Sfiso Tshabalala, in partnership with DameConcepts, hosted the ‘Discover Your Entrepreneurial Genius Open Conversations’ last Friday (01 December 2023) at Miss Salon London, Parkhurst, Johannesburg.
The event follows the successful launch of the book ‘Discover Your Entrepreneurial Genius’ at the Empire Partner Foundation (EPF). The book is a call to action, through the hashtag BeThatChange, now that we have more education and find ourselves in different circumstances in contrast to pre-94 (apartheid) – we must show up differently and do our part in improving and/or establishing productive economic value chains in our previously disadvantaged communities. To achieve this, we require productive networks of business people, and entrepreneurs and professionals – networks that will change the flow of capital back into our communities instead of prioritising existing high opportunity areas as the only engines for economic growth.
“When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion” – African Proverb
Poverty is the lion we have to tie up as South Africans, before it eats us all.
We are creating a modern village, we have a chance to bring Wakanda to life!
Since its launch, the book ‘Discover Your Entrepreneurial Genius’ has become a must-read in the business and entrepreneurship community, changing the narrative in that our past (no matter how bad) must be fuel for our success. This can only be realised when we are intentional in successfully organising ourselves into productive economic value chains that see our previously disadvantaged communities as places of economic value instead of abandoned places that are ravished by poverty and suffering. These places are a ticking time bomb for our country unless we unite to improve these communities and bring back hope to out disenfranchised citizens who are excluded from economic activities. In such communities, success is demonstrated by ‘moving out of e-kasi’ – surely this cannot be right?
The Open Conversations allow participants to enjoy a meal and a drink while engaging in difficult topics with full honesty and respect for each and every participant. After all, the ultimate objective is a thriving community of local business people and entrepreneurs who have earned their seat at the table of economic value. Critically, we must add value and be equal partners with all other economic value contributors and not only thief our way in through affirmative action.
Hard working men and women who prioritise building sustainable and thriving businesses carry the hope of solving the unemployment crisis and decreasing inequality in our country. Our challenges in the country will not be solved by political misinformation, racism and the likes but by education and hard-working hands, the government has done a lot (good and bad).
It is time we do our part and heed the call to BeThatChange in our own person, family, business and community.
The event was well organised and we hope it continues to grow into a go-to space/event for entrepreneurs who want a more equitable and thriving country for all its citizens. The last Open Conversation for the year was a great way to wrap up a very productive year, whilst energising for 2024 – The world has seen nothing yet!
Renata Lesley, beauty therapist and owner of Miss Salon London Parkhurst, opened the proceedings by welcoming the guests, she also shared her story on why she decided to venture into the beauty industry which led to acquiring the business from previous owners. She was generous in sharing her story including difficulties she has faced and fires she continues to fight daily to realise her entrepreneurial dream (and her passion to train and create jobs for women).
It is truly inspiring when leaders can engage openly, and Ranata’s story must be a lesson to all of us in the realities of buying a business vs. running a productive business entity. The lessons were amplified further by Xoliswa Moraka, our one and only ‘purposeful entrepreneur’ who runs a thriving business development agency Colab4Growth as she shared her leadership crucibles that have shaped her into the amazing success. She has been so generous to the entrepreneurial space in putting together a recipe for building and running a successful business through her book ‘The Entrepreneurial Guide to the Promised Land’.
Lesson: You cannot buy your way to success, success is earned (and it involves a high dose of education and hard work, including those lucky breaks from the cosmic artist who seems to be on his own clock).
We were grateful Mlamuli Mbambo, author of ‘Winning the Money Game’, who impressed us with a fresh perspective on money management. The reality is that at the core of business, we are managing money and how we manage personal finances should give us clues on how we would manage business finances. Critically, there are proven principles and processes for building personal wealth. Mzukulu is lucky to have wealthy and financially literate Mkhulu and Gogo, who provide him with the recipe to achieve financial well-being. The book is a must-read for young people getting into the money game, it also teaches us that an entrepreneurial mindset is one of the ingredients in the wealth game. The book is available at Exclusive Books and Bargain Books stores.
Katlego Rammusa got to introduce his latest book, Motswako, which is a biography of the Motswako music genre. I am totally impressed by the diversity of the books doctored by our people. I don’t believe the statement is true any longer that ‘we don’t write our own stories as black people’. Search in the right places and surprise yourself. Most of our authors are self-published hence you might not find them at your typical book store since priority is given to publishing houses with big budgets. I am convinced that the reading experience and distribution will be transformed in the near future however digital nomads are fully catered for through mainstream digital channels, including Takealot Print on-demand for those eager for a physical copy.
Lesson: Don’t fight the establishment and associated legacy issues, completely disrupt with innovation and value. We are not in a racial game but experiencing our native creative energy. Such a force is unstoppable and a gift to the global community because it adds a different perspective in the global discourse and values.
‘Discover Your Entrepreneurial Genius’ Open Conversations is not your typical event, intentionally so, it was great seeing other authors being given space to come and share their stories with the audience, which is something rare in the book world because some authors want to enjoy the shine and publicity alone, that’s not the case with Sfiso Tshabalala.
A young group of artists, Dreamers Artplug, got to present their work and made some much needed sales. Proving again the power of a productive network. We are excited to work with these youngsters and can’t wait to see where our collective efforts will lead.
Folks (boys and girls) doing beauty treatments, it is great to see some men embracing their feminine side, though there’s still a camp that says man and nail polish do not mix.
DameConcepts’s founder and CEO, Rethabile Mohlala, as always presented us with a wonderful experience and facilitated an engaging audience. He made sure everything ran smoothly as program director and producer of the event, while Tshekedi Monyemore made sure the audience were taken care of with entertainment and comedy.
It was a joyous evening, after the normal program some of the audience remained behind to network while enjoying the drinks, food and music.
As we conclude 2023, be on the lookout for these kinds of events in 2024.
If you like to sponsor our events, get in touch with our sales and marketing team on info@dameconcepts.co.za. We can’t wait to see you in 2024.
#BeThatChange and grab yourself a copy of ‘Discover Your Entrepreneurial Genius’ at bethatchange.online.
RD Worx Production, as expected, exceeded our expectations in capturing the moment through pictures and videos. This is a young and dynamic team for all your photo/videography needs.
Reach out, let’s plug you in.
Staff Reporter
