Celebrity – Tumi Voster
Media personality and founder of GRL PWR Series and GRL PWR Production, Tumisang “Tumi” Voster, 29, shares her aspirations and how being raised by a single mother shaped her life
The GRL PWR Series came at a time in my life when I questioned my purpose. I felt like I needed to build something that was bigger than myself, and which would make a difference to the people around me. After sitting with my life coach, I knew conversations around women’s issues were something I was passionate about. My company, GRL PWR Production, was born this year. I’ve always wanted to venture into business and empower myself in that space. Because I had spent almost a year building the brand for the series, I wanted to take ownership of it and what it stands for! The bigger vision is to create jobs for women with the various projects I’ll have under the production agency! The sisterhood, confidence and healing I’ve seen the series bring to the women who attend, is what encourages me to carry on. To know that I’ve empowered a group of women to go out there and be the best version of themselves is inspiring on its own. To also create a space where I get to share South African women’s stories and give them a sense of belonging, really pushes me to want to continue using my voice and the platform to do more. Being raised by a single mother has definitely shaped who I am. My mom has taught me to work hard and strive for the best. She’s been my inspiration since day one. Watching her raise me allowed me to recognise the strength within myself as a woman, and her support towards my goals has propelled me to where I am now — which is something I’ll always be grateful for. Starting a family, buying my mother a beautiful house, and one day building and funding an all-girls leadership school like the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls! These are the top three things I want to accomplish before I turn 40. I believe that things happen when the time is right and that every day is an opportunity for me to get a step closer to these goals. So, time will tell.
When people look at me, I think they see someone who’s in her own lane. Someone who has found comfort in herself and the journey she’s on. I always strive to carve my own path. What situation did you believe to be true, but found out it wasn’t as you
grew older? TV and movies made us believe that being a grown-up is cool, but that is one big trap! Getting older comes with a ton of challenges and responsibilities. I sometimes miss my 15-year-old self. Back then, life was just a smooth ride and all I had to worry about was making sure I did well in school. If I could know the absolute truth to
one question...I would ask why is it still so difficult for women in this day and age to support, empower and celebrate each other. This is why I find the GRL PWR Series so important. I felt like I needed to make a change in how women see each other. I believe the only way women can grow and feel empowered is through dialogues and creating a safe space where everyone can share their challenges and also celebrate their victories. I wanted a space that I could relate to and also learn from.
The first time I cut my hair short was a few years ago. The stylist went too short and I regretted cutting my long
hair. After it grew back, I took a leap of faith last year. I found one of the best hairstylists and cut my hair again. This time, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I’m totally enjoying my new look. My biggest weakness is definitely
sweets. I have such a sweet tooth. I always have a packet of sweets at home or in my handbag! Trying to cut down has been tough. I’m trying to keep healthy, but it’s not always easy. The importance of treating your dream as a business is what I would
teach my apprentice. I think a lot of us have dreams but we don’t have an action plan in place, or a way of implementing them. Therefore, learning how to put together a dream plan, which is similar to a business plan, will help us shift from point A to B. Once that’s done, we need to put the plan out there to see if it works or not, and how we can make it better. The key is to start and not keep on postponing doing things. We also need to take ourselves seriously and represent ourselves well. So I’d teach my apprentice how to create a solid plan for their goals and dreams, and ways to represent themselves to the world. This would help set them on the right path.
Women are such powerful forces, once we’ve identified the light within us, we’re unstoppable!