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SEASVND speaks to author and motivational speaker Thando Zono

✍ Background

“Thando Zono is Motivational Speaker who is a former South African National Player, former award-winning UMass Field Hockey Player, First Team All American and hockey coach. She is the author of The Pursuit of Excellence: Learning to be nothing short of EXTRAORDINARY. While also pursuing her Masters’ degree she has worked closely with athletes and is passionate about building leaders, changing mindsets and improving performance. She uses insights from the competitive world of sports that parallel the competitive world of life. Having experiences in addressing different audiences, she empowers people by sharing her positive message in creating a culture of success.”

✍ A brief summary of Thando’s autobiography ‘The Pursuit of Excellence: Learning to be nothing short of EXTRAORDINARY ’

“This book is a true-life account of my journey in hockey that brought me from a small town in Eastern Cape to landing full athletic scholarship at a Division 1 US University and the lessons learned to get to that level and excel in it.”

✍ What inspired you to write ‘The Pursuit of Excellence’? “When I was coaching young athletes and telling them about my journey through hockey, I could see the interest in their eyes and wanted to make an impact from that. In giving motivational talks, I realized that I didn’t want to only be exposed to people who happened to play hockey or were athletes. I wanted to address anyone who had a desire to pursue their passion and inspire them with insights from my story. Writing was a big challenge for me, so not only did I want to fully test myself by writing a book, I wanted to promote literacy among young people. We don’t read enough as a nation, so my contribution would be having the Pursuit of Excellence as something to read and refer to, long after my talk is given.”

✍ How did you come to choosing the title of your autobiography “The Pursuit of Excellence: Learning to be nothing short of EXTRAORDINARY”?

“It stemmed from two questions: What was I striving for and what did I want out of my life? Perfection is never achievable, so excellence described it best. I don’t have the answers to everything, but it’s an ongoing journey, hence “The Pursuit of Excellence.” From a young age, there is this song I used to sing as a kid called “Be bright in your corner.” Wherever you are, stand out in what you are doing. That’s where my subtitle came up: “Learning to be nothing short of EXTRAORDINARY.”

✍ What message were you intending to leave readers with?

“I wanted to convey my passion and encourage them to find their “thing” and go after it. My story is merely a representation that whatever it is you set out to do, it is possible. There’s not a linear road to achieving your goals, but if you set a standard for yourself, follow through with it and deal with the adversity you encounter, the results will come.”

✍ From the responses you have received from your book, what impact has this had on your life?

“Firstly, it confirmed to me that when you have a burning desire to do something and you’re forced to go over that cliff…. JUMP! I also realized that anyone can connect with your story and find a place where they can fit in. Receiving such positive reviews from people I don’t know was humbling. The bonus was having people gift my book. Now that’s something special! Knowing that something I created from scratch is impacting someone’s life for the better encourages me to keep doing it again.”

✍ What are your future plans? Another book maybe?

“Having another book out is still in its conceptual stage at the moment. My speaking career is also where my efforts are currently directed. I have teamed up with Iconoclasts, which is a knowledge bureau with some incredible speakers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. I working to not only bring my philosophy of “Keep Thriving” to athletes and students, but to corporate as well.”

✍Where you can purchase the book.

1. Exclusive Books and Bargain Books Nationwide. 2. Select Van Schaik Bookstores 3. Books are Friends 4. Select Independent Bookstores 5. Amazon 6. Smashwords ONLY R185

✍ Social media platforms Twitter: @TeeZono Facebook: Thando Zono Instagram: @thandozono

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Thando shares motivating words. Be ambitious!

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Keep Thriving

Thandolwethu Zono

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Ziyanda Ntlokwana, Master of Social Science (Rhodes University) and PhD candidate (Rhodes University)

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SEASVND speaks to PhD candidate Ziyanda Ntlokwana

🎓 Background information.

“I am a 24 year old and i was born and raised in Grahamstown. I finished my matric at Victoria Girls’ high in 2010 and went on to do my Bachelor of Social Science degree at Rhodes University in 2011, which was the same year I had my daughter. I continued with my studies, did my Honours in Industrial & Economic Sociology, Masters in Industrial Sociology, and currently busy with my PHD.”

🎓 Why did you choose this specific field of study? “For some reason I always say I did not choose Industrial Sociology but it chose me. I intended to do my honours in political studies and international relations. In 3rd year I enjoyed industrial sociology so I decided to apply and was accepted to do combined honours in politics and Industrial sociology, however the funding I received wanted me to do honours in Industrial Sociology. I thank God for this because it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Issues around labour fascinate me whether its employment conditions of workers or the living conditions of workers outside the workplace.”

🎓 Ziyanda’s current thesis

a. PhD thesis brief. “My thesis title is “Global value chains and employment conditions of female farm workers in South Africa’s dairy sector”. The rise of globalisation over the last decades has created a new era of international competition that is changing global production and trade. In agriculture, this change has manifested through the development of value chains. As a result, my thesis looks at the employment conditions of female farm workers in SA’s dairy sector. In hopes of examining if, the coordination of the dairy value chain has any effects on female farm workers.”

b. What inspired this body of work? “The aspects of sociology that have always fascinated me are Sociology of work and Sociology of labour Markets. From honours, my research papers have always dealt with the employment conditions of the semi-skilled and unskilled labour force. Therefore, when I had to decide on a PhD topic I knew I wanted it to look at employment conditions of females because in most cases they are the most marginalised group in society. My supervisor suggested I move from the higher education sector I have always looked at and look at agriculture.”

🎓 Tell us about your journey through balancing or learning to balance motherhood and your academics. Mention any challenges and highlights.

“I thank the Lord for blessing me with a family that allowed me to pursue my academic goals even though I have a child. In undergrad, my mother insisted I stay in res and leave my child at home. Therefore, I did not have the privilege of doing my school work over the weekends because I had to go home and be a mother to my daughter. This was the hardest thing to do, I promised myself I would finish my degree in 3 years and go stay at home when I did honours .Since then I do not work on any school related things on the weekends I focus on my daughter. During the week, I would work and make sure I finish my tutorials before I went home. Having a child has instilled some form of time management (constant battle). I know I have to work on my thesis from 9am-4pm, after that I switch to being a mother and dealing with homework. At the same time, being in academia means having a flexible time schedule, so I have been able to be there for my daughter and I think it has allowed us to grow together. Academia and motherhood are both demanding it is truly like having two kids that need my time and attention, I am able to make it work through the amazing support structure I have.”

🎓 Ziyanda’s motivation.

“My daughter keeps me motivated; when I found out, I was pregnant in 2011 in my 1st year at Rhodes University. I promised myself that my child would never be my reason for not achieving what I want. I do not want her to think her arrival in my life put my life and goals on hold but rather her arrival fuelled me even more. One of the most challenging things that came with being pregnant in my 1st year was people feeling pity for me as though my life was somehow over, the stares and constant whispering around me. I could have decided to go home and come back the following year but because I knew, I did not want my daughter to think she was an inconvenience I stayed on campus big tummy and all. I wrote my first university exams at 8 and half months pregnant (praying I do not give birth during one of my exams). Passed all my exams and I remember I came 1st academically in my res (amongst other 1st years). Shutting out the noise around me helped me stay true to who I was and what I knew I wanted for myself. My daughter keeps me going, she is the reason I wake up, she is the reason i have all these degrees. I want to be a living example for her that nothing can stop her from getting what she wants.”

🎓 Motivating words for those still wanting to pursue a degree or more degrees.

“I was able to get to where I am because I always knew what my intention was and I never allowed one situation to define me and determine my life for me. So I would say to anyone wanting to pursue a degree think of why you want that degree, and allow that reason to fuel you because it gets difficult to a point where you begin to doubt yourself. Constantly remind yourself of your intention and allow yourself a couple of mistakes along the way because they make your story a bit more interesting. The one thing I realised a long time ago is that our journeys are different; do not feel pressured to live your life according to how society expects you too. Take your time, learn from the challenges that might come along the way and most importantly enjoy your journey.”

🎓 Social media platforms.

facebook :Zeeyanda Faku Ntlokwana Instagram :Zeeyandafaku Twitter : Proletariat_Z

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"My daughter keeps me going, she is the reason I wake up, she is the reason i have all these degrees. I want to be a living example for her that nothing can stop her from getting what she wants." -Z.Ntlokwana

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Not even the clouds can stop you now.

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Even Academics look saucy. Your PhD candidate🎓🔥

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By Cwayita Bizana

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Black child your dreams are valid

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To thine own self be true

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SEASVND speaks to Cake Addict Styles founder Cwayita Bizana

💄Background Cwayita is a 23 year old Law student at Wits University, Beauty on TApp brand ambassador, blogger on www.cwayitabizana.com where she shares her love for fashion, beauty and everyday solutions. She is the founder of a fashion and image consulting firm. Cwayita is a lover of scenic restaurants, the beach, hotel beds, and any form of adventure. She expresses herself through fashion. From KuTsolo in Eastern Cape, she is a proud Xhosa woman who grew up in a household full of strong black women. 💄Current projects I am working on building my fashion and image consulting firm and with it I have had the opportunity to style people for their travels, graduation ceremonies and everyday style. I have worked on various photo shoots fashion styling for upcoming brands. Right now my focus is on building a company that hires women in fashion whilst supporting the needs of my community. One day I hope God grants me the opportunity to work on a big Hollywood movie and or series as a wardrobe stylist. 💄About Cake Addict Styles Cake Addict Styles is a fashion and image consulting firm. A fashion stylist and image consultant can assist you in developing and enhancing your unique sense of style and looks to assist you in crafting your overall image. A fashion stylist ensures that one understands that looking their best leaves a powerful impression and may draw more success into your life. At Cake Addict Styles our goal is to personalize one’s experience – our focus is on those who are embarking on a new career, graduating, going on a date, casual make-over, preparing for an important occasion, your travel wardrobe but most importantly we look to ensure each person has their signature look as this helps with building their personal brand. What we consider is your current lifestyle, body type, style preferences as well as your BUDGET. 💄Why Cwayita started Cake Addict Styles “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language” – Miuccia Prada is the quote that made me believe that I could turn Cake Addict Styles into a profitable business even in our economic climate. I always knew wanted to work in the fashion industry but in a way that brings positive change to someone else’s life – Cake Addict Styles promises to do just that. The constant evaluation of everyone’s wardrobe at home was also what inspired me to venture into this journey. O enjoy identifying the ill-fitting clothing and revamping those items which are outdated by combining them with accessories or recreating the items. I want to make a change in people’s lives. 💄What motivates Cwayita What keeps me going is the end goal and knowing that one day I will be a leader with an opinion on world trends in fashion. 💄Plans for the future I plan to continue building my legacy and to hopefully be a part of the change in South African fashion. I would love to move to Europe and experience the fashion there first as well as get a masters degree in fashion and business. To remain hopeful in everything that I do. 💄Cwayita's take on womxn's fashion currently Women’s fashion is currently giving me throwback vibes lol. I am really enjoying how we are all exploring with our style and trying out different styles. With a lot of room for improvement I believe we are on the right track. There may be a lack of creativity when it comes to our signature fashion as a country but I have faith that the new generation of fashion enthusiast are working overtime to change this. 💄Social media platforms IG: @cwayita_b Twitter: @cwayita_b Facebook: Cwayita Bizana Website: www.cwayita bizana.com

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Bloom where you are planted.