.

Please note that consideration doesn't have to be money all the time, as long as it is something of value e.g. a case of trade by barter where an interior decorator may exchange his / her services for the services of a digital marketer.

Thirdly, there must be agreement between the parties entering the contract.

This is the bedrock of all contracts.

Both parties must agree on all the necessary details that the contract entails.

It is at the point of agreement that they sign the written contracts. As a matter of fact, there is no binding contract until the parties have agreed.

So, Magnolia Nigeria Limited and Charis Legal Practice agree on the terms of the contracts e.g. fees, mode of payment, mode of delivery of legal services, duration, scope of services, termination of contract, dispute resolution etc., and include it in a written contract.

The Fourth thing to note is that a contract must be for a Lawful purpose.

You can enter a contract to do something lawful only. An agreement between two parties to defraud another person or give kickbacks for example cannot be a contract as it is not for a lawful purpose.

Finally, the parties must intend to create a legal relationship.

doesn't do what he or she agreed to under the contract, the law can compel that party to comply with what they had promised.

The relationship between Charis Legal Practice and Magnolia Limited is a lawyerclient relationship and if any of the parties fails to carry out their obligations under the law, the law can compel them to comply.

There you go.

These are the ve essential building blocks of a legal and valid contract.

Do you have a question?

Do type them in the comment section.

This information in this article is meant for educational purposes.

Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice or creates a lawyer-client relationship.

Please contact your lawyer for legal advice.

Tosin Omotosho is an author, Real Estate and Business lawyer who helps smart entrepreneurs and business owners sleep well at night, by giving legal structure and protection to their business and help them avoid unnecessary liabilities caused by legal mistakes. With a career spanning over 11years, she has been lawyer to companies in the agriculture, advertising, real estate, technology, industries among others. An avid reader and writer, she is the Principal Partner, Charis Legal Practice, a law rm based in Lagos.

Download a free copy of her book “NOT AGAIN”; Legal Mistake Entrepreneurs should avoid here, Buy her e-book Chasing the Greed; your legal roadmap to protable partnerships and collaborations here Contact her here and read more of her helpful legal articles here.

This means they both agree that if a party 22

MEN’S CORNER

WHAT'S CHANGED IN PERCEPTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP? NOT MUCH.

W

hen I talk about The Missing 33%™, the first research I cite is from a Business Weekcover story published in 2000. In short, the findings were that women "outshine their male counterparts on almost every measure."

This led me to research what the almost was all about. After all, if we're so good, why were there so few of us at the top? The finding is what we call The Missing 33% and basically it means that women outshine men on interpersonal and team skills but men are seen by bosses as better than women at business, strategic and financial acumen.

It's inevitable that, hearing this, someone will make the point, "That was years ago. Surely things have changed."

Here are a variety of updates. I have coded the skills according to our definition of leadership (Leadership is using the greatness in you to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes by engaging the greatness in others.). §

P = Personal greatness

§

O = Outcomes (business, strategic and financial acumen)

§

E = Engaging greatness in others,

Recent research reported by HBR found: "...at all levels, women are rated higher in fully 12 of the 16 competencies that go into outstanding leadership. And two of the traits where women outscored men to the highest degree, were taking initiative (P) and driving for results (P - the reason this is a P and not an O is because you can do your job and hit your goals without having business, strategic or financial acumen) – two traits which have long been thought of as particularly male strengths.”

“When global management consulting firm McKinsey asked business executives around the world what they believe were the most important leadership attributes today, the top four results were: § Intellectual stimulation,(P) § Inspiration (E), § Participatory decision-making (E) and § Setting expectations/rewards (E) all attributes more commonly found in women leaders.”

An Apollo Group study finds that women are well poised to lead into the 21st century. Why? Because...

"Women top the charts in key skills. Women outperform men on key leadership competencies, such as §

Communicating(E),

§

Coaching (E),

§

Organizing people (E),

§

Thinking creatively (P) and

§

Solving problems (P - you can solve problems, but not demo business, strategic and financial acumen).

Women also score higher than men on traits that are essential in today's collaborative work environments, such as: §

Empathy(P),

§

Transparency (P/E) and

§

Inclusiveness (E)."

Authors John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio have written The Athena Doctrinein which they

"...at all levels, women are rated higher in fully 12 of the 16 competencies that go into outstanding leadership.”

23

make the case that women and men who think like us will rule the future. Why? Because we have the excellent interpersonal skills and personal attributes that people want in their managers intuitive (P), expressive (P), passionate (P), selfless (P), patient (P/E), flexible (P), etc. I came across their book because of an article on "the vision thing"

by Kay Koplovitz in which she writes: "The Harvard Business Review published an article in 2009 on this very topic called "Women and the Vision Thing," with interesting information and conclusions. Originally, their study found that women tested higher than men in many leadership categories except one: envisioning, or the ability to recognize new trends and opportunities and develop new direction for the organization. The perception of women as poor visionaries, in this study, comes from male peers. Now, the newly released and well researched "Athena Doctrine" by John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio reported that being a visionary is a neutral trait, that it was neither a masculine or a feminine trait.

So which is it? Are women visionary or not?"

Korn Ferry recently released a similar finding. "...with the exception of confidence, women generally score higher than men in all dimensions of leadership style and in most of the skills and competencies deemed necessary for senior leadership success, such as employee engagement, customer satisfaction and building talent.

Excuse us, but these talents are clustered into "engaging the greatness in others" - only 1/3 of the elements needed for senior leadership success. As a matter of fact, buried in the study they admit this as well.

"Women are rated lower in financial and strategic skills both of which are mission critical at the executive level."

Here's the thing, John and Michael interviewed lots of people, but they didn't focus on how bosses make decisions about advancement. They don't make the distinction between traits and proven skills. Sure, women have vision. Who among us doesn't imagine ourselves 10 pounds thinner, or our kids being the next great success or our partner being more romantic?

But there's a world of difference between the ability to envision and having strategic acumen. That's what the HBR study points out. How many of us take time to scan the business environment to "recognize new trends and opportunities and develop new direction for the organization?" Only those who use their ability to envision to cultivate strategic acumen.

A recent study by Mercer found that male managers are seen as having an edge in: §

Strategic visioning - O

§

Driving for results - O

§

Technical skills/depth of expertise- P

§

Experience managing P&L - O

Women are seen as having an edge in: §

Inclusive team leadership - E

§

People leadership skills - E

§

Flexibility/adaptability to change and hardship - P

§

Teamwork and cooperation - E

Written by: STEPHEN AKINTAYO MD STEPHEN AKINTAYO CONSULTING INVESTMENT COACH Info@stephenakintayo.com +2348180000618

24

PERSONALITY PROFILE

S

tellaRita Awelle Asogwa, a businesswoman in the beauty, fashion, and food industry, is a wife and mother with 3 kids.

StellaRita graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

She received her master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) in 2015 from the Business School Netherlands (BSN) and was awarded a honorary postgraduate doctoral degree (Ph.D (hs.c)) from Janus University, California. She also acquired a certicate in Entrepreneurial Management from Pan African University.

All of these helped beef her intellectual capacity and skills in business.

She has always had a air for business.

Growing up, she saw her mother - a teacher, now retired, married to her father who was a military man, venture into businesses like Baking and Salon, alongside her teaching career. StellaRita helped her mother take care of business while she was away.

Her rst startup was a door-to-door mobile Cosmetic business in Mary Kay. Afterward, she launched LaRita Beauty Spa in 2009, a salon and spa beauty business, which she ran for 8 years and shut down in 2018.

While running the Spa business, she and her husband started a franchise Chinese restaurant in Abuja, Nigeria. The Franchise

A VIBRANT BUSINESS WOMAN

StellaRita Awelle Asogwa Ph.D (h.c) 26

PERSONALITY PROFILE Marcopolo Chinese Restaurant was in operation for 3 years. After the end of the 3 years contract, she put an end to the franchise contract and continued solely as Marcoriano Chinese restaurant. The restaurant has achieved a milestone of 11 years in business overcoming challenges and has 2 branches in Abuja, Nigeria.

She started a clothing brand, Zarita kouture in 2012, where local print, Ankara (African print) is mixed with western fabrics to make unique styles. In 2015, she added an academy, Zarita Fashion Academy where small group certied trainings on pattern cutting and fashion illustration are being taught.

StellaRita is an entrepreneur of diverse interest. Despite the many challenges her businesses faced, she always gures out a way to keep up with and stay ahead of the market. Through her fashion brand she has participated in a number of local and international fashion shows and events which includes; The Africa Fashion Week London, Montage Africa Fashion show, Fashion Finest London Fashion Week, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and Africa Fashion Reception, Paris. StellaRita also organised her own fashion show in 2014 themed the Zarita Fashion Show which graced different selection of local designers on the runway.

StellaRita is a recipient of numerous local and international awards and accolades. A few to note includes; The award as the best Beauty Salon in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; The Best Chinese Restaurant in Abuja; The Corporate Women of Excellence award for the Business Personality of the year; The prestigious Global Leader of Integrity award for Courage in Character, Patriotism and Humanitarian Leadership; Gold Leadership award in Corporate management and Governance; Global Leader of Integrity Ambassador; The recipient of The Ikenga Award for Excellence on Entrepreneurship amongst many other awards. StellaRita has been named as one of the 20 most outstanding women in Nigeria by the Leadership Newspaper. She has also been named as one of the distinguished women of substance in Nigeria by the

Guardian Newspaper. However, her impact on her family stands above all to her as her greatest achievement is being the best mother to her children.

StellaRita is a member of the She Trades in the Commonwealth. She is a member of Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria. She is a conferred Fellow in the Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria (FIBM). She is a Patron of the Association of Private Media Establishments in Nigeria.

She is also conferred Chairman Every Woman Agricultural Empowerment Initiative (EWAEI). StellaRita has been honoured with Chapter 13 of the book titled “Growing up Africa” by Gift Chidima Nnamoko which is a book showcasing the entrepreneurial journeys of a few select entrepreneurs in Africa.

StellaRita has resolved to be passionate, have a positive mindset, build on herself and be a mentor in her society as she continues in her entrepreneurship journey.

27

PERSONALITY PROFILE

T H E D Y N A M I C

SYLVIE POTIGNON CEO, SOFIAA INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BROKER DWC-LLC DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

S

YLVIE POTIGNON is an African of Congo Brazzaville descent. She has both French and Congolese nationality. An astute business woman, who is determine in her quest to build successful businesses in the continent and abroad.

As an entrepreneur, over the years, SYLVIE POTIGNON set up new working methods aimed at growing her companies' client portfolio, therefore, she obtained fixed incomes in real estate management with the oil sector. This saved her enough funds over a period of one year leading to the creation of Sofia Beach amusement park. The amusement park is now situated in both Congo and Dominican Republic.

Sofia Services was established in 2012, as a multiservice company aimed at providing services to

major corporations, including Hotel operations, accounting, management control, public relations, Human resources, management. Under the leadership of SYLVIE POTIGNON, the company is in charge of AZUR INTERNATIONAL CGDHT SARL Pointe-Noire, CONGO. In November 2013, the playground park on the beach was created and named SOFIA BEACH POINTE NOIRE CONGO. The park is undergoing some expansions to include more commercial area and a day care center to enable parents enjoy free time during business or personal meetings. Sofia Services, equally handles sale and import of advertising objects.

For Sofia Service Director and her team, “success is an everyday choice”. As she strongly believe in an old saying, “What you put out, is what you get “, so in a difficult working environment she always changes her attitude in order to ensure the growth of her companies.

For an example, during the time of tumbled price of oil barrel in 2014, SOFIA SERVICES 28

PERSONALITY PROFILE services. It is the concierge for French luxury brands in UAE, Middle East and Africa. In addition to worldwide consulting in the purchasing, promoting and selling of products and services.

CONGO created a new field of activities and begins to provide different services specialized in “crisis management” which helped to support major Congolese companies that were having financial, fiscal and human resources management difficulties, as well as difficulties in managing relations with its social partners. An experience which ended in success, especially as Sofia Services clarified the financial and tax situation of the companies and succeed in carrying out negotiations with its social partners.

Abroad, SYLVIE POTIGNON is equally making waves with company SOFIA SERVICES International. The multi-services company is connecting investors to hotels and property owners in Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico (Caribbean island and south America). The company is into management of tourism events and trips in Dominican Republic for international guests. SOFIA SERVICES International was created at Dominican Republic Santiago de los Calleberos in December 2017.

SYLVIE POTIGNON, a strong admirer of Mike Horn, an adventurer of African culture, with Swiss and South African nationalities, whose courage and strong beliefs, she greatly admires. “In order to be successful, I had to have a vision board and work hard”, he is quoted as saying. “Life is hard work, faith and grace. Faith without work is dead”.

With this conviction, she strived in her many businesses, and recently opened SOFIAA INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BROKER DWC-LLC, Dubai, UAE, this January, 2021.

SYLVIE POTIGNON has wide varieties of experience in various fields, having worked as assistant director at DIDAVISION CAP D'AGDE, France, a film production company. She worked as bilingual reservation and marketing agent at American Airlines, Dublin, Ireland. SYLVIE POTIGNON rose from Food and Beverage Manager at Hotel Azur International Pointe Noire Congo, to second President General Director at the hotel, and today as President of the board of directors of the hotel. In charge of co-management and control of operations on behalf of the partners.

Sylvie POTIGNON biggest inspiration is her mother, a typical professional who was committed to disadvantaged children in the associations "ESPACE ENFANTS" and "Ngondo Association for the fight against poverty",. Her mother left a precious legal legacy to Congolese children by proposing a law to protect children against various violations of their fundamental rights, she also worked on the application of this law called "the Potignon law". Before her unexpected death on May 29, 2020, she was about to submit a new project to the office of the National Assembly relating to "the protection and rights of widows in matters of inheritance", at the heart of many dramas in Congolese families.

POTIGNON is member of the Lions club Coral Pointe Noire Congo since 2005. An opportunity to get involved in humanitarian and ecological causes globally.

SOFIAA INTERNATIONAL, UAE, is an international brokerage operation of products and 29

of Nigeria (CIBN), Member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Fellow of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI), a Member of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), and a Mentor, Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP).

She has held various positions at First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, and her philosophy of an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of excellence ensured that she consistently surpassed expectations. Safiya also has International banking experience in her former role as Chief Representative Officer for First Bank in Abu Dhabi. She was responsible for formulating the strategic leadership direction of First Bank's growth in the UAE as a preferred trade financing vehicle between the UAE and Nigeria. In this role, Safiya managed the bank's relationships with a broad range of stakeholders and financial regulators in the UAE.

Safiya Stephanie

Musa

PfD, FCE, FIMC

An Excellent Impactpreneur

Safiya co-founded EduShine Foundation to assist students of public schools to maximise their educational potentials by providing extramural classes, free Jamb registration, payment of school fees, mentoring program and online-based educational resources.

Through this effort, she helps promote inclusive and quality education and lifelong learning for all, thereby substantially helping to achieve the

S

afiya Stephanie Musa is a Banking professional, and an Impactpreneur with excellent track record in various spheres of endeavour. She's a graduate of Economics from Bayero University Kano, and has also received further education at several world class institutions, including Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School, INSEAD Business School, and the African Centre For International Criminal Justice ACICJ. Safiya is the National Vice President of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria (ICEN), a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers 30

targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4. The Foundation also provides funding to small-scale business owners. This initiative is called the 'Power Of N50k'.

She's an advocate of Pro-poor policies, and partners with many NGOs focusing on Education, Empowerment and Health Care for the less privileged. She's the Founder/Chief Enterprise Officer of the Amazons for Change & Empowerment Initiative, a BOT member of the Phenomenal African Women (PAW), Women Empowered in Leadership Advancement and Development (WELEAD) and Emerge Women organizations, and the Dep. Cordinator of the Abuja Chapter of the African Women Leadership Organization (AWLO). She also works in advisory capacity with Smile Missions Health Care (SMHC) in providing medical service support to areas ravaged by Boko Haram terrorism, and the Kogi

Young Professionals Network in providing support to the Executive team. Internationally, Safiya has participated in fund-raising initiatives for the Institute of Cancer Research, UK and other charitable activities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She was recently invited by the Parliamentarians For Global Action (PGA) to join a Regional Working Group on the fight against impunity in Africa.

Safiya is renowned for her intellect, leadership qualities, passionate commitment to worthy causes, versatility, diligence and an impactful resultsoriented approach to issues. She is also at the vanguard of numerous initiatives to promote and support the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

S h e h a s r e c e ive d m a n y awa r d s f o r h e r Humanitarian works, and was recently confirmed a Global Goodwill Ambassador (GGA) by the United Nations affiliated GGA Organization.

31

PERSONALITY PROFILE

MS. SHERLEY TEACHERPRENEUR & EDUCATOR

M

y name is Sherley Louis, daughter of Pastor André Macius Louis & Marie Édith Henrisca Louis, sister of Leslie Louis, Nathanaëlle Louis Mézadieu, Michaël Louis, Marie-Alberte Louis, Makenzie Louis, and Carnégie Louis. I am a highly qualified teacher leader and educator for the past ten years. I started teaching in the Miami Dade County Public Schools District (USA) and transitioned to the International Private Schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). My expertise lies in English, Reading, Theater, French, and Kreyòl Ayisyen.

Moreover, I gained extensive teaching experience in Gifted & Talented, Special Educational Needs (SEN), and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

For nine years, I proudly served as the Assistant Director of J&D Chandler Academy (USA), with my friends Dr. Debie Chandler, President and Mrs. Josette Chandler, Executive Director and Owner.

I graduated from the University of Carlos Albizu in the United States of America with a Master of Science degree in TESOL Prior, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami Dade College School of Education in Exceptional Student Education and an Endorsement in ESOL. I am exhilarated to say that I was the Nominee and Recipient of the Distinguished Master of Science Award. I explored my passion for teaching when I had an opportunity to work as a substitute teacher and teaching assistant at Miami Dade County Public Schools in Florida, USA. My ultimate mission is to become an internationally recognized educator and leader known for her culturallyrelevant teaching experiences while offering authentic and quality American education to Emirati students and the school community.

In the United Arab Emirates, I had an opportunity to serve as a Head of English Department and Head of Special Education Needs Department in an international private school. Moreover, I also taught students with determination (SEN), including the Gifted & Talented. I used my advanced knowledge and experience in the teaching field

from the USA to design and implement effective differentiated instructional plans to meet the needs of my students, including those at risk of educational failure, those receiving special education services, English Language Learners, and the Gifted & Talented students.

During the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, schools in Abu Dhabi got through a Distance Learning Response. Almost all teachers from my department (Cycle One) did not have any distance learning experiences. I was able to identify new opportunities for academic support and development with new technologies and tools that could enhance student learning in hybrid, remote, and face-to-face settings. I worked to bring excellence in teaching and educational technology innovation through direct oversight of training and development. · The Key Contribution: Under exceptional leadership, the International Private School earned an A for Cognia accreditation. · The Key Contribution: A led organizational efforts and overall strategy to improve the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) Inspection results; upgraded 2019-2020 judgment from “Acceptable” to “Good” level for students in Cycle One. · The Key Contribution: Advanced school from a “C” overall rating to an “A” for ADEK 2019-2020 Annual Inspection. · The Key Contribution: Cross-functionally liaised with school administration, teachers, and parents to create a 32

PERSONALITY PROFILE vision of inclusion that positioned the school for success, which resulted in the Highest level on the Digital Learning Inspection by ADEK in 2020.

My accomplishments throughout my career are the record of outstanding teaching through thoughtful innovation, collaboration, and skillful curriculum design. In 2018, I received a proclamation from State Representative Campbell (USA) for my work as an English teacher to speakers of other languages. In January 2019, I received the City of Miami Educator's Award (USA) for being an innovative and exceptional language educator while promoting Kreyòl language and culture in South Florida. I was awarded the Sosyete Koukouy of Miami's Certificate of Appreciation for my involvement promoting Haitian language in the United States, Haiti, and abroad. It was important for me to join organization like Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization of women educators dedicated to educational excellence, altruism and world understanding. I have volunteered to serve the International Chapter ad hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. I am so honored to be a member of the International Society of Female Professionals - one of the world's leading professional associations for women and the Association of International Educators & Leaders of Color.

This year I am so thrilled to be the Nominee and Award Recipient of S.H.E. Awards UAE in Top Ladies in Business Category. Thank you so much to the entire team and management of Ladies in Business Magazine Global for this nomination and award!

I am a teacherpreneur who is very passionate about Language and teaching. I never considered my work as mere employment as it is much more than this and very connected to my personality and soul. I enjoy what I do because it is a cause for me rather than just work. I aim to keep world language Kreyòl Ayisyen alive by offering Live remote classes and Self-paced asynchronous classes. For more information or to register for a session, please email mouvmankreyolinstitute@gmail.com or visit www.internationalteachingacademy.org.

M

akenzie Louis, Director of the Translation & I n t e r p r e t a t i o n Departments Mouvman Kreyòl Institute, LLC.

M

arie Alberte Louis, Director of Finance Mouvman Kreyòl Institute, LLC.

C

arnégie Louis, Talent Manager Mouvman Kreyòl Institute, LLC.

My love for creativity goes beyond the classroom. I love to design, and I do it for fun.

Fortunately, Victoria Julien, a childhood friend, and a former Middle School classmate, helped me turned this passion into a business when we founded High Class Designs LLC. Victoria has more than 20 years in the fashion industry where she has providing first class designs for regular and plus size women.

Contact us at highclassdesignsllc@gmail.com or

Sherley Louis, Founder of Mouvman Kreyòl Institute, LLC

& The International Teaching Academy, LLC.

33

SPIRITUALITY

PURPOSE AND FOCUS

I

the medical field as a physician, and you do not have any acquaintance with people already in the medical field or course mate alike, there might be some rough patch in your journey, however if you surround yourself with friends, course mate, and acquaintances who are familiar with the medical field, there is a high probability your journey will be smooth as butter.

am extremely privileged to contribute a written content concerning purpose and focus. When you get to a level in your life when you start fulfilling purpose, when you start living in accordance to why you were sent here on earth, when you start representing GOD desires here on earth, when you start manifesting your GOD ordained purpose here on earth, only then you will be completely fulfilled.

Focus is a significant tool to achieving purpose. If you lack focus you may never accomplish purpose.

Here are some key principles to keep you grounded while fulfilling purpose.

A.

Keep the right friends: One of the key principles to fulfil purpose is to surround yourself with circle of friends who are on same path in life with you. Why is that?

Because when you feel discouraged in your pursuit of purpose, there is a chance they will lift you up cause they on same path with you.

Fact is, if you are aspiring to pursue a career in

B.

Forsake the past: Life is a school, and failure is the teacher for those with the right attitude. Do not dwell on your past mistakes, simply learn from it, and maintain your focus.

You are not a failure because you failed once, twice, or probably lost count of your failures.

You might have failed in your marriage, career, education, Etc. You must understand in life you never stop learning, knowledge is inevitable, so forsake your past mistakes, be your own encourager, be your own adviser, and be your own stepping stones to your future and a purposeful life.

35

C.

D.

E.

Eliminate Low Self Esteem: Low selfesteem is lack of self-confidence and selfworth. When you have low self-esteem, you will always look down on yourself, compare yourself to others and will never see your own uniqueness of what GOD has ordained you to be here on earth.

Rationalization: Losers rationalize and have books full of excuses to tell why they could not succeed. Winners might analyze but they never rationalize. Do not see every unsuccessful attempt as a failure. Very few people succeed at everything they do at the first attempt. Most people only b e c o m e successful at what they do after a consistent repeated effort.

There is one thing I tell my friends – always check why you failed; ask yourself what is that thing I did wrong, when you realize it focus on achieving it.

barriers that block your way to success.

Assess the challenges and change process.

I want you to meditate deeply on the few points I have recommended. Next time I will elaborate more on the weapon of FOCUS and how it can be used to win in the place of purpose.

GOD BLESS YOU .

Written by – Rev Osayi Christabel Bob

Stop: Stop falling into similar hole, repeating the same mediocre process will bring same results.

Identify the attitudinal, behavioral and performance 36

BIRTHDAY

MD/CEO Authentic Events and Cocktails.

Email: jummy2live@yahoo.com IG Handle: @authenticeventsrebirth Tel: +2348025331780

AWARDS

UAE

Sophisticated | High Networth | Excellence

T

his award is for the purpose of showing RECOGNITION & APPRECIATION to all ladies and women in business in UAE. The award is basically to encourage them and pass the information to them that they can be more and achieve success.

So many times, we found lots of ladies and women in business doing fantastically well but no one has ever appreciated them for a job well done.

Even though they have not owned a large conglomerates and chains of business.

We believed that everyone moving from point A to a point B shouldn't be left alone. We all have our achievements at various levels and categories. And we should be celebrated for that until we make that large success the society is expecting us to meet up with.

Ladies in Business Magazine Global is the Convener of this ceremony and this event will be carried out on yearly basis in UAE. The award is for ladies and women in busines who have rise above

their struggles and now successful in their own capacity. These women have also come to good understanding and knowledge of themselves and their businesses. They are also the ladies and women in business with great ideas and outstanding innovation. Their good deeds have eventually paved the way for a great cause to change their lives and their businesses.

And that is why we are crowing their efforts because they are now ofcially S.H.E. Which means: Sophisticated, Highly Recognized and Excellence. The following are the criteria chosen in selecting them: 1. The business is owned by a woman.

2. The business is in operation for at least one year.

3. The business is registered.

4. The business have employees.

5. The business operation is in UAE. 6. Such a person must have been able to impact positively in her community or country.

39

FITNESS & FIT

FITNESS TIPS FOR

A

Healthy Career woman, is an unstoppable woman. Many times, we women love to multitask but one thing I've found common in a lot of women is that we do so much for others and so little for ourselves, in most cases often neglecting our well-being in the rat race to meet deadlines. But that's where we are beside the mark.

A recent study showed that workday exercise, not only improves well-being but participants noted a 72 percent improvement in time management and workload completed on days when they exercised.

Low-intensity aerobic exercise is more effective than high-intensity exercise for improving productivity.

Another study by the World Economic Forum and the Harvard School of Public Health reports employees with healthy habits are 3.1 times more productive than their unhealthy peers.

This Article is to help you find Balance in life as a Busy woman. It is important to create time for yourself especially when it comes to deliberately keeping fit and staying healthy. It is important to keep yourself healthy and fit while maintaining your dream.

Balancing life, fitness and work can be done with a little willpower on your end.

Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-vigorous physical exercise, and sufficient rest.

How you can keep Fit with a Busy Schedule I could mention a thousand and one ways to keep fit and stay healthy, but I will love to keep it simple with these 10 tips.

1. Prioritize your health, Bear in mind that health is wealth and if you are lacking good health, it could affect your productivity level.

2. Wake up early or create time in the evening/night to work out for at least 30mins a day 3 to 5 times weekly.

Having a Structured routine will also allow you to be consistent and to develop a balanced workout of strength, flexibility, and cardio training (including interval work) each week 3. Do not skip breakfast, always have a cup of coffee or tea and a fruit if you have to leave very early it's the most important meal of the day. Many studies have linked eating breakfast to good health, including better memory and concentration, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight.

4. Increase your fruits and vegetables intake. You can have them in salads, sauces, juiced or any way that is convenient for you. Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals.

They also contain fibre. There are many varieties of fruit and vegetables available and many ways to prepare, cook and serve them. A diet high in fruit and vegetables can help protect you against cancer, diabetes and heart disease and also leave you full of energy, also don't forget to include other classes of food.

5. Do not sit for too long even if you are in long meetings, you should always get up and stretch.

Sitting for too long increases your risk of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Too much sitting can also be bad for your mental health.

6. Drink lots of water. At least 6-10 glasses of water daily. This will help reduce and relieve headaches, keep you hydrated, helps in concentration, increase your energy levels, flushes out toxins and also make you get up to use the rest room (hahaha a good excuse to stretch) 41

7. Find time to rest, resting is part of a healthy lifestyle, it allows your brain reboot, it prevents depression, it lowers your risk of heart issues. Rest and relaxation reduces stress and improves overall health. You'll be able to easily work a full day. Improves your focus: An active mind gets tired just like an active body.

Including time to quiet your thoughts and letting your mind rest is part of the healing process.

8. If finding a Routine is difficult, you can simply do a little cardio in the bathroom before you shower. Also, use the stairs more often, park your car further away from your office entrance so you can cover some distance, dance when you can as that is also another interesting way of keeping fit.

9. Maintain a good and healthy social life, Social skills are important because they are the foundation for having positive relationships with others and with your partners, friends, and for your career. Social skills allow you to connect with other people on a level that is important in life so you can have more in-depth relationships with others. It also helps you connect well with people who will and could eventually become your clients and partners 10. Maintain a healthy weight, it is important to not get carried away with work and your business that you actually forget to keep tabs on your weight. Losing weight and staying within a healthy weight range helps you perform your daily activities well with less fatigue and more agility.

The secret to making all of the above work for you: 1. Make it a lifestyle change and ensure you encourage everyone in your circle to do same. That way they can become your accountability partners.

2. Consider hiring a personal trainer to design a weekly workout regimen just for you and your personal goals. Setting goals helps you develop a stronger workout ethic and keeps you motivated to do your workouts every day. Ask your personal trainer about exercises you can do in a hotel room if you are traveling for business and the accommodations booked do not offer a gym In summary, exercise supplements self-confidence.

It's good judgment that keeping fit, staying fit boosts your mental energy in a renewed form and you feel certainly good about yourself. Being fit, work out and exercises releases endorphins, the chemical that boost positive elements that are essential for being happy and cheerful. Being fit is a lot more than just looking sexy at the gym or in a bathing suit. You can look amazing and still be unhealthy. Being fit means that you have a body that is healthy and can endure the daily physical strains you put on it.

I hope this helps.

Uchenna Mofunanya C.E.O, Shapeup with MrsMurphy

Shapeup with Mrs. Murphy

S

hapeup with Mrsmurphy is an online weight management consult.

We help people lose weight and achieve their flat tummy goals in record time without drinking "slimming" teas, pills, supplements, starvation or sleeping in the gym.

We offer various packages for weight-loss and the best part is you can be anywhere in the world. We also help nursing moms get back their body in record time. Our approach to weight-loss and flat tummy is using all classes of food or achieve our body goals. We teach healthy eating, and healthy drinking as well as the need to be physically active. We give healthy focused talks and create sensitization on the healthy lifestyle to platforms like schools, offices and other events.

To contact us, please Call or Whatsapp 08064601880, +2348064601880, Instagram: @shapeupwith_mrsmurphy Facebook: Shapeup with Mrsmurphy Website: www.shapeupwithmrsmurphy.com Twitter: @magic_mrsmurphy Thank you so much for having me 42

Ladies in Business Magazine Global Ideas | Innovation | Change

H

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS ello entrepreneurs, small business owners and the business savvy individuals. The Ladies in business Magazine team has something spectacular up its sleeve to equip you with the full 'armor' of business. We provide two ways of enriching your business:

First, stay up to date on new business ideas, innovations and leading business trends all in the convenience of your home; as we bring educative and empowering seminars, events and conferences to light in this much anticipated segment of our magazine.

Secondly, we provide exclusive coverage of past business forums for networking experiences and learning purposes as well as keeping you informed on upcoming forums and seminars with similar initiatives. Learn what conferences you need to attend, people you need to meet and moves you need to make to keep your consumers satisfied.

Thirdly, we can also create awareness for your events and bring your business trainings and initiatives to the limelight, by increasing adequate public anticipation.

For more enquires simply contact us via email: ladiesinbusinessmagazine@gmail.com or call: +971568834336 or WhatsApp: +2347083245878

44

LADIES IN POLITICS

PUTTING HUMANITY AT THE HEART OF POLITICAL DECISION MAKING

2

5 years after the Beijing declaration and platform for action, which set the international target for reaching gender balance in political decision-making, women are stll underrepresented across all levels of power.

This has affected the political landscape fundamentally. Not only in t e r m s o f f e m a l e representation, but also in terms of political decisions and a political framework which supports women empowerment, leadership and participation.

This article takes another angle: What if women were taking the lead in the political arena?

Women have come a long way since industrialization.

Where in the agrarian society, men and women had a clear role revolving around the house - the land they cultivated, the animals they owned – industrialization led to a clear divide between homework and paid work.

Women stayed at home to take care of the household and children and men went out to work. This process set in around 1870.

Somehow, we have not been able to breach the gap that across time has widened and led to a structural and persistent inequality between men and women, that is very apparent in the political realm. But not only there. Political decisions trickle down in society and affect the very fabric of societies at economic, social, cultural, technological and legal level.

Political decisions have a long arm, so much is obvious. It has led to a world which is governed by male values, norms, beliefs and behaviour. So,

let us look more closely at what these are. In general, one could say that male values revolve around competition, winning, being the best, being the fastest, outperforming the other. We could summarize it with what probably can be regarded as a universal idea about men: men don't cry.

This tough way to deal with one's emotions and emphasize rational behaviour as the key to success, paved the way for capitalism and a relentless quest to accumulate wealth and power.

The world we live in is a reflection of this movement, which resulted in globalization, but also to a divided world where a few own the majority of the means of production and wealth.

Political systems have always facilitated this process where corporations became the glue and cork upon which our societies rest. COVID 19 has brought the fragility of this system to light. Politicians are struggling with this across the globe because the fallacy of their own way of thinking has become so evident. In this quest for more and better; humanity, peace, equality and justice somehow became a side note instead of being the heart of policymaking.

What misses is a female approach, feminine values. As Global Ambassador of Female Wave of Change - an organization which was set up four years ago with a mission to unleash the feminine potential of women and men – I see it as an important mission to support create societies which mirror these different values.

So, let us look more closely at these feminine values. They revolve around collaboration, caring, compassion, nurturing, acting beyond 46

“Women have to be more bold and daring.

We have spent decades trying to fight ourselves into a system, that mirrors us very poorly. It is a man's world. It is time to take the lead in creating a new pathway to a better future.” self-interest. Women are the caretakers – this is what they have been doing for centuries and still continue to do. They have entered the labour market, but here are also under-represented or plain absent. In many parts of the world women are still seen as second-rate citizens which have no rights and have to fight for their position.

The influence of women is hence minimal when it comes to the design of a political system and institutions that do justice to women and actively support the participation of women in society. To play the game, one has to follow the rules of the game. So, women have had to fight themselves into the system by giving up part of their feminine values.

It is time for change. The world needs it. COVID 19 has created a sense of urgency which women have to leverage for demanding a more feminine approach to the way the world is run. Political leaders have entrenched themselves in their patterns of thinking and behaviour which will only widen the gap between the rich and the poor and maintain the world divided. It is time for a paradigm shift which serves humanity and peace.

While we promised ourselves after WWII that we would never again allow this form of mass destruction to take place, there are more conflicts and wars than ever in the world. These wars are perpetuated by a male dominated way of thinking which justifies war and sees retaliation, aggression and violence as a legitimate way of resolving problems.

War above all is an industry and as such represents in its most perfidious form, what capitalism is about. On average we spend 2,5 trillion dollars a year on war, while the cost of the impact of war is worth more than 13 trillion dollars. It is important to understand that this is justified by political institutions, decisions and leaders who invest in warfare and the arms' trade.

5 of the 6 permanent members of the United Nations – an institution which was set up to safeguard peace in the world – are the biggest suppliers of weapons and instruments of warfare

in the world. This is cynical, yes, but also a reality.

We need more women in political decision making and more feminine values to guide that.

Scylla Elworthy, acclaimed fighter for peace, speaks about FemmeQ, a feminine quotient.

What is this FemmeQ? She says that as humanity tumbles towards planetary collapse — escalating international conflict, acts of terror and hate, an ever-widening wealth gap, and a rapidly changing climate — a quiet revolution is taking place. It is built on the feminine qualities of c o m p a s s i o n , l i s t e n i n g , i n c l u s i v i t y, interconnectedness, and intuition.

Women have to be more bold and daring. We have spent decades trying to fight ourselves into a system, that mirrors us very poorly. It is a man's world. It is time to take the lead in creating a new pathway to a better future. That is the way out of this pandemic. We should not wish to go back to normal. We should wish to create a world where what is happening now is not possible anymore. A political system built on feminine values is the answer to the crisis we are in. Women are the torch bearers of this humane approach and have the chance to create the new world order we desperately need.

Dr. Saskia Harkema MBA CEO and Founder Faces of Change Global Ambassador female Wave of Change Co-Founder Move in2 the Future

47

Ladies In Business March 2021 Vol. 1 No.1

Ideas. Innovations. Change

5 Mistakes Women make

when trying to choose their

RIGHT FIT PARTNER.

8 Ways to Build Values in Children

Content.

Ladies In Business Magazine Global

50. COVER STORY MY BUSINESS & CAREER 56. PROFESSIONALS 59. MY FINANCE MENTOR MEETS TALKING 61. BUSINESS 64. MENTEE SINGLES & 04. PARENTING 04. MARRIED YOUNG FEMALE 04. LEADERS 04. ARTS & CULTURE Ladies in Business Magazine Global Ideas | Innovation | Change

content...

50

COVER STORY

WOMEN WHO EMPOWER THE WORLD 51 01

I

rmina Przybylowska and Marta Borowiecka are female entrepreneurs who after gaining years of experience in different firms in Poland, moved to London. They both had different incentives, but the purpose and thought in the back of their heads was the same: to do something creative, that would release good vibes and bring satisfaction, and most importantly to play by their own rules. They arranged cyclical event Metamorphosis London and started Woman in the World magazine, that inspires thousands of women from all around the world.

When I look at both of you, I see energetic, resourceful and confident women. Tell me about your journey.

Irmina: For many years I worked in media. I was getting to know this market from different perspectives: I was looking after PR in women magazine and I was also active in this field for few fashion brands. In the meantime, I was working on my own business portal. The moment has come when I felt that it is the time for a change of larger calibre: a move to London. After moving overseas, I carried out many different jobs, but none of them lived up to my expectations. Until the day when I met Marta. We established cooperation and because we loved working in this duo, we started engaging new projects.

Marta: My job on the other hand, was connected to two fields: for years I looked after a hotel and restaurant in Wroclaw and I was also associated with marketing and event agencies. I moved to London for private reasons and I was persistently looking for my place. From the very first day we felt connected and we have been working together since.

The common denominator of your endeavours are women. Why? Irmina: We saw and still see women around us with great ideas, but the lack of self-worth and low self-esteem takes their courage away and makes it impossible to show the world what they're all about. Our line of action is to support, inspire, and add wings. We want to spur them on to chase their dreams. Above all this, we love women and feminine energy.

Marta: Polish women on emigration don't have it easy. There is lack of support from our compatriots, in addition, there are many 52

difficulties related to different environment, language, longing for loved ones, feeling home sick. We decided that this magazine will be dedicated to them. One that will answer their problems, questions and concerns. Which will both motivate as well as relax and educate. There are also lifestyle and travel texts, those about sex, motherhood or about…motor vehicles.

Apart from creating the magazine you're also organizing Metamorphosis London and Wo m a n i n t h e Wo r l d Aw a r d s .

What's the idea behind these activities?

I r m i n a : Metamorphosis London is a programme where participants experience physical a n d m e n t a l makeover. It i n v o l v e s consultations with dietitian, personal trainer and cosmetologist. The change in eating habits, regular exercise and series of treatments, make women (and recently also men) undergo incredible transformation.

We l l b e i n g , g o getting and confidence are the key benefits that come along with the body change.

Marta: Woman in the World Awards is a plebiscite that focuses on women who run a business abroad or in Poland, but with an international outreach. We show active, dynamic, and creative women. We emphasize the strength and determination of women who, regardless of

their place of residence and variety of unfavourable circumstances, just run with it to achieve success. We want these stories to be ignited by other women, lift them from their couches and provide support in the pursuit of their dreams.

Does this work? Do you receive any feedback?

Irmina: Yes, it does! We get contacted by many women for whom an article or an interview that was published in the magazine was their turning point for minor or major changes. We get contacted by many ladies that thanks to Metamorphosis believed that regardless of your age, weight, large n u m b e r o f activities, can change and improve the quality of their lives. Our participants are a living proof that it is never too late to turn your life around and to always follow your heart.

M a r t a : We ' r e proud that more and more women abroad regularly reach out for Wo m a n i n t h e Wo r l d . A t t h i s moment hard copy of the magazine is not only available in the UK and Scotland but also in Germany. We feel that we created a community of women who share similar interests, doubts and dreams. A community that supports each other, where there is no space for judgement or criticism, but only for broader horizons and new opportunities. Our heroes share practical hints on how to develop your business and take care of personal development.

53

What are your plans for the future?

I r m i n a : We ' v e g o t various ideas for new initiatives in regards to promotion and support of women. Last year held us up with certain activities, but we hope this year will be kinder. I don't want to share too many details, but with time you will be able to see what's up in our heads. We'll definitely make sure that the content in the magazine is valuable, interesting and motivating. We surround ourselves with positive, artistic women – we want to promote and cooperate with such personalities. And this is the approach to life and business we wat to reinfuse into our readers.

Marta: We're happy that more and more advertisers are putting faith in us and realise that placing an advert in Woman in the World magazine translates into brand awareness and real increase in sales of their products or services. We'd like this group to rise and new companies to be able to reach the constantly growing group of recipients. The key is the fact that the group of our readers increases systematically, and that we cross geographic borders and expand to different countries.

We're planning to boost

' M e n s Wo r l d ' a n d publish more texts dedicated to male audience. We're also at the finish line in preparations for this year's edition of Woman in the World Awards.

Keep your fingers crossed and we'd like to i n v i t e y o u t o collaboration.

As young girls, did you see yourself in a different field? For e x a m p l e , i n corporation, IT or perhaps banking?

Irmina: That's a difficult one. In primary school and high school, I was involved in sports – athletics. I thought I'd make a career in this field, but an injury prevented me from realising this goal. I was artistically active in primary school (I played piano and took part in performances), I aspired to be an actress. I knew for sure that I must do something that gives me freedom and flexibility and that it is something that's created by me.

Marta: When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a director in my grandad's hotel, and a t e a c h e r. P a r t l y i t worked. I never liked to work for someone and be an average employee.

This isn't for me. Maybe if I were a director straight away, I would be able to work for someone. Basically, I 54

don't like to have someone over me. I like to have flexibility and at this moment I do what I love the most.

Is London just a pit stop in your life?

Irmina: I've got travellers soul and I love to explore different parts of the world. Not long ago I thought that London is the destination, but I am not so sure anymore. As I like a warmer climate, I may end up somewhere in the south of Europe.

Marta: I thought that London is just a stop in my journey and that sooner or later I'd return to Poland. This is not the plan anymore. After spending so many years over here I no longer imagine returning to Poland. I associate my own and my family's future with the UK. www.womanintheworld.co.uk

FB/Insta @womanintheworldmagazine Email: redakcja@womanintheworld.co.uk Photos: Ania Radomska Photography

55

CAREER PROFESSIONAL

WITH MOTOLA

H

ello everyone and welcome to the first edition of 'Let's Talk Careers with Motola'. I am Motola Oyebanjo and in this column we will be discussing important topics that help to build a successful career.

As a background, I am a Corporate Communications professional with over 15 years of experience working as an employee or a consultant to top-notch organizations such as the British Council, Unilever, Union Bank, Lafarge Africa, Australian Trade Commission, Kia Motors etc.

Recently, I started 2 organizations 1) When Women Win, which helps women access the knowledge, networks and opportunities they need to excel and 2) The School of Life; a career development initiative for both men and women providing coaching, conferences and courses for career development. I will be sharing lessons learnt over the course of my career with you and trust it will be a useful experience for everyone who reads it. So let's get started!

Recently, The School of Life organized our first Conference titled The Career Life and Money Conference and one of the highlights was the panel session with experienced professionals who are all currently directors in multinational organizations like ECOWAS, LSETF, British Council, Pfizer, AerialView and GSK. In the course of the

conversation we went down memory lane to find out how they started and they had interesting stories to tell. One of these senior directors shared how he went to the gate of an international organization after graduation for 7 weeks and stood there watching the behavior of people going in and out just because he wanted to learn how to behave like them.

Another shared how he started as an admin officer in a barber's shop earning nine thousand naira per month as a graduate! Now he is the Commercial Director of one of the leading international NGOs in Nigeria.

There were a number of strong points about career growth from the session and I want to share my top 4 with you.

1) Start with what you have then grow: Ask many young graduates now if they are willing take a job with a N9000 salary, and the answer will be a resounding No! They will feel very insulted by the very idea and believe you think very little of them.

It is important to understand that career growth is in phases. You might need to start small and grow from there. There are also times when we feel we should have progressed beyond a certain level in our careers and find ourselves in a plateau or without the job of our dreams. Don't be afraid or ashamed to take on roles you find at that time that may not pay you as much as you expect. There is dignity in labour as long as you don't steal or cheat. Be proud of the work you have and give it your best.

Volunteering your services for little or nothing for a period is actually a good idea and something I 57

have done myself. Look at it as an opportunity to learn new things and create new networks. Your better job might just come from that experience. A good example is a young lady I advised to volunteer her services so she could gain more experience in a different aspect of her field. She informed me later that it paid off and she got a multinational job through that volunteering activity. Start with what you have then grow.

2)

Everybody's journey is different: While some people get into multinational jobs straight from Youth Service, others have to start from the barber's shop. It's really about what you make out of every opportunity you get. The person who was the admin officer in the barber's shop and being paid N9000 per month, told us he got his opening into his first multinational job by a customer in the shop who saw his diligence and invited him to be part of the application process for a vacancy in her organization.

Imagine if he had decided to sit at home saying the job was beneath him. He would have lost a really amazing opportunity. Everybody's journey is different. Stay on your lane, run your race putting in everything you've got and trust that your opportunities will come.

3)

Your growth is tied to the value you offer: Every time I have moved on from an organization, the teams there did not want to see me go. Why? Because I am deliberate about adding value to the organizations I work for. It is also why I am able to access more opportunities along the way.

Organizations are looking for solution providers; people who will help them solve the problems they have and achieve their business objectives.

Are you such a person?

Many people simply go to work to do the barest minimum and get paid at the end of the month.

Others think management is their enemy and so will not give their best to help the business grow. I have found that those who move up are those willing to go the extra mile.

Learn new skills, build your knowledge base, be part of projects outside your job description, add real value. Doing this makes you indispensable to your organization and you are able to negotiate more and access more opportunities.

4) Career growth is a journey: Many people come up to me and ask how I have had such a fantastic career working in all these great companies. I always smile when I hear this because no ever sees the pain, but everyone sees the success.

I have had my share of failures along the way, I have made wrong choices, I have worked with both good and bad bosses and there have been days I didn't want to go to work. I have had spells where I had no job, I have earned very low salaries, I have taken pay cuts, I have been broke etc etc.

The career path is a journey and we need to see it as such. We will go through the highs and lows.

What is important is to learn from each experience and use that to make the next phase better.

Sometimes we just have to put on our 'big-girl pants' and work through the tough times.

On a final note: Life happens, that's the fact.

Sometimes it's great and at other times, it deals us a bad hand. We've all had to deal with experiences in our careers we wish we didn't have to. This period in Nigeria is a really tough one and I know many people are having to deal with a lot. It's time to be strong mentally, time to be flexible and learn new ways of doing things and ultimately, we all need to just stick with it. The good times will come again so keep working it until it does.

Your future is bright.

Always,

Motola

Mo.schooloflifeng@gmail.com 58

MY BUSINESS AND MY FINANCE

Keys to Successfully Managing Your Personal Finances

F

inancial planning has always been important as it assists you outline your short and long-term financial goals and create a balanced plan to meet those obligations.

➢ One needs to outline their Financial Goals.

It is important to outline financial goals. You might be considering buying a house as a means of investment or take a trip to the Maldives or a retirement exit plan. All these will be affected based on your spending and managing your finances and settling short- and long-term obligations.

It is important to diarise financial goals and act on them, prioritise and focus on them. Pay attention to those that matter to you for example purchasing

an investment property can be a long-term goal which requires long term planning and effort.

Financial discipline at this stage is of paramount importance. A list of what you want to achieve first can assist you at this stage and tick them off as you finish.

You can achieve financial goals as per the below tips/suggestions: Set long-term goals like getting out of debt, buying a home, or retiring early. These goals are separate from your short-term goals such as saving for a nice date-night.

Set short-term goals, like following a budget,

decreasing your spending, paying down, or not using your credit cards.

Prioritize your goals to help you create a financial plan. ➢ Bring your plan to life.

A financial plan should have multiple directions and guidelines. This might include creating a routine monthly budget followed through and spending plan or cashflow, then meeting your long- and short-term obligations, debt. A financial goal plan is a necessity in helping you reach your 59

financial goals.

Once you've accomplished these three things and have followed through on your new plan for a few months, you may find that you have extra cash, and the money you free up from your debt payments can be used to reach your next round of goals.

It's important to set objectives as to what priorities are very vital to you. Working toward your long-term retirement goals without pressure, but also start to focus on the most important near-term goals you have set for yourself.

When creating a financial plan, remember these things: Your budgets plays a very pivotal role as a guideline.it will give you direction and control of the future and determines whether you will be successful or not in achieving your plans.

You should keep contributing to long-term goals, like saving for retirement, no matter what your financial plan stage is.

Building an emergency fund is another key factor in financial success and stress reduction. ➢ Prepare a Budget This will be a big tool to manage your spending.

You can make use of this and tick off your spending against your budget and assess areas you need to adjust. Along with a budget comes the cashflow detailing an actual spend. A budget is a forecast of financial obligations to be met and a cashflow is the aftermath.

A budget will also help you decide how to spend your money over the coming months and years.

Without the plan, you might spend cash on things that seem important now, but don't offer much in terms of enhancing your future. Many people get caught in this quagmire and get down on themselves for not reaching the financial milestones they want for their family and their

own life.

Celebrate when you manage to stick to the budget or when you save a few dollars. Small victories in savings towards your financial goals are meant to be celebrated. ➢ Settle your obligations (debt) Not settling your obligations can have a negative impact on your finances for example you will get a low credit record rating and will not get a mortgage. Debt is a huge obstacle that is ought to be avoided or reduced. Never borrow money which cannot be settled by 25% or less of your weekly or monthly income. Eliminating debt should be prioritised. After paying off one debt account, move all the money you were paying on the first debt to the next debt and continue from there, creating a debt-paydown “snowball effect.”

Once you have settled your obligations/debt, commit to staying that way. Do not attract further debt. Living a debt free life is so liberating. Above all when it comes to financial freedom - Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Advice

ROSHEEN NGORIMA Founder and MD of Neeps Consulting Services FZ LLC a full-service business rm offering accounting services world over.

60

TALKING BUSINESS

BUSINESS

INNOVATION ACADEMY

D

r. Kyla L. Tennin, DM, MBA | Chair of Board, President, and Global CEO Lady Mirage Global, Inc. (group of companies and Online Business School) Contemporarily, the Coronavirus is a trending topic throughout nations of the world, in families, healthcare settings, workplaces, and among friendships. During the pandemic (COVID-19), many individuals have experienced a strain on their finances, including waiting endlessly for governments relief packages. Initial relief packages in various countries were either severe delayed, not received at all, or were significantly less than what citizens expected, providing uncertainty about The Future of Work and survival. For example, uncertainty about how long will financial assistance be available?

Additionally, layoffs, furloughs, and work hour reductions have occurred around the globe. As a result, people are looking for alternatives to keep streams of income coming into their households. Is this you? Or maybe you need extra income in general, to pay for household, family, emergency, medical, educational, or other expenses. If so, it may be time for you to consider starting a small BUSINESS, especially online, to reach customers, buyers, and/or clients globally. Starting a business is where a Business Innovation Academy becomes relevant.

Consider starting a small home-based business even if you are currently working full-time, to have a backup plan. One stream of income is hazardous to your wealth, well-being, and can be cut off at any moment, whenever another human being controlling it wants to do so. Or maybe you have a small business already and (1) either do not qualify for CaresAct EIDL or PPP

business funds, federal C O V I D - 1 9 business, sole-proprietor, small business, and independent contractor relief packages in the United States or another country or (2) need to learn additional ways to develop multiple income streams for your business, using Corporate Innovation to find entrepreneurship opportunities. If so, this article is for you.

Particularly, for home-based businesses, in the United States of America, home-based businesses (business owners) have access to 475-tax deductions, as opposed to the 3-6 tax deductions employees are given and a couple more if you are married. So, business owners have the opportunity to make money and then recover finances used on expenses, like educational expenses. For instance, conferences, inperson workshops, trainings, books, eCourses, ondemand webinars, and other educational expenses, like online on-demand workshops or Business Innovation Academy classes. Attending such an academy, whether long-term, short-term, for 1-day workshop, or a 1-2 hours course can prepare you to launch an enterprise(s) to generate revenue, set up multiple streams of income, products and services, and have a plan in place for future economic crises.

So, what is innovation anyway? What should a person look for in a Business Innovation Academy to get the most robust information for the type of business you might be interested in starting?

First, innovation is linked to creativity, but is distinct from creativity. Creativity is the development of original and highly useful ideas within any context.

Not a wild personality, being artistic (e.g. a writer painter or artist), a good person, or intelligent, with a high I-Q. Innovation is the actual implementation of 62

the creative ideas, within any business environment.

Most Business Innovation Academies cover general aspects of business, like global strategies on how to reach customers located in different markets, market challenges, assessing competitiveness, sales and marketing (e.g. pricing) techniques, financial literacy, formulating company vision and strategy, budgeting, strategic planning, and business development.

However, what is interesting is the courses are from a business standpoint, but do not satisfy how to produce a product or service, innovatively, directly, but do so indirectly by offering such courses.

Overall, a business cannot be a business without products and/or services ideas to solve an issue. What problem do you plan to rectify using the vehicle of a business? To demonstrate, launching a cleaning company to assist the elderly, a book publishing enterprise to help busy celebrities get their ideas into print, or an online store to service customers impacted by the pandemic? Or perhaps a Diffusion of Innovation idea where you create a product or service diffused off of a similar product or service previously launched, like a subscription box service. Hence, for pets, men, or a beauty product box subscription service like Birchbox, for busy women, for example.

Five key elements in a Business Innovation Academy to look for to receive robust help for implementing innovative ideas are the following. The Academy or School should help you with: 1. Your Unique Selling Proposition: What will set you apart from competitors?

2. Your Entrepreneurial Characteristics: What are your entrepreneurial characteristics? Do you know?

Have you heard of such characteristics? Consider completing a Career Profile Assessment.

3. What Problems Did You Encounter in Your Past and are Still a Problem for People Today: Your business ideas must show you recognize a problem to solve for either individuals or companies or both.

Then you must create a product or service to solve the problem using your skills or company capabilities.

4. What Kind of Entrepreneur are You: Different kinds of entrepreneurs exist, along with the types of products and services the entrepreneur (business owner) offers.

5. Marketing Your Business or New Product or Service Idea: Since COVID-19, many businesses are operating online and consumers are purchasing products and services online.

In conclusion, write out a plan with your business ideas and how you will pursue implementing the ideas, products and/or services. Such an approach is the creation of a definitive action plan and can be done by downloading a business plan template from Google. Then by completing sections you can, with your final business idea inserted. Last, to learn about the five elements above, in detail, and receive immediate help with getting your business up and running by identifying your innovative products and services, visit the websites listed in the contact section below. As a sole-proprietor, your innovative service can be your skills, what you know, and is the easiest business to setup because you are the business and would service customers with what you already know or know how to do. Plan for crises ahead of time, protect your finances and lifestyle with innovation, and stay ready by having systems and strategies like operating online, in place.

Dr. Kyla L. Tennin, DM, MBA Contact (LinkedIn): h ps://www.LinkedIn.com/in/KLTennin Contact (Online Business School - Business Innovation Academy): h p://bit.ly/DrKsBusinessSchool h ps://bit.ly/EntrepreneurshipFindingAnOpportuni tyBusinessPackage-Workshops

63

The World Health Awards (WHA) The Pivotal Point in Health & Wellness Industry!

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lobally the world is undergoing a paradigm shift in the Health & $4.2 Trillion wellness Industry. The beliefs, mindset, and priorities are being re-evaluated by all individuals & corporates alike, more diligently now more than ever since COVID has taught the world to realise the value of health & healthy lifestyle.

The WHA is leading the way at a very rapid pace to catalyze a pivotal shift in the health & wellness industry, by instituting The World Health Awards (WHA) to recognise and honor outstanding professionals & Organisations and their Ecosystem Builders for their incredible contribution in Leadership & Entrepreneurship development. The WHA will also recognizes Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs & Small / Medium Enterprises (SMEs) actively advocating health and wellness initiatives, Professionals in Organizations and Pharma Industry.

Our theme for the awards is to recognise & appreciate health & wellness professionals globally. The award is a reward for health & wellness professionals who have risen above times of change. These men & women have made

a commitment & oath to excel in making an impact in their lives & businesses so that others can thrive.”

These health & wellness professionals are about the passion, purpose and promise they've made to themselves to make the change in the lives of others contributing to the community at large.

The World Health Awards (WHA) 2021 is the very first platform launched as people's choice awards in the health & wellness industry and the only event dedicated to recognizing professional Leaders in the industry with an aim to globally celebrate successes as well as realized the need for recognizing individual achievements.

The WHA seeks the participation of Leaders, Organisations and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builders from across UAE. It seeks to instill and entrench the health & wellness attitude among the future generations and the youth of today.

“A Shift of Paradigm” WHA is about “Communication, Contribution & Community” that makes you a global player.”

The WHA will also open opportunities for brands and businesses to network with the region's corporate elite, including industry titans, government officials and entrepreneurs though a membership community completely complimentary to launch, grow & pivot your business.

64

MENTOR MEETS MENTEE so much experience and a wealth of knowledge, was unable to find resources about becoming an entrepreneur at her age.

Unfortunately, this is a story that is all too common for countless older adults. It was during this conversation that I truly began to understand the frustration that so many often times experience.

Following our discussion, I found myself exploring the internet in search of resources for people like this woman, who may have an interest in the field. Are the available resources only tailored to younger adults, even knowing that an incredible group of adults, like the woman I spoke to, are interested in putting their professional experiences to work?

N

ot too long ago, I was attending a forum when I began talking with an incredible woman, who happened to be volunteering at the event. As we began chatting, she opened up to me about her yearning to explore a new professional venture as an entrepreneur. She had the time, as her husband works as a pilot with unusual hours, and her kids are now all in college. As our conversation progressed, I learned that she had explored the idea of becoming an entrepreneur, but found herself quickly discouraged after looking for resource that are specifically geared toward entrepreneurship for older adults.

The woman explained, “There's so much focus on the youth when it comes to entrepreneurship. But I am just 52 years old, I have so much energy and 15 years of management experience. I can't find a space where I can work on my ideas.” Hearing this was disheartening, as this incredible woman, with

After completing my own investigation, what I found was not surprising to me. There are a plethora of resources available for young adults interested in entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, I also discovered that older adults are left with a scarce amount of resources to tap into, leaving them to figure out the trail themselves.

With this is mind, I want to explore the question, how can we help older adults be successful in their quest as an entrepreneur?

Why Should We Focus on Older Adults?

When I think about older adults in entrepreneurship, I imagine that the wealth of knowledge they have attained over the years will serve them well when venturing in the profession. I am not the only one with this thought process either.

According to a report from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, senior entrepreneurs have extensive work and life experience, deep networks, and an eagerness that continues to be largely untapped. If this has been studied and verified, it seems logical to dedicate additional resources to this age group.

There is overwhelming evidence and support that older adults are just as, if not more qualified to explore an entrepreneurial endeavor, and it is not difficult to see why. The Harvard Business Review 65

MENTOR MEETS MENTEE disclosed that older adults are able to display emotional and intellectual stability in the workplace, making them more suited to be successful in unknown territories. Additionally, there are twice as many successful entrepreneurs over the age of 50 years old than there are successful entrepreneurs under 25 years old. Our older population is full of diverse life experiences that can help create an innovative, out-of-the-box concept, so how can we work to equal the playing field for this eager population?

During my research, I discovered the wealth of resources available for younger entrepreneurs, and it made me wonder why we have not done the same for older entrepreneurs. A simple search onlinewill yield countless resources for young adults that are interested in the field. Unfortunately, the same search for older entrepreneurs did not bring back the same resources, indicating the need for more that are solely dedicated to older adults.

Using the resources that are easily found for young adults as a template, we can work to create those very same resources for older adults. Doing so can make it easier for them to learn about entrepreneurship. Whether that is through support groups, online help forums, or helpful articles, there is vested interest from this incredible group of individuals. We just need to work on providing them the information they may need to be successful.

The experience older adults have from years of being in the workforce does not go unnoticed by other working professionals either. Did you know that investors are more likely to spend their money with a start-up company that was created by an older adult? Not only do they have more experience as a professional, but they can back up claims with years of relevant work as well. In short, age should never be a barrier to becoming an entrepreneur, but a strength to utilize!

While innovation and creativity are oftentimes traits that are used to describe young adults with fresh minds, it is so important to remember that the essence of entrepreneurship is to create value while finding solutions to real-world problems. Part of being a successful entrepreneur is understanding current challenges more deeply. The sense of empathy that is required to be a successful entrepreneur is one that is learned through experience. This experience and wisdom is what older adults can use when beginning the journey of being an entrepreneur,

H

anane Benkhallouk is an award winning senior consultant with a broad scope of expertise and exposure to international markets.

She counts 20 years of a diverse thriving career journey that started in New York city before moving to Dubai in 2005. Her multi-industry working experience included being in charge of innovation and entrepreneurship programs across the Arab World, at the Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum foundation.

Hanane works today as the Executive Director of Sustain Leadership consultancies.

A culture change and certified innovation strategist, Hanane supports corporates, government institutions, NGOs and SMEs, in building human centric business models, and create cultures of innovation.

Hanane pioneered a multitude of initiatives that represent her passion to accelerate the gender balance in the region, such as, Lean in Arabia, the first lean in chapter in the GCC that she co-founded in 2014, the Link women to women mentoring program, she was also a founding VP of the first chapter in the GCC of the 80 year old global organization, Soroptimist international.

More recently, Hanane founded Tawazoun, the first think-do tank and platform in the Middle East that aims at accelerating the gender balance discussion in a fundamentally different way.

Hanane is also recognized as a thought leader, a global conference speaker, and a published author, some of her articles were published on Harvard business review Arabic, and Forbes Middle East to name a few.

66

MENTOR MEETS MENTEE

THE GIRL

POWER

A

s much as we all think the “Girl power” narrative is a cliché, we are well aware that it reminds us of two things. 1. That we are women and 2. That we have power. In this edition I am going to focus on why women need to support women. The importance of female allies cannot be overemphasized. According to a World Bank estimate of 2019, the percentage of Women to Men in the world has been put around 101 males to 100 females (almost 50.42/49.58).

This statistic suggests that there are as many women as there are men. There is therefore no better time to focus on the essence of building up the female towards social, economic and possibly political advancement than now. We are now used to seeing the women coming up strong in “maledominated” industries and fields; the most popular example is the new Madam Vice

President of the United States of America – Kamala Harris and of course myself in the real estate and facility Management space.

There is a line I read from an article in the NY Times by Madeleine Albright titled- “Madeleine Albright: My Undiplomatic Moment” and it stuck. She said and I quote- ““There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.” Sounds harsh but it is the naked truth and is by no means an attempt to impose the feminist orientation. Women's daily struggle: especially in the business world where it is almost sacred to have them sit in top management roles in corporate organizations, makes it imperative to form a coalition in ensuring we get a seat at the much-deserved table. Like we haven't had it bad 68

enough with the pressure to be a certain way due to societal expectations on females, the least we can do is build ourselves to be stronger together. The first step to building is to address the issue of tearing down; a lack of camaraderie barrier to professional development which does not only minimize people's struggles and achievement but can hinder ones' growth. It could possibly be due to our competitive nature; though competition is naturally instrumental to having a successful business, but to want to downplay the achievement of others perceived to be doing better is not in our interest. Our cattiness can also come in the way and we excuse it as being oneself which does not make it okay as well. This defense mechanism has become a habit that needs to be unlearnt. What we fail to realize is that there is more strength in numbers and collaboration is future of businesses. This could be made simpler among female folk especially because of the deep understanding of our unique position in the Society. There is an illusion that women “do not” work well together but that argument can easily be debunked if we are more intentional about lifting each other up. Some of these myths were not only imposed on females but have generationally gone unchallenged and has spurred the need to stop staying silent. The maxim is "Qui tacet consentit": the maxim of the law is "Silence gives consent". If therefore you wish to construe what my silence betokened, you must construe that I consented. —Thomas More in “A Man for All Seasons”. So, we need to start communicating and stop allowing myths against females go unchallenged. Only then can we start changing the orientation; breeding fearless females to question the status quo and be courageous in their dream to aspire for higher roles. At the micro level, my ever -reliant colleagues (i.e., staff), my coalition of females have been instrumental to the growth of my Fusion Group brand.

A conscious effort to empower females and have a coalition of females around me; from my business lawyer, business development manager to my Human Resources personnel, has impacted the success of projects in different industries/ spheres. This by no way denounces the effort of my male colleagues who have contributed immensely to the growth of the business. The rationale is to nurture and harness the innate skills of females who can in-turn impact the next female to them. Outside of my Group of Companies, I have enjoyed the unwavering support of female

entrepreneurs, friends, mentors and partners.

Quoting Harvey Mackay, he said - "dig your well before you are thirsty."

This can be applied to making sure the work is done now so there is something to fall back on tomorrow. Harvey Mackay's suggestion on how to get by in this world is through networking. This is why we need to start NOW. Make it a habit to start empowering the female next to you to cultivate the culture of giving back and building a coalition of strong females who end up being a strong force in your corner. This same contact can someday be your strong link to that career breakthrough you need because you empowered them to reach their potential.

Besides, we do know when a woman is in charge, she gets the job done well.

Finally, try to imagine a world where females come together to assist other female business owners develop and implement a strong business strategy; through mentorship, collaborations, and business-showers as suggested by Elon Musk.

This is the world; I am living and hope to populate one step at a time.

Oluwatoyin Edun 69

MENTOR MEETS MENTEE

THE

MENTORSHIP

RESOURCE

By OLAMIDE ALABI

70

Social Development Advisor

R

achel A. Aron is a seasoned Social Development Advisor. Rachel has over 16 years of exper se in social due diligence and in iden fying, analyzing, managing, monitoring and evalua ng, and repor ng on a vast range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in projects, programs, and policies/strategies. Her professional exper se over the years has been gained primarily at interna onal organiza ons, such as the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), and at civil society organiza ons, such as Africare.

She has worked in the majority of African countries and in the United States (US).

Rachel has worked on numerous private sector and public sector investments and ini a ves in all regions of Africa, including in transi on/ fragile and low income countries. She has worked on na onal and mul na onal projects and programs covering the transport, energy, water and sanita on, agricultural, oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, health, tourism, and informa on and communica on technology (ICT) sectors.

Rachel has led the mainstreaming of social issues, such as gender, involuntary rese lement, stakeholder consulta ons, social

inclusion, civil society engagement, fragility, disability inclusion, the social implica ons of climate change (climate change adapta on), entrepreneurship, supply chains, labor condi ons, health and safety, biodiversity, and human rights. She has ini ated, developed, and managed innova ve and strategic partnerships. She has provided advisory services to clients on environmental and social (E&S) risks, E&S opportuni es, E&S data collec on, E&S gap analyses, and E&S ini a ves. She has designed environmentally and socially sustainable solu ons for diagnos c assessments, implementa on frameworks, community investment programs, and capacity building efforts.

In addi on to being a Social Development Advisor, Rachel is the CEO of Rumble Sports Africa.

She is the Execu ve Vice President of College Esports Expo. She is an Advisor for Theorem3 Advisors, a change driven crea ve agency that cra s innova ve, sustainable programs and curriculum centered on communi es. She is developing development-focused corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs for sports organiza ons and sports-focused organiza ons in collabora on with Women Sports and Women Sports Africa

(media outlets) and Diambars (founded by prominent football/ soccer legends). She is also a member of Sport and Sustainability Interna onal.

Rachel holds significant advisory posi ons in various organiza ons.

She is an Advisory Board Member of African U lity Week, an Expert of the United Na ons Educa onal, Scien fic and Cultural Organiza on (UNESCO)'s Inclusive Policy Lab, an Advisory Director of Global Mining Sustainability™, First Vice President of Avançons Ensemble (a pla orm for advancing the development prospects for francophone West and Central Africa), and a Task Force Member of Ini ate! Africa (a g l o b a l y o u t h a n d entrepreneurship program).

Rachel has a Master of Arts in Interna onal Development (specializa on areas: community development and gender) from American University, Washington, DC, US. She is a na ve English speaker. She is also fluent in French.

Rachel A. Aron's contact details: Email: rachel.a.a.aron@gmail.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rachela-aron-021356 Instagram: rachel_a_aron

71

PARENTING

8 Ways to Build Values in Children

W

e often hear teachers and therapists talk about values, but what are they and how can we show kids what values are about in ways they can comprehend? Most of all why do we need to have them in our lives at all? This article attempts to answer all the above “There are little eyes questions and show you 8 easy ways to upon you and they're j o y f u l n e s s , develop a system of values in our watching night and m o t i v a t i o n , children, the precious leaders of perseverance, faithfulness, day. tomorrow. knowledge, respectfulness.

There are little ears There's a famous rhyme which goes; *Read the list again. This time see if you that quickly take in can highlight or underline the ones you There are little eyes upon you and every word you say. hold true to your life. they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly take T h e r e a r e l i t t l e How can you instill values in your in every word you say. hands all eager to do child?

There are little hands all eager to do everything you do.

Let us assume that you want to uphold everything you do. the value of hospitality. You may believe And a little child who's dreaming of And a little child the day she'll be like you. who's dreaming of it is something that defined the family you grew up in and perhaps you would - Author Unknown the day she'll be like love to carry it into the next generation of I'm sure the poem activated thoughts of you.” - Author Unknown which you are a parent. How would you role modelling and heroes in your mind get your children to develop the value of as you read along. So, are values hospitality without merely instructing something we copy from watching the behavior and them to be hospitable to guests and family who visit. speech patterns of others or is it something we are We all know how quickly the parental approach of born inherently with like our personality? And why “Do as I say, not do as I do” method can burn into do we need them again? flames and be blown off like ash in the wind! So here is a list of 8 ways you can try to foster a value in your Values are Values inspire Values provide simply constructive child starting today. direction and cherished beliefs and a set of standards for what is right and wrong

meaning to life, helping you live purposefully and genuinely.

behavior, and they are largely drawn from one's environment.

The following is a starting place for creating your own list of values: compassion, generosity, helpfulness, wisdom, forgiveness, courtesy, punctuality, thriftiness, truthfulness, self-respect, obedience, patience, responsibility, dependability, cooperation, honesty, fairness, kindness, tolerance, humility, self-discipline, loyalty, courage, selfassurance, sportsmanship, gratitude, creativity,

1.

Read and discuss stories that support the value you would like to impress upon your child's mind. Eg. If honesty is a great value for you, perhaps you will read variants of the fable, 'The Boy who cried Wolf'.

2.

Monitor your child's media exposure that can undermine parental influence and the development of moral standards for behavior. It goes without saying that children pick up behavior from what they see and experience.

Kids who watch programs where the child 72

on what to do and what not to do.

This makes it achievable for them and easier to self-assess their progress. It also makes it easier for you to correct rather than saying, 'You should be more hospitable or friendly” Being abstract and talking in nouns isn't helpful for children.

Speak in verbs. Show them what needs to be done.

character stomps his/her feet shouting 'I hate you!' are going to be less loving and tolerant of others feelings.

3.

Share your approval when praiseworthy behavior is portrayed in the media and/or in real life, and discuss your 7. Agree on family rules and live by displeasure when them. For example, the television is corrupt behavior is off during family meals; we are kind displayed. Discuss the to each other; we do not use consequences of such profanity. Make sure the rules are negative traits for the linked to the values. Eg. We do not person in terms of swear because respect is a value for societal standards. our family. Family meals are Remember to talk more Atiyya Dudhat bonding time is a value so we do not about the positive. How use devices at mealtimes. much you love and appreciate such positive 8. Participate in religious activities behavior should be rewarded and emphasized. and/or be faithful to religious or moral beliefs.

Children feel worthy when they gain parental This is a great way to build values and the idea approval and they feel unworthy when they of spirituality. Children should be taught the don't. This is a double-edged sword which must difference between being religious and spiritual be used very wisely. early on so that they can rely on higher guidance

4.

Comment on your child's specific admirable conduct. For example, "Anna, you were being dependable when you cleaned the bird's cage without being reminded." "When you helped Grandma pick up her notes that fell, you were doing a good deed and showing her you cared."

5.

6.

Name your own commendable actions. For example, "I was honest when I told the clerk she had given me too much change." Mention the moral dilemma. It makes you more approachable as their go-to advisor if they ever have a difficult decision to make. "I recycle items because we need to do our part to protect the environment." Let them feel proud of you and other family members so that they feel they belong to a superhero type of family. Which child would willingly miss out on that?

Set high but reasonable standards for your child's behavior together. Let them be a part of these standards by using the power of constructive reflection, but most importantly the behavior setout has to match the value you are building together. eg. Welcoming guests with a smile, offering them something to eat and asking them to sit and relax, are actions that can be done to meet the value of hospitality.

Children want to please and need clear guidance

and inner wisdom as they forge into adulthood.

Remember that your child will adopt the values you demonstrate daily. Ask yourself "In my child's eyes, what does my family value most?"

This exercise will give you a starting point for the 5 values you want to inculcate for 2021. Add a few each year and before you know it you will have great kids who make you proud and who proud of themselves too.

What values do you consider most important? Fill them out here. Then take a screenshot and refer to it later.

1 2 3 4 5 Atiyya Dudhat is a clinical counselor, author, educationist & NLP Coach Mentor with 25 years of experience in the filed of human development. She is the founder of Coach Middle East, a wellness hub bringing health experts together to provide free group coaching webinars for all, and the CEO of Authorstribe, a guided self-publishing SME. Follow her on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook: atiyyadudhat.

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Alhamdulillah for everything! asmin Akhter always says before talking about her. Without her husband and family support she couldn't have been achieved this. She says that three persons play very important role in her life Zak Zoro, founder of Icon production house, Nahid

Y

Sabir founder of Bazar and Rolee Verma Saksena founder of Content Training Centre.

Yasmin is an International Modest Fashion model, Actress, Event Coordinator and Social Activist. She got featured in Daily Mai (24) news and World fashion media news in 2019. Some of the major recognitions are as follows: · Appreciation Awards by Nahid Khan founder of Bazar · Mrs India best Talent International 2019 · Best Model Certificate in Bangladeshi fashion event2019 nd · Popular model 2 runner up in world fashion festival award 2019 · Crowned as 'Mrs beauty model 2019' under best Mom award category · Tiktok appreciation award by Zenofar Fathima, founder of Zen production house · Women Achievers Awards by Padma in Social Activist category 2019 Her achievements: She Featured in two video song produced by zak zoro one for character role and other for supportive role. She did many international fashion shows and few commercials shoot.

She believes that “when you support others then you have better chance to succeed and grow” She also played a funny grandmother role in comedy series “Excuse us PleeEj” which is directed by Yasir Akhlaq and produced by “Mallang life productions”.

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SINGLE AND MARRIED

5 Mistakes Women make

when trying to choose their

RIGHT FIT Partner.

1) Assuming that you know yourself well enough and you have discovered yourself.

Only a Person who has found Purpose, Meaning and Discovery in their personal life and in life generally can understand the Purpose, Meaning and Discovery required in a Partnership as Serious and as life long as Marriage.

You cannot understand the weight, gravity and importance of Marriage if you are not putting that same weight and level of commitment in your life.

Many Women make this Mistake of assuming that they know themselves well enough and running after the 'idea' of what they think a Marriage is or would give to them, some have gotten in and have been greatly disappointed to see that, Marriage is really a Reservoir of what You and Your Partner deposits into it. You deposit Meaning and Depth, you are able to withdraw, same and you deposit stress and unrealistic expectations and you withdraw the fruit of your Labour.

The Point is, Marriage is so much of a reflection of What You both

as Partners carry that you should be concerned about the Content and Value you yourself will have to deliver to the Marriage rather than just fantasizing and loving the 'idea' of Marriage from what you have watched and what you have been told. And it is great to have High and Healthy expectations, it is just that as High as your expectation is for the type of Marriage you want, so should your Building in the Level of Meaning, Purpose and Depth you continue to unravel in your life and that you are ready to bring to the Table as well.

You deserve a Great Marriage and a Great Man, but don't shortchange yourself by assuming that you are Growing in Self Discovery when you know you actually are not.

Want to start Your Self Discovery Journey?

Send me a Message and Let me help you reveal You to You. 2) Choosing a Partner because of the Fear of being Alone.

I am privileged to lead a Community of Single 75

Mothers, Matured Single Mothers with average ages of 33, 40 and even close to 50. Some have never been Married, most have.

When you hear their stories of how they got into the Marriage and how they have gotten out now, there are two things that are almost always constant in their stories for those that have been separated or are now divorced.

1) They saw the REDFLAGs that this Man wasn't the right Partner for them but they went ahead regardless.

2) The pain in the Marriage was so unbearable, they preferred becoming Single again despite the public's opinion and maybe shaming, than managing in a Marriage Relationship that was terrible, all the name of loving the "Idea of Marriage."

Some times, all a Matured Single Woman may need to snap her out of the cloud of desperation of being married at all cost, to whomever, just to become "MRS" is just to have Lunch with a Divorced Woman that is very honest and sincere and her perspective will not just change, but will be Upgraded.

Marriage is Beautiful and very Desirable, I know. It is because of my interest and understanding of this great institution that got me helping people in the last 5 Years. However as Desire-able as Marriage is, it can also become a Destiny Crippler if both Partners have nothing of Value and Health to deposit in it.

My Point is, It will always be better to be alone, than to be with a Partner who will wreck your life or whose life you will wreck.

Better to be Alone and Healthy than to be Married and Constantly Sick as a result of the Toxicity from the Union, which may end up crippling your destiny or making you single again, only this time around with some part of your Peace, Serenity and Time gone which you could have invested in something healthier which will yield you Life dividends if you were Single.

Desire Marriage, but not because you are afraid of being alone, but because You Understand the Right Reason for Marriage, You are the Right Partner and You have found the Right Partner.

3) Refusing to seek Professional help when you have seen patterns in your Partner like lying, cheating and character flaws, believing that "Time will Change Him".

As much as you may want to believe this lie, it can never make it the Truth.

When you see Patterns in your Partner, You either Insist on him getting help or you leave the relationship.

Once a Man starts giving the Vibe of not wanting to seek help or not needing help even though, he is cheating and doing all the wrong Stuffs, you are going to get double of that in Marriage.

STOP NEGLECTING and LYING TO YOURSELF about patterns you have seen in his life that will hurt you and even him in the Marriage.

Before you get married, is the best time to make this hard decision of working with him through Therapy or leaving him.

Don't give yourself that "hard work" in Marriage, because not only will it get harder, you may also feel impatient and frustrated if he is not responding, because then you are in the Marriage and unavailable for a Ready and Responsible Man to ask out, just because you refused to be honest with yourself from the Onset.

I personally believe in the ability of a Person to change no matter how bad they have become, the question and expectations is, is the person themselves ready and willing to?

If they are not, not even you can change them, until they are willing and choose to.

4) Assuming that you know your Partner well enough, without actually being intentional about "getting to know him".

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Whether it was your Best Friend that Introduced you to him, your Mum or you met him in a Church, you cannot neglect the process of getting to know a Man you want to marry, especially employing the tool of questioning.

Giving an Excuse for a guy that, he is secretive or that he doesn't talk too much or that he is an introvert, doesn't only not make sense, these excuses will not save you in Marriage when he starts to show you his True Colours and Character.

Never take the process of getting to know a guy as intricately as possible, likely.

Any serious guy ready to stay dedicated to you, will not appreciate that, but will be more than willing to share as well.

Any guy that's reluctant to be transparent to you in honesty and Truth, always has something to hide that will eventually break your heart if you Marry Him. You can do better than pretending that you know him, get to "actually" know him and if he is not ready to share, surely he is not ready for you.

alone or him leaving you, you start doing all manner of fraudulent acts just to make him love you or keep you, You are doing yourself a big dis-favour , because you will never look at that Union like one that's genuine, you will always want to patch and maintain your security by doing more fraudulent things and to what end?

I say It better to be Authentically and Peacefully Single than to be Synthetically and Fearfully Married.

You are the BEST so you DESERVE only the BEST, don't Settle!

(SAGENEL) Legacy System Builder for Women, Families and Organizations.

Professional and Certified Counselor and Therapist | Writer | Radio and TV Talkshow Solutionist.

5) Hooking a Guy through SEX or other fraudulent acts, making and manipulating him into marrying you.

Even though there are countless stories about how this has been an Epic Fail in a lot of cases, many women haven't still learnt, so let's talk about it.

A guy that is not ready to get Married to you just because of Who you are becoming and What he can contribute to your life, is marrying for a selfish motive and selfish motives even though well packaged always comes around to sting people.

Marriage is a coming together of two Selfless people, coming together because they align in Purpose and Values and are willing to outdo themselves in giving to each other till death do them apart.

Marriage becomes beautiful when Selflessness is the Theme.

But a situation whereby the guy is "mandating you to give" out of his selfish motive, more importantly give your more Intimate Part to Him without him first showing dedication to you by Marrying You (Proposal is not Marriage) then it's a question you should ask yourself of what kind of man he will be in Marriage.

Finally, If you are Insecure enough in his Commitment and Dedication to You and because of your Fear of being

Nkechi Emmanuel-Layode Website - www.sagenel.com YouTube - SAGENEL TV https://youtube.com/channel/UCbaNJiNmF76uI9AZ N6rzB9g Instagram - @sage_nel Twitter - @sage_nel Facebook Page - @sage_nel Whatsapp - +234 808 777 6755 Email - nkechiemmanuellayode@gmail.com

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Rusudan Makowski Master of Business Administration (MBA)

H

older of business consultancy "Makowski Rusa". Experienced internationally, she has been working in succesful companies in the area of marketing and distribution.

After she has graduated from Ivane Javakhishvili State University in Business Administration BBA (2002-2006), she decides to live in Germany and to intensify her education at Ruhr University in Bochum (2007-2008). Thereafter she graduates for a second time from the Humboldt University Berlin in political economics with special focus on International Management und Intern Accounting, At the same time she finishes a Business Administration MBA with focus on finances and banking at Ivane Javakhishvili (2009-2012).

She has advanced training in the course of the mentioned studies in the following companies: Wireless- Netcontrol GmbH (marketing & distribution) - 06/2012 - 08/2012 Ascent AG, Essen (financial services) - 04/2008 06/2008 GEOTRANS AG, Tiflis (accounting) - 09/2005 07/2006 several interships (assistence of the executive board with assessment „very good“) - 2002 - 2006 industrial placement at the tax office, Tiflis - 02/2005 08/2005 An expert for PR and Promotion, onlinemarketing and distribution, Rusa Makowki offers professional marketing as well as consulting for international corporations that try to come into the

German market. From the day she started her business the manageress has been making a great efford to keep the ties to her native country tight and to build a bridge between both countrys – her new home Germany and her birth place Georgia. For one thing she wants Germans to be more aware of Georgia and its millenniums-old culture. As a representative of her home country she is interested in a productive dialogue with Germans. On the other hand her aim is to remove obstacles on the German market for operators from Gerorgia and to improve their profitability.

The Makowski company promotes numerous producers and service contractors from Caucasus countries, especially from Georgia. In her wine cellar, not only does she distribute the wine of her own winery in Georgia but also many other exclusive wine brands of befriended vintners from that region.

In addition, integrated in the Makowski company is an art gallery, where international artist, in particular artist from Georgia, are exhihited and promoted. The search for and the support of young, talented Georgian creatives is a crucial part of Rusa Makowski's everyday business. Frequently, she initiates and supports social programs. Here, the proceeds of an exhibition's sale are beeing donated to social projects in Georgia as well as in Germany.

Always has Rusa Makowski been politically engaged, especially with issues of women's policy and policy of integration in Germany. Along the way she has found powerful and loyal supporters in politicians of both countrys – Germany and Georgia.

In 2015 the young interpreneuse was decorated by the Georgian governtment with the distinguished reward for the most successful Georgian enterpriser operating from outside of Georgia. Operators from 12 different countries had participated in the contest. Hundets of Georgian business women from all over the world had applied, of wich only 15 were nominated in the process. Rusa Makowski was the only participant from Germany. She has been rewarded for her exceptional commitment to the integration and support of migrants in Germany.

Since this extraordinary tribute Rusa Makowski has been expanding her political engagement. Last year she was elected appointee for integration on the board of Deutscher Staatsbürgerinnen Verband – the first women's union in Germany, founded over 150 years ago. Earlier this year she accepted the very same office on the board of Frauen Union Mitte. She was also elected delegate for the federal state's delegates conference of the Frauen Union, as well as delegate for the federal state's committee of the Frauen Union.

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Leader

YOUNG FEMALE A

YOMIDE FAVOUR OLAYIWOLA is a Dubai based Makeup artist who excels in Advance Makeup Arts,

Airbrush, and Hair Styling. She has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest makeup and style trends and she is available to travel worldwide.

Ayomide who is currently working and schooling has a natural flair for the art and craft of makeup.

Before her education in makeup from The Zaron Cosmetics Company Lagos, Nigeria, she has displayed her excellence at weddings, photo shoots, and bridal shoots to name a few.

Her inspiration and stimulation for the craft come from makeup artists like Tara Durotoye and Bimpe Onakoya.

With over three years of experience in all aspects of beauty make up: she has gained experience in red carpet make up, fashion make up, editorial make up, advertising make up, commercial make up, film, television and lifestyle hair & make up and also set to launch her own Cosmetic line.

Her deep knowledge about fashion, make up and hairstyling makes her a very versatile beauty professional, who can adapt her skills to every kind of photo shoot.

She can be reached on: PHONE/Whatsapp +971 0544034275 INSTAGRAM: @elan_beauty_pro

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Leader

YOUNG FEMALE

B

eing a global citizen and studying abroad as an international student has led me get a lot of experience and face many challenges. I am a young minority woman entrepreneur. I want to help the younger generation by guiding them through their educational journey and achieve their dreams.

Education is the strongest sheild a person could own in their life, especially in the 21st century. Looking forward to touch many lives and grow our global company to a bigger scope.

Grad International Agency Is a fast growing global educational agency. “A student through student”.

Grad is mainly focused on giving advices and tips to new students through senior students, to have a closer look through their experience in their educational journey. Also, an educational platform for students with great creative ideas. Grad is built by students and new graduates so we are updated about the newest educational systems, international events and many more beneficial

guides for students.

Mission & Vision: Our mission is provide the high school graduate students with the needed information to select the best major that suits their needs and wants and help them connect through senior students to have a talk with senior on live experience, while providing a professional educational platform for students.

Our vision is to have a very professional global platform and help globally enhance the education system globally.

Follow on insta& Facebook: gradinternational Aisha-Nur Tolebay Founder & CEO Grad International Agency ● (05.041997) ● aisha@gradinternational.net

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YOUNG FEMALE

LEADER “

Whenever one thinks of entrepreneurship, unfortunately, one does not tend to associate it with the youth. When one recognizes a predicament that they are in, one does not usually seek the help of our teenagers. Whenever one limits the conversation to the adults, one limits the seats of the table to fit the 'adult table'.

I started Entrepeureka when I recognized this narrative that exists in our society that the problems of today are best solved at the hands of the adults—a narrative that strips the youth of opportunities and the world of creativity. The pandemic ripped the bandage of this existing wound and shed light on this notion further as we saw conversations around this topic limited to the adults. Though the experience of the older individuals may outweigh that of the youth, our creativity, zeal, penchant, and critical thinking are qualities that give us an edge. So, I founded Entrepeureka to not only provide the youngsters with a platform to showcase their ingenuity at a time of crisis but to also foster youth leadership and to equip them for the real world.

Entrepeureka marked its inception with the Deliver the Future challenge wherein participants worked with a Canadian company to tackle the challenges faced by the multi-billion dollar delivery industry. We received some of the most impressive entries from students all over the UAE. Since the birth of Entrepeureka, we have featured some of the most multi-talented young entrepreneurs on our page, hosted challenges to build the marketing skills of our youth, prepared content to educate young minds on how to prepare for the real world, and expanded our reach to youngsters all over the world, from Portugal, the UAE, the US, Canada, India, Finland, and more.

However, ironically, as we continue to facilitate

the youth, we, as young individuals, face challenges along our way because of our young ages. While we may not be taken seriously by bigger corporations at times, we may be rejected and ridiculed, but we continue to persist, we continue to strive, and we continue to obliterate the aforesaid notion conceived by society.

Despite that, it is imperative for not just us but also the adults to assume the responsibility of dismantling this notion in society.”

Email: entrepeureka@gmail.com Website: entrepeureka.tk Instagram: @entrepeureka

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ART AND CULTURE

ART & CULTURE

EGBERT LIEVELD AND THE GRAND DAMES OF CORONIE

A

rt presents us alternative insights and perspectives which can change our opinions about other cultures and ourselves, subsequently creating new narratives in art history and in the world.

Caribbean culture and art testify of their region's multitude of experiences and plethora of influences as well as their many diasporic cultures in metropolitan centers. A mixture of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and European heritage makes up the divers and distinct Caribbean culture and results in contemporary art that is just as caleidoscopic in range and scope as it's origins.

Art affects culture and society in a variety of ways, as it fuctions as an universal language that transcends cultural barriers and promotes mutual understanding. The collective memory of a society is made up by painting, sculpture, music, literature and the other arts, preserving what factbased historical records cannot: how it feels to exist in a particular place at a particular time.

Yes, art has the unique ability to preserve the feelings of a culture.

Surinamese visual artist Egbert Lieveld (1919-2014) was such a preserver of feelings connected to a place and a culture. The world of Lieveld is a nostalgic, serene and rural Suriname.

The district Coronie located in northwestern Suriname plays a prominent part in Lieveld's work. That special bond dates from 1946 when he spent some months in this coastal

district as a surveyor employed by the Ministry of Public Works. Coronie is approximately 3902 km² in size and is the most sparsely populated district of Suriname. Totness is Coronie's main town. The inhabitants of Coronie live largely from agriculture as the district is located on fertile soil. Most famous are Coronie's many coconut palms, coconut products and traditional wooden houses in all shapes and forms.

Coronie was a different, peaceful world to Lieveld. The special atmosphere of the district appealed to him right from the start and even after many decades this is still very tangible in his work. “Coronie, it speaks to me, the Coronian is a happy and peaceful person, they are content and not concerned with materialism.” Lieveld's scenes of Coronie exude that calmness and harmony, in color and shape, and have a nostalgic atmosphere. They not only represent a different world, but also a different time.

That different time is magically captured in Lieveld's painting “Evening twilight in Coronie” “Evening Twilight in Coronie”, originally titled “Mourning”, is based on a 1946 black and white photograph of a group of mature, strong women from Totness, Coronie, who are on their way to a funeral ceremony. The original 1946 photo conveyed a scene with 8 women, while Lieveld's 1985 acrylic and sand on canvas work depicts that same scene with six women.

These six women were the then locally well-known Louisa Blijd, Floor Banwarie, Cornelia Braaf, Josephine Nibte, Antoinette van der Spijt and Lina Bisschop.

On the far left is Louisa Blijd, also called “Koeli Louisa” (because she was half indian) who, in addition to ceremonial help, also offered traditional childbirth assistance. In the foreground is Antoinette van der Spijt, a very pious lady who was adept at casting out evil spirits and “bakru” (a bakru is a small evil dwarf ghost with a big head).

Third from the left was Cornelia Braaf, commonly known as grandma Naas. Grandma Naas had a tough look and had no children herself, but was everyone's other grandmother.

She was called to the rescue by parents in the neihbourhood when a child deserved an adequate “fonfon” (spanking).

She was thus the local first aid for upbringing with her three illustrious whips:”Bun Njan”, “Bun Wroko” and “Bun Fonfon”. When grandma Naas issued an extradition order, friend and foe immediately chased the child to capture and 82

sees God's creation. " Egbert Lieveld not only saw God's creation, he honoured it as well.

Natasha Knoppel Source Benedictio II: prasi-oso, historical monument of Suriname (2019)

extradite it, and then watch with pleasure how the victim screamed because of the fonfon (spanking) of grandma Naas. That is just how it used to be in those days.

Evening twilight in Coronie is a snapshot of times gone by, of the residents of a small sleepy town in the northwest of Suriname, Totness. Anyone who knows Coronie - the picturesque Surinamese coconut district - will unmistakably recognize the atmosphere of the colorful wooden houses with the spacious yards and the abundance of greenery, hidden between the high, shady palm trees.

Egbert Lieveld Egbert Lieveld, born a century ago in Berg en Dal in the Para District in Suriname, started painting seriously in 1980 as a hobby, but at the same time he was busy drawing all his life. He was self-taught, but had a trained hand, through his work as a designer and constructor of buildings. In the remaining years of his long life, he painted an extensive oeuvre together. He became a beloved artist for his accessible work and his lovable nature.

Natasha Knoppel is an economist, a collector of Caribbean art and an independent art curator of the Benedictio theme-based multimedia art projects with a focus on Cultural Heritage, the Environment and Sustainability. She is the Creative Director of Natasha Knoppel Art Galleries which operates as a hybrid platform between commercial mediation and cultural and societal contribution. Her recent exhibition 'Benedictio IV: mighty echo of the Amazon rainforest – revelations of the Guianas' deals with the central theme of the Amazon rainforest in the greenest area in the world. Natasha recently published two books on Art & Heritage. Currently Natasha is conducting research on an artist and his art practice that spans 60 years for a book that is due to be published coming September. She has been educated in Suriname, the Netherlands and Belgium. Natasha was born in Paramaribo, Suriname and is based in Holland.

Natasha Knoppel Creative Director Natasha Knoppel Art Galleries Web design: www.natashaknoppelart.com Email: info@natashaknoppelart.com Mobile: +31 (0)6 29012390

He received lessons from Wim Bos Verschuur, among others, but a choice for artistry was not possible at the time.

He became a technical draftsman, but his love for art remained, and he founded the drawing association ELKA (Line and Color) with three others.

As a painter, Lieveld's technical background remained visible. He created many cityscapes and landscapes with buildings, and often created his art as a construction, sometimes even using wood, sand and ribbed cardboard in his work. Lesser known is his politically critical work. It is a typical element of Egbert Lieveld's painting technique that he often combined paint with other materials, thus creating a hint of three-dimensionality in his work. Perception is important here; he painted or drew things as they were.

Much of his work is characterized by that perception of reality, but in his paintings, he managed to add a completely individual atmosphere with a free use of color, and a special light shines in his tableaus. The fact that it sometimes takes so long for memorial images to solidify into a painting was, according to Lieveld, a matter of maturing.

"When it's ripened, I'll take it outside. My secret is: I never paint until I've prayed. Then it comes to mind what my hands should do." This Christian conviction is also at the heart of his artistry. "If you have had a Christian upbringing then you will see God's works and you want to proclaim it.

You enjoy, and if you enjoy, you want to carry it out spontaneously. A Christian - by deeds, not just by words 83

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