2Inspire Business Profile: Hannah Oyewole - Business Woman and Author

In yet another inspirational interview we meet Hannah Oyewole, an entrepreneur and author who started the Young Ladies Club as a means of giving young women a platform to motivate and encourage them to live exceptional lives. Hannah is an example of what happens when we believe that nothing is impossible.

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

A typical business day for me would consist of planning, business meetings and focusing on business strategy for the next level of my organisation.

I wake up really early in the morning and start my day with prayer, meditation and positive affirmations. I really like to get a real balance and focus of my day before I jump into my schedule. I have a good wholesome breakfast so that my mind is powered for the day.


I then start to go through my emails and see if there is anything that needs to be attended to urgently. Often times I have a few business meetings throughout the day that relate to business growth and strategy.


Once my meetings are finished I go through my plan that has been set for the day and carry out any duties that are required of me. I actively check social media throughout the day particularly Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for both HannahOyewole.com and Young Ladies Club. This allows me to gain an understanding of the needs of the core target market.



What made you start the business and how did you get started?

I started the organisation Young Ladies Club which is a platform to inspire and encourage young women ages 16-25 in the areas of; Entrepreneurship, Employment, Education and Personal development. I recognised through research that each area mentioned is fundamental to almost all young women’s growth, so I wanted to start up a company that supported this. Young Ladies Club carries out a wide stream of events and seminars that deal with each area successfully.


I started up Young Ladies Club because I had a passion for helping young women particularly in the areas mentioned above. I studied Business Management for four years at university and instantly knew that I had a passion for business and entrepreneurship. I also had to go through the exam process several times at university and having achieved a first class honours, I realised the need for education and the need to help others achieve the degree grade they desired. Regarding employment, I worked within the employability department within my university during my placement year. This opened my eyes to the different career paths and directions that young women could take after university. Lastly personal development was something that I was exposed to from the age of 19. It really strengthened me and demonstrated the importance of developing yourself and your mind.


What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

I believe that my biggest accomplishment to date in the business world was my business partnership with Microsoft. I had the opportunity through my organisation Young Ladies Club to host an employability seminar in June 2012 with Microsoft. Due to the success of the seminar, Microsoft decided to provide Young Ladies Club with a bigger platform to host the first ever Employability Conference within their headquarters in Reading. This was a huge accomplishment as many young women learnt a lot throughout the day including having their CV’s checked by members of the HR team within Microsoft.



What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

Some of the biggest challenges I faced in business was during the initial start-up stages.

Gaining finances as initial capital within the business was difficult and also making major decisions to move the business forward.

Although these were initial challenges through perseverance and determination I managed to overcome these obstacles. As the business has moved forward there are still bigger decisions to make and more learning to do. However I have recognised that this is part of the territory so I have become accustomed to it.

I believe that as long as an individual has a strong desire and a willingness to succeed they can turn their challenges into stepping stones.

What are your future plans for the business?
My future plans for the business is expansion. I believe that expansion comes with growth and also an opportunity to learn. I think it is very fascinating to start something from the grass root stages and build it up organically.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I like this question and I have had it a few times, honestly I believe that if I have the opportunity to do it all over again and alter things, I would not be the person I am today. The past lessons and mistakes are what have helped shape me until this day. However I believe that looking forward into the future, I would place a bigger emphasis on review. I believe that the process of review is not only important in business but it is important in life also.


Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

I believe that it is important to inspire young women because I am a young woman so I more or less have a natural instinct to help people who I can relate with more. I believe that the future is bright for young women and women as a whole. More and more women are leading top organisations and taking on the challenge of starting their businesses. I believe this is absolutely fascinating and it is something that I am very passion about.

I believe that writing my new book ‘ I Dare You’ has provided me with an even bigger platform to influence people in my generation both male and female.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?

I would advise the individual to conduct a lot of research so that they know what the expectations of their target market are. I believe that knowledge is power and you can only do what you know, so lots of research and the ability to get around a good network of people who are already in business would help the individual soar!


What or who inspires you in business and why?

One of my biggest inspirations in business is Mary Kay, although she is no longer alive, I still admire her passion and her work ethic. I also admired her principles which were to always put God first. She inspired a lot of women and provided them with the ability to gain financial freedom through economic empowerment which is what I aim to do in my life.


What is your favourite inspirational quote?

“When the going gets tough the tough get going”.

If you want to win you must be able to withstand tough times and just keep moving on! I believe that is why that is my favourite quote.

Email: info@hannahoyewole.com

Website: www.hannahoyewole.com 

Twitter: @hanoyewole 

The 2Inspire Network celebrates its 1st Anniversary & fundraises for the 2inspire Academy

Saturday 8th June saw the celebration of the 2inspire Network 1st Anniversary party and fund-raising event take place at the Anise Bar in Liverpool Street.

2inspire Network was founded on 25th May 2012 and is a business dedicated to providing a platform of events, social media & training that empowers & inspire women particularly in business. A main objective of the business is to support women in enterprise and to assist them to enhance their socio-economic power. The company was founded as a result of the inspiration and support founder Hazel Chawapiwa received from her family & friends network, particularly during a difficult time in her life.


"Although the 2inspire Network is a new venture I wanted to mark the 1st year anniversary as I really wanted to celebrate the achievements of the organisation in such a short space of time, to acknowledge one of the inspirations behind the start up of the Network, (which is my mother whose birthday it was that week) and also to thank the women who have supported me and been a part of the 2inspire Network journey. It was not only a lovely celebration but a great chance to network and provided a fantastic platform for the performers to showcase their talents." - Hazel Chawapiwa

The event was also a fundraising event for the 2inspire Academy who are aiming to run a project in summer 2013 called "Inspire the youth" this is a project which intends to run workshops for 16-24 years olds in the following areas:

• Enterprise skills
• Multimedia
• Music technology
• CV writing/Interview skills

The 2inspire Academy was formed in March 2013 and is a a personal development & life-skills programme for young men & women aged 16-24. The academy was set up to address negative stereotypical images of young people and present them with additional life skills and role models. The aim of the academy is to guide and support young people so that they can make informed decisions, increase their skills and achieve personal targets to become confident active citizens within their communities. A steering group was formed for the Academy which consists of 8 16-24 year olds who guide the decision making of the Academy. The steering group members assisted in the planning and execution of the event and 5 of them were in attendance at the event. The Academy ambassador Charley Jai was also present and was instrumental in sourcing some of the amazing raffle prizes which included donations from Amor Magazine, Anise Kitchen, Mr Gorgeous, Bquav Photography, Dazzling Little Delights, Smomo, Diva's Addiction, Lorna Stewart, Deja Vu radio etc

It was a fun packed event and was hosted by inspirational speaker Usha Oliver of Dare to Dream.

The event highlights were:

The inspirational talks from guest speakers: Lorna Stewart (Black 100+), Carl Thompson (Self Made Me) Margaret Aberdeen (Life after Domestic Violence).

Lorna Stewart (Black 100+)

Carl Thompson (Self Made Me)

Margaret Aberdeen (Life After Domestic violence)

Spoken word performances from Cezanne Poetess and Patricia Foster.

Cezanne Poetess

Patricia Foster

Musical entertainment from artists: Nyrai Kizzy/ Amen noire, Joshua, Jen Titi-lola Da Sweetnezz, Rebecca , Linda E and Candice Chenade.

Nyrai Kizzy/ Amen Noire

Joshua

Candice Chenade

The event has now allowed the Academy to raise £464 towards their goal and was a great opportunity for the Academy message to be shared and get the support and encouragement from attendees. The Academy steering group will be holding their own fundraising event targeted at young people to help them reach their target in the summer. Please see link with information about the 2inspire Academy and possible ways you may be able to help them. http://www.2inspirenetwork.com/2inspireAcademy



A big thank you must go out to the sponsors of the event: Dazzling Little Delights, Smomo, Organo Coffee and Smomo:

 
More pictures from the event can be found on following link: 

https://plus.google.com/photos/111854041199502473986/albums/5891220528857886673?authkey=CN_DpseNv9bBBA

Photographs taken by Brian Quavs - bquavs@gmail.com

2Inspire Business profile: Madeline McQueen

In this 2Inspire Business profile interview we meet Madeline McQueen, a highly successful business consultant whose sales consultancy has brought in millions for companies across the UK. Aside from being a true inspiration to so many other entrepreneurs she is also a happily married wife and dedicated mother. We were honoured to have Madeline share her story with us on The 2Inspire Blog and hope it inspires many others across the world to live their best lives! 

Madeline McQueen

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

I start my day with my journals noting down my thoughts and mantras and then listen to some kind of book motivational book that gives me positive words and thoughts that really help me step into my magnificence.  Once I’m up and ready, I check out the diary and ensure that I know what is on my agenda with regards to clients and take a look at my to-do-list. During my day I am either writing a training programme or info piece or conducting a session with a client onsite or over the phone (mainly Skype these days.) Everything that I do is around business development, sales, customer service and success.

I spend at least half an hour doing something to market myself and ensure that I am posting on social media things that inspire or things around success. Some days are spent wholly on client site whilst others are spent in my home office. The end of the day comes round pretty quickly as I have two daughters so late afternoon tends to become about them. 

What made you start the business and how did you get started?

I had my second daughter and decided that I did not want to go back to full-time work for someone else. I was already doing bits and bobs of business consulting and coaching as well as working with my husband so I decided to start vocalising that I was ready to branch out on my own and was looking to do more work.

My first contracts came from word of mouth and as I started working with various companies, I started to realise just how much I could offer and since my work allows me to work around my children it was a no brainer.

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

Ohhh that’s interesting, I suppose that if we are talking in monetary terms I secured a contract when I worked in Corporate IT Retail for an international enterprise company for £2m per year, which was the largest UK contract signed for the company in the UK. I was up against a three other suppliers and had to compete not just on price but on service. In sales people buy from people they like and they bought me and part of their requirement was that I managed the contract.

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

In all honesty it has been overcoming my own self talk, where I used to question whether I was good enough. I think that this is the biggest problem that many of people have and yet it is just not true. We have lots of evidence that proves our worth, knowledge, skill and experience. I choose to challenge daily those thoughts and the results have been astounding. I now charge my worth, I ask for the business that I want and I work only with those I want to work with and all because I now know that I am a worth it.

What are your future plans for the business?

To conquer the Tech world providing some of the sales coaching and soft skills that often are lost on techies and to create a multi-million pound enterprise that supports others to achieve their success. I also have a perchance for property so that’s an area of business that over the next 5 years I want to really develop.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I’d trust my skills and experience far sooner and not second guess myself.

Once you do this everything else falls into place. You start to realise that every mistake is an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills and that beating yourself up is a fruitless task.

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

In a world where young women are being pushed an idea of beauty that belies their skills and talents, I think that it is imperative that we do everything we can to help them achieve their dreams.

In many ways our world has gone backwards promoting women as useful only as sex objects that can be picked up and put down whenever and wherever. Young women need to be shown that they are so much more than that. Their levels of intelligence, creativity and skills can take them wherever they want to go. More so by stepping into their magnificence they leave a legacy for the young women coming up behind them to push further and be greater than they were.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry? I would firstly say that they need to truly believe in themselves and focus on delivering to the best of their ability every time. I would also say that from the get-go hold your boundaries around what you offer and ensure that you deliver what was asked for and not try and entrance yourself into some else’s business. Charge your worth as what you do makes a massive difference to the bottom line. I would also say be very clear about what you offering can and cannot do, so that there is no room for misunderstanding.

What or who inspires you in business and why?

I tend to put my head down and get on with it but someone who recently inspired me was Farah Gray a young man from the Chicago projects that became a millionaire aged 14. When I think of him I think, if he can do it so can I. I am also inspired by the many women in business like, Ali Brown, Dani Johnson and Maria Forleo who have created brilliant info based businesses that push women to success. They make me want to push further and harder. What inspires me is the learning that I have gained through a variety of books about the human spirit and success mechanism. I listen regularly to Dr Maxwell Maltz “Psycho-Cybernetics” which is all about how activating your natural success system. I think it’s brilliant.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

Now this is a really difficult one because there are so many that I love. When all is said and done I suppose this one really sums it all up ““Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” ― Henry Ford

Madeline McQueen 

Business Consultant 

Sales, Customer Service & Quality

t:      07533 159 371

w:    madelinemcqueen.com

tw:  madeline.mcqueen

b:    madelinemcqueen.co.uk