Our Woman Genius Wednesday For Today Is Brigette Mashile Founder Of Roka Roko, below is her story; hope it will inspire you as much as it inspired us here at Genius Level.
So the business is now 8 months old. Did I think I would get here?…hmmmm I suspected while my haters(voices in my head) kept telling me I could fail. It has been a very interesting 8 months and there are 5 more interesting months before I have a 1st birthday. In these 8 months I have achieved more than I thought I would at Roka Roko; both business wise and personally. There are things I have learned about myself, about people close to me and new to me; things I realise about life and my own future.
My biggest fear (which I shouldn’t have but do) is having no financial support to continue. Which in essence won’t happen because I run a business that technically supports itself. You see upon starting I had already collected all I needed to start. I had been making clothes for close to 10 years and was in my 3rd year of fashion school. I had the basics and needed some advancements to polish my product. So the actual fear is getting out of my comfort zone about money….
I was the dream type of person. Got my matric, my degree and a job; and I was in my 6th year of being a fashion buyer/sourcing agent; and just about to probably land a management job somewhere. So at that time things like medical aid, insurance, accounts, rates, groceries, petrol etc. were not a problem as my salary paid for them. Technically I didn’t even see them being paid because money came in on the 28th and left on the 28th; no credit control calls from anyone.
Suddenly all that falls away. I am what I do. I am how much I do. The performance at Roka Roko determines what I can have and what I cannot have. The comfort zone changes or disappears. This is absolutely traumatic for a person who left home and jumped into a job with all the benefits. Everything has to be degraded, managed and controlled critically. It is daunting I won’t lie even a bit.
The funny thing is the day I found myself moneyless, I calmed down. All the stress leading to that day as the money depleted little by little died because it is what it is. What can you do? If you get frenzied you sort of stop hearing God leading you; you miss the way out of that little hole that feels like a prison. I realised well I have no cash and need to make cash. So let’s Roka Roko!!
Article By Brigette Mashile
Instagram: Roka Roko or BrigetteLatoyaMashile
Twitter: Roka Roko or BrigetteMashile
Faceood: Roka Roko or Brigette Latoya Mashile
Website: www.rokaroko.co.za
