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Lioness Weekender spoke to Olatowun Candide-Johnson about her mission to contribute to the socio-economic development and transformation of Africa by empowering ladies to prepare across the rules of feminine management and participation in enterprise.
What does your organization do?
GAIA AFRICA is the continent’s premier non-public members Enterprise Membership devoted to serving Africa’s prime 5% of female-decision makers by way of specifically curated actions, studying, partnerships, collaborations, advisory companies, peer-to-peer mentorship, and small group occasions.
We provide our members a myriad of advantages: an government academy for refresher and new studying; a board expertise programme which by way of our companions we promote our members to boards; mastermind teams which act as private advisory teams for members, significantly these looking for to transition from company to entrepreneurship and vice versa; specifically curated occasions that deliver ladies collectively to attach, do enterprise and kind priceless networks; mini golf equipment that are shared curiosity teams to construct belief amongst members and assist them bond; funding golf equipment; a enterprise eating membership targeted particularly on boosting participation in enterprise and collaborations; and a 3 story luxurious membership home known as GAIA Home, geared up with assembly rooms, members lounge, a facial and therapeutic massage room, health studio, a steam room, non-public perform rooms and Gaby Lagos an upscale restaurant providing Mediterranean and developed fusion delicacies.
We’re greater than only a members’ membership for ladies, we empower ladies to prepare across the rules of feminine management and participation in enterprise.
What impressed you to begin your organization?
I discovered from my interactions and expertise that girls, while connecting and bonding on many ranges, weren’t connecting for enterprise. I noticed that one of many issues was the truth that even when ladies knew one another socially, they didn’t really know what their acquaintances did for a dwelling. How then are you able to talk about or move enterprise to at least one one other? The opposite challenge is that many ladies (typically) have been socialized to compete not collaborate. So, connecting, constructing relationships, and rising belief are important for any precise enterprise to happen. This concept of repeatedly connecting to construct relationships and in the end belief is the rationale that now we have the membership home. When there’s belief, magic occurs.
Why ought to anybody use your service or product?
Girls! When ladies come collectively, they’ll obtain something. As talked about above, till lately, ladies not often collaborated in enterprise. That is starting to vary and as GAIA is exclusive in its focus to deliver feminine decision-makers collectively to facilitate enterprise connections and broaden their monetary backside traces, this makes GAIA particular. We have now created a protected house during which our members construct relationships, belief, unearth synergies, help each other, collaborate, and companion in enterprise, offers and investments in a nurturing and genuine surroundings.We’re guided by our Honor Code: Integrity | Mutual Belief | Authenticity.
Inform us slightly about your crew
GAIA AFRICA has a small, devoted core crew of 10 employees, 70% of that are feminine, who deal with the important thing capabilities of the corporate. The remainder of its employees energy (40 employees), 50% of that are ladies, is devoted to Membership Home operations.
Its all-female administration crew consists of the CEO/ Founder, Olatowun Candide-Johnson, a lawyer and Trium Government MBA holder with thirty+ years’ expertise in company and industrial regulation and in enterprise improvement and governance of multinational companies; the Enterprise Improvement Supervisor, Mena Imasekha, a graduate of Imperial School London with over 9 years of expertise in technique, masking partnerships, companies improvement and company technique; and the Government Chef, Mercy Croffie, an expert chef and meals stylist, with a ardour for meals, holding a diploma in each culinary and pastry artwork, who oversees Gaby Lagos, a Mediterranean and developed fusion restaurant positioned within the GAIA’s Luxurious 3 story Membership Home, GAIA Home.
Share slightly about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I come from a household of attorneys and judges on either side. However I’ve at all times needed to run one thing of my very own, nevertheless was by no means actually assured to begin with out having the instruments and obligatory information with which to do it. I did some shopping for and promoting however that was only for enjoyable. In fascinated about my subsequent part after Company, I put a plan in motion to go to enterprise college, perceive, study, and activate. Throughout the second module of my EMBA I knew that there was no going again! The case research have been a supply of inspiration and problem, and the educational from classmates invaluable. And so I began my entrepreneurial journey about 6 months after I accomplished my EMBA and straight after I took early retirement.
What are your future plans and aspirations to your firm?
To broaden GAIA throughout the continent. Within the subsequent 10 years I hope to see GAIA in no less than 4 different African cities, catering to extra female-decision makers and rising leaders. Bringing extra ladies collectively for influence and in the end to contribute to the socio-economic development and transformation of Africa by empowering ladies to prepare across the rules of feminine management and participation in enterprise.
What provides you essentially the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Initially that I may really visualize one thing and see it come to move. Secondly the truth that it provides me the power to offer employment, to construct a crew that I can nurture and see bloom. Thirdly, that it opens me as much as so many different potentialities and alternatives. Now I perceive how individuals grow to be serial entrepreneurs. It’s a difficult but thrilling house to be in.
What is the greatest piece of recommendation you can provide to different ladies trying to start-up?
“In case your goals don’t scare you, they are not sufficiently big” – President Johnson Sirleaf. And that is the reality. Assume BIG! Plan and motion. Then visualize daily (I’d actually stroll by way of the membership home in my head, in my sleep.. and now I’m starting to visualise the following membership in one other metropolis).
Keep razor targeted and shut out the naysayers. While you hear NO, and you’ll hear many No’s, take it on the chin, study from what they are saying and transfer on.
Anticipate assist from surprising quarters. When your mates don’t assist, don’t be discouraged, attempt to not be offended – they didn’t precisely inform you to begin the enterprise did they? Those that will help will help however in the end it’s in your palms.
Being an entrepreneur is usually a very lonely place and the journey scary. In the event you discover somebody that shares your imaginative and prescient has numerous expertise, and is prepared to affix you within the enterprise, then you’re fortunate – you’ll have somebody to bounce concepts round with and somebody to share the work.
Stay Agile. Take a look at !! and be able to Pivot . Go for it. Bon Braveness !!
To search out out extra about GAIA AFRICA and the work of Olatowun Candide-Johnson, ship an e mail to: bizops@gaiaafricaclub.com or go to the web site: http://gaiaafricaclub.com or social media platforms:
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gaiaafricaclub/
YouTube or Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/723253701/a284ec10fd – GAIA WOMEN Dubai Go tohttps://vimeo.com/761888721/fec7c73f89 – GAIA WOMEN Bordeaux Go to
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