BOLD Veuve Conversations: Nthabi Taukobong
Bold as a way of being:
Ditau Interiors CEO Nthabi Taukobong shares
her highlights from the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience
As a panelist of the 2021 Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience in Johannesburg, Ditau Interiors CEO Nthabi Taukobong says she feels inspired and motivated by the discussions held around the findings of the Veuve Clicquot International Women Entrepreneurship Barometer. Led by dynamic chairperson and founder of Rekindle Learning, Rapelang Rabana, the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience took place in the presence of 50 live and over 670 digital guests joining via live stream.
Passionate conversation around the findings took place in two panels of business leaders including Amanda Dambuza (founder of Uyandiswa), Adriana Marais (founder of Proudly Human), Erik Kruger (founder of Modern Breed), Matsi Modise (founder of Furaha Afrika Holdings), Mzamo Masito (chief marketing officer at Google Africa), Nomndeni Mdakhi (founder of Agenda Women), Nthabi Taukobong (founding member and MD of Ditau Interiors) and Dr Theo Mothoa-Frendo (founder of Uso Skincare), unpacked and debated the findings of the study.
We spoke to formidable businesswoman Nthabi Taukobong about her participation in the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience in Johannesburg and how the findings debated relate to her own inspiring entrepreneurial journey.
Q: Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot aims to embolden successive generations of audacious female leaders in South Africa, can you elaborate further around the purpose of the platform?
A: The purpose of the platform is for a tribe of like-minded business women entrepreneurs to connect and share a common vision of success, passion and support for each other.
Q: Madame Clicquot’s story is one of boldness, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit and she is known as one of the world’s first businesswomen. Please tell us a bit more about Madame Clicquot and how her legacy sets the stage for the brand’s support of women entrepreneurship, to this day?
A: What I connect with most about Madame Clicquot’s story is that she was audacious and fearless enough to want the biggest, boldest and the most unique possible positioning of her brand from the get-go and this at the tender age of 27 in 1772. There is nothing apologetic about her story and that is what is needed from a strong businesswoman. With her as one of the the WORLD’S first businesswomen, we as those who follow in her path have such a strong footprint to learn from and be inspired by.
Q: The Veuve Clicquot 2020 International Women Entrepreneurship Barometer, conducted as the COVID crisis exerted pressure on global cultures and economies, updated the status of women entrepreneurs across the world. It has provided the community with a rare tool: a true understanding of the state of woman entrepreneurship. Which are some of the statistics that really stand out for you?
A: I was very interested and inspired by the the findings that found South Africa as having the highest level of women entrepreneurship (54%) because I can relate to that. Having grown up watching my mother, her support of sisterhood and their daily grind to break out of poverty and economic disparities was a real and honest story for me to begin my own journey into entrepreneurship.
The findings also found that women say they chose the entrepreneurship route so they could make more money and the ripple effects of that, especially in our country, are enormous. Because once a women can make her own money and take care of herself and her household, she is the chief of her own life and has financial freedom to determine her own future.
We’re interested to hear your detailed views on the topics debated during the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience held in Johannesburg:
TOPIC 1: Overcoming barriers to entry to women entrepreneurship and inspiring a new generation of women entrepreneurs
Barometer finding: 60% of women feel that it is much harder for a woman than a man to balance work and family life, as an entrepreneur (55% of men agree) as they face an age-old problem … balancing work with their other full-time job: caring for their family
Q: Do you agree that it’s harder for a woman than a man to balance work and family life? How do we overcome such an age-old barrier to entry?
A: I believe anything is hard if you tell yourself such. You have to go into life, business and especially parenting with a winning mentality. And I use the word parenting specifically because a child just needs a present, loving and focused parent. To gain the most from this experience we need to shift from separating the roles too much to mothering or fathering. In SA especially, in many instances we are both father and mother to our children and we have to succeed with everything else we are dealing with in life. Yes there’ll be tough days, but we overcome and we get stronger and wiser with how we handle it all and it shows our true grit. Of course the balance is often not achieved, but that shouldn’t be our only gauge of success. Even the small triumphs count, Jimmy made it to school today with his full uniform on, lunch packed and parents made it to work on time. Let’s share the roles and responsibilities and get on with growing healthy and well adapted children. And where it is not possible, just do your best.
Leveraging opportunity in times of crisis and the impact on leadership in times of challenge
Barometer finding: 59% of women entrepreneurs report growing more confident in their business dealings, and 63% say they're more professionally bold than before the crisis (male entrepreneurs agree about equally)
Q: Do you feel more professionally bold now than before the crisis? How did navigating the challenges build you as a leader?
A: The Pandemic definitely allowed me a very rare gap in time to truly evaluate myself and my business and figure out what my points of success were and what I could leverage on during the crisis.
And during a war, and in our case in times of what I believe to be biological warfare, only the strong survive. So I had to tap into my strengths and forget about my weaknesses. I figured that designing people’s homes during lockdown would have to be strongly communicated online and not based only on physical visits and that opened up the entire world to me. Now we consult to people in DRC, US and Australia all online and from the comfort and safety of our own home. I understood that during a crisis, I have to be brave and bold enough to take risks that I would ordinarily have not taken in more favourable times. I knew from the beginning of lockdown that I not only have to make it out alive, but I need to be business strong, war-proof and future ready for anything that may still come. I also knew that adapting and being a little more fearless to put myself out there during this time were my strongest tool of survival. And while doing that, I had to be strong enough to lead my team and my family and for them to believe and have the confidence to put their trust in me.
The role of networking and mentorship in an increasingly digital business environment
Barometer finding: 90% of women and 90% of men agree: mentorship is key for anyone who aspires to entrepreneurship. Wantrepreneurs (92%) and entrepreneurs (92%) confirm this belief
Q: Did you have (or do you still have) a mentor? What impact did they have on your business journey? Please elaborate on the concept of mentorship and how it applies to you and your business.
A: I have always found individuals that I aspire to be like and shadowed them from a distance. Sometimes close enough to chat and connect, but most of the times from afar and both situations have made all the difference. So I would encourage all those who are seeking mentors, not to worry about the formality of how this plays itself out. Just be focused on connecting with someone who does something you are particularly interested in at that time and is doing something better than you are. My first mentor was my dad, and via him I groomed the fearless leader that I am. From my mother I learnt that being a woman did not mean I had to be apologetic or always on the back foot in life. So by the time I was out the house, I was well groomed and solid and looked for others who could keep me on track and focused. I am very specific about what I want to tap into at any point of my personal and business growth, it’s not a general mentor but a specific area where I need help and that keeps my growth peaked as I am learning from a varied group of people and any given time. But I too am my own mentor and have created tools over time to keep me in check, self-accountable and driven. Because I know the importance of supporting and encouraging myself when I need it most. I am my greatest cheerleader.
The importance of resilience and the ability to adapt in a new age of entrepreneurship
Barometer finding: Women increasingly say they're the ones in control of their professional destiny (+3% to 96% in this study), fewer report feeling undeserving of the professional situation (-6%), attribute their professional success to "luck" (-9%) or feel unappreciated for their leadership skills (-5%)
Q: How have you adapted over time to feel more in control of your professional destiny?
A: My 25 year journey in Interior Design brought me to the truth of understanding that I won’t get any or much further in business and in my life if I don’t also take the time to check on myself and my personal growth. Before I could control and even know how to control my professional destiny, it was important for me to understand who I am, what I stand for and what I want to see more of and attract into my life. And once I worked from that point of holistic clarity, then it was easier for me to know and attract things, people and opportunities that are in sync with where I want to see my life, career and relationships gravitate towards. It’s not a separate picture that I am creating, but everything has to flow from within and out towards all that I am creating around me.
