The Journey of an Entrepreneur

Phemelo Phemi Segoe- She Brigade

The Journey of an Entrepreneur

When I look back at my childhood, my early adulthood and my work experience, becoming an entrepreneur is in my blueprint.

I was raised by entrepreneurs so before I knew what entrepreneurship was, I was being moulded by it. I think you end up learning certain things through osmosis like managing difficult customers and creating value for your clients to remain their supplier of choice. I didn’t know I learned any of this until now. When I started working, I only ever worked for small companies and very closely with the founders. I’ve always worked closely with entrepreneurs and thus had the opportunity to learn what it takes to make it or at least try.

My journey as a full time entrepreneur started in 2018 when I launched my first business Milltribe. Milltribe is a branding and social media management company for SMMEs. We, as a society, connect through the stories we tell. Every brand has a story to connect with its target audience but many brands lose their voice & credibility as a result of poor branding &/or being unable to authentically tell their stories. MillTribe aims to bridge that gap meaningfully. I studied brand building and management at Vega School of brand leadership so branding I am strategist before anything. I love being able to help entrepreneurs bring their brands to life or organise their plans in a more meaningful and strategic way.

From Milltribe, I opened Hertribe Foundation. This is a Non-profit Organization aimed at empowering young girls from grassroots level i.e. mentoring and workshops on self-image, body positivity and confidence. I have big plans for Hertribe in 2019 and I hope I will formulate the right team to bring them into fruition.

“Being an underdog only sounds cool in concepts but is extremely hard especially when your livelihood depends on people choosing you.”

Lastly, the job that is perhaps my divine purpose, personal development consulting through LifeWithPhemi. I have been doing personal development work before I became a full-time entrepreneur. In fact, when I made the decision to start Milltribe, I always asked myself ‘how am I going to get into the heart work’? So I started creating online projects that I would share with my online tribe and we would tackle them together. Projects like #10intentionaldays and #NocomplaintsChallenge. I finally decided to step it up by creating LifewithPhemi, my wellness and self-development brand. Through LifewithPhemi, I have one-to-one sessions with people trying to realign + relove themselves or figure out what their next steps should be in trying to become better versions of themselves. This year, on the last Saturday morning of every month, I lead something called WellnessWalks with Phemi. This is an opportunity to be part of tribe of people who want to, a) hike once a month and b) learn more about self-care while creating safe spaces to grow and support one another.

 

My journey has just started so I think my best moments are definitely ahead and that keeps me going. Starting out is not easy. Being an underdog only sounds cool in concepts but is extremely hard especially when your livelihood depends on people choosing you. So if you’ve just started your business, buckle up. And that’s not in a negative sense. I want people to understand how unglamorous entrepreneurship is but how rewarding it can be when you’re living out what you believe to be your purpose. And that’s the next big takeaway, when you find your purpose, you won’t need willpower to pursue it. What drives us most as individuals is feelings of belonging and meaning, so doing the deep work to decipher what it is you’re most passionate about is important. Once you know where you’re meant to be, you’ll be able to put in the work to make your dreams materialize.

“Every decision we make either moves us closer to our dreams or further”

I would like to end off with this, every decision we make either moves us closer to our dreams or further. Our lives are a perfect reflection of our choices and we take that for granted. You will never regret trying, you will never regret testing out your ideas, you will never regret doing something to better yourself + your life but you will regret all the chances you chose not to take. As a wellness consultant, I know for sure that consistent investment into bettering yourself is the best investment you will make. One that no one can take away from you. As a strategist, I know that planning is pivotal but execution is crucial. Don’t get stuck in your own head, rise to the occasion, rise to your potential. Get up everyday, choose yourself and do the work.


This article was written by Phemelo Segoe (25). Founder of MillTribe and Hertribe Foundation

If you’d like to reach me, here are all the different channels:

My site: www.lifewithphemi.com

Twitter: @PhemeloSegoe

Instagram: phemelosegoe

Email: phemelo@milltribe.com

For branding and social media management:

www.milltribe.com

Twitter: Milltribe

Instagram: milltribe

 

Phemelo Segoe- She Brigade

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