Butterfly Magazine - Issue 17

!

Not All Nigerians Are

S ca m m e r s

Vol. 1 Issue 17 14th August 2020

Denise Dje Komenan

w o l f h s a C n The

In collaboration with

e e u Q

Credit: UShine IShine

LEROY LOGAN -

Leroy Logan MBE – Trail blazer…

Under Policed and under protected

Teenage Victim of ‘Racist Attack’ at London

Black Police Association Charitable Trust 2

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TRAILERBLAZER

Leroy Logan on the Sylbourne Show

The Voyage Team Transform your viewing...

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media

Black Commissioners have their say

Desiree Ibekwe

Reporter at Broadcast

Lara Akeju

Daytime TV at ITV

Sarah Asante

David Adrian Padmore

Natalie Rose

Chris Curtis

Commissioning Editor - Channel 5

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Factual & Entertainment UKTV

Comedy, BBC

Editor-in-Chief, Broadcast

Credit: Jetblakink

Politics

Why Don’t

Black People Vote?

Credit: Sky

Credit: Good Thinking TV

Labour MP Accuses the Police of Racially Profiling Her

Black British MPs Share Experiences of Racism in Parliament Transform your viewing...

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Bakita: KK

iChurch

Contents

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Jamaica 58

Cover: Denise Dje Komenan Credit: Contributed

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Leroy Logan Trailerblazer

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Politics

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What’s on the Screen?

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Kenya

Freedom is Mine with Fayida

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The Disruptor

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The Library 6

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Hair Politics

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Denise Dje Komenan

Editor-in-Chief Beverley Cooper-Chambers EDITORIAL TEAM Karen Ferrari Simone Scott-Sawyer Editorial Researcher Tasina J. Lewis Marketing Team Marvin Osemwegie — Marketing Director Michael Brown — Social Media Analyst Financial Strategic Advisor Nastassia Hedge-Whyte, MAAT, ACCA,ICAJ

Laughter, Good For The Soul

Kamala Harris

THE BUTTERFLY MAAG TEAM

Regular Features Rhea Delaney (London) Joshua Grant aka Sports Arrow (London) Fayida Jailler (UK) Bakita Kasadha (UK & Uganda) Chi-Chi Osemwegie (London) Design Editor Rusdi Saleh Graphics Butterfly logo by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)

Submit a story: communications@butterflymaag.com

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The Nigerian Bobsled Team

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White Privilege AGAIN!

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Fatherhood 101

Advertising enquiries: ads@butterflymaag.com Ad copy should be submitted Friday for the following week’s publication.

Butterfly Magazine published weekly on Fridays.

Butterfly magazine is published weekly by BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE, UK. Tel: (44) (0) 203 984 9419 Butterfly ™ 2015 is the registered trademark of THE LION AND THE LAMB MEDIA HOUSE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publishers BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED. Advertising enquiries: communications@butterflymaag.com Address all correspondence to: communications@butterflymaag.com No copyright infringement is intended

Kenya

Credit: FTD Facts

Inside Kenya

Kenya Has the Most Amazing Train Station in Africa

Nairobi Expressway

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Credit: Super Soul Sunday/OWN

THE LIBRARY

Phenomenal Woman Credit: Nkrumah Chinweizu

by Maya Angelou

Mutabaruka : The GG Racist Badge 8

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The Africa Credit: DuAfricaTV

you don’t see on TV

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What’s on the Screen?

The Screeners’

TV Choice

Illustration by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)

WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY

Welcome to our Virtual Library !

Feel free to browse around and choose any book to read, all you have to do is click on the book cover to get the link.

Enjoy!

Credit: ACI

Man

Credit: Universal Pictures UK

Credit: Tubi

Comeback Dad

Small Axe

BLACKkKLANSMAN Transform your viewing...

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Credit: Popcornflix

woman

Credit: ACI

Credit: Netflix

The Courage of Love

My Dad’s a Soccer Mom 12

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The Letter Reader

Credit: Ubongo Kids

small child

Credit: Ubongo Kids

Coding Compilation Song

Grow Your Brain Transform your viewing...

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Credit: Netflix

OLDER CHILD

Credit: YouNeek Studios

Credit: Pocket Films

Project Mc²

Credit: Adam Temple & Sheridan

Black and White

Adumo 14

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Making Malika – Voice Session with Adesua Etomi-Wellington (Voice of Malika)

Credit: reelblack

young adult

Credit: ACI

Fire And Ice

Anything but Love Transform your viewing...

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Credit: Netflix

gen z

Credit: YouNeek Studios

Diamonds in the sky

Everything that happens to you can HELP you!

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Malika – Warrior Queen

Credit: ACI

grandPA

Credit: Caribbean Insight TV

Lyfe’s Journey

Caribbean Comedian Ep# 4 MISS LOU 1919 - 2006 Transform your viewing...

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grandma

Credit: ITV/Mirror

Grandma’s House

Madea’s Farewell Play 18

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Unsaid Stories

Kamala Harris, of Jamaican and Indian heritage makes history. She heads to the White House as presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate in the upcoming US Elections.

Kamala Harris with Farai Chideya

Kamala and mother

Donald Harris – Kamala’s Jamaican Father

We would love to hear from you!

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Freedom is Mine

Cuba C

BY FAYIDA JAILLER

uba is the biggest island in the Caribbean. The total population of the island is around 11.5 million, and estimates put 30% - 60% of the island as being black or mixed-race.

From 1789 to 1820, Cuba imported an estimated 800,000 enslaved Africans. The first shipment Antonio Maceo of enslaved Africans arrived in 1513, and they were forced to work in Cuba’s copper mines. The slave labour force was fundamental to the production of Sugar and tobacco in Cuba. By 1839, Cuba was the largest producer of sugar in the world, and the largest market for enslaved Africans in the Caribbean. From the very beginning, slave uprisings were common.

From as early as the 1500s, enslaved Africans escaped from plantations and joined with the native Taino population to form free settlements known as Palenques.

Cuba was the second-last country in the Caribbean to abolish slavery, in 1886, compared to neighbouring Haiti, which was the first in 1804.

Afro-Cubans played a pivotal role in the Cuban War of Independence in 1895, led by Jose Mati.

The second-in-command of the Cuban Independence Army was revered mixedrace military commander Antonio Maceo.

He was renowned for his bravery and military acumen, and was instrumental in Cuba winning independence from Spain.

The three most prominent religions in Cuba derived from African belief systems are Palo Monte, Abakuá and Regla de

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Ocha, also referred to as Santería. Regla de Ocha, may be referred to as Yoruba, Regla de Ifá, Lucumí, or Santería among others, and it comes from the Yoruba people of presentday Nigeria. When Africans were enslaved and trafficked to Cuba they were violently forced by their European masters to convert to Catholicism. Africans aligned their Yoruban deities, known as Orishas, with European saints, and in this way were able to continue practising their African religions under the guise of Roman Catholicism.

Havana is home to the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba, a museum and religious centre where visitors can learn more about the religion and see full-size artistic sculptures of the African Orishas.

The Casa de Africa is a museum and cultural centre in Old Havana which is home to over 2,000 objects related to the African diaspora in Cuba, including wooden carvings, jewellery, instruments and religious objects.

It first opened in 1986 with the objective of educating visitors on African history and cultural influence in Cuba, and the impact of the slave trade. Today is remains a cultural and educational platform, as well as a library, museum and centre for events and workshops.

Welcome to the Disruptor

To be a disruptor in business is to create a product, service, or way of doing things which displaces the existing market leaders and eventually replaces them at the helm of the sector. [`the disruptor]

Less Talk More Action

Peter Brown

What is the Ledge?

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Credit: Paul Carrick Brunson

How An African American Woman Built A School

The Prince of Africa with A Billion Dollar Fortune 22

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Ghanaians recycling jeans into fashion

Natasha Sheppard

Be Really Passionate in What You Do

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Credit: Ndini

s a child growing up, Natasha’s hair was consistently relaxed by her mother to make styling easier.

She was even convinced that her hair was naturally straight (or ‘wavy’ at most) and ironically always wanted curly hair. Through many chemical relaxers and weekly wash-blowdry-straighten routines, her hair got more and more damaged, until she finally decided to cut her hair short. Doing this started to reveal her true natural curls the moment she started growing out of the relaxers.

As years went by, eventually Natasha could not resist the urge anymore to do the “big chop” — to cut all of her hair off -- so she could grow out her true curls from scratch.

Doing her own research on how to grow her curls and have proper hair care, she decided to start sharing her journey (via blogging, YouTube and Instagram), and continued learning until she became more confident in herself embracing her new found natural hair.

Natasha eventually learned enough to create her own formula and people started buying her products. This led to building her brand, Curlshoppe, which she now co-owns with her best friend, Rowan McAnoy.

After being able to create her own business and brand, a lot of people would ask her how she was able to do it. With her own experience and strategies in this field, she and her partner Sanjay created Hustl works, a platform to help aspiring entrepreneurs start their own businesses.

In this episode, Natasha shares her story and journey to becoming an entrepreneur, specifically with hair care and products. She shares her goals, dreams, and challenges, as well as her own advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Just be really passionate in what you do… If your passion is there, you are going to make a great product or service. Whatever you’re putting out is going to be the best you, as long as you’re happy doing it. Expect the hard work. Expect things to go wrong and push through. But if your heart’s in it and you know that you are doing a good job in the best that you can be, they will all work out in the end.”

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We are not Scammers;

We are Nigerians

Nigerian American Youth in the US 24

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“You have to do the small things first for people to trust you to do the bigger things.” — Camille Dundas

Camille Dundas

amille Dundas loved reading and writing from an early age, and some of her fondest memories are of mornings spent reading the weekend newspapers from cover to cover with her father. As a teen she got exposure to working for a local TV network….and she was hooked! She knew she wanted to be a journalist.

“You have to do the small things first for people to trust you to do the bigger things.” - Camille Dundas Camille’s journalism career started when she was just 15 years old when she got a gig as a part-time newspaper columnist. At 16, she was commissioned to write a biographical poem about Nelson Mandela. She got to read the poem and present it to the late South African leader in 1998, which is a memory she treasures.

Camille spent more than 10 years as a news writer and producer for leading Canadian news programs such as CBC National, CP24 Breaking News and CTV’s Canada AM. Camille also had a strong desire to create a platform for the black community in Canada to promote their businesses. Camille and her husband Roger Dundas came up with the idea for ByBlacks.com. Since its inception, the platform has evolved into a full scale online magazine featuring stories of inspiring people from the Canadian black community.

Camille was recognized by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her media activism; and the ByBlacks

team has won national media awards. She has been recognized as one of the ‘100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women’.

“Media portrayals inform your perceptions, and your perception will inform your reality, and your reality informs your biases.” - Camille Dundas In 2016 Camille made a career jump from TV news to the tech industry, becoming a consultant for global social media management leader Hootsuite. She now uses her storytelling skills to show organizations how they can leverage social media as part of their digital transformation strategies.

Camille and her husband Roger, who are parents to two young children, are also business partners in publicity and marketing firm Konvo Media.

In this episode, Camille talks about her journey to becoming a career journalist, and eventually “pursuing her own ideas on her own terms” by becoming an entrepreneur. Using her strong storytelling and journalistic background, Camille wants to contribute to changing the ‘norm’ of media for black people.

“I want to be remembered as somebody who allowed everybody else to tell their truth from their point of view.” - Camille Dundas Camille is also passionate about women’s rights, and mentoring underserved groups. She is a prolific public speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops across all sectors.

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Credit: Ndini

C

Changing the norm of media for Black Canadians

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lead Story

Denise Dje Komenan

w o l f h s Ca n The

e e u Q

By Simone

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Scott-Sawyer

w

BM: 1. Who is Denise Dje Komenan?

What was your childhood like?

I

was born in Strasbourg a small town in France, located on the German border. I lived a relatively normal life until age 5 when my parents divorced.

Following the divorce, I was temporarily removed from my mother’s custody and raised by the nanny during this period: a white family living in the French countryside in a mountain region near the German border – I recall these as the most blissful years of my childhood. Two years later, I returned to live with my mother and remember the home being a place of terror and fear. My siblings and I were often subjected to unprovoked and excessive physical attacks. My older sister was a challenging teenager for my mother and she was therefore determined not to have the same experience with me.

This meant that I was subjected to extra control and in many ways I lived life ‘locked in a cell’ mentally, physically and emotionally.

In addition to the emotional issues, there was also financial mismanagement issues at play. Due to the rampant lack of budgetary controls, my teenage years were a financial rollercoaster with my life simultaneously occurring on two ends of the spectrum - one minute, I lived in wealth and abundance and the next minute, I lived in poverty, with bailiffs turning up at the door and confiscating our household goods. This was a direct result of monetary mismanagement in the home. There was one Christmas I remember playing Monopoly with my siblings under the blankets, by candle lights because the heating and electricity had been cut off. Though we existed in the modern 21st century, it felt like we were living in the 18th century! Life was often confusing and chaotic.

From around aged 12, my mother often travelled which meant I was in charge of my younger siblings, cooking for them and taking them to school. Around age 13, my cousin a streetwise foster child, came to live with my family. Having lived in multiple homes up to that point, she was used to a certain lifestyle, one that I would come to admire from my restricted space. I idolised my cousin as she appeared to enjoy all the things I had been denied. We became fast

friends with me practically following her everywhere. We would regularly sneak out of the house only returning in time before my mother’s return. This was my first taste of the big bad world.

From around age of 14 to 17 years, my experience with my mother was quite difficult. Although love was always at the heart of her actions, owing to the financial inadequacies, the relationship evolved to one of oppression and manipulation towards me. When I started working my letters would be intercepted and pay slips checked with my earnings being collected by mother, I had no say in the matter.

I reached yet another turning point in my life when I attained my Baccalaureat [the internationally recognised and slightly more sophisticated version of “A” levels]. One day my mother unexpectedly opened the door and told me I was free, to go and come as I pleased.

The lockdown was lifted overnight!

During my Bac, I formed a close bond with my teacher who was more like my guardian angel as he clearly saw potential and encouraged me to pursue Accounts.

On some intuitive level perhaps, I recognised the need to ensure I did not venture down the same economically devoid path as my mother, and so this was the beginning of a financial awareness in me.

Life lesson number 1 – at age 21, I came to realise that your first financial habit should be saving for a rainy day.

When I started business school despite the lack of financial support I managed to pay my tuition fees. I started modelling and dancing around this time to help pay for my for my education and became part of a Brazilian and Cuban girl dance troupe. Modeling and dancing my way through life at the time kept me sane as my multiple alter egos developed. I was a dancer, a carer, a student and a worker and these multiple worlds co-existed and never collided, but it simply made me resilient and driven in a bid not to make the same mistakes as my mother. However, my experiences thus far also brought out another side to my personality: the un-layering of the shackles. I had been told “no” for so long that I now developed an insatiable appetite to do all that I had been forbidden from doing.

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Between ages 20 and 22, the eviction led to a period of homelessness. This period taught me a vital lesson: I learnt that it was important to take responsibility for myself if I wished to be financially successful. My mother’s economic state which led to the eviction, represented everything that I vowed I would never be. to. As a result of the eviction, I lost all of my clothes, childhood and teenage photographs.

The sentimental value of such possessions is priceless and its loss was traumatic. Now I look back wistfully on my childhood years, filled with paradoxes – from living a posh and pampered life, to poverty, and from living in a home full of love, to a broken home. I decide however that I must make peace with my past as there comes a time you have to take stock and forgive yourself. Then you must try to understand that your parents did the best they could, at the time and forgive them, for your sanity’s sake. Perhaps it is all a matter of perspective.

BM: 2. What professional and/or nonprofessional experiences have shaped Denise as the person she is today?

I was not the typical evictee that you might imagine.

Throughout my eviction period I was gainfully employed and the consummate professional. To succeed, I developed a mindset of gaining more qualifications to get ahead and circumvent the racism that prevailed in France. Between 1994 and 1995, it was a chance encounter whilst doing unpaid work experience in an international trade show, that would change the trajectory of my career in years to come. By serendipity, one of the customers I interacted with happened to be the owner of a major French brand, Diapositive. As a result, I was hired to work for Printemps a high level department store [the equivalent of John Lewis], where I learnt to upskill myself and deliver customer service

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to the highest level. Hired for my excellent work ethic, I did not disappoint and tripled turnover in that period – despite being the only person of colour as the face of the brand, I exceeded the sales figures generated by Galleries La Fayette [the equivalent to Harrods] for the first time in history of the brand!

Life lesson number 2 – I developed the all-important life skill of ALWAYS adding value, for you never know who is watching. Even though I earned no income from my work experience at the international trade fare, my work ethic remained superb. I had worked on my image and had a mature but trendy look, belying my twenty something young years. I did not have the appearance of a work experience staff member, but rather looked the part of the brand I represented. Therefore when an opportunity came my way, I was able to grab it. I was thrown in at the deep end, managing a £1m yearly clothing line budget. Based on the clients’ needs and expectations, I decided which attire to select and what the clothing line would be for the coming season. I honed my marketing skills and developed phenomenal confidence in the process which would stand my in good stead for the future.

Life lesson number 3 – if you need to fake it till you make it, inadvertently or otherwise, so be it! What I witnessed growing up gave me a steely determination to live my life in pursuit of security. It meant that generating money was my focus for a while and it drove everything I did. I would end up sacrificing relationships and friendships in my relentless desire not to let history repeat itself.

Around this time, perhaps unsurprisingly the serial entrepreneur started to emerge. It was whilst gaining work experience at the international trade fare that I developed an eye for a bargain. I loved their quirky pieces and when an opportunity presented itself, I decided to started buying and selling watches. This was my first side hustle. I was haunted by memories of my parents’ failings and was determined to make a success of my life.

In 1996 I travelled to the UK for the first time and stayed for 6 months. I went back to France to complete my degree and returned to the UK for good in November 1999. I found a base in London and spent 4 years working for Eurostar.

Once again applying my trademark spirit of excellence, I was promoted to a senior role within a year and commanded a fantastic salary – this usually takes an average of 3 years.

However, although all seemed like a dream on the outside, it was not well on the inside. By age 28, feeling deeply unfulfilled with my life I fell into a depression. Although I had a great job earning good money and was able to travel and see my family, I discovered that there was more to life.

From around 2002, I went through period of personal and professional growth and self-education, coming to the realisation that well-being was key. I attended numerous seminars, read endless lists of books and immersed myself in the joys of self-development. I also spent approximately a year learning the basics of property investment, then

took the plunge and bought my first property in 2003. On reflection I remember how much I loved buying property and realised that as I pursued it, the depression started to wane. I then embarked on a journey of upskilling my entrepreneurial expertise and with a strong work ethic and good fortune on my side, took the opportunities that came my way. I joined an estate agency and quickly moved up the ranks and started working with high net worth clients. I mingled with the movers and shakers and learnt just enough key components to give an air of confidence, which got me through lots of doors. Even as a newbie, I learnt that it was possible to associate yourself with the right people and through networking, you can progress in your career.

Honing my relationship building and property management skills allowed me to sharpen my business acumen.

Life lesson number 4 – opportunity comes when you are not expecting it, and sometimes this is when you meet your future. As I gained more and more confidence, I started to invest in property and then became so good at it I started to manage properties for my friends and family. I briefly flirted with the idea of doing business in China but soon realised that my sole focus had to be on property investment.

By 2007, I began to successfully source properties for investors – this was the genesis of Profilex, my property lettings consultancy. However, I committed the ultimate faux pas by mixing business and pleasure resulting in debts and the end of a personal relationship. I quickly picked myself up, added more properties to my portfolio in 2008.

Sadly with the 2008 crash, I got burnt as interest rates rose. There was no plan B, fear moved in and faith moved out.

I put a hastily constructed, high risk strategy in place which further compounded my problems. I was slowly realising the benefits of a collaborative mindset. I fell into another deep depression. Fortunately a good friend who also happened to be my property mentor recommended that I retreat to the Lake District to rethink my options. He also promised to get me back on my feet within 6 months. He kept his promise.

Yet it would take another 5 years of simultaneous selfdiscovery and fire-fighting for me to recover my position.

2009 to 2013 were dark years with spiraling debts, CCJ default judgements and a poor credit rating. The experience learnt harked backed to my childhood days – to ensure that there was at least 6 to 12 months’ worth of savings demarcated for emergencies as this stands you in good stead

in your business and personal life.

Furthermore, never combine your personal finances with the business as this only starves the latter of necessary funds.

Life lesson number 5 – ‘unlearn’ the people pleasing skills and learn to accept help when needed. Understanding the power of connections and relationology is key to business success. In 2014 I decided to get a coach - the tide turned and this was a pivotal point for me. While on this journey, I discovered the “Clean Sweep Program”, a program designed to assist you in making some wholesale, life altering decisions. So profound were the effects of this program on me, that plans are afoot to incorporate the principles into a business strategy I am currently working on.

Between 2014 and 2017, I went on a whirlwind of worldly experiments from travelling to countries including Fiji and Nigeria to dipping my toes into the world of cryptocurrency. Some of the choices I made were great yielding good returns, others not so great. What I learnt during this period of growth was the art of authenticity – know thyself and do not depart from that knowledge, for you will do so at your peril. However I would go one step further and say: know thyself and keep on perfecting thyself.

Among other qualities, I came to realise that one of my core strengths is my attention to detail. I have developed an uncanny ability to project manage any goal, no matter how big or small to within an inch of its life! There was a symbolic lesson I learnt on a trip to Thailand in 2017 when I failed to deploy my detail orientation skills in the planning of the trip, only to arrive and find that the reality was far from the dream. When you find that you are just surviving instead of thriving and are generally misaligned with the ‘inner you’, it is time to recalibrate. Nowadays being in flow for me, means the things we should engage in are often locked within our happiness. Deep.

Life lesson number 7 – go back to the basics. Sometimes asking yourself simple questions such as: if I am not succeeding at the small, everyday tasks, how can I hope to achieve the big things? Again, stripping back and keeping it authentic.

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find solutions for people, to prevent them from making the mistakes I made. I am in the process of creating a community to grow and develop certain key skills in cashflow management and by default asset acquisition which can include property investment. Generational wealth is big passion of mine. To this end, I always strive for excellence in financial education, a skill I have finessed over the years.

BM: 4. Do you have any other pursuits or projects you are currently engaged in?

BM: 3. What is your profession?

Would you describe what you do as your calling?

I would describe myself as a property professional with experience spanning over 15 years, ranging from property sourcing, property management, property selling and light refurbishment management. This experience has sharpened my negotiations skills, people profiling, relationship management and customer service. The crisis of 2008 taught me the importance of budgetary agility, having multiple income stream options and most importantly financial literacy. Indeed I feel I have come full circle as, in my pursuit of ensuring I do not turn out like my parents, ironically I ended up down that same path. In order not to revisit the mistakes of the past, it was imperative that I turn my financial life around for the better and most importantly ensure that my income was at least three times my expenditure.

I am a perfectionist and becoming an entrepreneur not only gives me unfettered freedom to dictate my destiny, it also allows me to carve out my business brand based on my unique life experiences. My calling can be found in the financial freedom arena. I have an innate desire to

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Owing to my near obsession with creating a flowing funnel of funds, I have been referred to as the ‘Cashflow queen’ in my circles. I am currently working on creating a mastermind group and working collaboratively with similar, great minds in the field.

[Writer’s note: I have had some rather challenging but constructive conversations with Denise on this topic and can attest to the fact she is proficient and thorough in her approach, applying that steely detail orientation in her counsel].

With regards to property letting, I wish to create a similar community of landlords and property specialists. I would like to be a connector, bringing relevant parties together and providing them with solutions to deliver an exceptional quality of service. What will my unique selling point be? When I am consulted with the task of sourcing tenants for clients, I will first endeavour to take a holistic view of the client’s life, in order that I can tailor-make my services whilst keeping costs low. I will be looking to provide a bespoke service that affords my clients triple the layer of protection. As regards potential tenants, at the vetting stage, thorough initial checks would be carried out to eventually drill down to the cream of the crop. From the first appointment, I will be assessing prospective tenants based on their all-round demeanour – do they observe good etiquette in the way they speak? If they are running late for an appointment, do they apologise? [Writer’s note: Hmmm, did I mention before that Denise is a stickler for detail and perfection? These are just some of the reasons why a niche area of this type of property management will succeed].

My dream is to establish a sterling standard of service in the lettings industry, creating a strong legacy known by its label of excellency. My vision is for landlords to provide well-appointed properties to a high letting standard, to high calibre tenants, so it is an all-together positive, rewarding experience for all parties.

For those wishing to become more financially astute and get onto the property market, if you are encountering obstacles, my advice is clear: first, ensure that your credit rating is in order. Having a good credit score is like owning a passport: it gets

your foot in the door. Obtaining finance particularly in the current COVID-19 climate is much harder as lenders are extra cautious and will judge. It is important to note that some lenders will look at your past, present and future job prospects.

I would also suggest opening an account with the credit scoring company like Clearscore.com. The service is free and a report delivered once a month so you can keep track of your financial health. The report will guide you on how to improve your scoring. In this climate it is also helpful to build a reserve cash pot for that unexpected emergency: you can consider making money by increasing your income, or, by decreasing your expenses. Other tips to consider include selling apps like Schpok and Gumtree for selling unwanted possessions, and budget tracking apps like Minted. I am also a strong advocate for working collaboratively as this allows you to achieve your goals much faster – for instance creating an accountability group of likeminded individuals is a great way to keep chasing those goals.

More importantly, I embrace taking pre-emptive measures and being financially agile at all times. This way you can stay ahead of the trends so that when the opportunity presents itself, you are in a position to capitalise – for if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

From being a victim of the 2008 economic crash, I now have a strong sense of security which comes from the fact that I know how to protect myself in case of an emergency.

How did I figure this out? By observing how the wealthy manage their affairs. In case of trouble, they have measures in place to be able to move home lock, stock and barrel with minimal disruption to themselves. This comes from having a financial agility which allows them to be adaptable and able to move at a moment’s notice. COVID-19 has taught us that having a plan B at the very least, is now a standard prerequisite for life. However, in order to have one you must have a financial agility fund to build your Noah’s ark if the time comes.

generation’s generation for years to come. This should be the blueprint for financial education. Those serious about developing some financial muscles would do well to observe the rich and wealthy. Sometimes it can be as simple as taking out life insurance so that loved ones are taken care of when you pass away – a simple act like this ensures that the next generation is not left financially stifled.

I have dreams of creating investment clubs to help people attain financial independence for posterity’s sake.

For instance, I quite admire the mindset of the Asians who would encourage their children to work in their cornershop. Why is that? It simply means that from a young age they have a business mind inculcated into them, and by the time they are adults, being financially astute is second nature. Creating a mindset akin to this which is replicated across communities, is how generational wealth ideas start to develop, adding value and engendering a spirit of excellence.

[Writer’s note: With an instinct for generational legacy, it is no wonder that when a Next Level Development invitation popped up on Denise’s phone via a WhatsApp message, she immediately jumped at the opportunity. The NLD concept encourages a pooling of resources to create sustainable communities for like-minded individuals and their generations in Africa (see cover story in issue 13)].

I live my financial life like the cashflow game and if you have not heard of this game, which teaches you the basics of financial husbandry, then I urge you to look into it. I have always relied on my own effort, and have struck a balance between not needing anyone but knowing when to ask for help. With the knowledge I have acquired, I want to have a residual impact on people by teaching and sharing. By paying forward and bringing solutions to others, you simply never know what seeds you are creating or what legacies you are building.

If you wish to contact Denise she can be reached at: www.profilex.co.uk

BM: 5. What does the future hold for Denise?

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