WIMBIZ April Lagos Roundtable – Through My Eyes

Yesterday, I was opportune to attend the April edition of WIMBIZ Lagos Roundtable Lunch. I have always seen the fliers for the WIMBIZ roundtable events, but due to several factors, I had not been able to attend one, not until yesterday.

Late last year, as I planned my goals for 2019, I planned to invest more in myself, so when I got the opportunity to register as a mentee in the WIMBIZ Mentoring Program 2019, I jumped on board.

I was glad when I got the mail that I was selected as one of the mentees for the 2019 program. Fast forward to when we had the orientation program for the 2019 mentees, I got the opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with one of our facilitators, Chinwe Egwim and it was an enlightening discussion, one that made me glad that I joined the mentoring program.

During my conversation with Chinwe, she encouraged me to attend the upcoming roundtable lunch in Lagos. I had to take permission from work to attend the event as it was to take place during work hours and I am glad I did.

It was an educative and enlightening event. I got to the venue some minutes late due to the fact that my Taxify ride broke down on the way. Thankfully, I didn’t get there too late.

One thing I can say I have noticed with my few experiences at attending WIMBIZ events is that they are punctual. The program was slotted to start by 12.30pm, I got to the venue at about 12.45pm, and they had started already, in short, they were already ending the networking session.

Thankfully, the speaker, Viola Graham-Douglas, Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc. hadn’t started speaking yet.

Viola who has about 25 years working experience spoke on Positioning for Success in the Workplace.

Another thing the WIMBIZ network has exposed me to is a list of women who are making waves in their different industries and are ready to lift younger, upcoming women.

Viola started her session by briefly sharing her career experiences so far, then she shared several lessons/tips, some of which I’ll share with you now.

According to Viola, to position yourself for success in the workplace:

1. You first need to know yourself – Take personality tests, know who you are, your strengths, your limits, what you are really good at, what you really like, etc.
2. Up-skill yourself – It’s not about where you are or where you start, it’s about where you are going.
3. Believe in yourself – Project confidence in the way you carry yourself. Always have amazing things to say about yourself. Also, read inspirational stories of people.
4. Hard work pays – It’s not just about luck. No boss is ready to sack his/her most hardworking staff.
5. Dream Big – The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams – Eleanor Roosevelt.
6. Plan Ahead – have a list and always set a reminder.
7. Get a coach or mentor – Reach out to people with more experience in your field; it doesn’t have to be paid. Talk to others who have gone ahead to know what to watch out for, etc.
8. You need to understand your finance
9. You need to marry the right spouse ( special shout-out to the single ladies and fellas)
10. Enjoy the ride, don’t be afraid to fail
11. Live healthy, live a purposeful life.

I’ve tried to shorten this, so as not to make this post longer than it is bearable, but if I don’t tell you that I had a great time, then I’d be deceiving you.

I have been following WIMBIZ for quite a while on Instagram, but getting to attend their events has exposed me to more opportunities/possibilities. Of course, It has dug in to my accounts, but hey, I’m better for it.

I had to close my eyes to pay for the roundtable event, but my experience was worth it. First, I liked the ambience of Arabesque restaurant, I mean, even their restroom depicted the middle eastern culture. The people I met, the lessons I learned, the food, the exposure, it was definitely worth it.

Hopefully, I will do a post sequel to this on the quotes ( and some lessons) that Viola shared with us ( she shared quite a number of them with us). However, I hope you’ve learned a point or two.

Enjoy some more pictures:

Have you ever attended a WIMBIZ event? What was your experience? Have you gone through the WIMBIZ mentoring program? What was your experience like?