In this weeks blog, I talk to Amanda Madlala about her experience as a young woman in corporate and how she navigates through her journey and purpose in the workplace. She opens herself up and shares the realities of her experience and also encourages those that feel stagnant to keep focused on the bigger plan. She shares the importance of hope and trusting in God. She encourages us to keep our faith in the plans that God has for us and to know that everything happens at its own time. She reminds us of the importance of family and support and also shares how she has been able to deal with difficulties and challenges throughout her journey.
I know her as a friend, an ambitious and free-willed being destined to bring change to the spaces she occupies. Her courage carries her light and her passion is the voice she uses to inspire. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to learn from her, to witness her journey and to be blessed with her knowledge. I hope this conversation reminds us of what truly matters and inspires us to keep on dreaming.
The conversation
1. Tell us more about who Amanda Madlala is?
Where do I even begin? I think often times people try to sell too much of themselves with this question. If you ask me who I am, I’ll tell you I’m a goal-orientated, hardworking, energetic, bubbly, result-driven individual but apart from all of that, I am truly just a normal girl from a small town, living an average life, getting by every single day truly humble and blessed. My dreams and aspirations are inspired by the people around me. I think as young as we are and entering our different career paths; where I am right now is honestly developing passion that is driven by the people around me. I aspire to just be happy and content in the field that I’m in right now.
2. As we celebrate women’s month, what advise would you give to women who feel stagnant in their lives or careers?
I almost want to cry when I hear questions like this because we truly are living in the most difficult times, where youth unemployment stats are incredibly high and jobs are scarce and even those with jobs are either not elevating or are losing their jobs because of the problems our country is facing. I’ve been there, I know what it feels like to see everyone move up and you feel like you’re just stuck. It feels like the world is closing in on you and you’re living a repetitive life. It’s so difficult when the resources aren’t even there to assist you in advancing yourself. I want to encourage young women, and not just women, but men too to ‘keep trying’ no matter how many times you fail, no matter how many times they keep rejecting you, no matter how many ‘we regret to inform you’ letters you receive, no matter how many times you feel disheartened; don’t give up! Your time is coming believe it or not. You’re not stagnant, you are being prepared for the miracle that God is about to grant you in your life. Honestly, just praying also helps, it takes away so many burdens off your shoulders.
“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” - Ellen DeGeneres
3. What has been your biggest lesson through establishing yourself and navigating the corporate world?
Everyday is a learning experience, you legit will not know everything and even those that have been there for a long time are still learning new things today. I’ve been so fortunate to have a team of colleagues that are constantly thriving for excellence and that rubs off on me as well. Once you are in it, it’s not as bad as it looks, it is intimidating but don’t let that be the reason why you dull yourself down in the corporate space. Spread your wings and soar as high as you can, it is achievable.
4. Which challenges do you welcome and embrace through your journey?
Being young in the corporate world, I think people tend to underestimate your power and the authority that you bring into the work space. It’s only after you’ve assisted someone that they start to acknowledge the knowledge that you have. But I mean it’s just always nice to prove people wrong. I am a force to be reckoned with, best believe it and I’m coming for every high position in that space.
yaaassss girl!!
Spread your wings and soar as high as you can, it is achievable - Amanda Madlala
5. Where do you receive most of your inspiration?
My inspiration is truly from everyone that surrounds me. From my colleagues to my manager, right up to my friends and my parents. Everyone around me is doing amazing, they’re doing the best that they can with what they have. That for me is enough to realise that it is doable, everyone around me is striving and it’s amazing to witness. I take a little bit from everyone and that helps me grow into the person that I am.
6. What has been the most beautiful part of this journey?
The support I’ve received from friends and family. Everyone has been so encouraging and motivating. I think also just being in a new space and a new environment, how overwhelming everything can be, the move, the elevation, the people and just being in the journey and feeling every step of it. Just walking through it every single day at a steady pace is the most beautiful part about this journey.
7. Are there any regrets that you have in life?
I mean sure I do have regrets, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, however I try not to dwell too much on that. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them.
8. What does “there’s a time for everything” mean to you?
That is literally the slogan of my life. I think once you understand the concept of time and season, you have literally mastered it all. There is a time to work, play, cry, be happy, move to a different place, a different job, get into a relationship, move on from one, love, hurt, thrive, succeed, lose it all, get it all back again, a time to live, regret, meet people, etc and all that is going to be revealed at the right time. And if it comes to you and it wasn’t meant for you then it just means it wasn’t the time for you to have it. This has been what I live by lately. When the time is right, I the Lord will make it happen - Isaiah 60:22. That’s it, that’s it right there.
9. What has kept you going throughout your journey?
Prayer, every single time. Prayer has just healed so many parts of my life unspoken of. It’s given me strength where I felt like I was losing. Manifestations only work if you put in the work as well.
10. What does women’s month mean to you?
Womens month means not only celebrating women now, but also the women back then that marched to stand up against oppressive and unjust apartheid laws against women. We are where we are today and we can stand and rule in different spaces because of those women. The likes of Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophia Williams and Rahima Moosa are the reason we can celebrate this month. It’s so amazing because now we have the same rights as our male counterparts. I’m truly blessed to be living in this era where young women are taking up so much space. It’s giving goosebumps!
There is a time to work, play, cry, be happy, move to a different place, a different job, get into a relationship, move on from one, love, hurt, thrive, succeed, lose it all, get it all back again, a time to live, regret, meet people, etc and all that is going to be revealed at the right time -Amanda Madlala
I am in awe of her resolve and determination to use her voice in spaces many may find intimidating, to show up authentically and her firmness in God’s plan for her life. “Everything has it’s time”- no other verses highlight this truth than Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. In life we tend to question, doubt and even refuse to trust in the plans that God has for us. We trust on our own strength, our own understanding and our own choices. However, despite our questions, our frustrations and our failures, we can trust in the promise of a good plan, a good God and we can trust in the fact that everything has it’s time and surely ours will come.
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