 Good morning. Good morning. Welcome back to why in the morning on your number one is station y254 channel Remember if it's Tuesday the hashtag to use is hashtag entrepreneurship Tuesday My name is Michelle Ashira. You can follow me across all my social media handles that is at Michelle Ashira in this particular session we dive into an interesting interview So be looking at consumer choice awards Africa 2022 what it entails How did he come by and I am joined by the founder and CEO Diana Simon laser. Hi, darling I am doing well. Can you be so nice to say that in Swahili? Yes Yes Can we take this opportunity to briefly tell us who Diana Simon laser is and also brief background? Yes Diana Simon laser is a Tanzanian young woman who holds a bachelor degree in human resource management, but so Different opportunity in life apart from being employed but being self-employed to towards a field of in the of entertainment in creating consumer choice awards, which is a platform that Will talk about but then Diana is a is also a social lady apart from being a founder in the direct in the director Diana is Social person who has Loves life and everything and Diana is also a sister and a friend to those who surround her Yeah, if I even get to do to get to watch you do yeah, and mothers pertaining CC a 2022 I'd like to briefly get to understand that before you get in you got into self-employment What was Diana doing and at what particular junk change in your life that you decided that I'm just gonna Get into this journey Yeah of entrepreneurship Okay, so I graduated my University of 2017 So immediately when you graduate usually you now start looking out for opportunities, right? Yes, so I was looking out for opportunities But immediately as I graduated I was working for my parents because they ran a tour operating company So I was I was working for them But it was not Career satisfactory because now it's like you just you have not done anything. That's an extra mile for your career So I tried to get employed to another company. That's not from home, but it didn't work well Then after that I tried to do other things. I tried to be a makeup artist I opened a makeup studio and I was doing brides and then it went well But not so well, but then that's what at the at the cause of that. That's when I I Found myself birthing consumer choice. So my point is in in life There are some times you might find yourself trying things and you are not making it in those areas or fields It's because that's not where you are supposed to be So maybe I was trying to get employed and I was not is all is not working out well for me Because that's not where I was supposed to be I was supposed to not get employed to come and start my own thing And and maybe employ other people. So that's it So I was I was a self-interpreter. I only worked for employment for a very short time I was only employed for maybe six months. That's maximum Then after that I became a total entrepreneur. So from makeup artists 2019 I September I founded consumer choice awards. Yeah, you know from where you sit it's quite different from where you started Because now you're looking back and saying I was not meant to be there. Yeah I was meant to be here because now you realize yourself and you the self-awareness from that context Kindly take me a lot allow me to take you back to the point where by Diana is working for a true and travel company that belongs to the palm as she feels Not there, you know, not yet and moving on to another company and not doing makeup cosmetics and yeah, and that and What what made you push yourself to the point about you are trying new things instead? And also with your background, but you were not comfortable to the point where you settled You were trying out new things and being open opening the the door of discovery. What pushed you to that particular point? I think it's because I've always been a dreamer. I have had it. I've always had a big vision I see myself in big platforms because when you trace back My history back in school. I was that girl when we have school competitions of maybe Say what do you call this? Debates I'll be the one to represent the school So I've always been a girl for the platforms, but apart from that I also participated in Miss Tanzania back in the days So I was also a pageant when I never won miss Tanzania, but I won the zone so the zonos area So I was all I always saw myself as a big as a big woman But I just never knew on what angle I always I've always been a person for self-drive I've always loved having a strong career. I've always loved having Having a tough Career that can support me financially I've always had the notion of being and a self-independent woman so it's that that it's that drive that That dream that made me never stop. So when I'm with my parents, I'm never I'm not independent I live under under them like this is what you get. This is what you do when I'm doing makeup I was not getting enough profit. So it's not It's not it's not financially fulfilling you get so I have a dream I need to I need to travel the world. I need to do this. So I when I look at this I'm seeing myself. Okay, I'm not gonna get there. So let me look for another way So that's when this one came around and looking at your family setup. Yeah, I had the most or who has the most influence Who are the most influenced when you're starting off in this particular journey of self-discovery? Okay, so my mom has always been a career woman as well My mom is a very hard-working woman But now when it comes on to the side of being who inspired me most I feel like it's it's my mom to some part is my mom But most part is myself because I was the one who's looking at the future me because sometimes by the time When I was starting this they were all like Not sure what are you saying because when I was telling them the plan they were like, what are you saying? You're going to create a platform that will award banks Yeah, like did you get also people will ask you who do you think you are? Why would you want to? You know these people have been into the industry for about 20 plus years I came across that because now when I founded in 2019 the funny part is I Started I started with a very humble beginning So like whenever I approached people I appears that humble person who has nothing Not from the looks not the from from the nothing that will make you feel like this is a CEO for this big project So people would be like who are you to a word like this? But I was I kept telling them the vision is the idea is not me awarding the bags The idea is not me awarding the telecoms. They are what the idea is me creating a platform that these Companies get awarded by the consumer the end user. So I'm not awarding I'm just creating a platform You know, so it was really tough at least for the first for first second year, but When God gives you something as again, we go back to that. He makes a way on it. All right Yeah, all right, then you'll agree with me It's one thing to have a vision to have an idea and then getting on ground to implement it It's another thing you need capital you need the finances to actually steer gear the whole idea All the whole day. How did you go about that? Yeah, let's take me through you have the idea now, right? You'll be awarding at different business enterprises From a point of view where the consumers are actually choosing who is the winner second runners up and how it flows Take me through you have the idea now now the process of implementing it How long did it take and what are some of the challenges that you learned along the way? Okay, so I'll give all the credit back to God, okay Though the world doesn't only believes in science, but I also believe there is God because now the way consumer choice awards came to me it came in a very divine way because I Only I started it in September 2019 and then in December 2019 we held the first award So it's only a period of three months. Okay for a person with no capital I started with no capital, but then let's say my capital is my car Okay, because I had a car immediately after graduating my parents like gave me as a present So in fact, I didn't buy my because they gave me money because I was in another city They gave me money to buy the car So I didn't buy exactly the amount that they gave me I saved some amount to to run the program But it was a very small amount to say you could run the program But I was able to at least move put some fuel move from here to there. So that was my first capital My second capital was the human resource the people around me So because now at least I think my bachelor degree in HR had a role in it because I was able to utilize the people around me And make it happen because around me. I know a friend who's graduated Who knows marketing then I call you and I tell you, you know what I have a plan I don't have money to pay you but it has a future. Okay, let's do this So I was working with people part-time was I can't I can't pay you so you sell the dream So people like are working in the other companies but on the part-time they're helping me So some saw the vision in it. So they were like, okay, we'll stick to this. Some did not some were like, no No, I can't do this. So in that you must meet with both kind of people But the ones who say who don't believe in the dreams are the ones who push you to make sure that you will do it To just come and prove to them that this was possible. Okay, so and then that was the second capital Then the third capital was getting sponsors getting partners to to come in and facilitate the event So at first my I tried to approach companies to give me money But then it was not possible for the fact that it was late. That was September most companies had closed their budgets But then secondly, it's my first year. I don't even know how to draft a proposal In fact, I even why I wanted I did the two trials. I just went to two companies the first the guy just took my My proposal and just did this like like this is this is nothing. This is crap. Yes, it's trash But then to me that guy may pushed me to become who I am today because he made me go back and rethink on my proposal How I need to do it better, right? So now I closed the chapter of looking for funds now. I had to look for vendors to support See we are doing a word that cover event planners for the first time Event planners like I have there is a company in Tanzania one. It's one of the biggest event planner. I went to them. They're like Look We've been on the business for more than 20 years. We've never had an award We support platforms that are what other people but no one sees us for what we're doing the fact that you're bringing this on board We will give you support. So now I have a partner who will cover on the side of deco Okay, so that if the first 2019 consumer choice awards, it was divinely covered Photographers were appearing. We will do the coverage. No one has ever considered awarding photographers you get Everyone like designers were we were addressed by designers like no one has ever seen us designers. So we will Give you the plight would give you the support. So I got the support from the vendors And that was how the first consumer choice awards was successful now immediately We did that we had a platform to come now show the partners So in the next year is when we started getting sponsorship our first sponsor was a We get we got our first financial sponsor now on the second year. That was that was Abzabak Then after that it's now all history. Oh, yeah, so you took a step of faith. We took a step of faith Fantastic and I'll look let me take you back because you know, we young people when you we are venturing into Spaces of web, but we feel you have ideas and we want to implement them and just dive on the dive off the ship And ship and just see what happens when you met the gentleman who you know crashed Trashed your whole proposal. Yeah, which I believe you took time to draft and all that Why did you why didn't you feel like maybe this because the I'm sure there are naysayers of the whole idea and everything Why didn't you like go back and say maybe they are right? Maybe I should just go back to employment and do what I've been doing the most of my years The amazing thing about when she was a choice Immediately the moment the vision came into my mind. It was so real It was it was so real for me to ever doubt it So anytime I come across someone who doubt it and tell them no because he believed in you so I believed in it Because imagine there's a friend of my mom who is also is a very wealthy man has companies in Russia So I contacted the person as well and told him I'm this so-and-so's daughter Can you support my program what he told me told me young lady stop nonsense? Get yourself a good job like your mom You know get yourself a serious career this kind of life you're choosing He crushed me like trash you get But it didn't break to me like I I don't know how and why to some point whenever I met the naysayers It's like it was just going through this year and then outside through this through the other year so I Think it's because the idea was so real the picture the vision was so real I saw it I knew it You get so it was so hard for anyone to tell me something else because I'm seeing the road So it goes back to the point that when you have a clear vision You will when you see someone starting something and then they don't proceed with it because they don't have the clear vision But if someone has a clear vision, there's no obstacle to it because you see the end The the beginning does matters nothing because you see tomorrow. Yeah Now take us through a love in international agency. What does what what what exactly does the agency do? And is this particular agency that you know bath the consumer choice Africa? Awards to Africa words. Yeah, so love in is the company that Managed and operates consumer choice awards So they were both born at the same time because now when I say I want to start consumer choice I had to register love in also registered consumer choice But consumer choice is like a product. It's like a brand because consumer choice is a is a program It's an event, right? But love in can do other things love in can do PR consultancy. Love in can do my marketing consultancy It can do other events But then among the products of love in we have the main product was now when you're even in companies when they produce The product they have the main products and they have the sub-products, right? So consumer choice is the main product of love in international agency So you offer services from public relations events everything you can come under one roof. Yes, okay We do public relations consultancy will do marketing consultancy, but as in for now We had stopped we had put a pose on that because it was now Bringing a conflict of interest in a way. You are doing PR consultancy for a company who is a nominee at the consumer choice So at least at the end of the day consumer choice. What is now? Creating a certain kind of conflict of interest to the clients that you're supposed to offer PR services to was if I'm your PR I should tell you how to do to do your campaigns for the award So I should make sure you're winning the award nature now. How am I your PR? Oh, I'm the organizer for this award So we are now stopped on that angle But then also for the fact that consumer choice was we still say we're in a startup level We're on a fourth year right fourth at least to five years. It's still startup So it needs so much focus and because our vision is not only to become a word You know, it's not just an event that's take takes place in a year. It's a program. It's a big thing We are creating it as an institution that inside it. It will have other big things So now because we are running it as a program rather rather event or an award It works as a company itself consumer choice awards So now our focus for these five years is to make sure it Tabulizes that we are able to launch other programs in the future that this one is stable It has its market. It has its grounds set clearly. Okay, Diana So who is eligible to participate on this particular event or what event? No on the question which is what it's everyone when you said consumers We are all consumers of certain goods goods certain services So we are all eligible to participate in terms of nominating who Hope who who is to be nominated who who participates in the award is a decision that can be made by everyone But also who wins the award is a decision that can be made by everyone. That's why they After nomination we shall go to the voting period where like the public is now informed to vote Okay, and also when it comes to the side of Participants it depends on the categories that we said so now As so long as a company or a business falls and our criterias They are eligible to participate. Oh, and what are these criterias? So it depends for instance. It's a bank We usually set for instance. It's a bank. We are looking at maybe Most preferred bank at digital service digital banking services Say in Eastern Africa. So any bank that does dig it has digital banking services in Eastern Africa is eligible to participate But not in Western Africa. You cannot find that bank in that category, right? So same applies to let's say if we say medical insurance company of the year in Africa So we look at a company that covers medical insurance all over Africa. Those are the criterias Yeah, fantastic and someone for someone who's watching this and they they run a particular business and they've been to Into the industry or the industry for a long period of time and they believe that Or they deserve an opportunity to be nominated and even win an award How do they go about the the process of registration and also? The aspect of nomination so now for 2022 the nominations launch in June Okay, through our website. That's www.cc awards Africa dot co dot tz So when you go to that website, there's a section that's called nominations So when you go to the nomination, there's categories now you look at what category you follow you fall under say maybe I am I'm a makeup artist. Okay I'll just go to the categories and I'll see The category be beauty and entrepreneurship then inside the beauty and entrepreneurship I'd find makeup artist and that's where I can fill my form and get nominated myself or ask people to nominate me Same when it comes to voting will have a section for voting where we have applauded all the names and all the categories But also when someone stays updated on our social media, that's our Instagram that sees it's CC awards Africa so when someone Keeps track of our Instagram. They're able to see the categories because usually when you launch the nomination We post the categories on the Instagram. So we we elaborate them So now someone is able to know okay according to my nature of business. I should fall under this category All right. Yeah, I mean a space whereby human resource Is very important and let's look at networking networking. Yeah. Oh, how do you cut across to a pointer by you build? Network which is of great worth to you and your business For someone who's watching this conversation Who is an entrepreneur and they they always struggle with that? How important is it and how they can make up that challenge? You know in business networking is everything because They would actually they would say the the the biggest capital you have is your network. Okay So what I I would really advise or what I usually do is to keep track Okay, keep track for instance We have a program that after the awards we collect feedbacks from the winners. We do interviews That's a way of maintaining the network. Okay, so whenever you do business Always have a way to maintain your chain of consumers. Say you've sold a Beauty skin care products way to her just stick with that side Say you've just you sold a beauty skin care product to a lady. You can keep track by Following up. How is it working on your face? You know, or maybe you are a travel agent You booked my trip to say it's vacation somewhere, right? Maldives, Maldives. Yes. Cichels. Cichels, Maldives, wherever. You keep track with me wherever I am. Are you enjoying the Maldives? Yeah, are you liking this? So During that course we become friends Relationship or and then we when I'm back like, you know So now if I have friends who want to travel who would I recommend them to? Of course you recommend them to me because you are in my you are already in my chain of network so I feel like Maintaining the network is very important because through one person. They are ten other people you can get behind Yeah, there you have it maintain relationships keep them still just selling a product And ending the relationship. Yeah, that's that's very crucial and important and also the aspect of referral as well I think that's a key point. Yes. All right. Let's look at now. Here comes the Choice consumer choice awards You know brought into life in 2019 then a COVID hits in 2020. How did how did that affect the business for you guys? Well 2020 was supposed to be a tough year for us was supposed But as I said, I believe in God. Yes. So when God gives you something he makes a way So miraculously he made a way When things were going down to us, it's when things went up Companies were not spending but fortunately or unfortunately love their companies who were also spending That's why I told you in 2020 you got our first sponsor. Yes, you get that was at Saban now To us it was like it I don't know it was supposed to be the opposites. Maybe company says we are cutting budgets and everything So we didn't we didn't feel it exactly to that point because we were growing If say we had already ten years in the industry And then we had big partners already and then they maybe they dropped out that was when would have felt the pain But we are coming from an angle where we did not have at all So we had one so to us it was no complaint. Yes. Yes. Yeah. All right and looking back through this journey Do you have any regrets or do you wish you would start it earlier? No, I don't have regrets. I'll tell you why Any mistake I've made is what is a stepping stone to me becoming better And there is no perfect journey of perfection. I don't believe in perfection. I Embrace my journey whenever I fell down. I embrace it because it's a part of me standing up Okay, so whatever we've made mistakes a lot every and I'm glad that the people who work with us they bear with us Though we don't relax in the fact that they bear with us whenever we make a mistake We go back and crack our heads. What do we do next to make sure that we don't do the same mistakes? Okay, so Any mistake I've made in it's what makes me keep perfect So if you look even even if you take a track of our for a first event second best third event, you'll see the elevation Okay, so those mistakes are lessons that better does all right. Good to hear that good to hear that, you know for any Business person who's running any business and they start something They literally see the business as their child because you have to you know You work 24 seven days, you know You're always on the move and just seeking out the the vision and actually looking forward in terms of future and all that So for me, I would like to ask you like in terms of You starting the company and holding down the vision. I would like to find out. How do you build your capacity? You You you're always giving when it comes to you know, your company, how do you build your capacity to just broaden your spectrum? Do you have any mentors and all that? Oh, yes, we do Like I said yearly we grow for instance on our first year. We had one mentor But then now we have a board Have a board of almost seven people and all these seven people are brilliant people in the country You know like the key thinkers and as we grow now I've gone Africa No, that means I'll start having international mentors not only Tanzania mentors, right? so I Keep opening that door for learning every day Because it's very is it's as much important for me to learn From people because now I have idea with what I'm doing, right? But then I'll also in a way encounter someone who has idea in managing finances I need to know how to manage finances right because I'm doing it. I'm managing a company So it's good for me to learn from this person I'll meet a person who knows diplomacy because then of a day this this work needs diplomacy political diplomacy because we work with the Government I need to learn from that person So I have these figures of which I learn from as we grow every year I increase them in numbers Fantastic, but a couple of challenges that you have and a gone and to learn through them through the whole process Well the pressure Because when you're doing a very big thing it becomes pressure. It's very pressuring Especially for the past three years because now it's a startup and I'm the only one who really has the vision So like I fit in every department you go to the production. I'm the head of production You're every hat I'm everywhere. So now it gets to a point that the work overlords me There is a time and we need to post on Instagram, but then also We need news going on the newspapers at the same time we need TV adverts to be running at the same time you need it here at Y to do an interview You get my point Yes, so it gets that to a point that I am overloaded, but now I'm solving that challenge in a way that I'm creating I'm creating supervisors who represent me in all this in all this sub sub sub all let's say department Just to to make sure that this load that I've been working with for the past three years Now changes because I said I want this to become an institution that it runs by itself Whether I'm there or not they still runs. Yes, so now that's the that's the work I have for these two years to create a ground that even when I'm not here is still running I like to find out the culture what sort of culture do you push to your employees that they buy the same vision that you have That if they meet a client on your behalf That we will see that there's no difference if I met maybe let's say Ram is working with you if I meet Ram I'll see the same Enthusiasts in the same fire that I'll meet Diana. What sort of culture are you pushing in the company? I'll say typical corporate because our clients are corporates Okay, when you say consumer choice consumers are not corporate they can be anyone, right? Yes, and then when you say it was also we have was now we have Two subdivisions in the category in their words. We have the corporate Subdivision right we have the sure and bank circles, but also we have the entrepreneurship categories that these ones they don't They're not necessarily that corporate, right? So we are that but then our biggest clients are the corporates That's the truth We deal with everyone, but at the end of the day the funders are the corporates So those are the big the backbones of the program. So because of that our culture is Corporate so that's what I train them to become more corporate the way they receive emails They receive calls the way they they introduce themselves in meetings I maintain that for like because we have a we have the main team and support team You find that I give them uniform because I want you to appear like when you appear somewhere The someone knows this is going she much as a wise you represent the company So I really I'm really strict on that angle from the personality to the presentation To the way clients are handled. I trained it and that's I still have a work to do But I know in the next two three years, it would be exactly how I want wonderful fantastic fantastic So what should people expect when it comes to the consumer choice award 2022? Actually, I think they should expect the best Because as I said, we keep growing bigger and getting better. So last year it was big It was a glamorous event. We had people from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya attend their award, right? So we expect this year is going to be more. So I'm telling the Kenyans out there to like Make sure you participate. You nominate yourself. You nominate your companies. You nominate your businesses Participate because it's this is going to be the center of Africa Because she much as a word is going to be the center of Africa It's going to be a summit that connects business personalities from all over the continent Yes, one of the what will the event happen and where will it happen because You were based in tz. So but I know yet we are in a spectrum of on an African Lane, so I would like to know where the event will happen So currently it's still holding in Dar es Slam Tanzania But the fact that we made it Africa gives us an open door in the near future If we ever want to start rotating in the way in places where we hold it In the future we look at that but currently we're still based in Dar es Slam Tanzania Yeah, and it will take place in november this year Yeah, what so for anyone who wants to reach out to you For any further conversation or they're interested to just engage with you on a personal level How can they reach on social media and keep the conversation going and your cameras camera department? Okay, so you can follow up or follow us on instagram. It's cc. Awards Africa It's just cc. Awards Africa when you follow us there. You can always DM Our team is always there to like respond. You can send emails We will respond and get to you There you have it. I hope I will be invited with them because I want to slay on the red carpet Yeah, sure you should you should come We like to have different people from from different parts of Africa. So yeah, I'm inviting you officially Oh my goodness. Can I be the host of the most during the event, please? Um, yeah, sure. There you have it ladies and gentlemen. We're going international Yeah, we're going international Thank you Dela for creating time to be with us and taking us through what consumer chase awards Is all about and how it was bad and to where we are right now and how the future looks like and the business aspect of it Yes, thank you very much. Thank you so much. Michelle. So that is the Anna Simon laser who is the founder and ceo of the consumer choice awards and we are looking forward to Definitely consumer choice awards 2022 So keep the conversation going at y254 channel is where you can find us across all our social media handles at Michelle At Shira is where you can find me across all my social and be right back and so much right here on entrepreneurship tuesday