Week 2. 22 April 2016

Lecture by Koo Govender

1. Mentor and mentee

-From this module, I learnt that communication between my mentor and is never too little or too much. We had scenarios, call them role playing, Mama Koo playing the mentor and us well playing us of course. Her role consisted of different kinds of people, those with attitude, and those with not much time on their hands, the calm ones, and the mean ones. It was intense I tell you.

Lacking confidence

-I got to see what a lack of confidence does to your posture from one of the ladies. She suck in her chair, with her shoulders and neck down, fidgeting her hands and her eyes not so bright. You would swear that my confidence is sky high no wonder I could notice such but, given the stance I would have been that girl.

-I got to see all those points mainly because I know how she felt, I know how it feels to feel like a pea in a pot, I know how it feels like to think that everybody is looking at you with the same eye that your bully or the "cool girls" back in primary school looked at you with. I also know how it feels like to try and gather up the little confidence you have left but your low self-esteem just drains whatever you had left.

The quiet girl

-I know this because I was that girl. Hated on because I had longer hair than most, had no friends because I was shy and kept to myself, siblings always picking on me because I couldn't stand up for myself, and believe it or not that girl pops up once in a while.

-But this, this can be fixed with a little bit of self-acceptance and love.

2. Breaking and shattering through the glass ceiling

-You know the glass ceiling, the oppression of women in the workplace or anywhere for that matter.

Family is everything

-The only way to break through it is to have a support structure, and best believe family is at the top of the list. Then comes your career because it can always bounce back and every goal, drive and inspiration. As well, as determination and motivation n

-You should have your plans laid out. What is your first step?

-How are you going to get that internship and how are you going to be the best candidate for the position.

- What are your plans for year one after varsity?

-This is what I learnt this week from my second module, I hope that you find it useful!

Week 1. 15 April 2016

Module 1 

 by  Gordon Cook

-This is the man who mentored the founder of this initiative. This man deserves a trophy for mentoring Koo Govender, enabling her to want to mentor a hundred more women, and creating a platform for us to grow and mature.
 
-The first module was the key things I will never forget. That is;
1. Show up
2. Stand up
3. Speak up
4. Stand out

-Now if you’re not getting anything from these. You need to reflect on your life, because “He Not Busy Being Born is Busy Dying”- Bob Dylan. In other words, if you’re not continuously growing, renewing and learning, you are not living.


-Gordon made me feel pursuing a career in writing was not as wishful as i had thought after all, even told me that I could get a writing coach to advance. From him to Koo and now to me, I can be anything and have everything I ever wanted. A triple threat. A writer, an actress and wait for it… Miss CEO!

 

 

Meet and Greet

-The food was amazing! They had platters I've never ate let alone seen before. From sliders to brownies, I'm telling you I was so full I could barely walk. Had I worn a cropped top that day people would have seen the unimaginable!. I couldn't even suck my stomach in. I love food and everything but the amazing part was meeting and being paired up with mentors. 



-The most inspiring bunch of successful women. Call them Superwomen if you like. From CEO's to writers, head of departments to Miss SA, these women are phenomenal. I had to walk up to greet my mentor in my most uncomfortable pair of heels, I felt like I was mountain climbing bare feet!. Regardless I met Yevenia Naidoo, my mentor. The head of HR at Dentsu Aegis Network SA
 


-I don't mean to be biased but I have a great mentor. She's sweet, calm, beautiful, not a makeup person (like me), married and has 2 beautiful kids. This woman has it all together I'm telling you. 


-Somewhere between our chat I tensed up, not because I was uncomfortable but because I listened to her story and repeatedly told myself that I want to succeed, that I want to make something out of myself, and I won't let being without privilege stop me. I told myself that I belonged there, that this is what I want to become.


- These thoughts gave me a headache, brought me close to tears and made me mumble. What an impression right?, but I tried to keep it together, hey I'm a big girl!