Hi everyone, hope you are doing well. 

Like the title says I was invited to speak at the event organised by ImpactHER in Yaounde on the 11th of March 2023. 

First of all the event took place the day after my birthday! Do I need to tell you that I spent my birthday preparing for this event and stressing out because it was my first public speaking engagement? LOL!

To get myself ready I prepared my presentation and did my hair. I even did my nails - a decision I made while at the saloon. My hairdresser got me when she said she'll do something simple and nice within my budget just to make my nails look nice. After I imagined holding the microphone with rusty nails I fell for it. Lol.

I was so nervous about speaking so to build my confidence I made notes for and practised my presentation, I tried stress relieving techniques like calming deep breaths and going jogging that morning, accepting the worse thing that could happen during the presentation, and accepting and letting the encouragement from my loved ones sink in. 

I finally decided on what to wear on the morning of the event. I won't lie that I have so many clothes in my wardrobe but nothing to wear. I haven't worn most of my clothes in more than four years because of pregnancy and my postpartum body so dressing up is a bit of a challenge for me. But is settled for this dress tailored for a wedding I attended last year. 

I got to the event on time but it took me some time to find the venue. Thankfully I didn't wear my heels from home because my feet would have hurt. The ladies attending are entrepreneurs and some of them showcased their products which were interesting to see.

I was the first speaker of the day and I delivered my talk quite well. I didn't read from my notes as planned and that felt like a big win for me.

I enjoyed speaking at this event because I love empowering women. Women are builders of a lot of businesses today and it is vital to give them the tools to excel. Social media being one of the most popular forms of technology to this day is a great tool for them. That's why this year's theme for the International Women's day feels right. "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality"

In relation to this, ImpactHER organised this event to celebrate women with the theme; "Beyond the norm: Promoting innovation as a female entrepreneur" to help these women do better in their businesses. 

I also learnt a lot from the stories shared by these women about their journeys and I look forward to more opportunities like this.

Well, don't worry. You're not alone.

As women, we're so used to being told that we can do anything ourselves that when people tell us that we need a man in our lives, we just think they're being sexist or trying to undermine us or whatever. But actually, it's totally true: all women need men in their lives. It's just that no one wants to admit it because it sounds like "you need a man to make you complete." But what I mean by "man" is not necessarily a particular type of man—it could be your dad or brother or best friend. It's just someone who can help you get through happy or tough times and make sure everything is okay.

The idea of being an independent lady without needing a man is a powerful one. But is it really true that women don't need men? I mean to be involved romantically with someone. The answer to this question depends on each individual woman's circumstances and values. While some women may be able to live happily and successfully without relying on a man for financial or emotional support, others may find that having a partner can improve their quality of life in meaningful ways. It's important to remember that no matter what your situation, there is no right or wrong answer to this question - only the answer that works best for you.

So when a woman says she doesn't need a man she's not proving tough and when she says she does need a man she's not weak. They are just being human.  

By networking, women can create powerful connections that will help them grow their careers and business. Women who are able to connect with other powerful, successful women can gain access to a world of new opportunities that may not have been available to them before.

Being successful requires more than just dedication and hard work - it requires networking and making the right connections. As an ambitious African woman, networking is a key tool in achieving success in your career, business, or even personal endeavours. But with so much information and opportunity out there, how do you make the best use of your network? In this blog post, I’ll explore some tips to help you build strong relationships and network powerfully with other successful women. So if you’re an ambitious African woman looking to take your career to the next level, read on!

Building relationships makes it easy for people to think about you when opportunities you fit in come up because it will feel natural for them to mention it to you. Be authentic in your interactions for a better connection. 

Don't just collect the contact of other women. Stay in touch and create a relationship with them.

While it is important to stay open while networking, knowing beforehand who you want to network with helps you stay focused. Ask yourself what you desire to gain from the network you are trying to build and try to get in touch with those who can help you have it.

Use social media platforms as a tool to make meaningful connections. Take advantage of events and conferences geared toward female professionals, and always strive to add value in all your interactions.

Little actions like following people on social media, patronizing them or supporting their work may go a long way to get you noticed and extend your network. 

It's important to stay connected to your network even after you get the job, recommendation, gig or opportunity they let you have. Letting go of people after they have helped you may give you a bad reputation in the long run. You may be seen as someone who is not loyal or even an opportunist so it's important to keep nurturing these relationships in the long run.

Happy birthday to me! 🎈🎂🎉🥂😍🥰💰

Becoming a boss lady requires a level of discipline and focus. To have this you need to avoid having drama that distracts you from your goal or focus.

As a boss lady, you know that having drama in your life is not going to help your business. You need to set an example for your employees/partners and be a role model for them. Here are some tips on how you can keep drama out of your life and focus on your business as a boss lady.

One of the most important things you can do to stay drama-free is to understand your job. Yes, your job may be demanding and you may have a lot of people working with/for you, but that doesn't mean you should let drama rule your life.

Identify your role and understand the expectations of your position. Being able to do this will help you better manage and handle situations that arise.

For example, if you're the boss lady, then you likely have a lot of expectations and you need to be able to set and follow rules. If you're not able to do this, then you'll quickly become a drama magnet.

Remember, you're the boss and you need to set the tone for the office. If you're constantly fighting with your employees or collaborators, it's going to reflect poorly on you.

Building a good brand is essential if you want to be drama free as a boss lady. It is what will separate you from the rest as being drama free makes you classy. Branding is all about creating an image for yourself and your business. This image can be positive or negative so you have to make the wise choice of staying away from the drama which could hurt your reputation and business.

A lot of people feel overwhelmed when it comes to their work and their personal lives. When you're a boss lady, time is your most precious commodity. You need to set priorities and stick to them in order to optimize your time.

The first step in setting priorities is figuring out what's most important to you. Once you've identified your top priorities, you can start to figure out how you can best devote your time to them.

However, it's also important to remember that you have to take care of yourself. You can't work all the time and then expect to be able to handle everything else that comes along with being a boss lady. Make sure to schedule time for you, whether it's taking a break, relaxing, or getting out and doing something you love.

It's challenging to stay on top of everything when you constantly juggle work, family, and social life. But if you want to be successful as a boss lady, you need to learn how to prioritize your time and energy.

Don't let drama from your co-workers or clients take away your energy and consequently your focus. 

Relationships are important though they shouldn't take precedence over your business. Avoid friends who gossip or create trouble. Like they say, you are a reflection of the people around you. Getting involved in gossip will only attract drama to your life and create enemies for you. Most of all it will distract you from your activities. If you are the one who starts gossiping then you need to stop if you don't want a drama-filled life.

Create boundaries. Setting clear boundaries will help you reduce problems with others and create more respect.

When it comes to your goals, it's important to prioritize them. Focusing on achieving your goals keeps you busy to stay out of trouble.

You have a lot of people who are depending on you, and you need to be able to achieve your goals to help them.

When you're tired, you're more likely to get easily provoked and take the wrong decisions.

There are times when you need to step back and take a breath. It's okay to be upset and to have feelings, but it's also important to take a break.

The best way to deal with change is to embrace it and not fight it. Don't let the new changes around you control you.

As a boss lady, it's important to stay drama-free and focus on your business. By following these tips, you can keep your life and your business in order, and you'll be able to handle any drama that comes your way with ease.