2Inspire Network - Mothers Day Special Feature & Competition: The Strength of a Woman

Mother's Day is nearly here, a celebration to honour mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world but most commonly it is celebrated in March to coincide with women’s history month and International Women's Day. March is a joyous month full of countless celebrations to celebrate women.

I have been fortunate enough to attend a few great women's celebrations this month but one that really touched me was the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trusts Women’s Awards which took place on the 7th March. It was a wonderful event as it celebrated the achievements of remarkable women who inspire those around them. Women were acknowledged and honoured for their amazing achievements. Along with promoting a positive image of women and recognising dynamic role models, the event raised an awareness of the work of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable trust which was set up in 2000. What really struck a cord with me was the courage of Baroness Doreen Lawrence OBE who addressed the audience at the event, which was held the day after the revelations about the corruption of the police who were involved in the investigation of her sons murder came out. Doreen is truly a beacon of strength and I was completely humbled by her grace as she stood before us and spoke. 

My mother, Doreen Lawrence and I

My mother and Doreen are both formidable mothers who have inspired me by the way that they have become agents of change for their families, communities, and beyond. 

They are, in my opinion, prime examples of strong, selfless women who continue to have a powerful influence on those around them.

I have been fortunate to have cross paths with a lot of amazing women in my lifetime, particularly since I formed the network in 2012. Two that I would like to mention are two ladies that were recipients of the Ladies Day Award of Excellence in March and October 2013, Tricia Blake and Annette Clark-Headley, these are women that have beat the odds and have  overcome adversity by remembering what their goals are and what vision they have for their own future. You can learn more about these two from our feature on them in our blog and their spotlight interviews (details below*). 

                       

                              Tricia Blake, Divas Choice

Annette Clark-Headley, Almocado   

With them and the countless inspirational women that I have met in mind, I have decided that the theme for the next ladies day in June will be centred around the strength of a women. We have decided to run a competition whereby entrants will submit a title, slogon or catchphrase that highlights the strength of a woman which we will use for the event.(Full credit will be given to the winner). The prize will be a free exhibition stand at the event for the winner to promote a business or service. Please submit all entries to marketing@2inspirenetwork.com, the closing date is 8th April 2014.

I must end by saying that the strength and uniqueness of a woman can be compared to no other and I salute every woman out there.

Hazel Chawapiwa
Founder, Director 2inspire Network

*Interview & profile details of Tricia Blake & Annette Clark-Headley:
Tricia Blake: 
Blog: Tricia Blake Business Profile

Youtube: Tricia Blake Spotlight Interview

Annette Clark-Headley:

Blog: Annette Clark-Headley Business Profile

Youtube: Annette Clark-Headley Spotlight Interview

  

Hazel Chawapiwa featured on AfroCosmopolitan for International Women's Day

2Inspire Network founder, Hazel Chawapiwa was profiled on The AfroCosmopolitan Website on March 8th in honour of International Women's Day.

Read the profile piece here http://afrocosmopolitan.com/international-womens-day-celebrating-amanda-rabor-hazel-chawapiwa

2Inspire Network International Women's Day Profile: Sherica Spence, Co-Founder of Skye Alexandra House

In this special edition of the 2Inspire Network business profile we meet, Sherica Spence, the co-founder of Skye Alexandra house. Skye Alexandra House is a semi independent living service for vulnerable young women aged 16-18, which also provides services on personal development, personal well being, one to one support, life skills and help preparing for further work and education. Read about Sherica's vision for empowerment and motivation for young women in this fantastic profile piece.

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

Typical day for me is sending and replying to emails, seeking sponsors and partnerships, delivering workshops in secondary schools to young women. I LIVE on my phone lol!

What made you start the business and how did you get started? I started this business because I saw a need to help and empower young women; I noticed that there weren’t many services out there available and dedicated to the well being and personal development of the young women today.

I got started by first researching the businesses in the area in the borough in which I live, looking at the services in which they offer and provided etc., through this I noticed that none of them had the services in which I was looking to provided so I got on the task of securing the house in which I was going to start my business in. 

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date? My greatest accomplishment to date is the amazing business partner which I have joined forces with, she shares the same vision to empower change in women and compliments me in many ways being that there are things I am totally pants with that she is amazing and vice verse. There is a great balance and respect for the vision, which I feel is very important in any business partnership.

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

Biggest challenge by far is the reconstruction of the house. There is quite a bit of work that needs to be done on it so we have been very busy organising fundraisers etc in order to raise funds to get the house ready for the summer.

What are your future plans for the business?

Future plans will be to have at least 2 Skye Alexandra House in each borough than who knows world domination!

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

Gosh in all honest there is nothing I would do differently as i feel every hurdle and blockage in which I have come across since starting has all been to strengthen my faith, walk and journey in making sure this vision comes to light. Each of these things just causes you to take a time to stop breath and re-evaluate situations that may occur.

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

We are living in a world today where women are made to look like sexual beings. I am trying to break this mould by showing these women that there is more to being a woman than being a sexual fantasy to someone. I’m trying to show them that whatever you dream of doing you can go out there and achieve it. That there is no limitation, the only thing that is stopping you is yourself, this is something I took long to realise. I had the potential and the fire in me burning to go but I use to hold pity parties on my past. I’m trying to show young women that yes things happening in your life but do not allow it to define who you are as a person. Use it a seed to grow stronger as a person and fight harder.

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

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, a good heart and the passion to see positive change in others.

What or who inspires you in business and why?

Wow there is so many people who inspire me hard to pick just one. So I’m going to go with the person to date which is Steve Chalke he is the founder of the Oasis Trust he opened his first hostel for vulnerable women in Peckham, as this field that I am in it was inspiring to see how much he has achieved and the difference in which he has made in people’s lives all over the UK

What is your favourite inspirational quote? “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” –Michael Jordan





Contact Details

Email: s.spence@live.co.uk
Number: 07944 480 782
Twitter: skyealexandra86

2Inspire Business Profile: Tasneem Khilawala, Trousseau designer and supplier

Tasneem Khilawala designs and supplies Trousseaus for brides in India. Read her inspirational interview on how she converted her passion and talents into a profitable business.

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

Because my business has always focused on many different niche and personalities, my business day begins with research. While sticking to trends is not my style, it is still important for a creative business person to be aware of the on-going styles and trends. Next would be following up with my vendors, which is essential to ensure that all the projects process in an efficient manner. More so, if these follow ups are done in the start of the day, in case my clients call, I have substantial updates to give them. I need to keep a major portion of the day for my brainstorming. Designing trousseaus is an exclusive activity. My designs are beyond the trends. I can only do that because it is something I keep at all the time. I keep some time free to allow my mind to run wild. After all, that is where inspiration comes from. A clogged mind can never be inspired.

What made you start the business and how did you get started? I have always been creatively inclined. I am not from a very affluent family, but an extremely creative one. As such, I have been resourceful from a young age. Even after I started my own family, it was in my nature to design and make clothes for my daughters. I designed the interiors of my own house and created artefacts that would beautify it further. The compliments they all got made me feel more and more confident about my art. It started with designing clothes for family members. Then their contacts started contacting me and before I knew it, I had a market that was simply waiting for me to enter it. I have been blessed with ease on that front.

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date? My biggest accomplishment would be every beautiful bride I see walking down the aisle. You see, when they get complimented, when others envy their clothes, it is a compliment to me. Seeing those brides truly feel confident and beautiful, is my biggest accomplishment.

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far? A few years back the trousseau and bridal wear industry started getting flooded. Vendors from other towns started offering bridal wear at lower rates. This really affected my business. However, due to that, my business niche got even more exclusive. The cheaper vendors offered run in the mill products. Their designs were common. I always designed clothes and patterns custom for the bride, in accordance to her taste, personality, the scale of the wedding, the weather and season and the nature of the attendees. This is something no one else could do. Yes, for some time, I felt my business suffer. But eventually, things balanced out.

What are your future plans for the business?

So far my designing has been very Indian in nature. Though there are many varieties that one can have in Indian weddings, and that is the creative challenge that has kept me going. But I would now want to venture out in the global market. It would be nice to explore new psyches and put new thoughts into material and weave clothes out of it. I would also want to design homes and take it to a whole new level that hasn’t yet been explored.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? I wouldn’t change a thing!

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?  I speak from an Indian perspective when I say that young women need to stop focusing their dreams on those of the society and their family. Dreams come with challenges. It will not be easy and it will come with hurdles. But that is the fun of it. If you take it in your stride, accept it confidently and simply keep going, even others will catch on and start believing in your dream. When that happens, you need to know that success isn’t very far away!

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?  I would suggest that don’t try to give cheap clothes. Yes, be cost effective. But don’t break your market by being run in the mill. Keep your creativity and be honest in your work. That honesty shows through. Money follows suit.

What or who inspires you in business and why?  It would be easy for me to say that it is my family. But in all honesty, it is my personal desire to do something that drives me. With that said, having the support of my family and having my children look up to me for that is what inspires me to keep going even when I have lesser motivation from within.

What is your favourite inspirational quote? It isn’t a popular quote by a famous person, but just the motto of my life that I put into words myself.

“Life is all about setting and fulfilling personal challenges - On a daily basis”

Contact Details

Address: A-12/15, Kubera Park, Lullanagar, Pune-411040, India

Mobile no.: +919371022920

Email address: tasneem_raspnq@hotmail.com

Twitter: @tashneemk

The Creativity of Women celebrated at The 2Inspire Network Ladies Day

PRESS RELEASE

The Creativity of Women celebrated at The 2Inspire Network Ladies Day

The 2Inspire Ladies Day event took place on 9th March 2013 at the Crowne Plaza, Docklands.  Coinciding with International Women’s Day, "Celebrating the Creativity of Women" it was a free event that showcased budding and established female entrepreneurs; particularly those in the creative sector.

The 2Inspire Ladies Day offered a platform that promoted and celebrated the creative talent of women.  Some businesses owners had only just launched their products and services and felt that The Ladies Day was a superb entry to market. With poetry readings from Joanne Mills, LD Henriquez and Cezanne Poetess delegates were treated to some superb entertainment topped off with exclusive singing performances from Linda E and Nyarai. The 2Inspire Ladies Day was honoured to have Councillor Joy Laguda MBE as one of our guest speakers; encouraging women to take ownership of their goals and strive for the best in life.

The event included stands from organisations and education as well as a wide range of creative businesses and services selling everything from natural beauty products to cupcakes and fashion. There was also entertainment and workshops to meet the lifestyle, personal and business development needs of attendees. Workshop topics included health, education, personal development, business start-up, media and styling. Feedback of the event has been empowering and inspirational; many delegates staying for the entire programme and stall holders keen for the next event which will hopefully take place in September 2013.

The 2inspire network was launched in May of 2012, “Empowering individuals and helping them to realise their potential is something that I am passionate about. I believe that women should work together and support each other on their journeys, this belief is the foundation of the network, an organisation that provides forums and platforms that help to empower, promote and inspire women” says Founder Hazel Chawapiwa. Hazel has been nominated as “Role Model of The Year” at this year’s Women4Africa Awards.

The event also marked the official launch of the 2Inspire Network’s Academy; a personal development and life-skills programme for young people aged between 16-21.

For more information log onto www.2inspirenetwork.com

marketing@2inspirenetwork.com

@2inspireltd

#2inspireladiesday

Notes to Editor

Images available upon request

2Inspire Profile - Mothers Day Special: Net2Nana

In this profile we meet Belinda, the Founder of Net2Nana a fabulous online gift boutique speciailising in gifts for Grandmas and Mothers. Be inspired by Belinda's story just before Mother's Day and visit the site to treat the special woman in your life!

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

I love to login to my online store 1st thing and see what orders have come in through the night! A lot of my customers are expats and Armed services personnel who are ordering gifts for their mums & grandmas in the UK. Then, after getting my family off to school I focus on office admin. Like a lot of small businesses social media plays a large part in building my brand recognition but I try to stay disciplined and limit the amount of time I spend on twitter/FB during the day! After that it's checking/ordering stock, speaking to suppliers then a quick lunch before I start to gift wrap and prepare the orders ready for dispatch.


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

After school and college I became International Cabin Crew for 10 years then was lucky enough to have 12 years as a stay at home mum. When my youngest child started junior school and I did look to return to work it was clear that I'd struggle to find something that would suit me so I knew then I would have to create my own employment. I have a lively, vibrant Mum and Mum-in Law who both turned 80 at around this time and my busy, working nieces and nephews inadvertently alerted me to the fact that there wasn't a website out there dedicated to finding gifts just for older ladies. I designed my website with people like them in mind and my typical customer is a guy in his 30's who suddenly remembers it's his Godmother's 75th birthday and needs something gift wrapped and gorgeous sent out to her quickly!


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

The mere fact that as a woman in her late 40's who left school way before computers were introduced into the classroom, and, who has never worked with technology is running an internet business!


4/ What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?
Linked to the above - coping with the demands of learning so many new things whilst still bringing up children has been challenging but fun.


5/What are your future plans for the business?

To continue growing the business. At the moment I am really focusing on the SEO side of things, I actually really enjoy learning about this, it's just finding the time to put it into practice. I also want to give back in some ways and feel that many older people get quite a raw deal, feel isolated, past their usefulness and lonely. I enjoy supporting causes that help with these issues and I try to promote the thought that older people are still vibrant and can contribute so much to a fractured society.


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

Not much, but I would have realised that unless you have a huge budget to spend on promotion the best way to grow a business is organically. Word of mouth, recommendations, social media etc. are all great ways to spread the word, one just has to have patience (which sadly I don't!).


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

It must feel a very uncertain world to young women and it should be such an exciting time for them, never again will they have quite such energy and creativity. They deserve support and encouragement to give them the confidence to experiment with their dreams and ideas but many young women don't have the resources and role models to make this happen. Wise, kind older women can be great sounding boards for young dreams.


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

Find your niche and find out what your end customer really wants. I run fun focus groups where I gather together small groups of older ladies to give me feedback on gifts I'm looking to stock.


9/What or who inspires you in business and why?

Some of the older ladies I meet at these focus groups are incredibly inspiring! They have lived through so much - wars, persecution, personal struggles, women's lib, bereavement etc. I love hearing their stories and realising that once upon a time they were young women with hopes and dreams too.


10/What is your favourite inspirational quote?

I've got 2! I've always loved "This too will pass" - it gets me through good times and bad. But my favourite is about how you should treat others and it applies to both business and personal life, it is from the Dalai Lama and is "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them at least don't hurt them."



Belinda owner of http://www.net2nana.com - gorgeous gifts for mums &
grandmas
Contact info@net2nana.com
Twitter @net2nana
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/net2nana

Watch The 2 Inspire Network Video on YouTube

The 2Inspire Network Celebrates the Creativity of Women in 2013

2Inspire Network is proud to announce the return of its popular 2Inspire Ladies Day event taking place on 9th March 2013 at the Crowne Plaza, Docklands.  Coinciding with International Women’s Day, "Celebrating the Creativity of Women" is a free event that will showcase budding and established female entrepreneurs; particularly those in the creative sector. For an additional £5 delegates can attend all workshops hosted on the day.

The event will include stands from organisatons and education institutions such as Birkbeck University as well as a wide range of businesses. There will also be entertainment and a number of workshops to meet the lifestyle, personal and business development needs of attendees. Workshop topics will cover health, education, personal development, business start-up, media and styling.

The 2Inspire Ladies Day offers a platform that promotes and celebrates the creative talent of women.  It provides an arena that will empower and support women in creating a crystal clear vision for both the personal and professional aspects of their lives.

The 2inspire network was launched in May of 2012, “Empowering individuals and helping them to realise their potential is something that I am passionate about. I believe that women should work together and support each other on their journeys, this belief is the foundation of the network, an organisation that provides forums and platforms that help to empower, promote and inspire women” says Founder Hazel Chawapiwa.

The network held its inaugural Ladies Day event in August of 2012, which had an attendance of just over 200,  it was a great success and received fantastic feedback from attendees and the exhibitors who took part. Hazel adds “The aim is to make this 2^nd Ladies day an even bigger and better event, a real celebration of women. We believe all women are creative in their everyday lives as home makers, mothers, employees and entrepreneurs and we want to showcase and celebrate this on the day.”

The event will also mark the official launch of the 2Inspire Network’s Academy; a 4 week personal development and life-skills programme for young people aged between 16-21. The academy is a partnership with Youth & Community worker, Milisa Nugent. “We are forming the academy to help young people focus on what's important for them now and in the future, providing them with access to positive opportunities and role models. The aim is to enable them to make informed decisions, increase their skills and achieve personal targets to become confident active citizens within their communities. At this 2Inspire Ladies Day we aim to raise awareness, raise funds and kick-start our recruitment drive for the academy with the intention to commence the program in August 2013.”- Milisa Nugent.

For more information log onto www.2inspirenetwork.com

marketing@2inspirenetwork.com

@2inspireltd

#2inspireladiesday

Registration link: http://2inspireladiesdaypart2.eventbrite.com/#

Notes to Editor

The exhibition will have an estimated 500 delegates and up to 45 exhibitors, whose products range from fashion to beauty to artwork, making the event an ultimate one-stop shop for ladies seeking inspiration, shopping, pampering and entertainment all under one roof. There is a one-off payment charge of £5, which permits entry to all of the workshops being held on the day. A crèche facility will be available onsite, which will be run by Ofsted registered Child-minders at an additional cost. This free exhibition is an opportunity not to be missed. It’s the only one of its kind in London and will be held at the luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel is in the heart of London’s thriving Docklands area.