FuckUp Nights Vol 3
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The third edition of FUN Nights commenced with networking, delicious food from Meals on Wheels and drinks from Dial a Drink!. There were definitely lots of laughs and plenty of lessons learned from this edition.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”19183″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”19182″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”19185″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”19188″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Our first speaker of the night was Candice Mwakalyelye, an award-winning radio personality and newscaster, presenter and radio show host at ZiFM stereo. She is also a voice-over artist and brand ambassador for DeeKawZee accessories and makeup by Gamu. She worked for East Africa Television Ltd in Tanzania as a breakfast show presenter and as an English news editor for the same broadcaster. “FUN” fact, she speaks four languages fluently English, Shona, Ndebele and Swahili.
Candice spoke about all the imprudent choices she has made while trying to get her business, Deity, off the ground. With a good, scalable model and a real problem to fix, she had the right formula. However, she faced numerous struggles along the way including; pricing issues, quality concerns, poor financial management skills[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]and the self-consciousness of starting the business in her home. She stated, “there is a strange feeling of shame when we fail. We lose our smile and spark when things might not be going in the right direction. I regret every moment I have felt less for not hitting the notes. Some of us live immersed in an overachiever culture. It’s obviously fantastic to share our successes and amazing experiences with other intense people, but there is a downside: sometimes we create a toxic cycle by trying to always be on a high or [keeping up with the Kardashians]. That…it’s just impossible”. These major stumbling blocks helped her business to grow to its current status and have helped her to separate business funds from personal funds, a necessary distinction in order an SME to succeed.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Our final speaker of the night was Farai, aka “The Voice”, Gwaze. From the moment he uttered his first words, the audience understood why he gained that moniker. After leaving Watershed College in Marondera, he went to South Africa where he studied Media and Communications, Drama and Performance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Farai is one of the best presenters in Zimbabwe and he is conquering the broadcasting world. He is a producer and presenter at Capitalk 100.4fm. Capitalk is Harare’s premier talk radio station telling stories and reflecting on Zimbabwe’s journey. Farai is also part of the African Economic Expansion Summit whose objective is to use new media tools to present the entrepreneurial endeavors of young Africans in fashion, entertainment, the performing arts and music.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”19186″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Farai’s story centred on his ventures in the mining industry driven by his deep desire to make it big. As an inexperienced beginner, with little knowledge on the ins and outs of the industry, he was burnt many times. His first few years were marred with constant pitfalls including getting swindled due to ignorance and detained for illegal mining. At one point, he almost died when a shaft collapsed in on him. Most people would have abandoned the dream long before that, but not Farai. For him, it was just the beginning of his journey. After switching from gold to chrome, he went into several other raw deals until he eventually made it to where he is today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The night only ended because the music was a little too loud for our neighbors. Notwithstanding, conversations carried on long after the music had stopped. Everyone left inspired and motivated knowing that failure isn’t the end of the rope. The key takeaway: keep trying, evolving and adapting and success is sure to come.
If you missed the third edition of Fuckup Nights Harare, you can catch up on YouTube and Facebook. The fourth edition will be held on 19 April 2019. For constant updates follow Fuck Up Nights Harare on Facebook at @FuckUpNightsHarare and visit the website[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]