Sunday, November 8, 2015

My Thoughts On Being In Destiny Magazine's Power of 40 list

Where do I even begin?!?


May 21, 2012 holds a special place in my heart. Nope it's not when I first met my husband, no it's not when I made my first million (a girl can wish right), it's not even when I found my purpose in life. It's when I got fired. Well fired is harsh and untrue - it's when I got laid off. I was working a job I hated at a major corporation and on that day my then boss changed the trajectory of my life. She called me into her corner office and took a lot of joy in informing that May 21st would be my last day there.
Me in 2012 living the 9-5 life


So how did I take the news? Being jobless in New York City is not the business. It's an expensive city to live in. But believe it or not I was ECSTATIC! Who get's fired and get's excited? This girl right here! I had enough of the office politics, backstabbing, cattiness and general child-ish nonsense that comes with working at any corporation. I was #OverIt ya'll. 

You see I knew that my time was up at that particular company. I knew that the job loss was the Universe nudging me in the right direction and pushing me towards what I was really supposed to be doing - working for myself as a celebrity reporter and blogger. Being laid off gave me a great opportunity to re-align my life and really hone in on what I wanted my professional career to look like. I had lost my way in the cosines of a plush job and the security of getting a nice paycheck every two weeks. This lay-off was a terrific opportunity to get real and deliberate about what the next phase of my life was going to be.

So let's fast forward to 3 years down the line and MAMA I HAVE MADE IT. I say this not in a boastful way but in a I-have-worked-my-ass-off-to-get-here type of way. I have interviewed countless celebrities, worked for major brands and built a decent social media following. I wouldn't have done all of this on my own without being laid off. May 21st is special to me because God spoke to me that day and after many years of ignoring HIS word - I finally listened. The jig was up, it was time to grow allllll the way up and get real.  It was divine intervention. 

As I look back on my short career thus far, I just wanted to share 3 life lessons I've learned along the way

1. Forget 9-5 this is a 24/7 type of job

Working for myself is incredibly hard. I don't have office hours and even though I work on the red carpet my life is far from glamorous. Meeting celebrities is a lot of fun but consider this - my clients are in South Africa so I have to be constantly glued to my phone checking emails around the clock, I have to be able to travel at a moment's notice,  it takes a really really long time to get paid from clients *insert groan here* it ain't easy. Which brings me to my next point.... 


2. Hustle, hustle, hustle hard

In "U Don't Know" Jay-Z rapped 
I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well
I was born to get cake, move on and switch states

Beyonce's husband was preaching a word on that track. I have had to hustle hard since 2012 and constantly re-calibrate my life. When I first started out, I knew I wanted to be in front of the camera but over the years in order to make ends meet I've had to learn how to write and produce so that I can have multiple streams of income. I am constantly thinking of how else I can make an impact. What classes or courses can I enroll in to make myself more marketable? How do I network more? When is that first million coming? The questions are endless. Being a hustler means that at times I will fail - every plan I come up with is not going to be successful. 

In an interview with Fashionista, designer Marissa Webb nailed it when she said :
"It was never that tada! — this is what I'm going to do and this is the only thing I'm going to do. You have to be willing to make mistakes and willing to try things out as you go."


3. Being Acknowledged Feels Good

I can't tell you how honored I am to be on the Destiny Magazine Power of 40 list. Can I be honest with you for a minute? Can we have a real conversation? When they first told me I made the list, I was beyond happy but after a few seconds the joy started slowly fading and doubt starting creeping in. I really started wondering if I deserved to be on that list. Destiny Magazine is such a respected publication and the founder Khanyi Dhlomo is one of my ultimate role models. Was this too soon?

Don't you just hate that inner critic? Ugghh the worst. 

Well after a few hours of prayer and meditation (and a few drinks with hubby) I realized that this was exactly where I was supposed to be in life. Being on that list doesn't necessarily mean I have arrived - it's validation from the Universe, God and my peers that I am on the right track. I don't have a boss, so there is no performance review with areas of improvement.  I have to learn on the job and while this may seem daunting for some, I am blessed to say that I am living my dream. What more can I ask for? 

What I now know for sure, is that I can bet on myself at all times and come out on the winning side - even when I fail. #IWillNotLose

P.S Please make sure to pick up the November issue of Destiny Magazine to see who else made the list!

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5 comments

  1. Congratulations Makho. Nice to gain some insights from your journey so far. More power to your elbow.

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  2. You are *such* an inspiration, my friend. I am at a crossroads in my life and I think this post has just confirmed what I have always known in my heart of hearts. Here's to saying no to halfhearted efforts and to following our dreams!

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    Replies
    1. Yes my friend, cheers to following our dreams - no matter how tough it gets!

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  3. You have no idea how happy and excited i am for you right now, you're the definition of hard work, down to earth and a bunch of joy. Your works inspire millions of people out there and i am happy to be one of them. Congratulations Makho! Well Done.

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