Women of Rubies, Author at Women of Rubies

In Inspiration December 28, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Lucy Quist, The First Ghanaian Woman To Head A Multinational Telecommunications Company In Ghana

Lucy Quist is the first Ghanaian woman to head a multinational telecommunications company as the former CEO of Airtel Ghana. She is a co-founder of the Executive Women Network.

Lucy served as the Vice President of FIFA’s normalization committee in Ghana.

She is a chartered electrical and electronic engineer with a first-class honours degree from the University of East London.

She is also a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK) and holds an MBA from INSEAD in France. She has decades of corporate experience with blue chip companies starting at Ford Motor Company, who has held senior leadership positions at Millicom, Vodafone and Airtel.

Her career spans manufacturing, telecommunications, banking and automative industries in Europe and Africa.

Lucy Quist is a passionate advocate who believes in harnessing STEM to advance development around the world by ensuring greater participation of young people.

She is currently a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and the author of the book, ‘The Bold New Normal: Creating The Africa Where Everyone Prospers.’

Her accolades includes – CIMG Marketing Woman of the year, Telecom CEO of the Year, CSR CEO of the year and the Corporate Leadership Award.

She is an accomplished international speaker and has been on platforms such as TEDxEUSTON, GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, INSEAD, Columbia Business School and McGill University.

In 2016 she was featured on the BBC’s Power Women series as one of the top business women driving transformational change in Africa.

Lucy is passionate about mentoring young people to realize their potential. She loves travelling with her family and reading books that explore different perspectives on life.

She was listed in the second publication of 100 Most Influential African Women in 2020 by Avance Media.

We celebrate this amazing amazon for daring to be different against all odds, and creating room for other women to thrive.

In Inspiration December 28, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Ashley Das Rosas Massingue, An Entrepreneur From Mozambique Making a Living Out of Cashew Nuts

We all love snacks like Ashley das Rosas Massingue , something we can munch on when we are watching our favourite TV show or we just need something healthy to munch on.

There is a demand for snacks, especially healthy nuts. This is one reason why Ashley das Rosas Massingue decided to start her cashew nuts business. Her business involves packing appetizing flavours into a range of snack cashew nuts which are winning over fans of these tasty treats.

Meet Ashley Das Rosas Massingue

Ashley Massingue is the owner and CEO of a family brand of appetizers, Shez Snacks, in Mozambique. She started her business in August 2020 to process and sell high quality nuts in different flavours. The company is the first in Mozambique using glass jar packaging for this kind of product.

With more than 5 years experience in Communication and Marketing, Ashley decided to embrace her passion for oilseed fruits mainly cashew nuts and start the business.

Ashley was inspired to start the business by a conversation she had with a friend about the term “rat race,” which means working to pay bills. she was sad to realize that her life was already in the rat race and her friend advised her to think of some extra business, something she liked a lot.

And then Ashley thought about food. “I’m not a cook and honestly I don’t like to cook, but I love to eat, especially snacks (of all kinds).

As a result, I came to the idea of selling chestnuts, but for that I needed to add value to the product and not do what all chestnut sellers do. I did a market study about what I needed on the products offered and I created, with the help of my relatives, the Shez Snacks brand of flavoured cashew nuts.” She said.

For Ashley, the entrepreneurial journey has been a challenge every day, mainly because the Shez Snacks product is a gourmet product and consequently is expensive in relation to what is found on the market. However, at the beginning of this journey she already expected this, and that’s why she segmented the business’ target group, being focused on mainly the middle – high class market segment.

The beginning

Four years ago, Ashley co-founded a marketing and billboard rental consulting agency (Lash Agency, Lda – Mozambique), through which she learned and improved her skills in negotiation, market studies, market variations, production of media material, brand activations, etc.

The business provided services to several companies and organizations of national and international reputation. Unfortunately, at the end of the 3rd year she had to close down due to a disagreement with her former partner.

Ashley describes her greatest satisfaction as the acceptance and feedback of the product by consumers and the loyalty of partners who resell her products.

Ashley’s advice to women who would like to undertake their own entrepreneurial journey is “Don’t allow yourselves to continue in the ‘rat race’. Start doing something you like. Start today, start now”

In Career Gems December 28, 2022 By Women of Rubies

This 24-Year-Old Makes $750K Teaching Women How To Make Money On Instagram

Karrie Brady is a 24-year-old business coach and sales expert. Her income is currently bringing in $750K annually.

Karrie teaches women how to become coaches, educators, within their respective fields. She shows them how to turn their expertise into something that can help others and as well build their income, too.

She believes the opportunities for this is limitless.

After leaving school for biomedical engineering, she had returned home to take care of her father following an accident. Needing a way to make money in a flexible way, she began her business as a fitness and health coach at just 19-years-old. Her selling power became popular, and soon influencers were hiring her to sell their own products.

Today, Karrie Brady’s own clients use her expertise through one of the following:

One-on-one coaching
A mastermind group
A course for small audiences
A course for building authority
A forthcoming course on pivoting to online education.

Brady wants all women to know they have the power and potential to monetize their skillsets in a similar way.

“There are probably 40 different ways that people can get into online education. There’s coaching, they can create courses or memberships, e-books are so common, too,” she explains. “There are so many opportunities. A gardener could be an educator. You could create a course or book called ‘How To Take Care Of The 10 Most Popular Houseplants.’”

To date, some of Brady’s biggest successes include one woman who, in her first year of coaching, grossed $220K and saved $120K of it. Another was a photographer who transitioned to coaching and earned an additional $75K in her first year.

However, it’s not just about learning how to package your knowledge into a course, book, or coaching program. It’s first about learning how to position, market and brand yourself to draw in potential clients in the first place.

“I think what people need to realize is that in today’s day-in-age, they want to buy from someone they are connected to. They want to be able to stand behind the brand,” Brady shares. “When you’re positing yourself as an authority and building up a social media presence, you are humanizing your business. It allows people to feel more invested in you and it allows people to stand behind your brand in more ways than just the product.”

“There are three people you’re selling to,” Brady explains. “The person who doesn’t even know that their problem exists; the person who knows the problem but not the solution; and the person who knows the problem and the solution. The last one is who you are positing the offer to.” .

Brady explains that the biggest obstacle she sees women facing is the dreaded imposter syndrome. It’s an issue, she says, that requires a lot of work to overcome. “People feel like they are not enough, they are not ready. If you’re ‘ready,’ you’ve waited too long. There’s so much power that you have. You only need to be two steps ahead of someone to effectively coach them.”

“Any skillset can be turned into education,” Brady says.

“There are billions of people in the world, and I can think out of the top off my head there are probably 10 people in their current audience that would love to learn from you.”

She helps her clients with from the “magic formula” to writing an Instagram bio, which photos are more appealing (she argues that straight-on is most inviting, second best is when your head is turned toward the follow button, as sort of a subliminal nod). She also coaches on making SEO-optimized content, to doing your captions the correct way, or how to nail the exact verbiage that would appeal to a potential client.

How To Survive While Unemployed

In Career Gems December 23, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Woman Donates Kidney To Ex-husband For The Sake Of Their Children

Successful operation

Dan and Kelly have two daughters, Jeanie (11) and Billie (16), and Kelly said that she was willing to donate one of her kidneys for their sake.

“Even though we weren’t together anymore, I wasn’t prepared to let my children be without a father,” she told reporter Dawn Collinson of The Mirror

The hospital had been searching for a kidney for Dan for 12 months, and hadn’t found a compatible donor. Kelly, however, after undergoing the necessary tests, showed some hope of being a successful donor, even though their blood types were incompatible.

In 2018, Dan and Kelly underwent their respective operations. The surgery was a success, and both are currently in good health.

Keeping the family united

Kelly explains, “We might not be married now, but we’re still very much a family and I had to make that sacrifice to keep our family together.”

Kelly and Dan had been friends since they were 11 years old; they started dating at the age of 18, and married at 31. Despite their breakup, they’re still friends today.

Kelly had been aware of Dan’s medical situation for a long time because shortly after they were married he was diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease. The doctors warned at that point that within 10 years he was going to need a transplant to save his life.

A family Christmas trip

Over the years, Dan and Kelly drifted apart due to a variety of factors, including work schedules and personal priorities, and the situation at home became unhealthy for all of them, including the children, which led the couple to think that the best thing was to separate.

The kidney transplant has strengthened their bond. They also continue to believe that the most important thing for them is the happiness and stability of their daughters. In that light, they celebrated the success of Dan’s transplant by taking a family vacation with their daughters to Paris for Christmas. “Everyone says to us, ‘Surely you’ll get back together now?’ But it’s brought us closer in a different way,” Kelly says.

Whether or not they get back together, Kelly has given abundantly clear signs of her love for Dan. He says: “It was truly a selfless act; to put your own life on the line to save someone else is amazing. Kelly will always be my hero.”

Credit: aleteia.org

I’m leaving my marriage because my husband rapes me

Victoria Beckham reveals secret to her 20-year-old marriage to husband, David Beckham

In Interviews&profile December 6, 2022 By Women of Rubies

The Intentional Queen, Udunma Nnenna Ikoro Shares Behind-the-Scene Stories of How She’s Building an Empire with Her Content Writing Skills

Udunma Nnenna Ikoro is the Lead Creative Director at Communique ResourceHub, a multiple Amazon Bestselling Author, trainer, and speaker. The graduate of Linguistics and Communication Studies, is also a professional communication, Educational, and Book Project Consultant, Lead Editor, and Content Strategist.

She has a rich teaching experience of 14 years and runs an online English Academy as an English language teacher. Udunma Nnenna Ikoro is an advocate of Education, Youth Empowerment, Innovation in Reading Culture, Women, Cancer Awareness and screening, Volunteering, and a Sustainable Environment.

She is the convener of the TIWA SUMMIT, The Intentional Women Africa Conference and Masterpiece Writers Summit, first held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She helps writers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and authors birth profitable books and become internationally published authors, especially on Amazon.

She has consulted and published books for many professionals in different sectors. The Multiple Amazon Bestselling and Publisher, who has authored twelve books shares her inspiring journey with Esther Ijewere in this interview.

Childhood Influence of Udunma Nnenna Ikoro

My childhood was a discovery and an indirect preparatory ground for what I do today. As a little girl, I became a children’s choir mistress, wrote songs and poems though never published, then moved to writing stories. I had so many thoughts and insights above my age as a child, and my writing skill was discovered early.

In Primary two, I taught my fellow mates and held after-school tutorials for others which continued in Primary five where I oversaw primary four class in the absence of their teacher and even made notes and marked class work of the pupils in the public school I attended.

Growing up in the city of Aba, Abia State was interesting as I was surrounded by my lieutenants and loved by all as the only daughter. I had the best my parents could provide although our environment did not have many social facilities, we would spend time together with our parents. My Christian foundation coupled with great values and exposure to serving God in truth and sound education made me who I am today.

Inspiration Behind Tiwa Summit and Communique Resourcehub

As an intentional woman, I discovered that many women were living other people’s dreams and living in pain, and regrets and stuck in life and their careers without fulfillment. It was obvious that many challenges and dissatisfaction were linked to no self-discovery, low self-esteem, fears, undiscovered life’s purpose, stereotypes, self-sabotage and more which I explained with their solutions intensely in my book, The Intentional Woman.

Hence, The Intentional Women Africa was birthed to help women appreciate their beauty, strength, find their purpose and enhance their potential then manifest their greatness. I held FREE three days of training, summits, and conferences to help drive home the message of intentional living as a means of manifesting a woman’s greatness.

Communique ResourceHub is my business brand and a communication and publishing consulting company. I was inspired by the fact that I know too much to remain where I was before I stepped forward into social entrepreneurship.

My desire to help people communicate their ideas, stories, knowledge, and experience effectively and error-free, using digital technology on global and local platforms while making an impact, profit and building a legacy inspired me to go into editing, book writing and publishing consultation.

The need to help writers and aspiring authors self-publish their books as I did with Amazon without some traditional publisher’s drama inspired me to start what I do at Communique ResourceHub.

The Journey So Far

It has been awesome though quite challenging and rough. I did not let the challenges break me but brush myself up to play harder and smarter. If you would like to get people to believe in what you do, you should really merit the attention and trust they will deposit in what you do. The hitches opened my eyes to greater opportunities for capacity building, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Challenges

Honestly, these challenges are peculiar to our environment aside from a few.

When I started and till now, people still struggle to believe I can deliver an excellent and standard job because they feel my brand is young, unknown and being resident in Africa. But my results over the years and consistency in creating content that boosted my credibility and visibility helped to reduce that and I have worked with majorly clients outside Nigeria so far, especially in Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany, Belgium, and New Zealand to mention but a few.

The issue of poor electricity supply cannot be overemphasized. It affects our productivity rate and skyrockets our products and services costs too. It affects my work in terms of the overhead cost, pricing, and turnaround time for a job. The cost of marketing to generate fresh leads and prospects is another challenge. Acquiring new upgraded gadgets and maintaining old ones.

How My Work Has Inspired Women Around Me

Many women who have encountered my intentional living message and lifestyle have been inspired to take their lives in their hands and turn it into a legacy. Many have gone ahead to start thriving businesses, build confidence to show up and be heard, and build others in their world.

I preach the message of shining brightly and illuminating others while helping them to shine their lights too because there is greatness in every person on earth.

Today, many call me The Intentional Queen because my life depicts everything about intentionality, results and manifesting your greatness no matter what the story used to be because YOU OWE YOURSELF YOUR GREATNESS. The world will only come around when you make, as they say, “success has many friends.”

Highlights of My Career as an English Language Teacher

I started teaching English Language in 2003, so, it is 19 years now. Being an English Language teacher is a privilege and a golden opportunity for me as a person.

The highlights include;

Being a part of students’ journey of becoming good in English Language.
As a teacher, I remain an English Language student to keep abreast with innovations.
I’ve had the privilege to teach students to attain success in their external and international examinations, especially IELTS.
Continuous learning while teaching others the language.
Raising leaders through other provided opportunities as a social mistress, class teacher, club coordinator, Press and Drama Club, etc.
Transitioning to an Online English Learning Academy tutor and global English language tutor.

Other Projects and Activities

As a multitalented and intentional woman with aspirations, I am usually keen to give life and manifest other parts of me that are the colors of my personality.

Some of my projects include my humanitarian and professional projects at Masterpiece Entrepreneurs and Writers Academy (MEWA). We hold writing competitions, free webinars, and content sharing in our community to help entrepreneurs, and assist writers in enhancing their writing skills to build and publish their digital products.

At The Intentional Women Africa, we hold training, summits, and conferences, and we focus on these projects; Education, Health, STEM and Skills acquisitions especially for underprivileged, unprivileged, living with disabilities women and girl children. We also hold mentoring sessions for secondary children on self-discovery and intentional living then, girl children on menstrual health.

I am also opportune to volunteer for other organizations like Revamp Africa as State Coordinator supporting teaching and mentoring of children in the public schools, UN, and YALI, to mention but a few.

On 17^th December 2022, we will be celebrating our 2^nd Anniversary and conducting a Cervical and Breast Cancers Screening for two hundred women with FREE treatment featuring business, health, Tech and life-seasoned speakers in Lagos, Nigeria.

Being An Amazon Bestselling Author

Becoming an Amazon bestselling author was not an easy journey, but I did it afraid even as a first-time author, in 2017 with my book, Phenomenal Parenting. I got helpful training and knowledge through paid and self-taught courses and research.

I intentionally replicated the same result with my second book which was an answer to questions from my audience on how I achieved bestselling book status. It worked even better. Ever since 2018, I have published many authors and their books hit Amazon bestselling books driving sales. Besides, my twelve books on Amazon are all bestselling books.

What Udunma Nnenna Ikoro Enjoys Most About Her Job

This is an interesting question and one I love to answer at every interview. There are many things I enjoy about my job but what I enjoy most is the fulfillment of serving my world with my expertise, experience, skills and knowledge from the comfort of my home, making an impact, profit and building a legacy as a writer while helping others great the life they enjoy too.

Three Women Who Inspire You and Why

My mum is my top inspiration any day. She is a good example of a Proverbs 31 woman. She is the true Intentional Woman, industrious and kind. Amongst all she taught me, I learnt patience from my mum while the Holy Spirit helped me to become a truly patient person.

To Those Trying to Learn Content Monetization

Writing is an expressive medium of communication. To make your writing craft profitable, your writing must be valuable to your audience. Profits go after values.

Profitable writing solves problems, answers questions, and transforms the reader.

Only a person of value can give value. Improve daily on your craft, write, and have a likable personality from your sharable content. Your content is relatable when it is experiential content. Be visible. Be intentional. Be consistent.

How to Support Women in the Creative and Writing Sector

Women in the creative and writing sector need support in the areas of promotion of their skills and work. If their work could be pushed to the right audience globally and locally, it is a way of appreciation and encouragement.

There is a need for valuable mentorship because it is a huge advantage to the woman who is trying to find her feet in the creative and writing sector.

Funding, purchases, and referral are invaluable support every woman and human being needs to grow and excel in their work.

Being a Woman of Rubies

I am a Woman of Rubies because I am a woman making an impact in the lives of many women all around the world. I have integrity and excellence as my personal and brand values. Daily I do my best to live by them in my relationship with people. I am a gift and unrepentant giver who gives and keeps giving to lift, help and support other people and humanity. I love lavishly and believe in helping others manifest their greatness.

How to Get My Books:

Available at Worital Bookplaze, Roving Heights and other books across Nigeria, Bambooks, Okadabooks, Apples Book and Amazon.

Phone number: 09098028001

How to Reach Udunma Nnenna Ikoro on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnenna-udunma-ikoro-10ab2848

Facebook: www.facebook.com/uikoro

Twitter: twitter.com/ikoroudunma

Instagram: instagram.com/udunmaikoro

Instagram: www.instagram.com/communique.resourcehub

communiquehub@gmail.com

My forthcoming cancer screening charity project:

The Intentional Women Africa’s 2nd Anniversary Conference and Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Campaign.

Date: 17th December, 2022.

Venue: 1-7

Time: 8am

Screening fee: N7000

Registration link: bit.ly/TIWA2CBCS

Further enquiries : tiwacommunity@gmail.com 09098028001

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In Interviews&profile December 1, 2022 By Women of Rubies

#RubyGils| Lack Of Funds Is One Of The Challenges Faced By NGOs-Uzezi Ernest

Uzezi Ernest is an Sustainable Development Goals advocate and Fashion Designer with more than five years of social work experience that includes working as a program coordinator, team lead, sponsorship coordinator with NGOs, volunteering in youth advocacy, child welfare, event planning and management for organizations and non-profits.

Currently working as the program coordinator for Street to School Initiative, an NGO with over seven years of experience supporting the educational programs of underprivileged children in Nigeria. She is the CEO of Glorious Apparel Fashion, a bespoke clothing line for women and girls.

Apart from being a fashion designer, Uzezi is committed to educating young people—including young girls—about gender issues, building their capacity, personal development and helping them understand their purpose. She does this by leading sensitization programs in schools and mentoring the young people within her sphere of influence. So far, she has reached out to over 1,000 young people. Uzezi is determined to build uncommon competencies and constantly seeks opportunities to collaborate with great minds.

She shares her Ruby Girl story with the team

Did your childhood prepare you in any way for what you do now? Tell us more about your growing up

My childhood was quite an interesting one. Growing up, I have always been concerned about people and also been volunteering for several positions. As the Assembly Prefect in Primary and Secondary school before I became the Senior Prefect in SSS 3. I have also been fashion conscious since I was a child. When I was about seven years of age, I took one of the window curtains in the house, and redesigned it in my own way to wrap my body, that was fashion to me. More, so I was a very shy person when growing up, I found it difficult to fully express myself in public, however, I overcame that when I began to intentionally face crowds to preach the gospel, deliver seminars to undergraduate and secondary school students.

What inspired you to join advocacy

My advocacy journey officially began as an undergraduate in 100 level. My elder brother has an NGO that advocates for children and vulnerable population so I assisted in outreaches, attended seminars, conferences all about advocacy. My interest began to stir up as I participated in all through my undergraduate days. Going forward, after graduating from the university, I designed a personal development project that advocate for the needs of 466 vulnerable children.

How has the journey been since you started working as a program coordinator for Street to School Initiative?

The journey has been an interesting one, learning, unlearning and relearning.

You’ve been at the forefront of helping NGOs on their program, what are the things you learnt and would you say you have grown?

So far, I have more understanding in advocacy, delegation and team work. And yes, I have grown.

What are some challenges you experience as a social worker?

Some of the challenges I experienced as a social worker is the naive nature of some of the families we work with and also most of the times, there are limited or no funds to implement well-meaning community development projects.

As a youth advocate, what would you want the government to put in place in ensuring our youths are towing the right path?

The government needs to invest into youths that desire to go into entrepreneurship but are limited by guidance and funding. They should organize trainings on entrepreneurship and life coping skills, as well as make available internship opportunities.

If there is one thing you could do to make the world a better place for the next generation of youths and children, what would that be?

I would do all I can to be the best by showing love and offering help ways I can, to all the people and in all the places I can. I would make sure there are employment opportunities for the masses and would also engage young people to venture into creating businesses.

Any final word for young women who aspire to be where you are right now but lacks the opportunity and support?

Search carefully and mingle with such people you aspire to be like. Learn from them, ask questions for clarity. In no time, you’ll begin to attract the support and opportunities you desire.

Mention three women that inspire you and why

My mum, Mrs. Onome Ernest– she is so supportive of my dreams, kind hearted and very humble.
Mrs Oluwatosin Olowoyeye-Taiwo (Founder, Street to School Initiative) – She has a large heart and is full of so much love to impact humanity for good. Kari Jobe – Gospel Musician – She sings with so much authority and power, her songs bless my soul deeply.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

In the next five years, I see myself doing more in empowering young people, bringing them into a place of purpose by God’s grace.

If you were given the opportunity to address a group of young girls just setting out in their career, what will be your advice to them?

My advice to them would be to remain focused, keep learning by serving and standing on the shoulders of giants. More so, never to worry about anything but keep doing the right things!

‘It Is Difficult To Access Funding If You Are Not A Big Name In The NGO Sector’- Aiyekusehin Monisola

In Career Gems November 25, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Fitness Instructor, Keisha Green, Shares Her Survivor Story

Keisha Green, amazing entrepreneur and mum of three has shared her amazing story of how she managed to get her life back together after an horrific accident in 2013.

The life Strategist and Coach narrated how her world changed drastically when on the 23rd of August 2013, her right leg was dismembered in order to release her from the vehicle in which she had an accident, and her left leg was severed instantly from impact by the guardrail at the point of the accident.

Keisha gave immense credit to Steve Harvey who she said helped her raise funds and introduced her to the man who made her artificial legs.

The motivational speaker shared her story on Youcanfind.com and it is every bit of inspiring.

Read excerpts below.

A little bit about Keisha Green

If there is one consistency in my life, it is that there has been a solid foundation of tenacity, perseverance, and excellence. These qualities have set me apart and created a dynamic force to be reckoned with and catapulted into my life’s passion as an entrepreneur and sought after motivational speaker, Life Strategist/Life Coach and author.

I’m from Syracuse, New York. I am the fourth born of five children. At the tender age of nine, I began to assist my mother, who was a single mom, in the care of my siblings, while my mother worked to provide for the family.

On the accident that changed Keisha Green’s life forever

Then in the blink of an eye…. on August 23, 2013 I was involved in a car accident that would change my world forever. It is only by the grace and mercy of God that I, the mother of three, strident college student, successful business woman, and entrepreneur made it out alive. The accident was so horrific, that the dreaded “Jaws of Life” was used to free me from the vehicle.

My right leg was dismembered in order to release me from the vehicle, and my left leg was severed instantly from impact by the guardrail at the scene of the accident. The doctor’s said that I would be hospitalized for at least one year. Miraculously through prayers and faith from my children, family and friends, I emerged from the hospital in three weeks of the accident and left the hospital.

That’s Right! My world had changed but my passion and purpose and earthly assignment had taken on its predestined form. I understood, not only did He Chose Me, but I would Inspire others by Empowering thru Hope.

On finding a head way after the accident

I continued running my business while preparing to walk again and is now using what most thought was a tragedy as a triumph of the power of the spirit! I discovered my true purpose and calling while embarking upon a spiritual journey through the unexpected turns of life that led to the light of new beginnings and new chapters.

I discovered that my true purpose and calling is to inspire, empower, enlighten and enrich the minds, lives and spirit of others. This has led to the launching of my inspirational and life strategy speaking series titled “Ticket To Transformation,” which led to my ground-breaking one-on-one intense life coaching sessions. I’ve had an intense adventure to life expansion and mental, spiritual and financial growth.

On her career after the accident

When I am not traveling globally as a key-note or motivational speaker, I am volunteering my time and services to my church, schools, nonprofits, and community organizations. I am a creative writer, engaging speaker, insightful presenter and skilled life strategist.

I reside in Atlanta, Georgia where my three sons serve as inspiration for a life well lived. My story is still being written and the best is yet to come. I Am Keisha Green!

Culled from fabwoman.ng

In self development November 21, 2022 By Women of Rubies

Chisom Winifred: Want To Be An Excellent Blogger? These Tips Are Here For You

Would you like to start a successful blogging career? Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

When most people start blogging, they get excited, announce it on their Instagram pages, add ‘blogger’ to their bios, and then – almost predictably – after a while, their creativity and consistency fade away, and drop drastically.

What has helped me stay consistent over the years, as a blogger, is that I consider blogging as a part of my legacy. My content, words, and ideas are forever on the web and anyone who searches my name would get a feel of the gift God gave me.

If you are about to start blogging or if you’re already a blogger, here are some tips that have helped me to creatively solve the problems I’ve faced:

Deal with your bias

We’re all biased in one way or the other. When it comes to subjects and issues, we always have our opinions based on our experience or on what we think is right, and most times, we are wrong about those opinions. Dealing with your bias when it comes to issues and topics you blog about helps you present your articles in a clear, wholesome way, devoid of personal judgment. Deal with your bias by doing adequate research before you write, present all your thoughts in your articles and give different perspectives on the matter. It shows your readers you are not a narrow-minded person and they are able to draw their own conclusions without you forcing your own opinions on them.

Also, learn to think clearly before writing. Analyze and understand ideas and arguments before expressing them. Thinking clearly makes you bold enough to write with assertion. It also helps you question if what you are writing is the truth or if it’s influenced by your biases.

Always research your blogging niche

Read a lot, listen to people, watch movies, and open your mind to learn from different sources. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Doing adequate research on topics you choose to write about arms you with the knowledge you need to pen down a good piece.

Get an editor

Getting an editor is very important. Imagine a pencil without an eraser. An editor not only serves to grammatically correct your work but also plays the role of a gatekeeper before your work is shared with the public. Having an unbiased mind go through your articles and give you honest and constructive criticism makes you a better writer and that way, you churn out awesome essays every time you write. A common problem most beginners face is the inability to afford an editor at the early stages of their careers, mostly because of financial constraints. What you can do is think of the other skills you have that the editor can benefit from and offer that in place of money. Since you can write, suggest ghostwriting for your editor in exchange for him/her editing your blog posts.

Planning

Always plan ahead. Create a monthly/quarterly content calendar for your blog. It helps you stay consistent and gives you plenty of time to research your topics before you write about them.

Read

Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

Tell your story

It’s advisable to always put an element of yourself in your stories. Tell your story in a way that only you can. Don’t fall under the pressure of trying to sound like someone else because you think that person is gaining more traction. You can never be excellent at copying someone, so learn to be the best version of yourself.

Be ready to deal with writer’s block

Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Most times, it is your brain trying to tell you that it’s time for a break. Whenever I deal with blocks, I try to relax. Breathe and think about why you are unable to write at that point. You can also write about the block, and what you’re feeling, and share it. That is solid content on its own. If you have a block about a certain area you are trying to write on, try writing about something that is entirely new to you.

Get an accountability partner

What happens when you don’t publish a post as you promised yourself you would? Nothing? Too bad. That is the beginning of the end of your blog. You need someone to keep you accountable. You can get your parents to help by sharing your dream with them, they’ll keep you on your toes.

Blogging is not as easy as most people think, it can be draining and often discouraging when it doesn’t pay the returns you’d like immediately. See blogging as an extension of yourself, a hobby you enjoy doing, and would continue to do even when you have zero readers. Think about it as your legacy, this would keep you going when no one is clapping for you.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Happy blogging!

Take a look at other related interviews we’ve had in the past:

In self development November 6, 2023 By Women of Rubies

11 Tips For Choosing The Right Friends

Choosing the right friends in life is very important. Do you know that you can accurately predict where you’ll be five years from now? You can easily know where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, and what your income level will be. If you want to know how, the answer is simple: by the company you keep. The people you associate with have a major impact and influence on your personal success. You can tell where most people are going to end up in life simply based on who they hang around.

It is likely that your income level is in the same range as that of your closest friends. You talk about the same topics and you usually hang out at the same places. In many cases, you may discover that you’re reading the same books… or none of you are reading at all.

Although your five closest friends are your best buds, you have to evaluate your relationships when you are ready to make a change for the better. Relationships are like elevators; they are either bringing you up or taking you down. Every connection isn’t meant for the long haul… sometimes we find ourselves holding on toxic relationships that expired years earlier. 8This is why it is so important to make the right relationship choices. For your long-term success, you simply must choose the right friends.

Here are some secrets to choosing the right friends;

1. Associate higher. If you are focused on taking your life/career/business to the next level, then why not associate with people on that next level? Doing this will help expand your mind to greater possibilities. It is natural to feel most comfortable with people who are like you, and that’s OK. However, now and then it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone and spend time with friends who can expose you to greater things, new information and a higher level of living. If you value these friendships, you will soon find yourself advancing too.

2. Choose friends with similar values. While diversity is great in many ways, when it comes to your general values and beliefs, it’s best to keep core friendships with like-minded people. While you can respect others’ opinions and differences, choosing friends that hold similar values to yours will keep you from compromising or being negatively influenced by those that don’t uphold your values and the standards that you govern your life by. When friends have similar values, they can help keep each other accountable.

3. Choose friends with common goals. I like to call these your purpose partners. When you have friends with common goals, particularly as an entrepreneur, you can push each other. You can work on your goals together and encourage each other in reaching them.

4. Choose friends who can bring balance in areas where you are weaker. We all have our strengths and weaknesses — you know what yours are. With the right friends, you can tap into the talents, skills and abilities of those that have expertise in areas that you don’t. Maybe you aren’t the best at keeping your closet organized, but you have a friend that loves organizing — enlist her help! You might be a great writer and can offer assistance to a friend that is updating her resume. When you utilize each other’s strengths, everyone wins.

5. Choose friends that stretch, motivate and encourage you. These types of friends are also great purpose partners. No one wants a friend that is negative or down all the time. It’s usually the people that are uplifting and positive that we naturally want to be around. Which category do your friends fall into? What do your conversations with them sound like? The best types of friends will be there to offer a listening ear and help you put a positive spin on any situation.

6. Choose friends that share the same interests. Friends with similar interests simply make life more fun. You can enjoy outings and activities together. Whether it’s sports, music, performing arts or food, when you share interests, you can get out and do things together. You have someone to visit new places and enjoy new experiences with.

7. Choose friends that have a thirst for knowledge. Life is about learning, growing and advancing. With friends like this, you can learn from each other. It’s always great to have a friend who can recommend a good book or share information with you to help you on your path. Friends who are avid readers are usually great conversationalists and fun to talk to as well.

8. Choose friends who you can be purpose partners with. By now, you have noticed that this term keeps coming up. To further expand on it, a purpose partner is someone who you can share your goals and dreams with, and they will encourage you toward achieving them. When you tell your purpose partners what you intend to do, they can help you stay accountable to following through. Allow them to check in on you and ask you about your progress — and do the same for them.

9. Choose friends who will celebrate your success. You want friends that celebrate you, not just tolerate you. A true friend will celebrate every milestone, accomplishment and success story on your journey. They will be genuinely happy to see you succeed and be the first to say “congratulations!” Friends like this can be rare so when you find them, keep them close!

Read Also: 10 Simple Tips To Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle

10. Choose friends who are “get-it” people. Get-it people are serious about their goals and serious about success. They don’t treat life casually or waste time on frivolous pursuits. They take fast action and get things done. If you consider yourself a get-it person, it’s important that you have friends who operate the same way.

11. Give what you expect to get. Every friendship is a give-and-take. If you expect great friends, you first have to be one yourself. If you live by the Golden Rule of treating others as you would want to be treated, then you won’t be disappointed — you will find your friendships fulfilling and rewarding.

Choosing the right friends is very important for your mental and emotional wellbeing. Take some time to evaluate your relationships. Do your friends meet the criteria above? Can you call any of them your purpose partners? If so, then great! If not, then it’s probably time to branch out and start establishing some new relationships. With the secrets above, you can boost the quality of your relationships and your long-term success.

Let us know how you will be choosing the right friends in the comment.

credits: Huffington Post

Stacia Pierce :www.twitter.com/StaciaPierce

In Inspiration October 27, 2022 By Women of Rubies

‘We Need To Stop Judging Women Who Leave Abusive Relationships’- Oluwatoyin Fadairo

There is no force greater than a woman determined to live a fulfilled life, and make a difference while at it. Oluwatoyin Fadairo is a goal-oriented woman full of passion. for humanity and affinity for change. TSD, as she is fondly called by friends, is a successful entrepreneur that also doubles as a philanthropist whose focus is on vulnerable women and children in the society.

With her creativity and innovative ideas, she has been able to create a niche for herself on social media, and this has landed her a number of ambassadorial and brand promotion roles with reputable brands and businesses across the world.

Oluwatoyin Fadairo is the Director of Operations for TSDXclusive, the home of quality bespoke footwear for men, and shoes for women and children. Oluwatoyin has successfully created a platform for children and women experiencing any form of abuse or human right violation, to seek and get necessary help and intervention.

Being a philanthropist, TSD is the founder of The Unbroken Women Initiative (TUWI), a non-profit organization that caters for women and children with psychological, emotional, and financial needs.

Oluwatoyin Fadairo shares her inspiring story with Women of Rubies.

Childhood Influence

Growing up was fun. I grew up in a relatively comfortable family, as my parents tried their utmost best to provide us with the necessities of life and my siblings and I attended some the best schools around. However, we were taught not to close our eyes to the needs of the people around us, as there are rewards for givers.

In our neighborhood, we had folks who were struggling to cater for their kids, my parents especially my mum always assisted in her own little way and I learnt this from her. I made up my mind at the early stage to ensure I am always there for people, in my own little way.

Inspiration Behind The Unbroken Welfare Initiative

The empathy for women who suffered all kinds of abuses in marriages. The trauma some of them experienced when they lost their spouse, seeing children, who ought to be in school doing menial jobs at the earliest stage of their lives, etc, motivated me to start The Unbroken Welfare initiative (TUWI).

The Journey So Far

Frankly speaking, it has been very challenging. This type of vision requires a lot of resources – human, financial and a host of others to sustain it and make desired impact in the lives of the target population.
A lot of financial resources are required to meet up with the ever mounting financial requests.

You will be amazed to see the number of requests that get to our table on daily basis, like financial assistance to sort medical bills, school fees, accommodations, etc. Many people believe, for you to set up this kind of NGO, the finances are there and you must be able to respond to all, immediately these requests are presented.

They are ignorant of the fact that the organisation runs on the little gains from personal businesses and goodwill of friends and family that key into TUWI’s vision.

Another major challenge we face is that people are skeptical of sharing their burdens with us. Many are reluctant to share their experiences due to societal discriminations, as well as pressure to keep quiet, especially those in abusive marriages/relationships.

Also, for every platform, there are people, who are not genuinely in need but cook up stories, to the extent of ‘cooking up’ fake medical reports in a bid to get funds from us. We also need volunteers, especially professionals, to assist in attending to diverse issues.

How My Work Inspire Other Women

I have seen a lot of women coming out to express themselves freely about challenges they are going through. People have walked up to me, to speak of their desire to touch lives in their communities, because they appreciate what we are doing. This gives us at TUWI, a lot of joy and push to do more.

Other Projects and Activities

I started my business years ago (sales of interior décor). I am now also into sales of fashion items mostly shoes and many others….brand influencing, social media adverts and campaigns for brands/businesses and brand ambassadorship (I am presently the face of two brands).

What I Enjoy Most About My Job

Getting to meet new people, helping small businesses grow as I also supply items in wholesales…I have a number of people who get items from me through what we call the dropshipping system, this makes it possible for people to start and run businesses without having to worry about capital
The most satisfying aspect of my job is the running of TUWI, knowing that at least I get to touch lives positively in my own little way

3 women who inspire me and why

My mum, Chimamanda Adichie and Olamide Ogidan Odeseye(Larmmy)

To People Who Judge Women Who Walk Out Of Abusive Relationships

Stop pushing people down the death valley. Life has no recovery key and we cannot continue to encourage people to keep enduring torments. If we only put ourselves in other people’s shoes, we will be less judgmental.
Then we need to let people especially this new generation know marriage is not a do or die affair, its supposed to be a journey between partners not a war zone.

How To support women in abusive relationships

As a society, we need to stop stigmatizing single people and single parents. This has prevented many from walking away from unproductive and abusive relationship.

We need to encourage women in abusive relationship to speak up and also provide them with therapy to enable them heal, as abusive relationship leaves people with a huge scar and takes so many things away – joy, self-esteem, vision and so many other things.

What Makes Me a Woman of Rubies

In the adventure of life, I have been through a lot of fire and storms. I have not given the fire the power to burn me nor subjected myself to be blown away by the storm. Rather, I have allowed the experiences to shape me into a woman of dignity, industry, influence, vision and respect.

No matter the challenges or the obstacles that come my way, I have chosen to live through them and to be inspired by them.

Watch: How To Stop Being A People Pleaser

My life is a proof that God exists, I am evidence that He is indeed faithful and so gracious. There are days I feel like my life is not all together, other days, I feel like wonder woman but I have learnt to be in charge, in both situations. Rubies are beautiful, they are formed under severe heat and pressure.

The heat of life refines me, the pressure of life strengthens me.

If I Could Speak To A Young Person Who Is On The Verge Of Giving Up

Quitters never win. No situation is common to a man and no challenge has ever come to stay, as long as one does not surrender to it. Never stop dreaming. Everyone being celebrated today, would tell you they were at the point of given up, at some time but they turned things around by realizing that, giving up would not result in change of fortune, they re-assessed where they were, where they ought to be, understand what was needed to move from where they were to be where they ought to be, resolved to give it all their all, connected with people who can lift up their spirits and assist them in their life journey.

Life is full of ups and downs but never give up.

You can follow Oluwatoyin Fadairo On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to know more about her work.

Women of Rubies

Meet Ashley Das Rosas Massingue

The beginning

Successful operation

Keeping the family united

A family Christmas trip

Childhood Influence of Udunma Nnenna Ikoro

Inspiration Behind Tiwa Summit and Communique Resourcehub

The Journey So Far

Challenges

How My Work Has Inspired Women Around Me

Highlights of My Career as an English Language Teacher

Other Projects and Activities

Being An Amazon Bestselling Author

What Udunma Nnenna Ikoro Enjoys Most About Her Job

Three Women Who Inspire You and Why

To Those Trying to Learn Content Monetization

How to Support Women in the Creative and Writing Sector

Being a Woman of Rubies

How to Get My Books:

How to Reach Udunma Nnenna Ikoro on Social Media

Did your childhood prepare you in any way for what you do now? Tell us more about your growing up

What inspired you to join advocacy

How has the journey been since you started working as a program coordinator for Street to School Initiative?

You’ve been at the forefront of helping NGOs on their program, what are the things you learnt and would you say you have grown?

What are some challenges you experience as a social worker?

As a youth advocate, what would you want the government to put in place in ensuring our youths are towing the right path?

If there is one thing you could do to make the world a better place for the next generation of youths and children, what would that be?

Any final word for young women who aspire to be where you are right now but lacks the opportunity and support?

Mention three women that inspire you and why

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

If you were given the opportunity to address a group of young girls just setting out in their career, what will be your advice to them?

Related:

A little bit about Keisha Green

On the accident that changed Keisha Green’s life forever

On finding a head way after the accident

On her career after the accident

Related:

Deal with your bias

Always research your blogging niche

Get an editor

Planning

Read

Tell your story

Be ready to deal with writer’s block

Get an accountability partner

Childhood Influence

Inspiration Behind The Unbroken Welfare Initiative

The Journey So Far

How My Work Inspire Other Women

Other Projects and Activities

What I Enjoy Most About My Job

3 women who inspire me and why

To People Who Judge Women Who Walk Out Of Abusive Relationships

How To support women in abusive relationships

What Makes Me a Woman of Rubies

If I Could Speak To A Young Person Who Is On The Verge Of Giving Up

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