The theme of the episode was ‘work life’, about finding the profit and the purpose. “We know there can be no profit without purpose. How can my money work for me when work and life change dramatically?”
The Liberty Blue Table Sessions is a six-part video series designed to tap into the power of our shared experiences and humanity in the face of unprecedented life changes.
Mkhize’s key message to fellow women in business is this: "We should make an effort to invest in ourselves in order to create the future we each desire."
Always lipstick and a smile, even if no one can see it, it makes me feel like I've somehow dressed up a bit. Along with a million words that I often can't find the energy to express through my mask.
I was mostly at home on our farm working on my Masters dissertations.
I've found this new way of working to be exactly my element. As an entrepreneur, I'm used to working from home or turning coffee shops into an office and it's been lovely connecting with people in this way. As a professional speaker, I definitely do miss a live audience. We've always known that technology bridges distance, but the lockdown has really proved that and I love being able to reach new audiences that were previously out of reach because physical live events were the norm.
I often sleep really late working on stuff and I find my most productive and creative hours to be between 10pm and 2am, so I wake up around 9/10am and respond to messages (emails and social media). I'll then set out my top tasks for the day and get working. My new routine is fairly new as most of this year has been reading academic papers and compiling my research paper, so we'll see how what's next unfolds.
Check-in via mail or WhatsApp and comment on social media posts. I think people who normally don't share a lot on social media have been doing so more during lockdown and it's been nice to see posts about their family, new things they're trying or their thoughts on an article. I find that little bit of engagement goes a long way.
Zoom calls are definitely the new social norm and almost every "quick" call is now a video call of sorts. I'm fortunate to be with my family and it's always great spending time together.
In this time physical fitness has been at an absolute zero, but I always eat well. I'm a firm believer in eating food that's "alive" so lots of fruits and veggies. I'm part of a Friday mental health group where we share different wellness aspects which have kept me mentally sound and reading books on personal growth.
I discovered a lovely loadshedding app, which I haven't used much as loadshedding was minimal during the lockdown. I also recently got Whova from an event I was hosting, which is fantastic for participating in virtual events.
I don't think I have one, but I'm loving the "Jerusalema" challenge.
As soon as travelling is clear, I'm gone. I need a beach and some spacious rooms with a fresh breeze blowing through all day.
I'm a social entrepreneur, author and speaker. The lockdown has actually allowed me time to focus on a venture I've been meaning to get going and I launched MentHer in this time, a global mentorship network supporting female social entrepreneurs. As a speaker, it's been a very quick pivot to online events, and that has been so well received and I'm enjoying it. As a student, it gave me much needed time to focus on my submissions with minimal distractions.
I think universities have responded well with the resources available. There are several criticisms that can be made, but considering the unprecedented circumstances, they've done what they can to keep things going and not disrupt learning, and I really commend all the lecturers and students working overtime to complete the academic calendar.
I'm working on the membership for MentHer and getting our first cohort of female social entrepreneurs to come on board to inspire and support one another, as well as link up with a fantastic group of mentors. With this, we'll also be launching our "girl boss" merchandise, which includes the ideal home office starter kit for every entrepreneur.
Working with new and different people across time zones and doing more in one day because we no longer have to drive from meeting to meeting, so time can really be maximised with tasks that count.
"Guuuuurl" and "chiiiiilleeee" often encapsulate every experience based on where the emphasis is placed.
This won't last forever so put time behind that idea, get a plan in place and execute. There's never been a better time to put out an MVP online and test the feedback, there's a captive audience waiting, so engage!
Visit Mkhize's website Ntsikim.co.za and follow her on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
*Interviewed by Jessica Tennant.