WOMAN, LIBERATE YOURSELF. (PART 2)

At some point in my life, I found myself in a classroom as the only African Woman. The other lady was from Russia. The rest were all male, including the professors and supervisors. Being a woman in this case did not give me an edge, it just meant I was different. That I have something to bring to the table, that I can pursue an MSc. in Financial Engineering and have good grades like my male counterparts. Needless to say, I am actually doing pretty well, so gender is not an issue. To my fellow ladies, learn to embrace your womanhood, with all your flaws, with all your beauty, with all your intelligence. Prove to yourself that you have a place in the so called male dominated careers, Finance is critical to a nation, an economy, the world. So we need to be at the table during the decision making process. We need more women in board rooms, we need more women in governance. When you put on your dress and walk into a room, do it with confidence, with a smile on your face, the world is gloomy as it is.

The only way we can cultivate the culture of women liberation is by taking on challenges. Have a solid education, harness your skills so that people do not base your credibility on things such as beauty and luck. We’re fortunate to be living in the internet age. In fact, if you’re not internet savvy, you’re depriving yourself and your business a substantial amount of benefits not only in terms of revenues but also in terms of social capital. I got a Masters scholarship from LinkedIn, I have made solid business partnerships from networking on Twitter, I have clients from Facebook, I have watched countless videos relating to trading on YouTube, that’s actually one of the tools I used to teach myself how to trade. You have to be willing to go the extra mile. Self-taught mechanisms are the best ways to learn, not a classroom set up. I am yet to join Instagram. Do not underestimate the power of social media, you can make as much progress networking online more than you can do in person, especially if you can’t afford high profile meetings, seminars and the like. This doesn’t discount the fact that you still need to put yourself out there.

Once you acquire the necessary credentials, then you have a footing in your industry of choice. There’s really nothing to brag about being well educated, it’s just a qualification, it gets you to the door. How you carry yourself, your demeanor, your kindness, your communication skills and humility goes a long way. It’s how you associate with people that determines whether you can kick some ass. Oprah Winfrey once said to a group of graduating college students that “Your Legacy is every life you’ve touched”. That’s essentially what you will be remembered for. That’s what will comprise the major part of your eulogy once you’re gone. So you might as well start thinking of doing something that adds value to others and brings in fulfillment to you rather than keep yourself busy in the hustle and bustle of life of paying bills getting by. Do not mistake true wealth for richness, I believe you know the difference. But you cannot do that without STARTING, you have to bet on yourself. You won’t know how much you can do unless you start. You will realize that once you put all your energies and focus on that which you have purposed to do, then the universe has a way of opening doors for you. Somehow, things start to happen, I call it the magic of betting on yourself.

The quest for woman liberation comes with its own share of challenges. Like every good thing, patience is critical. A clear vision backed up by a strategy, commitment and action sets the path for achieving goals, little by little. It’s a daily hustle. Knowing that daily targets are part of a road-map that only you have the power to make it or break it. You’re the vision carrier, not anyone else. Do not let other people define for you what you can and cannot do, because, then you’d be giving up your own power. Every morning when I wake up, I look at my vision board, it affirms my commitment, then get things done. Have realistic timelines that you can work with. It is estimated that only 1% of those who trade the financial markets are successful. I want to bring Wall Street home. I want to be part of the 1%.