#WIB – Q&A With Ida Achiume Founder Of Mental Wealth Pty Ltd
1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
A. Mental Wealth Pty Ltd is a mental wellness company that operates in South Africa. Our goal is to encourage and entice conversations and engagements around mental health in a society where poor mental health is rife yet information is not easily shared or accessible to most.
2. When, how and why did you start your business?
A. I started my business in 2017, when I started giving talks and running workshops at universities. It was only in 2020 that I would make the decision to widen my reach to corporates and individuals in need of mental health consulting services. It was in 2020 that I formally registered my business.
3. What is your role in the business?
A. I am the founder of my business, and I am the facilitator of the services offered. I give talks based on my own lived experiences and on principles of psychology that I offer as tools for the betterment of one’s mental health. I run workshops and I offer my clients insights on their corporate mental health status and research on global trends.
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. My first degree was in Business Science (Finance and Marketing) from the University of Cape Town. I am currently completing my Masters in Social Science (Mental Health Promotion) with the South African College of Applied Psychology.
5. How did you finance your business?
A. My business was initially financed through funds borrowed from an existing business venture with my husband.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
A. My average day starts with exercise, before I take my 7-year-old daughter to school. A cup of tea upon returning from the school run, before I am met by my energetic 2-year-old. I shower and get ready. I work from home mostly, so I lock myself up in my office and usually opt for online meetings. At 1pm I pick up my daughter, after lunch we do homework, before I return to my office. My day officially ends at 5, at which point I hang out with my kids and husband. I cook dinner and enter the evening routine, mostly with my laptop and phone close by for some last-minute work or catching up with family and/or friends. At 8 the kids sleep and if I can, I watch a movie or random tv with my hubby. I try to sleep by latest 11pm.
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A. This is a work in progress, I wonder if anyone has mastered it. I mean the pieces are always moving and at times I feel I have cracked it, and then a whirlwind hits me in the form of work or one of the kids being ill for example. I do try however to put up strict boundaries especially because I work from home. I try to keep my working hours for work and my leisure time for rest and relaxation but even this is challenging. It is a journey that I am working on, and I try my best to be present in whatever my task or role is at the time.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
A. I am inspired by the work I do in mental health especially where women are concerned. I am driven by the plight of the mental health space especially in South Africa, and the need to create knowledge and awareness. Individuals that inspire me are my husband Phillip- as a businessman and strategist, my kids inspire me to be better and the desire to create the best life possible for them.
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. My best ideas are formed when I am in nature walking or hiking, and when I wake up in the middle of the night (which I often do), and everyone is asleep, I get the most profound ideas in these moments.
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
A. Word of mouth has been powerful for me; people refer me for work. I also use LinkedIn and Instagram where I post relevant information that entices new clients.
11. What is next for your business?
A. I manufacture a chilli paste called Ida’s Chilli (@idaschilli), I have an ICT company with my husband, and I have Mental Wealth Pty Ltd- all under my belt now. My hands are full, but I am aiming to grow all my businesses.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
A. I would advise female entrepreneurs to take the leap and start their own businesses. One step at a time, through the trials and failures which are inevitable, I would advise them to not give up. I would advise them to associate with like minded people, to leverage off their networks and to invest in the knowledge of their industry and trade.
Social Media Links:
- IG: mental_wealth_with_ida
- Linkedin: www.linkedin/in/idahachiume
Contact:
Email: ida@mentalwealth.co.za
Website: www.mentalwealth.co.za
Short Bio:
Ida Achiume Shiaka is a Mental Health Consultant and Mental Health Advocate who seeks to educate and create awareness of mental health challenges caused by social injustices in South Africa, with the primary goal of de-stigmatizing mental illnesses. She seeks to normalise conversations about mental health through planned talks and workshops which she runs through her company Mental Wealth. Her passion lies with working with women as well as the youth whom she addresses through planned university events. Ida is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Social Science (Community Mental Health Promotion) through SACAP. As a married mother of two beautiful girls, she loves her family and enjoys the time she spends with them, while also taking time to exercise and read.