The risks of overdoing
“I am a big believer in just going after what you want. You will learn along the way,” - Amanda Dambuza, Author.
Amanda Dambuza is not only beautiful but she has this personality that makes each and every one that she meets feel complete. She is not in your face, but is warm and just full of life and wisdom. When she starts to share pearls of wisdom on how one can navigate their way around the maze that is life, she literally inspires you to just get up and do what needs to be done. Sharing her own stories of how she literally upped and started to work on her many projects is such a pleasure, and testament that each and every one of us is destined for greatness. This year, Dambuza is working on a very ambitious project, an animation that is made straight out of Africa, and will not only inspire the African child, but children all over the world. The animation is based on one of her books, ‘ A Brave Girl named AYAH’. Already, she is in talks with industry leaders in the film and movie industry to turn this dream into reality. And she is very confident that in a matter of time, the animation will be brought to life.
For those who are not familiar with her works, Dambuza is an author, based in South Africa,
Dambuza is a married mother of three children who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the author of ‘ Therefore I Rose and Baked in Pain’, a memoir about how she rose above her circumstances to become a globally celebrated business woman and humanitarian. She has also authored the children’s book ‘ A Brave Girl named AYAH’, an educational story that tackles various topics and gives hope.
She was recently in Botswana for the inaugural Business & Leadership Retreat, an initiative of City & Safari International. The event was held at Chose Game Lodge, and it targeted Senior Corporate Executives and business leaders from Botswana and South Africa. Dambuza was invited to share her story, and inspire those in attendance as a way to boost their morals as they seek to achieve their dreams. The event was held under the theme: Courageous Living.
A big believer in not over planning, she said one of the reasons why some women end up not achieving what they set out to do is that they overthink, over plan and over consult, and will eventually come up with all sorts of reasons why they should not do something rather than throwing caution to the wind and going after what their heart desires.
“I am a big believer in just going after what you want. You will learn along the way,” she said noting that one needs to be bold and will customize as they go.
She also shares that there is nothing that she has ever embarked on where she over analyzed the plan. Giving an example of one of her projects, she says that when she started her Project Management Consultancy Company,
Uyandiswa Project Management Services, she was working as a Corporate Executive in 2013. She notes that she started the business in August of 2013, and promised herself that by June of 2014, she would resign from her job to run the business. She left her job in May of 2014 to run the business.
“When I left, I didn’t have this grand plan of how this business was going to turn out. I trusted the credibility that I have built over time, and trusted that I will make it happen,” explains Dambuza noting that selfbelief is the driving force behind her success. Today, she employs well over 50 people, and is constantly improving her business.
“I just decided that you know what, there is a gap and opportunity, and I also wanted some flexibility so that I can be there for my family. I have built an amazingly successful business from no business plan, just a little bit of money, R80 000 and today we are nine years old, and thriving. We are constantly improving,” she said.
Even with the Covid- 19 that literally affected most businesses, she said that this has not been the case for her, because of her strong foundation which is not based on paper but on every day learning.
“Every day, you fine tune here, and you customize here, and you learn,” said Dambuza who notes that in her everyday life she is a bit of a maverick.
Recently, she said that she went into her latest business venture which is the children’s book, a resource to help them understand when they are not feeling safe and comfortable, what they should do, and a way for caregivers to tackle tough conversations at home.
She admits that she does not know anything about animation and television. “I just decided that the book is impactful, and decided to widen her reach through the animation. Again, I did not have some grand plan,” explains Dambuza.
A pilot of the animation was released in December, and they are busy in talks with global networks who are keen to come on board. “This is quite a big project, so you just do it,” she said adding that this is called bravery.
One of her biggest challenges was dealing with her husband who contracted Covid- 19 in December 2020, and almost succumbed to the virus. The family could not have a proper celebration of his birthday in January. She is thankful that she had the opportunity to nurse him back to health at their home.
“He almost died, and was ill for a while. That was a real challenge to watch someone who hardly gets sick suddenly helpless,” she said highlighting that she looks at challenges as part of life.