#WIB – Q&A With Nyeleti Furumele Founder Of #BossGirl
1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
A. My business is called #BossGirl (IG: @Bossgirlza) we are a platform for young women to come together to share ideas and learn from each other. I think of it as a young and dynamic movement aimed at empowering young black women in Africa using video content. Our niche is a focus on women from various sectors who are hungry to share their stories with other women across the continent.
2. When, how and why did you start your business?
A. Officially I started this venture five years ago, unofficially (wink) last year just before covid-19 halted the world. The initial idea was to create a television show that showcased amazing women from across the country and continent who were doing amazing things. After pitching the idea to the channel, the idea was turned down. I then took a pause. So, after two years of sulking, last year I decided to take a different route. I decided to use Instagram as proof of concept, I wanted to show channel that my idea to celebrate black women was a viable one.
My desire is to make sure that as women we celebrate each other loud and proud because for centuries we have been taught to hide our success, but times have changed, and we want to celebrate each other as best as we can.
3. What is your role in the business?
A. I am effectively the Executive Content Producer. I plan the content, contact guests, book guests if need be. However, I do not run this ship alone, Rivoningo Crystal (@rivoningo_crystal) and Akonaho (@akonaho_netshifire) help with the PR and social media portion of the business. I have two people I run to who have become my sounding boards for all my craze plans for this page Eddie Maphophe (@eddiemaphophe) and Khanyisa Nghatsane (@nghatsi).
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. I studied a BA in Journalism from what is now called the Pearson’s Institute of Higher Learning. Currently, I am in the process of completing my Honours in Integrated Organisational Communication with UNISA.
5. How did you finance your business?
A. Because #BossGirl exists online, I did not have any start-up costs for my business.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
A. Typically, between 8-11 am I will be online (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Google) searching for guests, reading articles, looking at profiles I follow to see what they are doing, or just to gain inspiration. From 12-5 pm I am live on air as I work fulltime for a news network. From 6-11 pm I am catching up on my studies. It does not always go like this but on good days that is how it goes. In-between the chaos, I sneak in an episode of The Big Bang Theory (nothing lightens the heart like Leonard and Sheldon).
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A. Honestly, right now in this season of my life I do not have a home life/work-life balance because of all the things happening in my life as well as how consuming #BossGirl can be at times. When I am off from work, I do try to detach from everything and focus on my family but that also does not always go as planned. Ask me this question in a few months’ time and I might have a different answer.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
A. What drives me is the comments I get from my community about how much they have learnt from seeing other black women on my platform share their stories and journeys with my audience. I am inspired by every woman who answers my dm, email, and LinkedIn message because they are willing to share their story with my community and trust that I will handle their story with respect and care. I love the fact that we are rewriting the stories of so many African women, that is what pushes me every day.
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. Honestly, my best ideas come at night when the world is sleeping, and I can hear my own thoughts. A lot of the guests who have appeared on the show were contacted at night. I would usually be in bed with reruns of The Big Bang Theory playing in the background as I make magic.
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
A. Due to the fact that we exist online, a lot of our marketing and advertising is done on Instagram and LinkedIn. We are currently trying to introduce paid for advertising to women-owned businesses on our platform. There were a few logistical kinks that I wanted to sort out first before jumping into the deep end. Our aim is to be able to have small to medium enterprises advertise their businesses on our page for a fee. We are also working on entering into paid partnerships or collaborations with brands that are in aliment with what we stand for.
11. What is next for your business?
A. We are growing our network slowly, so I am excited about two new features we are adding to our page, it is going to be new and different from the way we have been doing things in the past. We are growing our A.R.T. Conversations (Africa Round Table) – a special event that focuses on specific issues by bringing together women from various countries to share solutions and ideas – super excited for this. We are as I mentioned before planning to build up various revenue streams for the business. There are other plans that are in the pipeline that I cannot discuss just yet, but it will be amazing.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?
A. Just do it. I know you have heard, seen, and read these words before but the truth is Just Do It. Have a squad of people who believe in you surround you. I was blessed by having amazing cheerleaders who cheered me on even through the dark days when things were falling apart. Personally, I believe in God and the power of prayer. #BossGirl was birthed five years ago but we’re only gaining traction and momentum now, there are days that I believe only God and prayer pushed me forward.
Short bio:
We are a movement inspiring a generation of fierce, phenomenal, and fabulous women who will change the world, one story at a time.
Contact information:
Email: info@zabossgirl.com
Social media links:
- @Bossgirlza (IG)
- Boss Girl ZA (YouTube)
- Nyeleti Furumele (LinkedIn)