#WIB – Q&A With Saskia Riley
1. Can you please tell us more about your business?
A. The Saskia Riley Network is an umbrella company that has various businesses / NPO projects underneath it.
Hucklberry Media (A Personal brand and Small Business Development Agency, achieving our clients’ full potential through authentic leadership & strategy.). We build the personal brands of entertainment industry professionals, including public speakers to ensure that they have clear messaging & public persona. We also develop the brands of small-medium-sized businesses by creating a powerful business model, brand identity & company culture.
Healing through Conversation with Saskia (An online TV Show, as well as a personal development network)
HTCWS Online TV Show – In this series, we chat with ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary breakthroughs! The purpose is to shed light on mental health issues and the effect our surroundings or experiences have on us as individuals, how to search for the power within to heal, and how to elevate our state of being.
Healing through Conversation – Weekly Group Sessions (This is a FREE group healing session for the public, hosted by myself and my partner, Lunga Tshuka). This group is a healing circle for those wanting to discuss their personal challenges and who would like to brainstorm solutions with others. Topics can be discussed like Daddy Issues, Identity, Self-Confidence, How do you identify healthy boundaries,
How to break generational cycles, overall personal development, or simply just how to way out the pros and cons of a situation that you may be in. This healing circle is dedicated to those who seek solutions, support, and a place to be vulnerable. We have 300 members to date.
Hello Daddy Issues Facebook Forum – Support group for those who are struggling or have healed from abandonment issues linked to their history of absent fathers in the family. We’ve created this community to contribute positively to society starting at the root of relationships/social influences. We aim to encourage women and men to heal from their Daddy Issues so that the cycle does not continue in generations to come. We break all labels/stereotypes and realize we are not the problem, however, it is our responsibility to be conscious of the problem. The Hello Daddy Issues forum reaches 2.2K Followers.
S.O.C South Africa (Co-Director) – S.O.C South Africa is a Youth Development Agency that aims to provide healing and restoration with humanitarian values by creating interactive learning through fun activities, games, and authentic leadership. Founded by SA comedian, Lunga Tshuka. Co-Directors are Saskia Riley & Justin Pietersen, including a team of execs, Eilene Brown & Reagan Allen.
2. When, how, and why did you start your business?
A. I started The Saskia Riley Network 5 Years Ago to date. All I had was a laptop, wifi, and apps to create the branding. No funding at all, besides my own personal investment for Wifi and Travels. I spent 2 years jotting down, learning and applying methods, and researching what challenges are being faced in the entertainment industry, including adding my personal experience – before business, I was a trained professional in Singing, Acting, and Dancing since the age of 4 Years Old.
This set the foundation for what artists’ needs are, what they are challenged with and what it takes mentally to achieve success as an entertainment professional. I had mentors around me from a young age who guided me on how to become an artist, what mindset is needed, and how to ensure that I contribute positively and I decided to share that knowledge with others.
The idea was developed when one of my mentors and I were in a session and we were brainstorming how to create a powerful brand then I applied it to my career, at the same time decided to teach this theory/technique to others.
3. What is your role in the business?
A. I think it explains it above? Let me know if more clarity is needed.
4. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. Previously I was a Waterfront Theater School Student & Professional Acting for Camera student at City Varsity. Later I then did a few courses like Entrepreneurship Incubator Forum at False Bay College, then a course in Digital Marketing, and now NLP Life Coaching. I’m also on a 7 Figure Speakers Program with a mentor and Hucklberry business partner, Milan Milosevic.
5. How did you finance your business?
A. It’s all self-funded at this stage. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices by meeting only my basic needs, saving on costs, and in order to re-invest in the business. I am also, blessed to have a mother that supports my entrepreneurship journey and helps out.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
A. Haha! It doesn’t exist. I am up from 6:30 am – to 7 am every day (even on weekends), only because I realize that I need to stay mentally balanced – so a good night’s rest is extremely important for me as that impacts my productivity. Prayer & Meditation, including learning something new every day in spiritualism, psychology, or within my skillset is a daily non-negotiable, so I actively spend time in the morning/evening doing that for at least 15-30mins – 1 hour a day.
The rest of my day is spent in client meetings/brainstorms or completing work tasks. I repeat the same routine over weekends unless I need to be somewhere, which I don’t do quite often, as that’s part of my sacrifice of the life I am creating for myself and my family. Someone has to become the first millionaire in the family? Haha!
My average workday ends at 9 pm at the latest. During my weekly breaks, I would be spending time with my fur baby, my partner, with my family, or at the gym. I am dedicated to spending most of my time by myself, because I share every day working with many personalities and I need to reboot as much as possible, so that I can give my best to everyone, including looking after my mental health and energy.
7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A. By being present with every responsibility. If I do it well and actively, I won’t have to spend much time trying to fix it or keep it balanced – it’ll just happen.
8. What drives you and inspires you?
A. I often say, I’ve been created for the people, to share what I have discovered and help others apply it – so being this accessible to the public requires me to “fill my cup” consistently in my alone time. I’m quite the loner, in a crowd full of people and I love it! You won’t find me moving with the next best fad or trying to keep up.
I’m in a race with the last thing I accomplished and that’s how I am able to be a sounding board for those I work with as I’m not easily persuaded by what’s hot at this moment. I’ve dedicated my life to others in the hopes of them living their true purpose just like me!
I was blessed to have been born knowing what I want from a very young age and how to get it, so It makes me happy doing that for others because seeing them succeed and knowing that I helped just a bit by finding their sense of purpose, is the greatest reward. I am passionate about the beauty of LIFE, being able to LOVE and LIVE in truth!
9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. Anytime, Anywhere at any given moment – it never stops! There’s no off button for dreams, visions, and goals – unless you’re dead. You could be telling me about the packet of chips you ate – I’ll be thinking of the branding, how they used their words, who collaborated with them, and funny ad’s that could go with it. I’ve found that there’s an unsolved problem in everything we look at and I could just be the key to finding the solution.
10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
A. Right now, we’ve been blessed to advertise using social media and have also been able to reach into my network for our next lead. Finding clients has never been a challenge, I have loyal clients who have been working with us for 2 – 4+ Years on renewal. My theory is that our clients are walking representatives of the work we do – so if we look after them well & help them become impeccable brands, someone’s going to ask – how did you build such a professional brand? And they’ll say, I have help from my friends at Hucklberry.
11. What is next for your business?
A. LOADS of things in store! Definitely, the next step of the business is probably creating life-changing events, also developing our national internship program, and working with clients who are young game-changers.
12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own businesses?
A. I would give any entrepreneur advice – not just females. I believe I am an entrepreneur first, before my gender! That’s the first bit of advice – to not limit ourselves to gender in the world of business. No matter who or what you are – you are built to be on any stage, walk into any room and belong, because of the light you hold! Knowing your power and owning it – already seals 80% of the deal. The rest is what you already know, so JUST START developing that business model and seal the deal!
More information on the facilitators:
Saskia Riley is trained in public speaking, with Millionaire Speakers, Producer & Host of Healing Through Conversation with Saskia Online TV Show, Entrepreneur, and Ambassador of Friends of Valkenberg Trust who works in conjunction with hospital staff at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital to promote the recovery of people with serious mental illnesses.
Lunga Tshuka is a South-African stand-up comedian who uses humor to help heal humanity through laughter, as he believes humor has the ability to plant seeds of multiple perspectives of daily life challenges. Before comedy, Lunga was trained as a youth facilitator at an NPO and assisted youth with identity and childhood trauma and continues to lead as a mental health activist by chatting to SA Celebs on his podcast, The Price of Fame. In these conversations, Lunga aims to shed light on the hardships, sacrifices, and mindset guests have overcome to reach their current position in their careers.