Your Space Podcast

The Chemistry Professor, Project Manager, leadership coach and Author of The Act of Solving Interpersonal Problems, Robert Kargbo is an example of a life fully lived regardless of the circumstances. In our conversation Robert took us on a journey of a boy in Sierra Leone who educated himself through his daily experiences and progressed to university, only to end up in a refugee camp. Even in the refugee camp he managed to set himself apart from his problems and make the most of what appeared to be a dire situation. When he made it to America his humility and intelligence continued to open doors for him until today. Some of the learnings from this important conversation were:

1.     How we interact with each other ultimately determines our success. One of Robert’s key values is that success is determined by human interaction How we respect one another is what grows us as a society.

2.     Science is not abstract, it is our daily experience. Everything that we do is a manifestation of science. Once we focus more on science being a lived experience it will give us a better understanding of science not only being the preserve of a certain type of intelligence.

3.     Focus on what you have and not on what you don’t have. It is focusing on the latter that stagnates us and prevents our progress. He stated that when all he had to study was a candle or lamp he did not preoccupy himself with thoughts of “if only…” He made the best of what he had in the moment to achieve his goals.

4.     Humility is the recognition of the greatness of an opportunity and embracing the opportunity to learn from it. It is not reducing oneself and being engrossed in impostor syndrome. Humility requires one to show up fully to be able to utilize the opportunity presented to them

5.     Self-Reflection is the key to education and growth. Robert intricately described his observations after school that helped him understand the lessons he was taught and to identify what he might not be understanding fully at school. In reflecting he also regularly accepts that everything is happening in the order that it is supposed to. The Universe does not conspire against you it works together for the greater good.

6.     Empathy is a practice and not naturally engrained. It is not a one off action it is something one must consciously and consistently practice in order to exercise it. No one is naturally empathetic, some people are just presented with more situations and expectations to be empathetic than others.

These were only some of the key lessons learnt by and from Robert. There were many more in this enriching conversation. You can listen to this conversation at any stage acquire some nuggets of wisdom. It is undoubtedly a worthwhile listen, please do tune in and give us your feedback.

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

The phenomenon, Emmy Nominated investigative journalist, Kiki Mordi, a woman truly living unapologetically to fight the patriarchal notion that erases women from history. Her most well known fight is her investigation into the “Sex for Grades” problem in Nigerian universities, after having to drop out of university following sexual harassment from lectures who refused to give her, her grades when she refused to give them what they wanted. The issue of sexual harassment in universities is a pervasive and an unfortunately common one. She decide to highlight the problem and not cower in the face of such an injustice.

Kiki continues to reinvent herself and has started a movement “ Document Women”, that you can't help but follow when you hear her speak. When asked what she does  when people  dislike her feminism and demeanour she simply answered "That sounds like a them or a you problem." A worthwhile lesson  on the statement "What people think about you is none of your business." However, we have made it our business and are sure that one can definitely learn from her courage and passion. Some key lessons from this session are:

1. Don't doubt yourself : your thoughts and ideas are valid. Don't doubt your intelligence. Believe in yourself enough to do the work.

2. Surround yourself with people who care about you. Limit time with people who do not have your best interests at heart.

3. Standing up for yourself is standing up for others. No matter how difficult it may be to tell the hard stories, someone has to do it.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

DannythatGuy also known as Danis Dube is a man that lives in the spotlight and shies away from it. In his journey, he shares that life on the radio chose him. He had a career in IT, when an opportunity to hang out with who he calls “the cool kids” has led to him where he is now as the Manager of Programming at ZiFM, a leading Zimbabwean radio station. 

Danis is a hard-working guy who seamlessly goes with the flow and has allowed his work to choose him. He wears many hats in the media space, co-hosting on a popular podcast 2Broke Twimbos, lifestyle blogs, and African creative spaces. His passion however lies with finding the real and raw talent. Some of the learnings from our light-hearted yet in-depth discussion were:

Just go with that Flow – don’t get caught up in a single idea of what career path you should follow. When opportunities knock, open the door and try them out. You might miss out on your career. 

Be Kind Always – This is how you establish your network. Networking is not only about what other people can do for you, it is also about what you can do for others. Successful people build their careers in this way. 

Talent matters, but only if it is coupled with hard work – the media industry is one of those areas where your talent can really open doors for you. Without hard work and learning about your industry, one’s talent can quickly become a gimmick. 

Creating para-social relations and “dead air” – if you do not understand what that means you will have to listen to understand this better. 

Be kind to yourself and set boundaries with your time for the benefit of your mental health.  It’s important to protect your time in order to show up as the best version of yourself. 

This episode is definitely worthwhile to listen expand one’s perspective of a career in radio and how to navigate the space in an African country.  

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

Ian Wafula is a senior journalist for the BBC in Kenya and the founder of Heal the Web.  Unlike other people, Ian did not wonder about the career that was meant for him he knew from a young age that he had a passion for recording and telling stories since high school. Ian led the school’s magazine so the transition to studying Journalism at Daystar College in Nairobi, was a natural one. It was during an internship that he realised the purpose of his skill was to investigate and tell the truth in his journalism. An event where he happened to be at work at the right time led him to risk his life in order to get a very important  event to the people. After that he continued to build his reputation until he was an established investigative journalist working for the BBC and now studying his Masters as a Chevening Scholar. 

By telling us his enthralling journey Ian was able to impart the following lessons: 

1) Make the most out of your work by making an impact. Ian emphasised that part of what drives him is the consequence of telling the story. It’s not about fame or just capturing attention, it's about making a difference. 

2) In order to access opportunities, be present. One of the significant moments in Ian’s life was a result of being at the right place at the right time. He highlighted the importance of being fully present in order to also harness an opportunity effectively. It’s not enough to just be there. One has to be self-aware and have an appreciation of their environment.

3) Your talents and your gifts will guide your career. This is something that we hear often, “find something you are passionate about and you will never work a day in your life.” Ian is a testament to this in how journalism chose him from high school. The money has become secondary to his passion. Something that many people can’t attest to in their work.

4) Leave the world a little better with your words and the things that you post. This is one of Ian’s motives in founding “Heal the Web”. An interface that promotes positive use of the internet and requires individuals to reflect before they post on the internet. A reflection that many need to undergo before inflicting virtual harm on others.  

5) Resilience creates opportunities. Ian states that the best way to deal with rejection is not to back down. Through his story, Ian reflects on how when he resolves to attain a goal he keeps going for it and with every rejection, he ensures his approach improved for the next time. His advice to others is to keep applying for that job or degree In spite of the number of “No’s” one receives, one should never give up.

In a nutshell, this podcast was a conversation filled with positivity and optimism about a fulfilling career of a young person living by his principles and values.

This week we sat down with Douglas Ogeto who is the co-founder of Ludique Works and Business Director of Africa Esport Championships. Douglas saw the E-gaming industry as an excellent opportunity for Africa's young people and his hope is that the gaming industry sees more African games and gamers. As a 4 x Founder, Douglas shares lessons he has learned along the way.

We discussed:

1.  How to take the video game industry more seriously

2. How parents play a role in a young person pursuit in the video game industry

3. The variety of professions in the industry.

Tools Mentioned:

Godot - https://godotengine.org/

Leti arts http://www.letiarts.com/

Programing training platform Scratch

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

This week we sat down with Tichaona Chitsinde, the Head of Risk Management and Compliance at an International National Government Organisation. Tich shares the power of his peers and how they have helped him in moments when he hasn’t been so sure. Tich likes to think of himself as a rebel, questioning things that just seem dated and no longer relevant. The conversation was colourful, hilarious, and all things that one would necessarily match with Risk and Compliance.

Key takeaways from the interview were:

1.Get yourself a good support system,

2. When you decide on a career path, immerse yourself in it. Read about it, talk about it and tweet about it,

3. Having many interests and goals does not prevent you becoming an expert in your chosen field.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

Join in the conversation using the #YourspacePod

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

This week we sat down with Amogelang Kgaladi, he was awarded one of Mail And Guardian's top 200 for 2020 and Mentor of the year by ABASA. He is an actuarial scientist with a goal to become a CEO, take the business world by storm while mentoring and opening the door for others.

Some of his nuggets of wisdom were:

1. Hard work is important but Consistency is key
2. Build your network
3. Always make time to take some introspection, is your life moving the way you want it to be
4. Don't let your failures and mistakes define you
5. Be an authentic leader

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

Join in the conversation using the #YourspacePod

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

This week Misha and Gamu discuss their interview experiences, including some of the strange experiences and how to prepare.  

1. Be on time

2. Sit up and use eye contract

3. Prepare, prepare preare!

4. Read the room

5. The interview works both ways, ask questions!

Book: Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg and Lean in for Graduates

STAR Method

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, give enough detail for the interviewer to understand.

Task: What goal were you working toward?

Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution?

Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your role in it. What happened? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

Join in the conversation using the #YourspacePod

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

Sandile Hlophe’s talk gave us a well-rounded view of his life and his journey to where he is now. This enriching talk exposed us to the following: 

Learn about as many cultures as you can, because at the end of the day we are all human beings first. It is our humanity that makes us who we are;

Everything that you do and experience matters. It all forms you into the person that you are today. Even the extra-curricular activities you do at High school matter;

Hone in on your skills in whatever way you can. Wherever you are, it doesn’t matter how seemingly small the job is;

Be curious about as much as you can, this will at least open your mind if not new doors;

Your friends will either make you or break you. Surround yourself with equally if not more motivated people

The interview was incredibly insightful for any young person or professional in mapping out their journey. He was even kind enough to share his 6 points from his mentorship programme:

Sandile’s Key Mentorship Points:

1. Planning is the key to success & leadership - in your career & personal life; 

2. Develop a vision of what defines you & how you would love to be remembered - this is a broad statement that guides every decision you make and plan that you develop, e.g. "To be the most dependable person, who delivers on all commitments & makes a difference"; 

3. Learn & know what is important to you - what will you not compromise on no matter what - this will improve your decision making, planning and help you live up to your vision; 

4. There is always more than your answer or solution to a problem; think "win-win": this is the theory of abundance in knowledge, money, resources, solutions etc. Learn how to grow the pie for all and make your circle of influence bigger!; 

5. Learn to listen and earnestly seek to understand first before being understood - when we listen with the intent to understand, rather than with the intent to reply we begin true communication. This takes humility, kindness & courage not to always be right, even if it means you let the person learn through error; 

6. Seek to develop synergy every time; i.e. 1 + 1 = 3. The power of combined solutions and individual ideas are better than one of each! This breeds mutual respect & understanding, the concept of ubuntu. No man is an island; 

Bonus lesson 7. Sharpen the saw - by teaching/coaching others, we grow and renew our knowledge and commitment to the 6 lessons. To do this you must take care of your physical health, social/emotional health, mental health & spiritual health - find balance/your zen. This comes with time and age; and is not always in perfect balance. Just be aware and continually strive for balance.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

Join in the conversation using the #YourspacePod

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Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu 

This week’s interview was with Ntombi Tuge was nothing less than enlightening. She is a business strategist and currently Acting Managing Executive at BCX and board member of AfCOTTI.  

Ntombi is definitely the epitome of letting your work speak for you.  We reached out to her from a referral from a prior guest who told us she had plenty of wisdom and knowledge to impart. She definitely lived up to this recommendation.

She spoke about a client who noticed her excellence and that is how she pivoted with her career. 

Despite her success, she never stops developing herself. She subscribes to platforms and a number of courses which she refers to regularly to ensure that she is up to date with information technology developments. 

Ntombi was willing to discuss and did not hold back on her thoughts on sexual harassment in the workplace and how it should be dealt with in our society today. 

More importantly, Ntombi highlighted the importance of being clear on your individual values. 

We were humbled by her approach to leading a team and what leadership means to her. 

Definitely a worthwhile listen. Bring a notebook and pen. 

Let us know in the comments what you think of this weeks episode

Join in the conversation using the #YourspacePod

Subscribe, Rate and review, and support us on Apple Podcast

Intro music by Drissy Parker

This podcast is in collaboration with Dare Redu