Royal Hustlers - Hilaria Graig

Hilaria Graig has made her life about people. Born in the 80’s in that 15th Region of Namibia; Exile, she has learned to adapt and adapt again in each new place, always watching and learning from the people around her.

From her birthplace Havana, Cuba, she moved to Angola then Zambia before returning home to Namibia in 1989. She attended several different schools including the People’s Primary School, Emma Hoogenhout Primary, Delta and Karibib Private School, saying; “My formative years were all over the place.” The constantly changing environment led her to rely heavily on her large family and the faith she was raised in. Even now, she finds her motivation is still rooted in family.

“I consider myself a family person,” she told 99FM Breakfast Show Host, Mooki "Mooks" Mootseng. Some of her most potent influences include her “strong and courageous paternal grandmother,” and her aunts and uncles. However, her biggest hero and influence is her father. “Not only has he consciously moulded me into the person that I am today, but my father has never negated his fatherly duties and responsibilities. And, he continues to guide and support me even in my adult years.” His work ethic and discipline have formed her perspective on fulfilment and success.

Success, however, changes during the different stages of one’s life. Right now as a parent, success for Hilaria is ”having happy, healthy, well-rounded human beings that I am raising together with my husband.” However, career and family are inextricably linked and the plates must keep spinning; “When you start having children and your career is also taking off, those things kind of happen at the same time. What is most important is to remember that

when I’m at work, I’m at work… Whatever I put my name on needs to be the absolute best. And so I do the same for when I am at home.”

Hilaria’s career as a specialist in Communications and Marketing shows her commitment to the good of the Namibian people. Her career spans various sectors including central banking, local government, public enterprise, and the insurance industry. "I live by the principle of always being hungry to learn,” she told Mooks of her strategy in the office, “when you think you know it all, there's no room for improvement.” Her current role as the Manager: Corporate Communication and Stakeholder Relations for the MVA Fund is a continuation of this people-oriented perspective. “If you’re not learning, you’re not growing, if you’re not growing, you’re not living… What’s worse than being alive but being dead?"

No matter what she has faced, Hilaria maintains a “glass half full” perspective. She can always find a way to put a positive spin on things. “I always try to make the best of every situation, I learn from it and keep it moving, so to speak.” How does she do it? By “watching and learning” from those around her. There is something you can learn from every person you meet.