self development Archives

In self development October 9, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MARAJI TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE STARTED HER MILLION NAIRA BUSINESS OUT OF BOREDOM

Instagram influencer and comedienne, Gloria Oloruntobi popularly known as Maraji isn’t big on interviews and event appearances and she tells her fans her reason on the latest edition of Rubbin’ Minds with host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

Maraji, who is popular for her comic multiple personality video clips on Instagram reveals that she began her now 2-year, million-naira business as a way to deal with boredom.

In the interview, she also talks about the challenges of creating her videos, how she makes money off content creation, and future plans.

Watch the video:

Credit: Bella Naija

In self development October 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: 7 WAYS TO SAVE BETTER

Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started. This step-by-step guide on how to save money can help you develop a simple and realistic plan to save for goals, big or small.

Record your expenses

The first step to saving money is to figure out how much you spend. Keep track of all your expenses—that means every coffee, household item and cash tip. Once you have your data, organize the numbers by categories, such as gas, groceries and mortgage, and total each amount. Consider using your credit card or bank statements to help you with this.

Make a budget

Once you have an idea of what you spend in a month, you can begin to organize your recorded expenses into a workable budget. Your budget should outline how your expenses measure up to your income—so you can plan your spending and limit overspending. In addition to your monthly expenses, be sure to factor in expenses that occur regularly but not every month, such as car maintenance.

Plan on saving money

Now that you’ve made a budget, create a savings category within it. Try to save 10 to 15 percent of your income. If your expenses are so high that you can’t save that much, it might be time to cut back. To do so, identify nonessentials that you can spend less on, such as entertainment and dining out, and find ways to save on your fixed monthly expenses.

Tip: Consider the money you put into savings a regular expense, similar to groceries, to reinforce good savings habits.

Choose something to save for

One of the best ways to save money is to set a goal. Start by thinking of what you might want to save for—perhaps you’re getting married, planning a vacation or saving for retirement. Then figure out how much money you’ll need and how long it might take you to save it.

Here are some examples of short- and long-term goals:

Short-term (1–3 years)

– Emergency fund (3–9 months
of living expenses, just in case)

– Vacation

– Down payment for a car

Long-term (4+ years)

– Down payment on a home or a
remodeling project

– Your child’s education

– Retirement

If you’re saving for retirement or your child’s education, consider putting that money into an investment account such as an IRA or 529 plan. While investments come with risks and can lose money, they also create the opportunity for compounded returns if you plan for an event far in advance.

Decide on your priorities

After your expenses and income, your goals are likely to have the biggest impact on how you allocate your savings. Be sure to remember long-term goals—it’s important that planning for retirement doesn’t take a back seat to shorter-term needs. Learn how to prioritize your savings goals so you have a clear idea of where to start saving. For example, if you know you’re going to need to replace your car in the near future, you could start putting money away for one now.

Make saving automatic

Almost all banks offer automated transfers between your checking and savings accounts. You can choose when, how much and where to transfer money or even split your direct deposit so a portion of every paycheck goes directly into your savings account. Splitting your direct deposit and setting up automated transfers are simple ways to save money since you don’t have to think about it, and it generally reduces the temptation to spend the money instead.

Watch your savings grow

Review your budget and check your progress every month. Not only will this help you stick to your personal savings plan, but it also helps you identify and fix problems quickly. These simple ways to save may even inspire you to save more money every day and hit your goals faster.

Credit: Better Money Habit

In self development October 8, 2018 By Women of Rubies

THIS 29-YEAR-OLD FASHION DESIGNER IS EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING GIRLS IN MAKOKO

Hannah is a 29-year old fashion designer who is contributing to girl-child education in Makoko, a floating slum in Lagos.

Hannah is helping the girls build a better future by sharing her skills with them and also engaging the services of her husband who works as an English Language tutor.

Hannah, who is also a teacher and an entrepreneur, makes clothes for people living in Makoko and elsewhere in Nigeria.

Hannah is trying to help women by sharing her skills with them, so they can succeed in business as she did. She speaks to BBC Minute about her work.

Watch below.

Credit: Bella Naija

In self development October 3, 2018 By Women of Rubies

CIARA TALKS ABOUT HOW DESTINY’S CHILD INSPIRED HER TO BE AN ENTERTAINER

32-year-old singer, Ciara, is the Cover Girl of the November issue of Cosmopolitan. She talks about life after welcoming her daughter, including how she got her famous abs back! She also opens up about her biggest inspiration to do music, how she manages trolls, and her ambition.

On Fitness routine after welcoming daughter, Sienna in 2017

It was kind of like, wake up in the morning, breastfeed, eat a small meal, go train, come back in, breastfeed, eat another meal, go train, then come back, have another meal, and then a third training session at night. It was a good challenge, one I set for myself, not for anyone else. Taking care of myself makes me feel really good. And I want to keep it sexy too, you know.

On Destiny’s Child being her Biggest Inspiration to do Music

They were killing it, and I just went, ‘This is what I want to do. I’m gonna be an entertainer…’ The first goal I wrote down was to get discovered. The second was to sell 3 to 4 million records. Third, have longevity.”

On how she deals with trolls

When someone comes for you and you didn’t send for them, you keep your eye on the prize. I know what my mission is. I know what I’m hoping for and working hard for every day. And that’s my focus. I’m not going to let people steal my joy. I move on. New day, new opportunity, new energy, let’s go.”

On her ambition

I never thought, I can’t be because of the color of my skin, I can’t be because of my gender. No dream is too big. I want to be a billionaire. The more resources, the more you can do. But I think my greatest accomplishment 10 years from now is that I would have a successful life as it pertains to my marriage and being a mom. It’s cool to want to do all these creative things, but it’s no good to gain the world if you lose your soul

Photo Credit: Victor Demarchelier

Credit: BN

In self development October 2, 2018 By Women of Rubies

“MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE EXTREMELY PATIENT” – OMAWUMI

Nigerian singer, Omawumi, in a recent interview, opened up about life as a mother and marriage in general.

She said:

“Marriage and motherhood has taught me to be extremely patient; it has taught me to always understand that everybody has their side to a story. It has also taught me to be very understanding towards everybody.

To an extent, it still boils down to patience; you don’t put too much load on people or have too much expectation of people. Always be ready to receive people with love and forgiveness. I think the best way to explain it is that being a parent has made me understand my relationship with God”.

When asked if both has impacted her music career , she said:

“Yes of course. It has really helped and influenced or rather shaped my music and the way I put music out right now. Of course, one has to be extra careful; because you don’t want to pass the wrong message. Motherhood has been a blessing to my music; it has been a blessing to me. It has been a blessing to everything surrounding me”.

In self development October 1, 2018 By Esther Ijewere

#MONDAYMOTIVATION: FOUR THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING A MENTOR

Mentoring is a two-way street. I actually do quite a bit of work in the mentoring field–I am a mentor, I have a mentor, and I help train people to be good mentors. Your career is part of your life, and great mentoring changes you deeply, not just the way you work. Here are four tips for mentors and mentees alike:

Look for clues of success
Successful people are successful for a reason. People who have achieved greatness in an area of their lives are typically using great strategies. And these people tend to make excellent mentors. So when looking for a mentor, look for the clues of success. Think about what is important to you and the things you want to achieve personally and professionally. Do you want to be a better businessperson, mother, leader, yogi, speaker, writer, etc.? Start to look for people around you who exemplify the skills you want to acquire.

Mentoring goes both ways
To be sustainable and healthy, mentoring must be a two-way street. Both parties need to give 110% to the relationship. This ensures that the mentor and mentee continually learn from each other. Give as much to your mentor (or mentee) as he or she gives to you. And if you are looking for a mentor, actively seek out ways to add value to their life as well. Understand what matters most to them and find ways to contribute.

There is no one-size-fits-all
No one can (or should) guide you in all facets of your life. I actively seek out different mentors in a variety of areas in my life such as fitness, finance, public speaking, etc. For example, I’m expecting a baby girl, so I reached out to mothers and daughters and asked them to share their wisdom with me. Identify growth opportunities in your life and think outside the box.

Change your definition
A mentor is someone whose life or work you value and admire, and whom you think might be a good guide. These days, a mentor can be any age, in any field, so stop thinking of a mentor in traditional terms. Too often we limit our mentors to those “above us.” Don’t let a persons age, title, or experience pigeonhole your thinking.

-Camille Preston

source: Fortune Insiders

In self development September 27, 2018 By Women of Rubies

17-YEAR-OLD GIRL CREATES WEBSITE TO HELP FISHERMEN IN MAKOKO

Sharon (Photo: CNN)

That’s where 17-year-old Sharon grew up, the 11th child in her family. For girls like Sharon from underprivileged communities, their future usually entails getting married, having kids and carrying on the same business that their mothers did.

But Girls Coding, a six-year-old initiative of Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s Pearl Africa Foundation, is trying to teach them more, and level the playing field. The program is free and it seeks to educate girls about computer programming.

(Photo: Girls Coding)

Sharon attended Abisoye’s classes and on completion, recognizing that her family was underpaid and at a disadvantage with the middle-men who retailed their fish, created a website named Makoko Fresh to bridge the gap between her family’s products and willing consumers.

Speaking with CNN Heroes about how it all began, Sharon said:

“It was around 2015 when Ms. Abisoye came to Makoko community to train girls about computer. I said okay, I would go… I learned how to use computer very well, to build websites. That’s why I’m creating an app with my team.”

Sharon hopes to attend Harvard one day, and eventually become a software engineer.

Credit: konbini.com

In self development September 14, 2018 By Women of Rubies

TOLU BABAJIDE: MY PERIOD AND IT’S SAMARITAN

From the daily discoveries and rescuing of ‘proverbial Taju’s and Olajumoke’s’ out of poverty to the passionate solidarity for domestically abused women in Nigeria, one cannot fairly conclude that kindness is a scarce commodity. It is safe to assume that we are not averse to the concept of kindness and how it translates into our everyday world. Even though the lines get blurry sometimes, in the sense that a woman dedicated to lending her voice against domestic violence still gets back home and unrepentantly maltreat her help and goes about bragging about it amongst her friends. It is like an irony of sorts.

While trying to research for this piece, I was shocked to know that there is a day dedicated for kindness. Yes, there is a World Kindness Day and it is not until November 13. But why must we wait for a day when we can choose to live out kindness every day. Being kind is an intentional activity and I am not talking about the one we put up when trying to suck up to someone or the one we show to people that are deserving of it. I am rooting for those random acts of kindness that are not defined by class, social strata, wealth or religion.
Like the one I was shown few weeks ago. It brought me to my knees and further humbled me and showed me that anyone could be of help.

Since I became someone who bleeds every month, I have always taken pride in being able to stay clean and stainless on these ‘red days’. Every woman goes through this ritual every month, yet no one wants it publicized so we ‘package ourselves’ well by buying well layered pads or even investing in tampons. All through my college and spinsterhood days, I never for once had a heavy flow talk less of being stained. But typical of a woman’s body and my hormonal implant fail, I have gloriously been blessed with very heavy red days. It opens like a tap and won’t stop pouring until days later. So, this day, I had an early morning meeting on the island and I have done the needful by padding myself up literally. Like I couldn’t have done better than that, but I guess the long trip from the mainland to the island has encouraged my uterus to weep like crazy.

The more I drove, the more it poured but there was a big part of me that was confident in my preparation. I felt there was no way I could get stained, but this day was different.
As soon as I drove into the Ikota Shopping Market and came out of the car, I saw to my dismay, trickles of blood and I wasn’t only stained, I was dripping with blood. I panicked and started to look around to see if anyone just witnessed my show of shame. Someone saw me. Someone saw my struggle and embarrassment.

My witness was an old woman working at the public toilet of the market. She saw me and rushed to me with her head scarf to cover me. At that moment, my confusion gave way to bewilderment and gratitude. She puts her hands around me and whispered in Yoruba, “Don’t feel bad, it happens to all women.” I couldn’t argue with her reasoning because as at that time, she was the rightest thing in my world and I wasn’t about to disagree with her.

She rushed to buy toilet rolls for me and ushered me into the brand new/never used toilet to change myself. When I offered to give her money for the tissue rolls, she responded with an embarrassing laugh, “am I not old enough to give you something”. She made sure that I became comfortable again and sent me off with a smile and a hug. She covered my shame and she did it brilliantly.

Kindness has no colour. It is gender blind. It is deaf to social and wealth systems. It doesn’t know who is trending online and who isn’t. It just keeps on giving and giving till it becomes a cycle and a lifestyle. I might never see my Samaritan again, but she has unknowingly put on me, the mandate to show undeserving kindness to everyone that I cross paths with. Rather than hastily passing judgement on people and their decisions, I choose to see life, not only from the black and white angles but from all shades of colours.

Rather than talking carelessly about a situation, I know little or nothing about, I choose to keep shut and get all the facts before commenting. Rather than berating the government on what and what’s not, I have been compelled to start the change within myself, my home and my immediate community.

Kindness is not so hard to show. We just need to start with someone.

About Tolu

Tolu is a writer , social media strategist and fundraising expert. She is also the founder of Ink and Ideas.

Facebook: Tolulope Babjide

Instagram: @tolubabz

In self development September 12, 2018 By Women of Rubies

MEET OTIMAYIN MORENIKE, TEEN HAIR STYLIST WORKING & SCHOOLING

My name is Otimayin Queen Morenike. I am a native of Kogi State.

I am the second child of my family and I am 19 years old. I am into hairdressing, styling people’s hair and bringing out the exact beauty in them.

I started this hair dressing business by making hair for my friends; then I was in secondary school and just 12 years old.

I get motivation from home and my mother is my role model.
Categorically speaking, the starting wasn’t easy, but there were so many things that spurred me to go into the business and one of them is the need to be independent and also to lessen my mother’s burden of catering for me.

I have always wanted a life in which I would be able to cater for myself, provide my basic needs and relieve my mum of some responsibilities.

The aim and vision of my business have grown wider over the years.
I want my service to be widely known and accepted.

I want to be known for doing perfect job and satisfying my customers to the fullest of my ability.
This is because by so doing I will have some referrals and the survival of my business depends solely on this.

My training was hard and discouraging, but it worthwhile. I was trained by my mother and also by a professional. My business is solving women’s problem; specifically making ladies and girls look beautiful.

My business has also helped improve ladies’ appearances because we all know that the way you dress (in which hair is part of) is the way you’ll be addressed. I must add that as a teenager, it’s not easy combining schooling with business, but because of the passion I have for both, success in them has become my driving force.I currently see myself as a company offering quality services to its target customers.

The target audience for my business is the global market. With the help of God, I am making money from my business. I get customers from the campus near our home.
My customers are mostly students, which makes my brand stand out even though I treat customers very well.

Even when they are not making their hair, I call them and ask for their wellbeing, and apart from that, my creativity in terms of forming new styles stand me out in the business.

Source: Guardian

In lifestyle August 3, 2018 By Women of Rubies

TOKE MAKINWA SETS TO LAUNCH NEW BRAND ‘GLOW BY TM’

Fans speculated it might be a sequel to her book,, “On Becoming”, yet it seems like Toke is towing the beauty line.

On her Instagram page she wrote;

“Here’s to new beginnings darlings 🥂,”

The brand, Glow By TM is set to officially launch on the 13th of August 2018 and even though we don’t know what the brand is all about, we can’t wait for Toke to unveil the surprise!

See more photos below: