15/09/2023
BY Musanje Bukowa
Dear Zambian women,
What's with the new trend of going to "networking" events every weekend and still failing to be successful?
What do you listen to every week that you have not heard your 'mentor' say on Facebook before?
Every single week, there is a women's event going on. Women spend lots money buying same colour clothes every week, spend on transportation and makeup , lose time, and not forgetting the 'entry fee,' and still, women run businesses are at risk of closing down just after two years of operations compared to businesses run by men .
Why? Because men sit and think on their own. Analyse their careers, businesses, next move and actions. They understand that to be successful, you need discipline and consistency not wearing same colours.
If you attend such events as a way of looking pretty and feeling good about yourself, I have nothing against you. Carry on looking beautiful 🤩 .
But if you go to these events looking for inspiration, connections, blah, blah, then what you need is an introductory course in basic common sense.
Wearing a pink dress this week and a blue one next week and a yellow one, then a white one will not make you productive, competitive, or give you meaningful inspiration. It just takes away your time and money.
These organisers are not interested in your improvement but in your money. Please 🙏🏿.
Monday to Friday, you dedicate that time to your employer. on the weekends, you congregate with your fellow below-average performers/broke friends looking for inspiration and connections from each other.
Monday, the cycle begins again. Never having time to reflect on what it means being YOU.
Most of you can't even answer the simple question, "Tell me about yourself," during interviews without giving those same answers you gave during Miss X Basic School modelling competitions/variety shows.
But if they ask you to tell them about Facebook celebrities, oh, you can even produce a pamphlet with excel spreadsheets and pie charts . What a shame.
No one will take you seriously unless you are adding value to their lives. Before you go looking for value from other people, create the value within yourself.
That money you want to spend on buying an ‘ under the sea cream yellow’ themed outfit, please buy bundles and watch something on YouTube from people who have earned the right to be called leaders in their fields and the change, call UNZADESA and ask if they still offer short courses.
Please remember:
1. Having a million Facebook followers does not make one an entrepreneur.
2. Being married to a successful person doesn't make one an entrepreneur.
3. Being dumped and recovering from a heartbreak doesn't make one an entrepreneur.
4. Going to these events will surely not make you an entrepreneur.
But common sense is a good start to entrepreneurship.
