Well we’ve got news for you! Girl, you can have a succesful career in the fashion industry without necessarily being an Instagram vendor.

I started my clothing line in my first year at University. Five years later, today, I can stay I have learnt a whole lot, and my ideas are evolving. I always wondered what do about by love for fashion.

After researching over time, I discovered that there are so many career opportunities for fashion lovers like me, who want to be in the business, but don’t necessarily see themselves going the Instagram vendor route, which is currently trending in Nigeria.

You don’t have to join the popular trend of selling shoes and bags on Instagram. Did you know you can actually secure the bag by monetizing your love for fashion in other ways?

Here are some attractive fashion career opportunities I discovered during my research:

Fashion journalist 

You don’t necessarily have to a journalism graduate before you can become a fashion journalist. As long as you have a flair for writing, you can create a niche for yourself in the fashion industry. Thank God for social media, you can create a blog for yourself through your smartphone or computer and write about fashion.

If you frequently create good content, your audience will grow over time, to the point where you became a thought-leader about all things fashion. And soon, you can begin to monetize that influence.

In addition, you could freelance for existing fashion publications.

Fashion Stylist

Do you have a good sense of style? Do you have an effortless ability to combine different items of clothing in fashionable ways? Then you could actually start a career as a fashion stylist. You can begin by styling your friends and family members for  events and special occasions. Use them to build your portfolio, and then eventually; you can start pitching your services to celebrities and other public figures.

Fashion designer

A fashion designer is the brain behind the beautiful garments you see around. A fashion designer sketches the designs and brings the whole idea of the outfits to life.  You can be a designer when you have knowledge and skills in designing.

Marketing & PR

A Fashion Marketer and Public Relations professional sells the business and its products. This can include writing press releases, organizing shows, managing social media accounts and a host of other savvy media methods to help create a buzz about a fashion brand.

Fashion Retailer

Buying and selling ready-to-wear or bespoke clothing to a targeted audience. Some sell menswear, unisex, kids clothing, sportswear and so on. You may own a boutique or do personal selling.

Fashion Influencer

The era of social media has birthed the “influencer” culture.  With consistency and persistence, you will build followership and gain endorsements from bigger brands.

Other jobs in fashion to consider include: Merchandiser, Personal Shopper, Sales Representative, Store Manager, Perosnal Assistant, Fashion Illustrator, Tailor, etc.

I hope that after reading my article, you have gained some business insights, and you are ready to launch a career in the fashion world.

I wish you success in your fashion career.

Feel free to share your progress on this journey! Happy to read

Photo Credit: satisfashionug

However, bad day not a bad life!

I found some inspiring quotes that just might help you and I get back into gear. We might bend but we don’t break right?

Here are some inspirational vibes from the girl boss that started it all: Media mogul and richest black woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey.

When you’re not content

Sometimes, our frustrations can stem from feeling a sense of discontentment about our situation: A job, a marriage, a relationship or even a life. What that does is it opens the door to ungratefulness for the things that we do possess however imperfect and let’s face it, nobody has it perfect.

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

When you’re afraid to fail

Fear is debilitating and many times, could be the reason you either stay stagnant or unable to grow. I once read a book by actress, Gabrielle Union, entitled: We’re Going to Need More Wine. In the book, she quotes one of her dying best friends who stated that she wanted the world to know that “fear can kill you”. This statement couldn’t be any more true. Maybe the reason you’re having such a frustrating day is your inability to advance or move forward because you are afraid of failure. Well, you’re going to have to understand that failure just comes with the territory. How do you move forward if you never try?

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.

When you’ve stumbled too many times

We’ve all been here. We know the feeling. You feel like giving up and throwing in the towel because surely, a grown woman shouldn’t make these many mistakes. Calm down and breathe. Hear what Aunty Oprah has to say on the topic.

Turn your wounds into wisdom.

“The great courageous act that we must all do, is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.”

Here are some tips for coping with a boss whose primary mission in life seems to be to make your life unbearable. 

Never go to your boss with a problem without having a potential solution

This will only make your boss who is usually exasperated, even more exasperated. And we don’t want that, do we? So dot your i’s and cross yout t’s. Before you approach him/her about the problem, be sure that you are ready to proffer solutions. Even if your boss doesn’t adopt any of your suggested remedies, just knowing that you took the initiative to  think critically, will help assuage the situation.

In the face of scolding, don’t be on the defensive

No one is above getting corrected for mistakes. But if your boss tends to criticize you in a very abusive way, screaming and hurling insults, then this is definitely totally unacceptable. But you know what? Take it all in stride and develop a strong back bone until you’re well equipped to leave. As aggravating as it might seem, it is important to know when to play the fool, wisdom plays an essential role in this. It’s called diplomacy. Never let it affect how you view yourself or make a mess of you psychologically. Don’t respond impulsively. Breathe in and out, work on your exit strategy, and when the time is right, hand in your resignation letter.

Find out the root of the issues your boss has with you

Is it an opinion or a reality? Did you do something outside of work to upset him or her? Maybe it’s even something as ludicrous as an ex you share (which of course would be completely unethical, but, we’re human and these things happen). Take a closer look to see if these challenges are peculiar to you or your entire team. This will enable you figure out how best to handle the situation.

Don’t deliberately set him/her up for failure

Many businesses are started by people who merely had an idea, but employed people whom they believed could best fill the roles to bring their idea to life. So most times, businesses are only as strong as the team. However, this is not a cue to ensure that you do all within your means to wreck their business, however, tempting that may sound,  it is actually a prompt to ensure you give it your best shot even when you don’t feel like it. Each job is a lever for the next, when you think of it that way, it’s more for your good than it is for his/hers. Think about it, sitting in your next interview, what are some of the things you want to be able to brag about achieving to your next potential employer?

I’m sorry you have a horrid boss but gold only gets its shine after being exposed to extreme heat. You are gold and He/she is your heat.

Do share some of the tips that have worked for you in the comment section below. Let’s grow together!

These instances are listed below:

You are no longer growing

Is it due to a lack of opportunity within the organisation? Is promotion highly unlikely or dependent on something extraordinary like the death of a superior?  If either of the highlighted factors apply, it might be time to take a hike.

When your productivity level becomes dependent on how much you’re getting paid

If this is you, I hate to break it to you but you are no longer passionate about your job if you were even at all to begin with. My dad always placed emphasis on the difference between a job and a career. A job, he said was a task that one would wake up to do simply because they knew they had to put food on the table. A career, on the other hand, he described as a development path an individual took on, not because they knew they needed to but because
it was a journey they had chosen to embark upon ‘wholeheartedly’. If you find that you fit into the former, you might want to start thinking of an alternative career route.

When the business vision no longer aligns with your own personal career plan

For example, if at 40, you would like to quit working for an employer to start your own business but company policy
states that those in senior management must be 45 and above, do you wait it out in hopes that you get selected for the senior role or you quit to start your business as planned? It is important to never lose yourself in the process. Your dreams do still matter.

Lack of ethics

A career should never put you in compromising situations where you’re forced to go against your personal values or principles. Where this is so, you might lose yourself in the mix and consequently be unable to look yourself in the mirror with pride. This then leads to depression and constant unrest. It isn’t worth it.

When your core competences are not being put to use

A role that doesn’t demand that you build on your core skills and abilities will not be of benefit to your growth. You might want to be in search of a new role where the skills which you have probably spent time and money honing overtime could be well utilised. Where your core strengths are called upon to assist you in handling a role, it does a lot for your self-esteem as the more you achieve, the better you’ll feel about yourself.  If you find that this isn’t your
reality, it’s ok to leave and go where you would naturally excel.

The prices of resignation can be daunting especially if you’ve become emotional about that role, place of work, colleagues or even your boss. However, when it boils down to it, your happiness and personal development should still be paramount.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Any entrepreneur in Nigeria will tell you that doing business in the country is quite challenging (many would say this is the understatement of the century). So how is it possible to create a high-end luxury product that meets international standards despite these challenges? 

Zainab discusses this and more, as she chats with us about her entrepreneurship journey, her passion for design, and her lifestyle. 

You’ve dabbled in architecture, fashion styling, and acting. What made you decide to go the designer-entrepreneur route?

I’ve always followed my passions till my interest in the subject is exhausted. Creating aesthetically pleasing, functional handcrafted bags, is the one interest that has increased the further I delved into it. And that’s funny because I resisted working in fashion for a very long time. In fact, I prefer to think of myself as working in Design, as opposed to fashion. I like the idea of creating thoughtful, functional, classic pieces that are also beautiful looking.

How did the idea of the Zashadu business come about?

I’m fortunate to be one of those rare people who is creative as well as business-minded. Zashadu began as an exploration of my passion, and as it grew I realised I was also running a business. It took me a while to realise that what I was doing is what is known as entrepreneurship because it comes very naturally to me.

What were some challenges you faced in the startup phase of your business and how were you able to overcome them?

If I’m being honest, the challenges we face are what help to keep my interest in growing the brand; because at heart, I am a problem solver, otherwise I get bored. Manufacturing in Nigeria comes with its well-known wide and varied challenges, but it is truly a joy, and a source of pride to overcome them. The most important trait to have to be successful in working around challenges, is to have a firm, deep-rooted belief in yourself and in what you’re doing. Filter out the noise, and avoid being too democratic.

Has the recent economic downturn in Nigeria affected your business in any way. If so, how? And in what ways are you able to tackle this?

As a business owner, being sensitive to your environment is integral to your success. Although the luxury sector is one that performs well despite economic downturns, it is important to understand how to continue to communicate the ethos of your brand with your clients in a way that is sensitive, respectful and smart. Being adaptable will guarantee your success.

What has been the highest point in your business so far?
The high points occur regularly; when collectors express their joy at their pieces and at the service we provide. I will never tire of seeing the positive reactions that we bring to complete strangers just by being ourselves.

Would you say sales of Zashadu products are better in Africa or abroad?
They’re pretty even at home and abroad.

What are your favourite fashion brands? (Apart from Zashadu of course lol) 
That’s a bit of a difficult question for me to answer, because I’m not a typical consumer. I’m more of a collector. I appreciate pieces that are handcrafted, uniquely designed, classic and quirky at the same time. It often means I seek out sole artisans, or shop vintage pieces. Having said that, I’m a fan of the work of Maki Oh, Duro Olowu, vintage Judith Leiber, vintage Christian Lacroix and vintage Oscar De La Renta.

What do you like to do for leisure when you are not working? 
I read, swim, travel, go vintage shopping, cook, and get deep tissue massages.

What kind of influence does running a brand like Zashadu have on your lifestyle?
In order to function at optimum level, and give the best to my brand, I must be at my best. I run a tight ship in order to maintain a work-life balance. I work very hard, but play just as hard. Life is for living and I am grateful to be alive, living a fulfilled life.

What’s next for Zashadu?
Expanding our training program. At present we have a small team of trainees working alongside masters; this model takes a lot of time, 3 years, full time, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day to train and qualify as a Zashadu Artisan. Expansion is necessary to develop and grow the industry.

What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs who would like to delve into the same industry as you?
Start where you are, don’t wait for everything to be ‘perfect’ before you begin. Allow the demands of your business to drive the growth of your business; organic growth is always best, it gives you better control and is more fulfilling. Be interesting by developing interests in wide and varied subjects, feed your curiosity, know your strengths, don’t be too serious and above all have fun.

But what happens when things don’t work according to our carefully-planned blueprint? 

Psychologist Uche Ukuku who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from University of Georgia, and a PhD in Counseling/Psychology from University of Oklahoma, shares her story about valuable lessons learned during an unemployment phase in her life. 

Her story teaches us that sometimes, God makes us take detours on our journey so we may become stronger, wiser, and more equipped to handle the bigger blessings coming our way.

Read and be inspired!

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Today will be my first day at work after 5 and a half months of unemployment. I like sharing unfinished testimonies because they tend to be my most authentic ones.

When I finished my fellowship back in September I never imagined I would be out of work. Since the 6th grade, I’ve had my life planned out, go to college, get my doctorate, get licensed, work.

Up until September, everything was going as planned, no breaks, straight through. But then September came and for the first time in my life I had no plans. I was thrust into a waiting period for my psychologist license that took 5 months longer than I wanted and an emotional toll that I never expected. I interviewed for a couple of jobs. Jobs I knew God was not calling me to, but because I had a “vision” of how my career life was “supposed” to be. I didn’t get two of them and was offered one, but turned it down because I knew God said nah. But it was only October so I felt like it’s okay you got time.

Then October turned into November which turned into December. I kept hearing myself say okay God I think I’ve learned what you wanted me to learn, now you can make things shake. But still I heard nothing. I remember saying in December, there’s no way if they tell me I’ll have to wait to til the board meeting in February to get licensed that I will make it. Nope, God I will give up. Then January 3rd came. I contacted the licensing board on January 3rd and after they told me I would have to wait for the board meeting on February 12th, I broke down. I mean, hyperventilating, uncontrollable tears, unable to speak break down. I immediately sent out an SOS to my family and close friends saying I was defeated and in need of prayers. Because I’ve been blessed with such wonderful people they did just that (and my best friend ordered me cookies all the way from Atlanta). And almost immediately I felt covered in peace.

One of my friends told me that I was on her heart that morning and felt that there was something I hadn’t done yet in this waiting period that I needed to accomplish. I started wondering what could it possibly be I feel like I’ve learned patience (or so I thought), I’m in church… But then I finally realized that during this time I was relying on my own strength and it was tiring me out.

Daily I was pushing a ton of bricks not knowing that if I gave it to God the bricks would disappear.

Once I stopped operating on my own strength, I began operating within peace. People’s questions didn’t bother me and people began to comment how “at ease” I was not knowing had they talked to me a month prior I was a mess. But God. Over and over all I can say is But God. Looking back there were so many things I was able to accomplish because I was unemployed. I was able to be there for births and weddings, to babysit, share my faith while driving Lyft, become committed to my churches community, begin new relationships and strengthen old ones, help plan weddings, host people needing a place to stay. And there have been so many lessons I have learned in this time:

1. Pain and joy can co-exist
2. Never be ashamed to utilize the systems you’ve paid into
3. Well intentioned advice is not always good advice
4. Don’t come to God with more faith than you actually have—be honest
5. When you’ve spent majority of your adult life helping others with their self growth at the cost of your own, it doesn’t help anyone
6. But God, in my brokenness has made me whole

I’m not worrying about where I want to be when I now know where I need to be.

Many of us have grand career goals. We’d love to get a promotion at work by a certain timeframe. Others would love to get a particular kind of job right after graduating from university. For others, establishing their own businesses is their goal.

It’s really easy to dream big, but without a proper plan for execution, those big career dreams may never materialize.

Here are a few tips to help you create and execute career goals every month.

• Make a ‘Vision Board’: Before formulating a plan to execute your career goals, you must first have an overall vision of the direction in which you are planning to go. And a ‘Vision Board’ helps in defining this vision. A Vision Boardis ‘a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.’ On your Vision Board, you can have pictorial representations of the career goals you wish to accomplish every month. This enables you keep the bigger picture in mind, as you create your specific goals.
• Break down your goals into small tasks: To accomplish your goals, at the beginning of every month, put together a ‘to do’ list of those little tasks you will need to engage in to accomplish your goals for the month. For instance, someone’s goal may be to use social media as a means of establishing themselves as a thought leader in a given field. Let’s give the example of a food enthusiast who is an aspiring chef. This goal of social media prominence can be accomplished by setting targets, and carrying out the following small tasks within a given month to reach those targets. For example:

Goal for the month: To conduct cooking demos to be recorded and published on Youtube and Facebook for a weekly Vlog series. Short clips of the video will be uploaded to Instagram and Twitter.

How do we go about making the vlog series a reality?

1. Set a budget for filming the cooking demos and research cameramen/good, affordable film crews
2. Schedule filming dates in advance. For instance, the four vlog episodes can be shot in one day to save money, and to ensure that the videos can be edited in a timely manner in order to meet the target of having one vlog released per week

By breaking down goals into small tasks in this manner, you will find that the big picture of your goals for the month will be accomplished efficiently.

• Self-assessment: In order to do a better job of accomplishing your career goals at the beginning of every month, it is imperative to assess your performance from the previous months. Ask yourself these honest questions, and give yourself honest answers. What were the things I did right that had great results? What are some things I could have done better? Overall, what are some detrimental habits I need to get rid of in order to be successful? (E.g procrastination, poor planning, etc). What steps can I take to do better this month?

You may choose to conduct this personal Q & A session by writing in your journal. This is a great idea, as you can always go back to review your progress, based on responses accumulated over time.

In a nutshell, you can successfully create and execute your monthly career goals by keeping the big picture in mind, breaking down your goals into small tasks, and honest self-assessment.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

So, how do successful people spend their time after work? Here are a few tips:

Spend some time with yourself

Yes, spend some quality time with YOU.

Think about it, you spend most of your life at work, surrounded by co-workers. And when you come back from work, you probably spend time with your family or flat mates – which is great.

However, in order to feel rejuvenated and mentally prepared for the next day it is essential that you spend a few moments alone doing things that relax your mind.

For instance, if you have the luxury of time, after work, go and get a pedicure. Or a quick massage. Or go see a movie by yourself. But if you really don’t have the luxury of time and need to go home right after work every day to take care of your family, you can still spend time alone. Even 10 minutes spent alone can help calm your mind. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to! Just let the silence envelope you. You can do whatever you want within those 10 minutes. If you are the praying type, pray. Want to meditate? alright. Just want to sit in silence? Fabulous.

According to Psychology Today, ‘Being by yourself with no distractions gives you the chance to clear your mind, focus, and think more clearly. It’s an opportunity to revitalize your mind and body at the same time.’

You will find that when your mind and body are refreshed, you perform better at any tasks you engage in both in the workplace, your social life, and at home.

Read

Okay this may sound kind of boring to some of you at first, but hear us out.

While at work, the only information you are bombarded with is work-related. After work, it’s a great idea to get new inspiration and knowledge that isn’t necessarily related to your current job. Do some reading to get insight on how to achieve your dreams.

For instance, if you are working a 9 to 5 job but are looking to run your own business someday, take some time out to do some reading and research about the field you wish to be an entrepreneur in.

Come on girl, your goal of world domination isn’t going to materialize magically. Nope. You need to spend time after work reading about entrepreneurs that you look up to. What’s their business model like? How can you draw inspiration from them and adapt ideas to fit your own business ideas?

Let’s face it, this kind of reading/research isn’t something you can efficiently do at at work – no matter how hard you try to sneak in a few moments of reading here and there.

The only time you will have to do this reading is after work. You can spend 1o minutes a day doing the reading. Do this every day for a month and you’ll be amazed at just how much knowledge you are able to garner.

Reading for pleasure after work is also a great idea, and can be extremely therapeutic especially when done just before bed. If you are the type that doesn’t like to hold actual books, or you dislike staring at your iPad/tablet screen, you can get one of those audio books, and let it read you to sleep.

You will have successful, peaceful sleep, and feel lovely in the morning! By the way, Enid Blyton books are a personal favourite and are great for the soul (who cares if you are over the age of 18 and still love reading children’s books before bedtime? No judgement here!)

Spend quality time with loved ones

You probably spend most of your time at work with co-workers. After work, it is essential to take some time out to spend time with bae, your besties, or your family.

Go on a dinner date. Go see a play after work. Sit back, relax and let your hair down.

After all, you know what happened to Jack when he overworked himself right? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Don’t be like Jack. Make time for play and you will find that your productivity level at work will skyrocket.

Work stress actually takes a toll on productivity. To be successful in any endeavour, play time is necessary.

Photo Credit: www.the-coreport.com

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Have some more tips? Do share in the comments section below.