Page 34 - Start Up_Genesis

She’s now a pastor who runs a women’s organization
that does work with female prisoners. Just watching
them has always made me believe I could do it all
too.

Q. What was your biggest fear and how did you
conquer it?

A. ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is something many
entrepreneurs struggle with and has been my
biggest fear. This is the thought that “I don’t really
know what I’m doing” but I’ve found that even the
best of us don’t always know it all in business. The
n this enlightening series, we come up
more I research, the more confident I feel in certain
close and personal with women who have
situations because I am armed with knowledge.
Idominated in what used to be male-led
I think for me, fear changes seasonally. When I
industries and positions. We catch up with ladies
try something and it works, I get over the fear of
who are juggling business with motherhood,
failure.
relationships, academic endevours and everything
else that life tosses their way. Our warrior this
Q. What are the biggest hurdles you’ve faced?
month is Zimbabwean-born Nicolle Shana,
creator and editor-in-chief of Shana, a lifestyle
A. One of my biggest hurdles was my lack of
online magazine.
exposure. The more I exposed myself, the more
I realized that many were making it in worse
Q. What’s your every day hustle?
conditions. Once conversant with my peers
and mentors in the business world, I started to
A. I have many hustles but my main one
understand how people were working. Another
is creating. I love creating content that can
hurdle was the instability of my country’s
potentially excite, entice and impact people.
(Zimbabwe) currency. One day you get paid a
certain amount only for it to be a loss the next day
Q. How long have you been in that industry?
when the currency fluctuates.

A. Wow! I’ve been in my industry for roughly
Q. What’s been your biggest achievement?
seven years now. It takes patience, consistency
and focus to build a business but also gain
A. That’s a tough one. My biggest achievement
experience. It’s worth the wait and sticking it
was graduating and obtaining my bachelor’s degree
out for the long haul.
because my parents had worked so hard to get me
through school. Just watching them beam with
Q. What prompted you to pursue your
pride made me feel so fulfilled. It’s not the grandest
ambitions?
of accomplishments but it meant the world to me
because it made them proud.
A. The catalyst for me was definitely the women
in my family. My grandmother learned to read
Q. What are some practical ways in which you
and write late in life but was a great entrepreneur
balance out your life?
who opened a shop in town and sold health
products. My mother is also a phenomenal
A. I don’t believe in balance. I’m not married and
entrepreneur who’s done everything from owning
have no kids. I just believe in prioritizing and going
a pool company, spa and restaurant, to selling and
all out for my dreams and the people I care about.
making wedding gowns.
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