WordPress – Leading Ladies Africa

“Never give up on your dreams” 5 Things we learned from Salma Phillips’ Interview

Francesca Uriri — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 07:00:19 +0000

A few months ago, we spoke to the gorgeous Salma Phillips about her work as a TV Host and film maker. Her LLA interview is the gift that keeps on giving. Here are 7 inspiring lessons we got from that incredible feature with her:

Be afraid but do it anyway

Salma didn’t really have any experience with television when she started out, but she took the first step anyway, and like they say, the rest is history.

Your talents will get you noticed

Salma’s work as a film maker and television host caught the attention of the BBC, making her the first Nigerian to be featured on BBC Africa. Is that cool or what?

The power of persistence

Starting out as an entrepreneur was challenging for Salma, but she persisted and let that drive her dreams. A good mix of adaptability and good work ethics enabled her to overcome the tough times.

Never give up on your dreams

As a northern woman, Salma perhaps faced more challenges than most, but she advised women like her to keep pushing and never give up on her dreams.

Don’t stop learning

Even though she’s a successful film maker and television host, Salma still gets training on the more technical aspects of her job to stay updated and relevant.

Read the full interview here.

#FFInterview – “I get inspiration from everything and anything.” Tania Omotayo

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 06:30:20 +0000

Tania Omotayo brings a fresh feel to the emerging Fashion industry in Nigeria. Her newly established fashion outfit, Ziva Lagos, is surely set to redefine fashion in the minds of its overs. In this interview, the goal-driven Boss Lady tells us how she is aiming for the big prize in spite of the ‘new-comer’ challenges in her way.

Congratulations Tania on the Launch of your clothing brand Ziva Lagos; how do you feel at the moment?

Thank you so much. I feel amazing and it still feels like a dream – I really didn’t expect to get the reactions and feedback I’ve gotten so far. But mostly, I’m really just happy people like the product.

Amazing! So for those who don’t know; who is Tania Omotayo?

I never really know how to answer this question. In my opinion I’m just a young woman living my dreams, focused on building my businesses.

So what inspired the name Ziva Lagos? Definitely has a nice, distinctive ring to it.

It actually took me a really long time to come up with the name. Ziva was among the names I shortlisted, and it has also been one of my favourite names for a while. It wasn’t until I looked up the meaning and I was sold – Radiance, God, Light and Brightness. That’s the type of energy I want to bring in my life, and that’s what I want to bring to the people – Ziva – it was perfect!

You had a successful pop-up in December 2016, and another in April 2017, Ziva Lagos seems to be growing rapidly; what are your future plans for the brand?

I have to agree, its growing much faster than I expected. This has meant a lot of expanding and a lot of production, but I am focused and I’m enjoying it. In terms of future plans, I‘m working towards a big announcement soon.

Who is the quintessential Ziva Lagos woman?

My Ziva woman ranges from girls in school, to young women in their 20s and to working women. This explains why my pieces are so versatile, an 18-year-old or even a 55-year-old woman could wear it. I would say the quintessential Ziva Lagos woman is a forward-thinking trendsetter.

How do you draw inspiration for your collection? And can we just say that the photo shoot in Zanzibar was fire. J

Aww thank you, I had a blast shooting in Zanzibar, it is so beautiful. I get inspiration literally from everything and anything. It’s actually quite scary. I could be having a regular conversation with you about the weather, and see something that will start putting together an image of an outfit I need to make in my head.

How would you describe yourself, and what drives you?

I would describe myself as a typical Gemini, God fearing Foodie lol. What a combination. No but really food motivates me. And God drives me, just knowing that He will always believe in you and He will always be there, no matter what, keeps me going.

Before Ziva Lagos, what were you doing?

I worked in the Media and Entertainment industry for the past 3 years. Funny enough, I didn’t actually do much in fashion aside modelling until Ziva.

Name three women who inspire and motivate you?

My Mother and my sister-friends. I know it’s not three people but I am inspired daily by the women around me, I have the most amazing friends.

So far, what are some of the typical challenges that crop up in the daily course of running your business?

I think my biggest challenge right now is time constraint. Ensuring that I keep to deadlines whilst expanding production can be difficult, and working with third-parties, they don’t really take deadlines as serious as I do. It can be a headache, but I have been able to manage so far, so, so far, so good.

As a young entrepreneur, how do you ensure that your team is adequately motivated to produce the right results?

You have to set a good example, and it is very important that you do. I believe in practicing what you preach, when your team constantly see the excitement and motivation put in on a daily basis, it tends to rub off on them. Plus, I’ve worked for companies and I know what it feels like to not be motivated in a work environment, so I make sure I focus on keeping the team motivated.

Who are some of the designers that inspire your entrepreneurial drive? And what fashion brands do you admire?

Answer: Zara is hands down, number one! This is in terms of their model and what they have been able to achieve over the course of the years. Amancio Ortega (Founder of Zara) is my inspiration.

You’re obviously a very stylish woman; what inspires your style on a typical day?

My style varies and I’m very versatile when it comes to fashion. This is all dependent on the mood or perhaps even the location I’m in.

In your opinion, what are the key things that young entrepreneurs need to be particularly mindful of while starting up?

IT IS NOT EASY!! I think a lot of times people underestimate what it takes to start a business, and then they are so quick to give up. It takes a lot of work, motivation and devotion. Another important thing is to start small! People tend to get investors, or borrow loads of money, and sometimes even use their whole life savings to start a business, it doesn’t have to be that way. Start small and start with what you can afford, then just keep building and growing.

If you got the chance, what favourite female celebrity would you love to dress and why?

Rihanna, simply because I’m obsessed with her.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5years – personally and professionally?

You know what’s so scary, I can’t even see it because it’s that big. I have big dreams and plans, I want to build my own production factory for mass produced clothing, I am working towards having a menswear and kids line too, amongst other things. So hopefully in five years I have accomplished all of this.

The Leading Ladies Africa Series is a weekly interview series that focuses on women of African descent, showcases their experiences across all socio-economic sectors, highlights their personal and professional achievements and offers useful advice on how to make life more satisfying for women.

It is an off-shoot of Leading Ladies Africa, a non-profit that promotes women empowerment and gender inclusion for women of African descent.

Do you know any woman of African descent doing phenomenal things? Send an email to lead@leadingladiesafrica.org and we just might feature her.

7 times TY Bello was a full burst of colour

Francesca Uriri — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 06:30:48 +0000

We can all agree on one thing – that the iconic TY Bello is supremely talented.

Whether it’s taking those stunning portraits, or her ethereal and moving music sessions, there’s just something about her that makes us fall deeper in love with her.

But we also love her colourful and bohemian fashion sense. TY is always turned out perfectly in her bold, colourful looks; and like her amazing talent, there’s never a dull moment with her.

Check out 7 times she came through with amazing colour:

This Day magazine photo shoot. She looks like a garden in full bloom.

The mellow yellow or lavender lippy – take your pick.

Combining colours is something she’s GREAT at yes?

The full mane of hair, and that gloriously orange tunic.

Is it even possible to be this stunning?

Who knew black could be this stunning?

In her best form.

#BelieveinHer: Uber makes case for female leadership with IWD 2018 lunch event

Francesca Uriri — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 08:00:37 +0000

As part of activities commemorating International Women’s Day 2018, Uber recently hosted a crop of Nigeria’s leading ladies at a themed event tagged: #UberBelieveinHer. The event highlighted the Uber female West Africa team, and also featured attendees drawn from a pool of female entrepreneurs, career women, public service officials, and social entrepreneurs.

The event started off with a panel discussion featuring Lola Kassim; General Manager, Francesca Uriri; Head Communications, Margaret Banasko; Country Marketing Lead and Jackie Omotalade; Head Policy, all female members of the Uber West Africa team. Tagged: #WomenofUber: Telling our own stories, the session focused on what it means to be a working woman, how women can continually #pressforprogress, and the impact companies like Uber have on local communities in creating opportunities for growth and innovation, particularly for women. Attendees at the event connected deeply with the session as evidenced by their engaging and thoughtful questions afterwards.

The session was immediately followed by a Keynote address, given by women empowerment, sustainability and social impact expert, Osayi Alile, CEO; ACT Foundation. With over 20 years experience in the SME, international development and leadership sectors, Osayi is a catalyst for change and has revolutionized the non-profit sector in Nigeria and beyond. During her session tagged: “Disrupting for Sustainable Change” she encouraged women to not be afraid to take chances or make big bold bets. She also shared her experience as a working woman and enjoined all the female attendees present to continually #pressforprogress by using their skill sets and talents to bring real and lasting change to the society and world at large.

“Uber is committed to building a culture where everyone feels included and can bring their whole selves to work” says Francesca Uriri, Head Communications; West Africa, Uber. “The core objective of this event was to show our esteemed riders, driver-partners and stakeholders that Uber believes in, and supports women. In addition to the company’s ongoing internal Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, we are committed to upskilling and building a critical mass of women who are economically empowered and equipped with what they need to lead successful lives.

Uber recently hosted a selection of female driver-partners, professionals and entrepreneurs to an event in Lagos called Uber For Her; the event showcased the myriad of opportunities available for women within the Uber ecosystem.

10 tips for creating a stunning web presentation

Francesca Uriri — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:18:50 +0000

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The ultimate guide to flat design

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 19:19:31 +0000

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Conversion Rate Optimization

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 19:19:16 +0000

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Search Engine Optimization

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 19:18:46 +0000

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UX Strategy & Design

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 19:18:31 +0000

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Strong Interaction Design

Francesca Uriri — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 19:15:47 +0000

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