Networking breakfast highlights women’s resilience and real-life challenges in business
At the event, businesswomen in Johannesburg shared their different experiences in navigating work, family, and their personal lives, clearly pointing out the importance of resilience.
Women in Johannesburg gathered for a networking breakfast at Syringa Cafe in Randburg.
The breakfast, on March 20, focused on the resilience individuals have to carry within themselves, in order to get what they truly desire in business, with many attendees highlighting the realities of manoeuvring through business, while managing personal responsibilities.
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The conversation formed part of an event hosted by the South African Council for Businesswomen (SACBW), focused on the theme: Relentless resilience.
Guest speaker, Lynette Oxley, founder of Guns or Girls on Fire, stated that confidence and resilience are built through action. “Confidence comes after action, not before.”
Oxley encouraged women to take that first step, even in situations filled with uncertainty, mentioning that true resilience is built through consistent effort. She added that women in South Africa continue to face difficulties, which include not being treated equally in some spaces.
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Attendees shared similar views, talking about their own experiences building successful businesses, while navigating personal responsibilities. One of the attendees, entrepreneur Terrence Rathanlall, founder of Nomad Media Agency and Terra Organics, said running a business is a journey that can be isolating. “It’s a lonely road. It’s nice to join other entrepreneurs who have the same passion, and just to build a community.”
Rathanlall added that being at a different stage in life has allowed her to focus on growing her business. “I started my businesses in my 50s, so I have the time to actually devote to growing something that’s meaningful to me.”
Another attendee, Andrea Els, founder of The Wellness Way, expressed how hard it can be to run a family and a business, while being a single mother. She says this kind of event has helped her a lot, as she met like-minded women, who have turned into sisters. Els said her family motivates her to keep going and to continue building a sustainable business.
The South African Council for Businesswomen has become a support system for women in business. Women network, vent, and relax, while forming a sisterhood.
Many attendees said spaces like these provide a chance to come together, share life stories, and build support systems in a very demanding business environment.
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