‘Building A Happy And Fulfilled Life By Honouring My Natural Gifts, Talents & Passion’

March 3, 2020
Family, Parent Development

by Mpoomy Ledwaba 

I might not have the exact date or year, but I definitely remember the exact moment. I was sitting next to the window with my feet up on the couch waiting for my favourite show on SABC 3, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’,  I know it was 17:30 because I used to fight for that slot whilst my brothers wanted to watch Dragon Ball Z.  This particular episode was unlike any other; it was one that would alter the trajectory of my life forever. Oh, and did I mention I was only twelve?

Oprah Winfrey had invited about three successful business people to her show, to firstly speak about their amazing businesses but most importantly how it all started. The gentleman had an interior design business and the other lady,  Alli Web who stood out for me had a dry bar, yes a space where women came in to blow dry their hair, a multi million dollar business that is. . As they shared their stories Mama O uncovered that they both ended up doing something they had always loved, and that their mothers encouraged from a tender age. Alli Webb owner of “ DryBar” explained that growing up, she was obsessed with doing everybody’s hair, and for absolutely nothing. That was my AHA moment, as Mama O would call it.  What will make me rich, fabulous and happy is that one thing I can do effortlessly without getting paid for it. And that brings me to my introduction and why I am writing this.

I am Mpoomy Ledwaba, a wife, a soon to be mother of  two, a speaker, content creator and entrepreneur. I own a fabulous beauty bar in the leafy streets of Melville called “Aneno Beauty”, I started my content creation career on YouTube and Instagram and I’m slowly expanding myself. Speaking? Well that found me. On a random day, a young lady invited me to speak at her event in Belfast and as they say the rest is history.

I would love to give you a list of my degrees and doctorates but unfortunately that is not part of my story, at least not yet. I did however go to UJ to study accounting but dropped out in my third year, simply because it just wasn’t me; passion and purpose kicked me out from what I thought I wanted to do. 

You’re probably asking yourself  how my story connects to that special episode from years ago. Well that’s how all my career titles found me. Thinking back as a young girl my hands were always itchy to style, braid and back then even relax somebody’s hair. As soon as I heard a knock on the door and a female voice on the other side, I was fearlessly ready to greet you with a comb. One specific cousin whom I called a sister was basically my first client at ANENO! Amy,  who we sadly lost on the 15th January 2020 due to depression was my human doll. Every hairstyle you can imagine has been done on her hair, plus she had perfectly soft and long hair; lived with my grandmother and was 6 years younger than me, so I could bully her into sitting on my chair. Every Sunday afternoon without fail I would pull and tug on her hair as my mother and grandmother sipped on tea while praising my beauty talents. 

Now when it comes to speaking, just by raising Nuri I can tell I was born a blabbermouth. Girl can talk and mom has convinced me that she has nothing on me. If there was a stage, an event, and a speech needed I have always been your girl. Even at birthday parties I somehow always have something charming to say, I could call it my gift. 

At Primary school we had an old lady called Mrs Fraserbel, the queen of English if you ask me. I am pretty sure she was in her late 70’s at the time. She would come in every Wednesday after school and take a group of school children for a class called speech and drama. I happened to be one of those kids by force. Hate is not even strong enough to describe how much I despised that class, but my mother gave me no option, she insisted it was for my future. Imagine a hyper active child like myself, with more than enough friends and games to play in an afternoon class with a 70 year old English genius? Pure torture. Class consisted of random speeches in front of the 10 other kids, word pronunciation and endless reading whilst having every word corrected and explained. One thing I understood was that I could never miss a class because my mother used her last money on it and it was apparently for my future. Well I am here to say mother knows best! Just like Alli Webb, my mother saw and encouraged the gift of speaking in me, and today getting up on stage to speak not only fulfils me but I can bring my best out simply because my mother invested in me. All those things I did effortlessly as a child, with passion and confidence now pay my bills and maybe just a little more than that 😉

I am pretty sure you have an idea of who I am and what I do now, and perhaps you will be open to reading more of my stories ideas and even unconventional thoughts. Raising super heroes is an exciting platform for me to share my views but to also learn. Raising a black queen is not only a privilege but one big responsibility, because just like Alli Webb I want my kids to be so confident in who they are, how they look, what they sound like that even an idea as simple as blow drying peoples hair can turn into a multi million business. Not because it’s the norm but because I as a mother have played my part in encouraging and embracing every part of her that no matter what the world may throw at her, she can stand as a black woman with a dream, confidence and a bomb mother who told her just how great she is.

So please, join me on my journey as a contributor, lets talk things out, laugh, cry but most importantly lets show up not only for our biological children, but every for child who needs a push towards the right direction.

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