 This time, we're going into another panel session where we're talking about how to manage your money as female. So, Dan Mlela, our way to find out from you has a woman, there's so many responsibilities that we have. How do we draw the line for meeting all our basic needs and responsibilities and then saving for the rainy day? I think the, I think the, I think number one thing is the values of individual rights. If number one discipline, I would say discipline is the bedrock of drawing the line, right? And I think that delaying certification as well is something that's also important. And, you know, a couple of other things. So, like we mentioned earlier that we women, sometimes, you know, we try to put on a facade for other people just so that we can look more at our procedures so that the other, all of those ingredients, put them in the same bucket. Those are the things that help us, that can detail us from not drawing the line. If you're disciplined, you know how to say no, you have a budget, you can plan, you know what your goal is, and you know how to get there, and you put a budget around, you know, your personal finance or your business finance, and you are disciplined enough to follow it. And then you know how to delay gratification. You know, when you see somebody, your colleague or someone around you has already, maybe bought a gold resource, for example, and you know how to say that, no, I don't need this now, you know, maybe in two or three years' time, I would get it. That is a good, you know, attribute to also have that will help you draw the line because day in, day out, there are so many distractions and there are still responsibilities. Responsibilities for, you know, managing a business, managing your family, both extended or nuclear family or friends and families that you need to support or help. So, you know, just having, you know, the discipline around all of these things would help, you know, an individual to draw the line and help you stay financially, you know, healthy. That's what I would say. Hey, to look at you, have a question before I carry on. You can carry on. Okay, great. So I just also wanted to find out from you. So here you are, this discipline that you talk about, I don't know, it's not everyone that, you know, has it or can even stick to it. So what are the things that women, what are the habits that women should have from an early age, from somebody who's probably, you know, watching us now, she's already in her, you know, in her 40s and she's thinking, look, I've made so many mistakes in the past, I've spent money, I've done all the fadji there is. What are the habits she needs to start imbibing now to save for her future and for her children's future? Okay, I think it starts from what she wants, right? Very early on, I realized that not a lot of people want a lot of things when it's okay, right? So let's start, what's your vision? What do you want to become in life? When I started, when I was living in secondary school, going to university, and I was really great at maths and great at chemistry, and I said, oh, recipe for chemical engineering. So the goal then was just to work in an all-aggress company, you know, get married and live happily ever after. When I attended a program, I always said this because, you know, that's the foundation of my tapinar story, DeStar leadership, GLE, right? And that was the first time I heard something about, you know, pass your goal, your mission. That was the first time at age 19, I retrospected about, that I'm only here for a particular time. You're not gonna get second chance. You're not going to come here three other times. You will hear for a period. And as a day goes by, you're already getting older, like you, like, you can't maximum 100 years, let's even say 200 years, you're still going to still live this earth, right? That gave me some sense of awareness that I had to take, you know, control of my life before, you know, it gets too late. And because, you know, I grew up amongst older people, right? I had, right now I had, I have a step brother that is 50-something years old, 40-something years old, my sister's, my close sister that is 50-something years old, my parents are 70-something years old. So I could see, I learned from their own mistakes and I saw that, okay, if I go this path, this might be a better path for me. If I do this, this might be a better thing for me. So I decided, I don't think anybody can teach anybody how to be disciplined. It's based on what you want, and as an individual, do you want to be successful? Okay, how successful? How big? What do you want? Do you just want to have in a small house and a family? You don't want to have a business, that's fine. But if you want something great for your life, you want to live in legacy, if you want to build wealth, if you want to be able to help a generation, if you want to make impact, if you want to help people, then you need to be disciplined. You know, there's a season and time for everything. You know, there's time for planting, there's time for harvest, there's time for watering, there's time for tilling the ground. When you understand those seasons, that's if that just helps without anybody preaching to you or telling you or coaching you or reminding you, whenever you even find yourself, you know, not deraying, you come back again because you remember your goal and you remember what you want to achieve. So that's how I'm able to, you know, imbibe that discipline and imbibe, you know, yeah, that's, you know, value. Thank you very much, Dan Lola. Now that we talk about this, but I want to reach out to Shala, I kick the, Shala, are you there with us? I'm here for me. Okay, fantastic. I wanted to ask you a question, two questions actually, but the first one is about, you know, we just talked about discipline and even Udami says that, you know, nobody can really teach you about that, you know, as an adult, but you know, you are a parent, you're a parent and you meant, talked about how you started being an entrepreneur from when you were eight years old. What are the things that even has mothers, has parents, do we begin to imbibe and consciously teach our children? It'd be nice for you to, if you could point out maybe like three or four tips, because you are a mother now and you also learn from your mother. What are the things that we can begin to teach our children consciously so they begin to learn about money. I like when Shala Adishaki said, money is a servant and we need to tell it how to go. But how do we begin to consciously as parents seeing the things that we have learned from our own parents, whether good or bad, and then begin to teach our own children? Yeah, sure. Firstly, I'm sure that we all hear about the, you know, piggy bank thing, you know, get them a piggy bank, and it's quite good, right, it's basic. But most importantly, it's about mindset. I think Daniela just mentioned that it was a 19th that she now had to be retrospective and then question why is she here, what does she, and the truth is that, you know, not everybody gets that light bulb moment, that early. You might say 19 is late, but 19 is quite, you know, still early for a lot of people. Some people don't get it until 40. I, you know, of course, have a day with an increase in fintech for women. So I, we have the privilege of working with women across different ages. And I see people who say that, I wish I was like this. I wish I had done a lot of things. So basically we owe it to our children, you know, also young people around us to help them reorientate their mindset. And I'll tell you an example. My son is eight, he likes gaming a lot and there's this particular group blocks that, you know, a lot of people his age are really about, and he's always, you know, glued to his rule blocks to get their tabs on weekends. And at the point, he started telling me that he wants Roblox. So Roblox is the currency that they use on Roblox. So maybe to buy things and they go to the next level or to buy some, you know, how games are usually designed, right? And he kept telling me, and I said, dude, first your book. Then secondly, you know, have you considered that when you buy these things, somebody's getting rich somewhere. So that way, and he said, that's true mommy. So that means I can build a game too and then people buy said exactly. And guess what? Right now, you know, he was on scratch then that's, you know, it's, it's, it's paired up his rate of assimilating and we got him another person and now he's saying that he wants to be an ethical hacker. Like the guy is really, really ginger. He wants to learn so that we've been able to convert, you know, his mindset from a consumer mindset to a producer mindset. Right? So that is critical and it is key in young ones. I spoke about, you know, all of this in my book as well. You know, you, you help them from a miscentric thing. Shala mentioned earlier, right? I don't know. I'd always been someone who, you know, I believe in collaborations. I believe in, you know, cooperating to do it. It doesn't mean I believe that it's kind. I believe that as a Nigerian, we are all lucky to be Nigerians. Over 200 million people. Come on. You have like 10 countries in one. So there's no space for everyone. And so we should encourage this in our children to from being miscentric to being eccentric, you know, and that way they are able to collaborate with people. So it's more, you know, usually about mindset. And then we can now go to, okay, you have a piggy bank, you're keeping money there and, you know, we are investing that money on your behalf. So it's usually about mindset. And then another thing is that, of course we know that children, they are very impressive. They are very impressionable, right? So whatever you do, I cannot tell my son now that you should do this. And then, you know, he says that I'm building, you know, there was this day I did this. So there was the social media thing I said, I wanted to run with them. And he said that, I said, oh, that I'm putting in for a job. He said, oh, I see you at Hervest. You are country director. I mean, is this job going to be a CEO because it's got to be CEO as that. So he knows already that it's important, you know, to build. He knows already that he's only when you are able to, because again, you know, then the last said something. And I think I should put this out, especially for relationships or marriages, typically opposites attract. And we've had cases where people will say, oh, a month we see my wife isn't entrepreneurial, or my wife isn't really audacious with her goals, or the woman who says my man that isn't audacious with, you know, and the truth is, most of the time you have to sit. I know you've not asked me this, but I know that it'd be good for people out there because again, the children see this. It's important to sit with your partners before, during, after, wherever. So actually extract what they want to be. And like that last said, some people just want a decent three bedroom, okay, maybe two-plexed max, you know, is they don't want to travel every time. No, they are not interested in all of that. And I think that it would also be unfair to now a star or, you know, put, you know, your own aspirations upon them, right? So especially in cases where families are blended. So again, it's just important to ensure that the children have the right mindset towards money, right, earlier on in life. Like I said, financial literacy or finance, financial awareness is, unfortunately, is the place where a lot of people get certified, get the certificates that is money without getting the right education. So it's better that we speed them up on the right financial education before they start getting certified as they start getting access to money. Thank you very much, Shala. So just before I let you go, let's talk about women in the nine to five. How do women, not just women, nine to five, because how do women begin to negotiate better salaries and better benefits for themselves because, you know, research has been done. Many women end lesser than their colleagues. And when sometimes they even get to do more work than their colleagues. So how do they begin to get this negotiation skill? And the second question so that you can answer it together is the fact for women in nine to five, how do we, you know, begin to manage? I say we because I'm also in that, you know, line. How do we begin to manage our funds and also ensure that we save as well, save and invest? Yeah, save and then start and then save to invest. Yes. You know, there's really no way, and I always say this, that you talk about the economy gender gap without talking about the many, you know, gaps that affect women. As you've rightly said, income inequality is a thing. But it's the same tone of so many inequality that stems right from children out of school. My husband is in, you know, the development sector and they deal with children out of school. And the children out of school is like a gender issue because most of the time you find more girls out of school than boys. And that became even more serious after COVID because they had to let the girls stay home, you know, to look after, to contribute on the farms, to look after their younger siblings, to fetch water and all of that. Even water and hygiene issues, usually the drug poverty is a thing. So you look at all of this and then you reduce the numbers of girls in school. And then when it comes to, okay, women ladies getting into career, you go on maternity leave, I went to maternity leave twice and I tell you that two times I have to resume, I cried, I legit, like cried, not internet crying. I was crying. The second time I was so, so distraught, I ran into a car right there to when you come. The guy just, by the time the guy saw me, he said, yeah, I'm just coming back to work. My daughter is just so, so, so weak, I know of that. And so there are so many policies that affect the woman and there are so many biases and assumptions too, you know, that so you go in, by the time you start rolling around with your tummy, someone just perceives that, you know what, let's just leave her. You are already giving below average of what you're meant to give, you know, so many of those things. And I think for Sholah that I mentioned that someone went to maternity leave seven times or so. I'm sure that maybe it took the grace of God for her to still, you know, have a career or retire successfully from one. So with all of these income inequalities, I think, but guess what, there's something we say at Hervest and it's an annual event we have. We featured Sholah last year, we're so grateful, a lot of women and it's called Valley Up. Because we've realized that there is certainly no way you can, it's not a gender issue, you've just got to, there's no say, oh, are you not encouraging women to, you know, be more aggressive? I said, no, the level playing field is not level, right? No matter what, so you just have to, you know, you need the best way to analyze that, it's like, you know, part and what do you part? So that is the level playing field is by padding upon a lot of value. That's no way, no matter what, even when they look at you every time, you know, they look at you, it's a pretty face. And then it's all a pretty face. Okay, maybe she deserves a place in the rooms because it's a pretty face. Oh, she can speak well, maybe, because when they tell you, open your mouth and by the time they see the amount of value in your head, in your soul, in your heart, you know, it is not, it's no body, you know, but even if they say they don't like your face, they'll say, you know what, I don't like her gut, I don't like her face, but guess what, she's full of value. And that answers the question. You cannot just wake up on morning and say, you know what, I want to negotiate my salary. Trust me, I have lost a job because I got married. I had just a, you know, cute wedding. I didn't invite people, I went or leave. I went back, the next thing they were asking me to leave, you know, it was years later that I realized that they thought I was pregnant and they felt like I couldn't bring enough to that systemic aid. So what I'm saying is that most cases anyways, you are so disadvantaged, but if you value up so well, right, there's no way that, you know, you would ask and they wouldn't give, because trust me, as an employer, there are some people that if they leave, you know, their roles or they leave the organization to their leader, oh, that is, we lost something, do you understand? And there are some people that they leave, you wouldn't even shake your body, like we say in Niger Pala. So my question is, in which of these roles do you want to belong? Essentially for females, you know, to be able to negotiate really well, essentially you have to value up. And aside from valuing up, a lot of us will value, value the value, but then there's no confidence to, you know, ask or make the request. So, you know, confidence is the most you've done, you're sure that you've done all you've meant to do, you're contributing so much. There's someone of the confidence, right? And, you know, go for it. I sit as an employer now, and I see men, I see women come for interviews. And trust me, most of the men who are less qualified come broadly, you know, ask, make a huge ask and all of that. And I see women sit in that same interview chair and cover and they are on shore and then when they do, they ask, do you understand? So I've seen this from both perspectives of being an employee or an employer. So we certainly need to, you know, reinforce more confidence in us. I think the question, and then value up, the second question you had asked is, you know, how do we save and then towards investment? Firstly, because I have seen this work, even for me, automate your savings. As we said, you know, money usually, it doesn't have its mind of its own. And black tax as evidence, I think was Damla Lada mentioned, someone asked for you is a thing is on all of us. Pink tax, as I say, affects a lot of us women, right? There's this joke going around now that on Instagram, you just see a dress that you know that if you make this dress, maybe everything would be like 15,000, but they just say, this is on my line of dress or this is on a jeffie dress. And then it is suddenly 40,000. Is it the name we are paying for? Do you understand? You know, in the subtleties, that is some parts of pink tax this is a shading stick for instance, is black, another one is purple or some nice color. And then it's just a space and it's the same function that it does. And there's another one that I made up, I said it's at that tax, right? And that is the one that essentially, especially for first females, for first female daughters in most families, at times it's not simply the first, maybe you're just responsible or you're empathic. And then everything just comes on your shoulder. Oh, mommy is ill, ah, thank you, Dami Lola. Oh, grandma's swallow resort is Dami Lola. Eh, this is a show loud. Oh, this person is alien, just drive him straight to this person's house. Do you understand? So you have to be really, really aware of this and that is, in that awareness, automate your savings, pay your self first, pay your future first. Otherwise, there is no amount of money. We've seen, you know, some organizations, you know, and interestingly, I still start with a VC, you know, manager, I think about two weeks ago, and he said again, that the most thriving companies in their portfolio are the female-led ones. And he said, but the problem I have with CPP is that you don't talk, you know, as much about what you do like the men. Do you understand? So what I mean is that, you know, you should, women are better managers. Forget whatever anybody has said there. You should get a copy of my book and reach, you sign up on Heves. We have these conversations there. Women are better managers, as a matter of fact, you know, Africa itself was matriarchal in the pre-colonial days. So essentially, you have to automate your savings because that way you have paid yourself. It still happens to me. I just see my balance and, you know, there are times that your balance just reduces. I am wondering, and I'm like, oh, what happened? And then I go, I didn't get the notification from Heves and then I realized, and you know, the number of times that savings towards parties. So that's how you can save successfully, help towards saving successfully towards your goals. And then you said to invest. Invest, I still, you know, there are different schools that say, oh, maybe stocks, maybe not. But I always say that stocks, you know, especially when you are younger, is really good, especially for the long term. There's this rule about stocks that, okay, for instance, when you're 20, you should have like, and, you know, don't quote me, still talk to your financial advisors that when you're 20, you know, you should have like 80% of your investment in stocks when you are 40, you should have about 60%. So some, you know, like an 100% thing like that. So that means that if you're 35 now, you want to have like 65, but again, and there are so many digital fintech apps now that they need you to invest in Nigerian stocks, in Uniforming stocks. Yes, point for choice. Nobody has an excuse these days. And you can also invest in fixed incomes too, right? Safeest, T-Bills, you know, FGM bonds and all of that mutual funds. And there are just so many options. There's impact investments such that we, one of the ones we offer on harvest, which is peer-to-peer lending you lend to women like yourself. Yes, I can, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you now. I can hear you all the time actually. I need to interrupt you because of time. We're running out of time. Okay, all right, keep me on point to you. Yes, I'm so sorry. Because we have to wrap up this session very quickly. And I have one question for Shala Adishaki before we wrap up this session. Shala, I just wanted to, Shala Adishaki, I just wanted to find out from you, what are the, I know there are many financial skills that women should have, but can you just mention the three top financial skills women should have and how do we acquire them? All right, thank you. I would answer that question with an acronym. Okay. And I call it Crest, C-R-E-S-T. So I'm going to add two to the three. Now, the first thing, yeah, in more particular order, well, by the order of the acronym, is collaborative skills. So I'll give a very practical example. My profession, I am a chartered accountant, or by passion, I'm a personal finance coach. And I call myself the accountants, the global accountant, because I've got my accounting qualifications from three continents. And the fellow of ICANN, fellow of ACCA, I have a CPA from Canada, and all of those things. But these days, I don't practice accounting as much as I do personal financial literacy and whatnot. But don't forget, I still pay my subscriptions. I'm still an accountant, I still do training. And many people will say, ah, no, they want you to do our books. I'm like, oh, I like accounting, but I'm not as passionate as I used to be. So I sort of created an organization or created a partnership with a friend who is an accountant enthusiast. So we work together. I get the jobs, I bring in the leads. She does a technical bit with two other people that we employed, and we share the money. You see, that's collaboration. So I usually do not even see some of those clients. I don't know what is happening, but because I know that she's very solid, she knows our audience, and we make money. So I think for women, we need those collaborative skills. That's number one. Number two, risk management skills. As that, when Shalapa was talking about investments, we all know how the investment terrain has been in Nigeria and generally around the world in the last one or two years. You know, just, I mean, like two weeks ago, they were talking about the Silicon Valley Bank, and I'm like, I was just looking at it. If directly, we have funds in companies that we angel invested in. So risk management has got to be one skill that women must have. Before I put my money in this investment, what are the risks? How do I mitigate my risks? When I teach financial risks in financial literacy, I talk about four types of risks. Income risk, expense risk, asset risks, and liability risk. That's a whole topic by itself. So women must learn to ask the right questions. What are the risks involved? Don't just say they said that you bring 200,000 and they will invest it in three. In 30 days, it will become 900,000. Learn to ask those questions. Now, the next skill is earning skill. And it's important. Remember when I was talking earlier on, I'm like, you are a function of what you earn. Your ability to build wealth is a function of what you make. If you don't make money, you can't build wealth. You can't meet your family's needs. So these days, I teach people, hey, look at it. How can I monetize my skills? As an employee, can I add my skills to what I currently do? Can I be a business owner? Can I be an investor? So you must sharpen those earning skills. The next set of skills, the two extra, saving on investment skills, I've become important. Again, these are not decisions. There's one investment somewhere. You just put your money there. You must learn to invest based on your income. You must learn to invest in different asset classes. You must learn to save and know when to move money from your savings into your investment. And of course, the final skill is technology skills. My dad passed two years ago, passed on two years ago, at 80, 80, yes. And he was on all social media platforms. Oh wow. The day I saw him following me on Instagram, I was like, Sa, what are you looking for, Gunkono? You're on Instagram, you're on Facebook. I will post something, you'll be the one to come and say, ah, no, it's not like that. And he said something that never left me. He said your generation is blessed to have the plethora of all of us. And I'm glad to still be alive, so I would use it. I still see women who say, no, I don't understand. I don't even understand that app. You need technology skills to be, because that is the future. That is where the money is. So don't forget crest skills, collaboration, risk management, earning skills, saving and investment skills, and technology skills, I hope that helps. Yes, it does, it does. Fantastic, I really, I really love it. Crest, collaborative skills, learning how to take risks, earning skills, savings and investment and technology skills. Thank you so much, Ella.