White Collar Magazine 002: Press for Progress

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

1

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

EDITOR'S NOTE 03

OPRAH'S GOLDEN GLOBE SPEECH 04

#METOO 08

TECH: THE LATEST WEAPON AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE? 12

Contents INTERVIEW WITH SYLVIA JEMUTAI 14

THE CHANGING FACE OF EMPLOYMENT 18

STYLE AND MAKE-UP 20

TYPOGRAPHY 20

2

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

Editor’s Note Hello & Welcome to WhiteCollar!

We’re excited to have you with us this month. This Issue was released on March 8th, (International Women’s Day) and we’ve tried to our best to reflect that theme on the magazine.

We have continued the conversation of a few matters that affect women world-wide and narrowed the narrative down to the modern African woman. We voice these issues and hope to exert a bit more effort on the slow wheel of change in Africa, pushing it forward.

We have also consulted some of Africa’s brightest women in Tech for their perspectives on certain matters and trends. All this is an effort to echo the statement that ‘Women’s voices matter’ and that their world class insights are worth paying attention to.

Let us know what you think.

We hope you enjoy it!

Contributors:

Michael Kiruthi, Esq Douglas Lang’at Wakesho Nzano Emmanuel Kyama

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

Emmanuel Kyama

ManuKyama

3

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

4

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

I

n 1964, I was a little girl sitting on the linoleum floor of my mother’s house in Milwaukee, watching Anne Bancroft presenting the Oscar for best actor at the 36th Academy Awards.

She opened the envelope and said five words that literally made history: “The winner is Sidney Poitier.” Up to the stage came the most elegant man I’d ever seen; I remember his tie was white, and of course his skin was black, and I’d never seen a black man being celebrated like that. And I tried so many times to explain what a moment like that means to a little girl, a kid watching from the cheap seats, as my mum came through the door, tired from cleaning other people’s house; but all I can do is quote and say that the explanation in Sidney’s performance in Lilies of the field: Amen, amen.

Amen, amen.

than ever before, as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this. What I know is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have, and I am especially inspired by and proud of all the women who have felt strong enough and inspired enough to speak up and share their personal stories; each one of us in this room is celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story. But it’s not just a story that affects the entertainment industry; it is one thst transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics or workplace. So I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue. They are the women whose names we’ll never know; they are domestic and foreign workers, factory workers, academics, engineers, scientists; they are powering the world with tech and politics and business; they are athletes in the Olympics and soldiers in the military. There is someone else; Recy Taylor.

In 1982 Sidney received the Cecil B. de Mille award right here at the Golden Globes, and it is not lost on me that at this moment there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given the same award. It is an honor and it is a privilege Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we to share the evening with all of them and all have, and I am especially inspired by and proud also with the incredible men and women of all the women who have felt strong enough and who have inspired me, who challenged inspired enough to speak up me, who sustained me and made the journey to this stage; Denis Swanson who took a chance on me for AM Chicago, Quincy Jones In 1944 Recy Taylor was a young wife and a mother; she was who saw me on that show and said to Steven Spielberg ‘Yes walking home from her church service in Abbeville Alabama she is Sofia from The Color Purple’, Gale who has been the when she was abducted by six armed white men, raped and definition of what a friend is and Steadman who has been my left blindfolded on the side of the road. They threatened to rock, just to name a few. kill her if she ever told anyone, but her story was reported I’d like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, to the NAACP where a young woman by the name Rosa because we all know that the press is under siege these Parks became the lead investigator on her case and together days, but we also know that it is the insatiable dedication to they sought justice. Justice was not an option in the era of uncovering the absolute truth, that keeps us from turning a Jim Crow, and the men who tried to destroy her were never blind eye to corruption and injustice; to tyrants and victims prosecuted. Recy Taylor died 10 days ago, just shy of her and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more 98th birthday. She lived as we all have lived, too many years

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

5

THEIR TIME IS UP! WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men, but their time is up. Their time, is up!

I just hope that Recy Taylor died knowing that her truth, like the truth of so many other women who were tormented in those years and tormented even now, goes marching on. It was somewhere in Rosa Parks heart almost eleven years later when she made the decision to stay seated in thst bus on Montgomery, and it is here with every woman that chooses to say ‘Me Too’ and every man who chooses to listen. In my career, what I’ve always tried my best to do, whether in television or on film, is to say something about how men and women really

6

behave; to say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and how we overcome. I’ve interviewed and portrayed people who have withstood some of the ugliest things life can throw at you, but the one thing they all seem to share is an ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during their darkest nights.

So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon. And when that new day finally dawns, it will because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time where nobody ever has to say ‘Me Too’ again. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

7

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

#METOO

HOW KENYAN SOCIAL MEDIA HAS POINTED OUT TO THE BIGGER PROBLEM 8

DISCLAIMER: All the highlighted texts below are actual things that were said by people on Kenyan Twitter, in the wake of a revelation of alleged sexual assault by a Kenyan celebrity. It is worth noting that our inclusion of these texts are not meant to validate the fact that the sexual assault did or did not happen, they only serve the purpose of pointing towards a bigger problem A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

It’s always something; if it isn’t blaming the victim on the amount of time it took for them to come out with the story, it is to blame them for how they were dressed. Sometimes, men (and in rare cases, women) who come out in defense of the alleged abusers are patronized by some of their fellows, whose first retreat is to call them out for their alleged “feminine behavior” as can be seen in the last example. It’s really surprising that men will do everything except take time to learn more about consent. It is for this reason that the #MeToo movement exists and continues to thrive while at it.

C

onsent has always been a blurred concept within African countries, Kenya included, and you will never find a better indicator of this fact than Kenyan Twitter.

Once a person bravely comes out with a personal experience regarding their assault or the assault of someone they are know, it is expected that they will to receive responses that are polarizing; some of the people will side with them, and some others choose not to. On Kenyan Twitter, it may appear that the number of people who choose not to side with them exceeds those who side with them, and most times it’s true; in the few instances that the numbers are equal or even in favor of those who side with the abused, the non-believers come out so strongly with their blatant disregard of what was said. Some even decide to somewhat sympathize with the alleged abuser, as can be seen in the below examples.

“I would not support rape or dehumanizing women in any way, but the period it took for her to come out is questionable. And why hang someone dry on twitter, why not file a police report ...hii story haimake sense (this story does not make sense)."

A first glance at the #MeToo hashtag on a social media platform might cause you to mistakenly believe that it is a hashtag championing inclusion among marginalized groups.

This is partly true and mostly false; it is true because the movement does talk about a marginalized group, but there is nothing positive being championed. Instead, it is a shedding of light on the injustices suffered by these marginalized people; it uncovers the sexual assault and harassment that is suffered in common environments, primarily the workplace.

It should not be too hard to understand though, right? It should be known that sexual assault should not have to get to a point where women join movements that entail them sharing their experiences in a bid to bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime. It should be a known fact, and all efforts should go towards shaping the conversation towards the fact that the victims are never at fault. It is therefore very upsetting to see Donald Trump, the 45th President of the most powerful nation in the world, put out a tweet such as this one.

“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”

“Sort issues as men bruh... This twitter lynching isn't what men do. Ask to meet him with your gf and talk through things... Hii ingine ni umama (all this is feminine behavior)

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

9

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

To begin with, his lack of punctuation of the word ‘Peoples’ gives away the fact that he drafted this tweet himself, if not the fact that such a crass view would not be shared with the Communications team at the White House.

Secondly, this tweet highlights another major problem affecting this movement: the deflection of attention to the lesser problem. Trump chooses to focus on the fact that the perpetrator’s lives could be ruined by the accusation, instead of focusing on the victim’s well-being. This problem is very common and could be reflected in such movements as the “notallmen movement. Gentlemen, women are obviously aware of the fact that not all men are perpetrators; however, when you choose to focus on such a minor detail and completely look over the bigger problem, you are spending your time taking focus away from the problem and therefore only aggravating it.

Mr. Trump is right about one thing though; there are cases of false accusations, very unfortunate cases, and it is true that they have at least halted the accused lives if not ruined them altogether. It is also important to point out that several women have come out strongly

10

against the false accusers, and have even pushed for their incarceration.

The #MeToo movement does not argue with facts, it only points to the essential problems, and it is therefore not surprising that women were against the false accusers. It is therefore interesting that most sympathizers of the abusers decide to only look at one side of the story, and are highly reluctant to look at both sides, as the pushers of the #MeToo movement have attempted to

We will be quick to point out that the more common and harmful sexual injustices are the major reason for why the #MeToo movement exists, and we would be right to think so; however, it is the smaller roles played by men in deflecting attention to smaller issues, as the #notallmen movement attempts to do, that have played a nearly similar role in the growth of this movement.

These smaller issues are nothing compared to the sexual injustices

do.

suffered by women across the globe, but they have served to remind us how far behind we men are and how limited we could be in our thinking.

Sexual assault is sexual assault, and there should be no grey area about it.

The assault is about having power about someone, and it is for this reason that we must also recognize FGM as sexual assault. FGM, suffered to a larger extent in Africa, is an attack on women because of their gender and this blatant intention to display power over women by trying to take ownership of their bodies should be addressed with as much urgency.

In general, it is essential that we as men be as empathetic as possible and put ourselves at the forefront of ensuring that while the #MeToo movement grows, the number of women who find themselves having to say #MeToo diminishes.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

11

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 001 2

TECH: The Latest Weapon Against Gender Based Violence

G

ender based violence as defined by the UN, is violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm. A vast majority of these cases are against women, however there are a few cases where men can be victims of verbal and physical attacks by spouses and/children.

12

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

A study carried out in 2013 by the WHO in conjunction with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the South African Medical Research Council analysed data from reported cases in over 80 countries and the conclusions revealed that, at least 1 in 3 women (about 35%) have experienced some form of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

These results were a global average.

Africa has the highest recorded numbers with about 45.6% of women aged 15 and over, reporting cases of Gender based violence. This is a tragedy by humanity, and something needs to done about this. The first step is to understand GBV and raise awareness about it. There is a correlation between certain factors and GBV, namely alcohol and substance abuse, a history of exposure perhaps in the victim’s early life that creates an attitude that condones such acts of violence.

Low literacy levels and lack of financial independence on the side of the victim also contribute to the prevalence of GBV. With the tech revolution currently under-way, we have seen incredible internet penetration in some African countries with Kenya leading the charge at 89.4%. A group of Kenyan techies looked at the trend decided that they could use tech as an instrument of change. They are the team at a start-

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

12

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

CLIFF MOTURI

Bonga app is one of many fighting a multifaceted battle the best way they know how. More steps need to be taken to eradicate Gender based violence like targeted education for each gender. A good example of targeted education is the self-defense classes taught to Kenyan girls by the ‘N0-means-no’ NGO to help protect against rape. These programs need more funding, support and endorsement. A study by Neville Golden, MD which is now available online on the Journal of Adolescent Health website shows that these education programs are already yielding results with a marked drop in the number of cases. It reads “In the 10 months after receiving self-defense training, more than half of these girls reported using what they had learned to fend off would-be attackers. The proportion of them who were raped fell from 24.6% in the year before training to 9.2% in the 10-month period after.”

up called Chowder’s loft, who have come together to create Bonga App. This mobile application has the ability to reach the GBV hotline or even mobilise close confidants in the event of violence.

“Bonga App was developed as a sort of panic button for students in campus” Stated Cliff Moturi, Cofounder at Chowder’s loft. They then went on to do a proof of concept at Egerton University where the team continued to improve the application. “We are mainly concerned about social good and entrepreneurship” continued Cliff, cofounder at chowder’s loft.

The company began experimenting with using tech to solve problems in April 2015. Their team is comprised of the brightest tech minds, two of which are university lecturers, one is the CTO of an international Tech company and the other is the tech lead at a premier digital agency. As they continued to grow, they sold a 3% stake to AngelHack in 2017. “We have partnered with Angelhack, Kulukha Movement in South Africa, Ms Josina Machel, Egerton University and are in negotiations with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa” mentioned Cliff, cofounder at Chowder’s loft.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

Personal security is beginning to become a trend in tech thanks to the involvement of teams like Chowder’s loft. More recently we have seen mobile applications like Legalfling, which use smart contracts (the same technology as Etherium, a cryptocurrency) to ensure that there is a proper record of consent before any sexual encounters. More established companies like Amazon have added features to their Artificial intelligence to detect and react to cases of violence or respond to certain trigger words. There was a recorded case of Amazon’s Alexa (the piece of Artificial intelligence in Amazon’s echo speaker) calling the police on a man who was allegedly aggressive, and threatening to kill his girlfriend.

Technology was meant to make life easier for all its users.

And slowly these organizations that were so focused on commerce are beginning to see the value of security and life preservation. This is only the beginning of the use of tech to stop gender based violence, and as time progresses with more specialization in tech and raised awareness, there should be a reduction in the prevalence of GBV and general insecurity.

Change is slow but we do acknowledge those fighting the good fight with every tool at their disposal.

13

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

Sylvia Jemutai is the founder of Dine with Jemutai, what she fondly describes as her creative playground for all things food and photography. Every image you see on her blog is a story from Sylvia's stove-top to the finished product. She cooks, styles and photographs every single one of her stories. We talk to her to pick her mind on blogging as means of bringing home the bacon.

14

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 001

Who is Sylvia?

I’m a Food photographer, Food Stylist, Blogger & Digital Content Creator based in Nairobi.

Tell us more about your background.

For as long as I can remember I've always had a keen interest in food and art. As a child I was always helping out in the kitchen while dreaming about becoming a professional chef and someday owning my own restaurant. Fast forward to school/university life, I continued to nurture my creativity in the kitchen and soon enough picked up photography along the way.

I studied Industrial design at Bournemouth University but worked in restaurants part time and studied photography in my free time. My third year is when I started feeding my passion for Culinary Arts, Photography and Styling. That meant reading books, watching youtube videos and practicing often.

What is blogging, as you see it? Explain food blogging as you understand it.

Blogging is a form of self-expression: A unique way to share one's passion and interests with people who share the same interests. Today the food blogging world is all about mouth-watering pictures, easy follow along recipes, and signature stories told by you (the blogger).

Tell us more on the journey since you started up to now.

I'll start by saying the journey is still going on. I first started off by collecting recipes and photographs of my creations while in university. But sooner than later I ended up with thousands of pictures and no hard disk space. That said I decide to take it to the internet. I remember doing some research on blogging/bloggers but at the time it was mainly fashion blogs out there. I then shared the idea with my friend and the first thing she said was 'finally' she was just as excited about a food blog, as was I.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

15

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 001

Little did I know the amount of work, frustration and sleepless nights I was setting myself up for. DWJ literally became my baby! I launched the website and social media platforms in 2014.

What does it take to go into blogging professionally?

Passion and a constant willingness to learn new ways of creating content.

A huge bonus would be basic photography skills, creative writing skills and good knowledge of styling content.

How do you generate revenue?

Generating revenue comes down to how creative you are. I do it through photography for a wide variety of clients. I curate food styling shoots for restaurants and corporates in the food industry, and also occasionally through marketing various brands on my blog.

16

How many revenue streams does the average blogger have?

In today’s economic climate the average blogger could have 3 to 5 revenue streams.

• A part time/full time job: A 9-5 that pays the bills.

• A business or company: A personal business that they run.

• Blogging: working to endorse brands while creating content.

• A side hustle: A passion project that brings in extra funds.

In your opinion is blogging or vlogging a sustainable career option?

If you put in the leg work, be consistent and build a team, Yes. The only question is, are you willing to give up your privacy?

What is the ‘blogging climate’ like at this moment, compared to when you started?

It's really grown. There's a lot more blogger and brand partnerships & brands these days focus on your influence and engagement rather than just the numbers.

What makes your brand stand out?

Hmm.. I think it would have to be the branding and visuals. I invest a lot in styling, preparation and quality of content I produce. I also work to keep it consistent and that way people begin to associate that quality of content with my brand.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 001

What are some of the obstacles you have faced through the journey?

Oh so many! Not enough funds, Creating content is one of those things you do freely and can make money from but most of the time it comes out of your own pocket.

Sometimes people do not want to pay for your services and when they do, the payment is delayed. So in short it all comes back to money. Blogging is still new and unfamiliar to many, so they don’t yet see its value.

How has your age affected your businesses?

What lessons can you give to those just starting out?

I’d say focus on one topic that you're really passionate about, define your target market and create some marketing material for your brand. (A business card, Logo, Website, etc) then go out there and market yourself.

What new avenues are you thinking of exploring? What’s next for Jemutai?

I don’t want to give away too much but, I’m really pushing to create awesome video content so that's what's on the back burner. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Is that even a thing? I’d say positively. I’ve worked with people from different age brackets and all that really matters is what we bring to the table.

What achievement are you most proud of as a blogger?

Growing and nurturing my brand to today, not giving up when things get tough and being a 2017 BAKE Award Nominee! That was pretty amazing.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

17

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 001

The Changing Face of Employment WITH FLEXY’S ANNETTE MULLER

T

he digital age has prompted a lot of change in the way we interact with each other and exchange information. Many argue that the internet has ‘made the world smaller’ because of its ability to connect individuals from all over the world. This increased connectivity has been the driving force behind some businesses, allowing some of the said businesses to offer their services on a global scale. Advertising, money transfer and commerce have been radically disrupted by the internet but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to disruption.

The very building blocks of conventional business are being re-imagined in ways that boost efficiency and reduce cost. One of the areas that is seeing a lot of this disruption is employment.

We have seen the rise of the gig economy where temporary positions are common and organizations create contracts with independent workers for shortterm engagements. This is trend is seen to be rising as the number of skilled professionals in fields such as tech is much lower than what the industry requires.

Hiring of skilled labour is a nightmare for most corporates; there have been cases where certain professionals have had their salaries increased by up to 50% when they try to hand in their notices and move to a different company. This leaves a harsh vacuum in the industry with only increasing demand that can barely be met.

In order to bridge this vacuum, some developers work freelance moving from company to company on short-term, project-based contracts. Web developing is growing into a seller’s game where developers pick and choose their projects and even in some cases, set the price.

Creatives and designers are also beginning to adopt freelance work which currently seems stochastic and undependable. Freelance work isn’t a fad, it is here to stay.

A study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, 40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors. In Africa online freelance work was first introduced through ‘pay for research/assignments’ schemes for university students abroad.

However unconventional, this trend served to familiarise the parties involved with the potential of skill based freelance work and it works as a bridge to more conventional

18

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 001

ANNETTE MULLER

skills based online work.

Being a relatively new field research is still being conducted and statistics are rare.

There are a number of forces behind the rise in short-term jobs. For one thing, in this digital age, the workforce is increasingly mobile and work can easily be done from mobile destinations. This serves to decouple the conventional approach that tied the location of a company to its employees. There can be an upside to this in that, freelancers can select among the best paying temporary jobs and projects from around the world, while employers can select the best individuals for specific projects from a larger, more talented pool, than those available in any given area.

Despite being an added source of employment, unregulated freelance work is very unstable and undependable for the parties involved. It just might be the new wild-west. There are a few kinks with freelance work such as corporates being notoriously famous for delayed or even unfulfilled payments or assigned workers who do not deliver the assigned projects.

Freelance work is growing dynamically, and it desperately needs regulation or set standards.

Security and trust from the parties involved would guarantee better quality work and the compensation to match. To solve these problems and more like them, Annette Muller from South Africa, created Flexy: A company that mediates freelance work across all fields.

“I’m passionate about helping people to live more flexibly,” says Muller, “because that’s what I do. I travel a lot and a sit on the board of several different companies.”

She has taken steps to innovate and answer the questions that most freelance employers might have. For example vetting freelance workers and establishing profiles of

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

local knowledge for each freelance worker. The better the performance on previous projects the higher the rating a freelance agent receives and as a result the higher they can charge for their services.

Flexy has taken steps to make the freelancer’s work easier.

Annette says that she wants to add accounting facilities to the platform, essentially handling the accounting side of being freelance and allowing the experts for-hire to focus on what they’re good at.

Development of mediator support-structures such as Flexy, is the next step on the evolution of the gig economy. Such mediators bring stability and allow for ease of regulation.

Thanks to mediators such as these there will be reduced cases of unfulfilled contracts from the parties involved. It works in the same way as Uber does, allowing for both passenger and drivers to award each other ratings based on their interaction with each other. These steps go a long way in keeping the involved parties in check.

This might be a new dawn in how we approach employment and service acquisition. White collar predicts the use of smart contracts to speed up and secure online freelancing by the mid 2019. This way of working guarantees results while reducing costs incurred by the involved parties for example office-space rent or transportation fees to and from work.

The conventional work arrangement will always be present, but the way companies approach acquiring skills might be changing dynamically. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

40% percentage of American workers who will be independent contractors by 2020

19

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

Style &

Make-Up WITH WAKESHO NZANO

Wakesho Nzano is a make-up Artist, Style Curator and Image Consultant who studied at the AOFM: Academy of Freelance Make-Up, in London. While there she perfected her skills, learning with some of the world’s leading Fashion brands.

She has also built a career working with some of the top Media Houses in Kenya

20

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

If you have dry skin the products that will cater to you will moisturize and add lustre to it. On the other hand if you have oily skin the products you buy should keep your skin moisturized while helping to keep the oil production under control.

‘’It takes 7 seconds to make a first impression’’ a good impression can make the difference between Yes and No when making a proposition or trying to leverage a business deal. Naturally, we unconsciously/consciously tend to focus on the facial aspect of any person, it is the first feature to be seen during an interaction after all.

Many people are starting to understand the importance of personal presentation especially in the corporate setting. Long gone are the days when ladies in the modern work place would get up in the morning, dress up and leave the house without thinking twice about putting in some extra effort into what they put on especially make-up wise.

I cannot help but admit that getting up in the morning can be quite a struggle but once I get into the flow of things; there’s nothing that beats the confidence that comes with knowing I have put myself together as best as I can. This just ensures I can tackle make-up appointments with my clients head on.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

If you have combination skin (meaning you have an oily T-zone – Nose and forehead) you can get products for both oily and dry skin and apply to the appropriate areas For this reason I thought I would share a few essential tips with the ladies in the corporate setting. Few because let’s be honest; not everyone has the patience and luxury of time in the morning to take on a whole glam session.

1. SKIN CARE I always emphasize on taking care of your skin after all, it is your canvas.

Cleanse, tone and moisturize. Know your skin type; do you have dry, oily or combination skin?

Incorporate some sunscreen into your morning routine as well especially if you live in regions under harsh and direct sunlight.

Whether your skin is dry, oily or combination there are products out there to cater to you.

Most of the products state the skin type that they cater to on the packaging.

Neutrogena is a great brand as it caters to these skin types while still being affordable.

Incase you would like to know more about taking care of your skin make sure to get intouch with a dermatologist as they have a better understanding on all things skin Great skin means great make-up results.

2. LESS IS MORE In any corporate setting particularly while at the office, looking professional and keeping your outfit and makeup toned down is key. That way less attention is paid to thoughts like ‘’that lipstick is too bright’’ and is instead given to responses like ‘’that’s a brilliant proposal.’’

When picking out eyeshadow or lipstick shades keep them as neutral and earth toned as possible.

21

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

Pick matte shades especially on the eyes. For lipsticks light brown, light pink, a tint of maroon can be great. The goal is to keep it simple and fresh.

pencil/gel/powder that is as close to your hair colour as possible to fill them in. keep them well groomed by getting them shaped appropriately according to their natural curve.

Corporate events however can be a little bit more flexible when it comes to experimenting with colour. You can switch

Since the eyebrows frame the face, well done brows will give a clean and put together finish to your look.

up the lip colour to a slightly brighter pink or a slightly brighter shade of red. On the eyes, use a gold shade and put on some false lashes to accentuate the look especially at night.

Ardell demi whispies are my favourite go to lashes. They add character to a look without being overpowering.

For eyeshadow the sleek au naturel palette (has 12 shades) is great for a starter as it has matte and shimmer shades and in addition is very affordable. For the more experienced ladies, the Morphe 350 palette (has 35 shades) will have you choose from an array of neutral shimmer and matte shades.

There are a number of great brands to pick lipsticks from; Maybelline, Mac, Nouba, Joy lips, Sleek just to mention a few. It all depends on your budget and preference.

3. SIMPLE EYEBROWS There are so many trends for eyebrows these days: From the Instagram brows to wavy brows to the classic brows. Most are not practical but in a world filled with creatives it is great to experiment.

However while you are at the office keep them simple and lightly filled in.

Do not use any black shade to fill them in as it will be too harsh instead use a brown

22

How often you decide to pluck your eyebrow depends on how fast they grow back. That can be weekly if you want that crisp clean look or even monthly if you are not too keen on that look.

4. CONFIDENCE Last but certainly not least is wear your confidence. Know who you are and believe in who you are. Few things are as convincing as woman who knows her stuff.

What boosts your confidence? The answer will differ from one woman to another. Get your hair done, whether you like to wear it natural or put on a wig/weave- it is all up to you.

When it comes to your wardrobe keep it unique but formal.

Everyday should be an exciting experience. You can even go as far a mixing and matching your make-up and your outfits all the while keeping the official aspect in mind. You’ll find that this will add some character to those dull days because to be honest, we all have them.

Make-up is a bonus; the icing on the cake. Your confidence will radiate from within you. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAKE-UP OF A WOMAN IS PASSION. BUT COSMETICS ARE EASIER TO BUY Yves Saint Laurent A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

WHITE COLLAR | ISSUE 002

s i t a h W

s y h w nd

ou y d l hou

a

T

ypography is the art of working with text; something you probably do all the time if you create documents or other projects for work, school, or yourself.

Typography is 95% of design and without it, we would hardly be able to communicate. Imagine interacting with a magazine, checking out a website, playing with an app or watching the news without text? As much as we overlook it, the choice of font, the typefaces we use in our presentations and ads have a tacit effect on our target audience.

There 4 things that typography can do for your business:

1. CONVEY EMOTION When used correctly, type can convey an intended mood.

For instance, using serifs (these are fonts with small decorative flourishes on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols like Times New Roman) gives your brand an air of traditional sophistication. On the other hand, san serifs (Sans is the French word for without, so these fonts don't have flourishes) such as Arial & Century Gothic are associated with objectivity and being modern.

To set the tone for your communication, choosing the right font is imperative.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR

? e car

2. KEEP THE READER’S ATTENTION Craig Ward said, “Bad typography is everywhere. Good typography is invisible” Typography is utilitarian in that it shouldn’t call attention to itself, but rather give this attention to the message being conveyed. Allowing the reader to focus on the content and not the formatting is key. Like salt in food, typography is often noticed when it’s lacking or it’s too much.

3. ESTABLISHES INFORMATION HIERARCHY A font can completely change an intended message depending on how or where you use it. Using different font sizes, your reader is able to establish what information should be given the most attention. Your core message becomes clearer even at a glance.

4. CREATES & BUILDS BRAND RECOGNITION As we had established earlier, most of your communication will be text heavy. For your audience to recognize you at any place or time you must be consistent with good typography.

Here is an example; in 2009 PepsiCo’s orange juice brand Tropicana underwent a major re-brand, changing its classic font to a hip, sans-serif font.

Within 2 months, sales were down by a humongous 20%.

This cost them millions of dollars in revenue. They quickly changed back to the original. If that is not reason enough to mind-your-type, I don't know what is. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

23

WHITE COLLAR ISSUE 002

Ad space

24

A MAGAZINE FOR THE CAREER-PERSON AND ENTREPRENEUR