Throwback Story: "Who I Was vs. Who I Am Becoming"

My Journey as an Ambitious African Woman

“Years ago, I was a girl with big dreams but no clear direction. Today, I’m building a brand, writing a book, and inspiring women. But it wasn’t always easy…”

As a young woman, I had the desire to have a career path, but I was confused about what to do. I guess I had a mix of being comfortable with getting married and being taken care of and also wanting to do something for myself. Though I’ve had that ambitious spirit in me for a long time, growing up knowing you have the option of being a full-time housewife can be tempting, especially when you don't really know what to do with your life career-wise or when you struggle with finding your purpose.

The reasons why I took the path of an ambitious African woman:

Over time, I discovered two paths that spoke to me directly – entrepreneurship and blogging. I tried them out of love and curiosity, and that's when the ambitious fire to succeed in them burned so strong. It made me dream of what it would feel like to succeed in them – the fulfillment it would bring, the impact it would enable me to make. Imagine more women wanting to follow their dreams and become successful because I inspired them with my journey or my knowledge.

That's why I share content on my lifestyle blog with the intention to motivate and inspire ambitious African women who want to be more than just wives and mothers, women who want to create an impact in their families and communities. Women who want to be examples to their daughters and leave a legacy for their children. I want that for myself. I want to be more. I want to feel fulfilled and happy with my choices.

Another reason is that I want a good life for myself. Since I can't be offered that, I want to achieve it through my own efforts. So, I need to work towards making it happen. Being an ambitious African woman to me means striving to achieve your dreams and goals to be fulfilled and impact others to do the same. It goes beyond making money. It goes beyond following societal expectations. I decided to carve my path and follow my journey to success and fulfillment, irrespective of society's definition of success for women and the challenges faced.

I learned to dream big and maintain that dream despite the ups and downs. I doubted myself countless times, but the few times I got my confidence back, I pushed so hard to get what I wanted. I educated myself on the things I wanted to know or needed to learn to thrive and move forward. It took a lot of self-belief and positive affirmations to build my confidence.

I remember how my love for blogging made me stay up most nights learning from other bloggers how to blog. I would repeat tasks until I learned the skills of blogging, taking pictures, and editing. Eventually, my skills expanded beyond blogging, and I learned social media management. Now, I am a social media manager for nonprofits. Every little step helped me and brought me closer to where I am today.

I took risks and fought imposter syndrome by proving to myself that I can do it. I sought out people who wanted the same things I did. Online communities of content creators helped me grow and improve because I learned from them.

Looking at where I am today is a dream come true because of my progress. My biggest wins have been the recognition I’ve received and the feedback I’ve gotten so far. I have been a speaker as a result of a skill I taught myself online. I get positive comments because of the content I share, and I have had opportunities to work with organizations because of this skill I learned and practiced online.

My biggest lesson is to strive to keep pursuing your dreams, modify the plan, upgrade the plan, and enhance your skills to achieve your dreams because it is possible.

To every African woman out there who feels unsure of her path – you can create your own definition of success. Dream as big as you want, take action, and don’t be afraid to rewrite your story.