Success - Women of Rubies

In Career Gems March 4, 2024 By Esther Ijewere

Women of Rubies Sip and Network Event Celebrates Female Leadership and Success

The Women of Rubies Sip and Network event held on February 25th, 2024, at the prestigious Naijajollof Downtown Toronto Event Center, was met with resounding success. The event brought together a diverse group of remarkable business owners from across Ontario for an evening of inspiration, networking, and empowerment.

The event featured esteemed speakers including Nkechi Ahanor-Wilson, Funmi Ayowole, and Chichi Okichie, who captivated the audience with their insights and expertise. Funmi Ayowole, as the first speaker, delved into the importance of emotional wellness for women, the significance of maintaining a healthy routine, and the practice of mindfulness in daily life. Chichi Okichie shared invaluable insights on the underutilized potential of Facebook for business owners, emphasizing its role in enhancing media visibility and brand recognition.

Nkechi Ahanor-Wilson, the founder of the successful hair brand Cacosa Hair, shared her journey of transforming pain into passion and profit, highlighting the importance of setting healthy boundaries as business owners to foster growth and prevent exploitation.

The event also featured an enlightening interview conducted by Esther Ijewere, the founder of Women of Rubies, with Beauty Obasuyi, the founder of Naijajollof and a real estate expert. Beauty shared the inspiration behind her business, which began in 2018 and has since expanded to six locations across Canada. She also revealed the motivations behind her Guinness World Record attempt for the longest cooking hours, which lasted for an impressive 18 days.

Attendees had the opportunity to engage in networking sessions, facilitating connections and knowledge sharing among participants. Nike Kay -Okunubi expressed her newfound understanding of the importance of boundaries and intentionality in networking, while Julia Biebem of Grandieu Event felt inspired by Nkechi’s session and aims to apply the lessons learned to enhance her business endeavours. Angela Ikogho of Wraptuckmore stressed the significance of assertiveness and the ability to say no in navigating business challenges.

The event, expertly compered by Blessing Timidi Digha, a community development advocate and content creator, was attended by notable business owners and entrepreneurs who left feeling empowered and motivated to pursue their goals.

Esther Ijewere, the convener of the event, expressed her delight at the overwhelming success of the inaugural live event in Canada, affirming the Sip and Network movement’s commitment to empowering women to embrace their uniqueness. She looks forward to future events that promise to be impactful and value-driven.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact: event@womenofrubies.com

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See more photos from the event below;

In Career Gems November 6, 2023 By Maggy Rosiji

Six Formerly Homeless Black Sisters from NYC Are All Now Becoming Nurses

In the heart of New York City, amidst the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, the incredible journey of the Lawrence siblings is a testament to resilience, determination, and unwavering faith. Six sisters, once homeless, are now on a remarkable journey to fulfill their dreams of becoming nurses, and their story is nothing short of inspiring.

The Lawrence Siblings’ Journey: Overcoming Homelessness and Hardship

Back in 2013, the Lawrence family faced a devastating turn of events when they lost their home in Queens, New York City. David and Yonette Lawrence, the parents of the six sisters, found themselves confronted with the harsh reality of homelessness. Their family’s life took a dramatic turn as they moved from one relative or friend’s house to another, seeking shelter and stability, as they later shared with People magazine.

“It was challenging,” recalls 24-year-old Lauren. “There were a lot of very bumpy, depressing times.” The struggle to find a place to call home was a constant battle, and it took a toll on the family.

Educational Pursuit : From GEDs to Bachelor’s Degrees

Two years into this gruelling ordeal, their father, David, made a courageous decision. He refused to let their circumstances hinder the education and dreams of his daughters. The Lawrence sisters, who had been grappling with disrupted schooling due to their ever-changing living situation, enrolled in a homeschool program. Their goal? To earn their GEDs and ensure their education remained on track.

“He didn’t want what we were going through to hold us back,” explained 25-year-old Dominique. This decision marked a turning point in their lives, as they embarked on a path filled with challenges but brimming with determination and hope.

Unyielding Faith : The Driving Force Behind Their Success

The Lawrence sisters defied the odds and shattered the barriers in their way. In 2019, all six of them successfully earned their GEDs. Their journey continued as they enrolled in Nassau Community College and, later, proudly graduated from SUNY Old Westbury with bachelor’s degrees in public health in May.

“It’s been quite an adventure,” shared 22-year-old Danielle. “But what really pulled us through is our faith in God and in each other.” Their unwavering support for one another, coupled with their unshakable faith, carried them through even the darkest of times.

Future Prospects: Master’s Program in Public Health and Beyond

Today, these extraordinary siblings, aged 19 to 25, declare that this is just the beginning of their remarkable journey. In August, they embarked on a master’s program in public health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Their eyes are set on the future, as they plan to attend nursing school to further their education and expertise.

Father’s Pride : A Proud Parent’s Perspective

Their father, David Lawrence, couldn’t be prouder of his daughters, who have defied adversity to chase their dreams and emerge stronger than ever. “I’m so happy that they’ve done this together,” he said, beaming with pride. “I always tell them, ‘Life’s not fair. And when it throws you a curveball, you’ve got to adjust to it and keep going.'”

An Inspiring Story of Triumph

The Lawrence sisters’ journey is a powerful reminder that with determination, a strong support system, and unwavering faith, one can overcome even the most challenging circumstances. As they continue to pursue their dreams in the field of healthcare, their story serves as an inspiration to us all, demonstrating that resilience can lead to incredible achievements.

In self development February 5, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

GRACE ORISAKIYA: IDENTIFYING YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR A JOB SEARCH

Everyone is unique in his or her own way. Those values, skills, ideas that’s makes you unique, different, special and can be used for various purposes and this is usually referred to as your personal or unique value proposition. Your value proposition can either get you that business deal or job your applied for several. However, some people are not fully aware of what their UVPs are, in some cases, it is mistaken for just their career. During some career coaching sessions with my clients, they express their inability to do things differently, their fear of failing and they usually wish to be different that is why it is important for everyone to know how special and unique they are and how this uniqueness can be useful. In a nutshell, your UVP is basically the things you can do but with a positive difference. The best ways to identify your UVP are to:

Know your strengths.
Create a difficult scenario and figure out how you could handle it in a different way (sometimes done during employees engagement sessions in companies).
Identify those attributes that matches your personality perfectly.
Think of what kind of solutions you can offer to problems.
Be authentic.
Ask people to identify what makes you unique to them.

Identifying your UVP however can give you the confidence you need to apply for a job. Remember these:

Everyone may know how to do a particular job but not everyone may have the right skills to get it done.

Social media has made it easy to have a false identity, so it’s important you focus on knowing what you can do uniquely than trying to be someone else. (Being inspired by someone isn’t wrong but being inspired should make you find out your path not live like someone else).
Your UVP can set prepare you for success. It can enable you know what you can do and how you can do it differently and better.
It makes you a better version of yourself.

Therefore, your UVP can set you one the right path for a successful job interview and employment when you can prove concisely why your values and skills can be vital to the organization you are applying to.

About Grace

Grace Asemota is a Business Psychologist (M.Sc) and a Certified Life Coach. She has partnered with Organizations and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional brands and has coached students and staff in different institutions and organisations.

She continuously coaches and trains on the importance of goal setting, happiness, team management, personal development and self- confidence in a wide range of organisations (in Nigeria, UAE and US) and institutions by motivating staff to develop a collaborative culture and identify key factors that can enhance personal growth.

You can get in touch with her on

grace.orisakiya@gmail.com

LinkedIn @Grace Asemota-Orisakiya