I’ll be honest; I thought I had it all figured out. I’d aced Matric, was going to university to get a law degree (‘twas the era of Suits), and I’d grown out my side fringe. Fast forward to 2016. I had two degrees – plot twist: neither of which is even remotely associated with law – and I was in a teaching job that every cell in my body loathed with a burning passion (sorry kids). I had no idea what to do next.
Shanté Gumede. Credit.
Looking back, it never occurred to me that the university–internships–average job trajectory was just one option, and when I think about it, neither had my friends. So many of us were stuck in jobs or high-paying internships (no, not really) that we hated. We never took the first step of successful entrepreneurship: visualising the possibility.
Shanté Gumede, a 28-year-old signed Boss Model and founder of Bonafide Talent Agency, sees young South Africans fall into this trap all too often. “In South Africa, we just have a culture of 9-to-5 jobs; like the normal going to university, getting a diploma, getting a degree, finding a job, settling down, and all of that. South Africans haven't embraced entrepreneurship in the way that they should.”
When the grind grinds you down
When Shante was 18, she had a brief foray with the agony of the retail industry. Every day was a sad copy of the one before. Same music; same people; same suffocating schedule; and an underwhelming salary to reward her for hours on her feet and zero creative or intellectual stimulation.
"The check was not enough. I felt like, man, this is peanuts compared to the amount of hours I put in and what I'm getting out” she says. The rigid structure and routine were starting to make her depressed until, finally, after three months, she quit, and started working for herself in modelling and media.
Shanté Gumede. Credit.
Starting a company mid-COVID
Shanté founded her own agency nearly 2 years ago – a scary leap to take in the midst of a global pandemic. However, she has no regrets. The pandemic forced her to strategize and survive. “You need to figure out what you’re going to do in this time and how you're going to innovate yourself and get yourself to the next level; it's just being optimistic and looking for the opportunities and how you can grow”.
Entrepreneurship is even more important now because of the economic pressure created by COVID. With so many people losing their jobs, they often don’t see the alternative beyond looking for another boss to pay their salary. “If you constantly have to rely on someone hiring you, then you’re not going to think out of the box,” says Shante. In other words, by limiting the scope of what you believe you can do, you’re effectively crushing your own entrepreneurial potential.
Find a way that you can get out and substitute that income in another way, but don't stay and be complacent if you're unhappy.
Do you need an exit plan?
Pursuing one’s vision is the golden thread throughout Shanté's journey, and it's an attitude she encourages in all South Africa's young professionals who are trapped in jobs they hate. “If someone is in that kind of situation where they really need the money; have an exit plan,” she advises. “Find a way that you can get out and substitute that income in another way, but don't stay and be complacent if you're unhappy”.
Strategising your exit plan begins with identifying how you can add value. In a way, Shante started cooking up her exit plan decades ago with an early start in the modeling and pageantry industry. She mixed years of experience in the media and modelling industry with a deep love for children and an innately gentle and patient spirit, and Bonafide Talent Agency was the stunning result. “There was a gap and I wanted to take it. So I took it”, she says simply. “It was a space that I believed with all my heart that I could fill”.
I always have to step into this alter ego; she's a lot more confident and outgoing and talkative than the real me.
Unfortunately, there’s no rulebook here. Every entrepreneur's story is different. Maybe your company will start as a small side hustle. Maybe you’ll partner with a friend and start selling a cool thing you’ve made. “You know yourself and you know what you need. So you decide for yourself how you want to go about doing it”, advises Shante. While every entrepreneur’s story will be different, they all have that same golden thread I can see in Shante’s story: listening and responding to a personal vision or calling. “If you feel like you've been called to go that route, then definitely go that route”. It’s as simple as that.
Shanté Gumede. Credit.
How do you add value? Choosing your entrepreneurial path
Watch America’s Got Talent, Idols, or your local open-mic night, and you’ll see the difference between passions and gifts and realise very quickly that a passionate singer is not necessarily gifted too. Ouch.
Figuring out where you add value means having a grown-up conversation with yourself about whether what you love can really be monetised. Sometimes your passion will align with your gift, and sometimes it won’t. On the toss up between pursuing your passion, and monetising your gift, Shante is in the latter camp. “I feel it's more important to go with what you are good at”, she says. “Listen to the feedback that you get from people. Whatever you feel like you become good at, naturally or over time, it's a skill that you have, so use it.”
In addition to your unique skill set, it’s also vital to develop a professional alter ego who takes over when work demands excellence. “My personality's a big part of my work,” says Shante. “So I have to often tap into that side of me that's just more of an extrovert”.
When she's posing in a high-fashion shoot, closing deals for her agency, or negotiating with clients, Shanté is a different person. “I have to be in order to thrive and survive in this world,” she says. “I always have to step into this alter ego; she's a lot more confident and outgoing and talkative than the real me.”
Shanté Gumede. Credit.
In other words, you need to use your personality strategically. “You need to carry yourself as a business,” says Shanté.
Her final piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? Have a vision.
“When you have a vision, man, it doesn't matter what's going on around you. It doesn't matter how long it takes you. You're going to succeed.”
Behind-the-scenes action at Bonafide Talent Agency. Credit.
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