Destined to Disrupt - Meet Masentle - The Bad A** Business Analyst

Meet Masentle The bad a** business analyst, digital marketing skills trainer, and founder of Consult The BA—a digital marketing agency with the mission to equip business owners and creators with knowledge and tools that will solve their business problems.

She has taught over 1500 small business owners Digital Marketing Skills at Digify Africa. Masentle has given training on Effective Advertising Strategy, Content Creation, Tools to Drive Your Business, Building Online Presence as a Boost With Facebook Trainer.

When Masentle isn’t busy being a bad a** professional she travels, loves trying diverse restaurants to experience new cuisines and creating lasting memories.

You can find Masentle on Instagram @masentletheba

Artwork Provided By: Madikela Dikgale
Music Provided By: Romero Mosely 

Perfect 
Music By: Romero Mosely

DMV Love 

Music Provided: By Romero Mosely 

Transcript

10:12:32
Felicia:  So, welcome to destined to disrupt. Oh.
10:12:32 Welcome to destined to this wraps.
10:12:39 We have Masentel towels the way live Did I say that correctly.
10:12:41 Yeah.
10:12:41 methods I was on the team she's
10:12:46 I was on the team she's creative see creative strategy. She's a business analyst hailing all the way from where you at right now.
10:12:55 And then Johannesburg, South Africa. Hey, Burt yeah and reporting and I'm located in Los Angeles, California. I will be your host for today. Felicia Fifi half Felicia, bye Felicia.
10:13:36 Just a matter of weeks, and I'm so happy that we're working together, like I've just been bragging like oh my god my team is the bomb. Yeah. So this is a part of the creative strategy behind this and to disrupt so I thought it'd be good to you know shout
10:13:52 our team out and let the people get to know you a little bit better. And you know, share the vision so tell us a little bit more about yourself.
10:14:05 Yeah. Cool, cool. I am so excited. I'm so excited right now.
10:14:12 What an honor to be here. What an honor to be a part of your team. It's been such a privilege it's been so awesome it's been so fun and it just ignited my, my love for being a creative and strategic thinking and, yeah, it just takes all the right boxes
10:14:33 that I need as a creative so I'm super stoked to be a part of destined to disrupt. Thank you so much, Felicia for testing me, you know what, baby, you know, beautiful baby,
10:14:49 baby and this incubator right now because we're not even out yet. Let's be out but we're not there yet. So, um, tell us a little bit more about like Tell me about your day job, tell me about, you know, what you do by day.
10:15:06 We know you're doing destined to disrupt by night. So tell me a little bit more about that.
10:15:12 OK, cool. So, by day, I do business analysis. That's why I go by my son to the PAC Willa.
10:15:23 Be as for business analysts professionally.
10:15:26 But in the streets, you can call me bad as, because I think I'm pretty badass. Right.
10:15:33 I like it. Okay, that's badass. Yeah. So by day, I do this business analysis for an insurance company.
10:15:42 And then, a big passion of mine a big love of mine is digital marketing, anything that has to do with digital and social media and strategizing for things that go to live consumers on all these various platforms.
10:15:58 And that's something that I also do, and to be specific, what I've been focusing on doing like for the past almost a year now, is to give digital marketing skills training to small business owners around South Africa, so anything from literally coming
10:16:16 up with a strategy on how to strategize the marketing side of the business to creating the content to planning it to getting it out there to using money to market your business, literally the whole business journey when it comes to advertising on social
10:16:35 media is what I've been doing. And on my side what I do, as my hustle, a passion of mine is to give customers, which is small businesses creators influences information on how they can go back to take the business out there because we've got so many resources
10:16:56 resources out there, but knowing which one fits your business and where you are in your business is what people tend to struggle with and that's the gap that I feel when you feeling and that's, that's where I come in and like, this is what you gotta do
10:17:11 to like this this is how much time you can do it.
10:17:15 Yeah, so well.
10:17:19 The bad as a. Let me tell y'all, let me tell y'all. So, I'm also a BA.
10:17:27 I started I started my career as a business analyst I still do a lot of business analysts and the work that I do by day.
10:17:35 But let me tell you what I felt the energy of this woman. It was like, Okay. She is not here to play. She came, day one with strategy. She came with ideas, and it's just so feel so good when you can get activated with a group of people or just one person
10:17:59 and business, and I think we both light a fire for one another so I am just so thrilled and really blessed I feel really blessed to have you.
10:18:12 And it's just been so cool, all our sessions are just like my mind is blown literally every time we meet,
10:18:22 I think last time we chatted, I was in tears crying so just so just laughing so hard and doing our Oprah.
10:18:38 I die. I also pride in tears, thank over cuz well.
10:18:56 Finished. Yes, so maybe you can tell us a little bit about how you got, you know what your side hustle, right, like your side hustle. What made you are what's your why behind that I know you said you love to help businesses you love digital marketing
10:19:02 digital strategy, but let's just dig a little bit behind that.
10:19:08 What is your why why do you do this.
10:19:11 I do this because I love it. I don't know I have fun doing it, it never feels like I'm working because. Interestingly, how it all started. It was a couple of years ago a friend of mine who was working for.
10:19:28 He still works there as a graphic designer for this digital marketing agency. And he told me about influencer marketing that he's getting paid to tweet and as I what I spend so much time on Twitter, and I'm not getting paid for that.
10:19:51 I'm just putting all this money to buy data which is very expensive in South Africa, but yes it is out of it. Yeah, what that means I can get paid for a hobby, because I see so much value on these platforms.
10:19:59 That means this is an opportunity and the market to explore to learn as like, there's a lot people don't know that I can share to help so I just like seeing people, elevating and get into the next level which is I think encapsulates the reason why.
10:20:18 Yeah, I love it, I love it. Okay elevates elevate we elevate in destined to disrupt I'm so excited, and this is one of. I'm sure many projects that will have maybe let the people in a little bit on like how you make time for this because a lot of us are
10:20:37 working professionals, a lot of us, you know I work I'm in grad school at Parsons, I have a business, I have this podcast. So what do you do to make time and, and how do you balance it all.
10:21:05 Balance time.
10:20:56 I must admit it was very difficult in the beginning to juggle everything at the same time.
10:21:04 Think I finally got my sweet spots when I started to prioritize and find like to create systems for myself I know I'm efficient when I do this, which leads to that so do this and finish that and do this service Queen over here.
10:21:22 Okay. She got me information
10:21:26 Everything is information it just falls into place and it becomes a habit until I'm like, whoa, I'm actually doing a pretty good job here I need to keep this up so I think having good systems, then following through with those systems it, it makes it
10:21:43 better to juggle but they are clashes sometimes and I'm just like, Whoa, my God, how do I deal but it's always have to keep calm and say, Okay, I know why I'm doing this okay this is what I can do to solve this just I think also being positive, and being
10:21:59 intentional with what you want to do so it's like, Okay, cool. You can do it, you can do it you can do it, that's me every day. I think I posted on LinkedIn.
10:22:09 The other day I said something like, every time I'm having like a rough day where I feel like I'm stumbling Stumbling on and I've got an obstacle. I always ask myself, would be unsafe give up.
10:22:25 Say, do I don't.
10:22:34 They do. Right.
10:22:34 They do.
10:22:34 Probably practice a lot, you know, I, when I think of her I was think of a lot of discipline, she's a she's a leader, you know, she's a leader, she has to step into that role and I don't think a lot of us get to see that side of it, you know, there's
10:22:52 a lot of people that are orchestrating.
10:22:56 And that's kind of how you have to think about Creative Leadership right, it's like an orchestra, if you will, and everybody has each section, you know has their, their role right you got the violins you got the cellos you got was the big one, I don't
10:23:12 know, the bass.
10:23:17 The bass violin, I don't know what what is it called that huge one. You got the, what is it, the what's the beautiful one. Oh man, I don't know heart.
10:23:26 The heart, the beautiful heart. So you have, you know, all these instruments or all these creatives that come together and you have to almost act as like the conductor, if you will, and it's not really about the conductors not saying a whole lot right
10:23:43 like Beyonce, obviously she's uh she's thinking she's thinking her, her butt off, but the same time she's also, you know, there's good cues being made, you know, there's all types of things that people are looking to her to lead, and I think she does
10:24:00 a really good job and probably letting people, empowering people in their positions like I'm all about that, like I don't need to.
10:24:09 I'm just a storyteller here, you know, so like I don't need to tell you how to do your role like I just need to like empower you. And, you know, create a safe space to kind of nurture the growth and.
10:24:25 And so we all develop and, you know, we can be in alignment when it's time to perform. And once you are at that level of like everybody's performing at an optimal level.
10:24:40 I think that's where the magic is. So, once you can kind of pull that out of everybody but it's not for us it's like I'm inspired to do it. I love you know I want to do it because it actually brings me joy and I feel purposeful in doing this.
10:24:57 That's why that's why we're here today.
10:25:00 Such a, you know, one of the reasons why I started this podcast, is to bring awareness to create us like yourself, you know, entrepreneurs.
10:25:15 People in fashion, people that have navigated their way creatively to find their truth and find their gifts and and and really work that purpose. So, that is why we're here, we're disrupting we're about to disrupt timeline.
10:25:34 Such a beautiful job average and I must commend you like you saying everyone has like a part to play right there's there's an instrument that be playing in it, it just play so beautifully together, and it's something that you mentioned it like when we
10:25:48 first met, you're like, I'm not going to micromanage I trust that you can do the job. You can do the job and that's exactly what's been happening and it's just so beautiful to be my team where you know what you need to do, you do it, and everything just
10:26:03 blends into nicely together.
10:26:06 Only a bigger work like that in the corporate world but you know, we have to create these spaces we have these spaces. So I want to take you back in time a little bit we're going to roll back a little bit and just dive deeper, you know, um, tell me about
10:26:25 a little bit about your childhood, like, tell me, like, some, you know, memorable moments.
10:26:34 What games did you used to play like take me back so you're like, I don't know, 1213, like what were you doing who was.
10:26:43 Were you still a badass Are you still that asset No,
10:26:49 I don't think so maybe I was maybe we have always been I just wasn't aware at the time.
10:26:56 But I think that as you spoke as you asked the question, there's there's a scene that came to mind.
10:27:04 And it's funny I'm wearing orange today like the scene that I have in my mind when I was 12. I was wearing this cute check orange and white skirts and the white top similar to the one I'm wearing now.
10:27:19 I had very short hair, and we were playing in the streets so that different indigenous games that we still play it's not happening that much now because technology, but at the time.
10:27:31 And we used to play the game of what the ghetto is, is how do I even describe it. So, how you played you draw a circle on the streets with a stone or a talk if you've got if you're privileged enough to have talk.
10:27:48 So you draw a circle, under on the street, and I mean you gather stones right and then you're going to have an opponent, and you throw the stone app, you have to pull out to certain number of of stones, and then three is there an app again, and push back
10:28:19 you took out so that you left with one depends on the level that you add. We did that the whole day we played.
10:28:19 I was staying on Krishna is when.
10:28:21 So you take your stockings right let's say your stockings read loved it when stockings read
10:28:29 you running stockings you tie them together in a very long rope. Two people stand across each other and you just jumping in and out different styles, different techniques so memories that I have just paying outside having fun and being active.
10:28:47 Yeah.
10:28:49 Isn't that nice, isn't it nice. Think about that. back, we'll let.
10:28:56 So when's the last time you have you played Have you play like anytime recently was the last time you like had fun game night gonna I know it's been covert, so we know we haven't been doing much, but can we think of the last time I had fun.
10:29:29 It's, it's so challenging my coven 19 has been.
10:29:23 It's really impacted us a lot so it's it's tricky to get out of the house to have fun or to get out of what you're usually doing to have fun, but I've been going out there for meetings and meeting new people, that's fine.
10:29:42 I have found in my dog.
10:29:45 Going out like meeting with my partner that I have a lot of fun with my partner so that's been fun. Nice.
10:29:53 What else do I do for fun. I've got a coloring book so I have fun distressing with that is done to disrupt has been fun.
10:30:06 podcast has had so much fun I don't even think about like okay cool, here's what we're going to do you know when that happened that's going to happen here.
10:30:13 Okay, it's like a, it's like playing a game of chess.
10:30:17 You have to think, Okay, once you do this that's going to happen to say, I'm gonna do this, do this, do that so yeah this this has been so fun. So from get go, have been hyped up about it so I love that, I love that.
10:30:32 So tell us a little bit more about Joburg you know everybody hasn't been there, I haven't been there. And I'm like, super sad because I was like, I would go I just need a friend and now I have friends, of course.
10:30:51 Um, but yes, I tell us about Joburg I know like, I've always heard about like the street style in Joburg like the you know, the clothes and the fashion being off the chain.
10:31:06 The parties being off the chain.
10:31:10 I'm sure the food is probably good. The music. Yes. tell us about it. Tell us about that.
10:31:26 Think of it. Okay pre coded pre coded. Even now Joburg is full of history, history, history, history, there's a whole lot of history, and it's written history written diversity, different shades of people, different people from different countries, you
10:31:40 know, people come here looking for opportunities. You know, that's why they call it the city of gold, because gold was mind in Joburg so everyone wants a piece of that goes to, people come here, you know, to look for opportunities so you can imagine people
10:31:56 from different parts of the world coming to Joburg to explore themselves to connect with other people to look for opportunities to create. It's buzzing in buzzing wow
10:32:10 senses are like, literally buzzing
10:32:17 different types of food, you will get Nigerian food mature in South Africa, you get broken food but you in South Africa, right, there's there's a lot of amazing people, a lot of amazing opportunities, and it's just beautiful being in the city of Joburg
10:32:36 It's so refreshing because you can go to other provinces and you won't feel that that buzz, you feel like you're on holiday but in Joburg you know like, there's always something to do and it just keeps you pushing motivated and productive so yeah everyone
10:32:51 listening come through to Joburg as can.
10:33:03 We're going to be recording the next I mean, this is a goal of mine but we will record it episode in Joburg. Okay. I'm probably buy this year. That's my hope I'm trying to make it back by the before the new year.
10:33:09 Okay.
10:33:11 Universe. Yes, yes, we love it. Um, okay so since you're like if this creative hub right of all these, you know people because I know there's like a lot of international, you know, it's an international hub people come through Joburg for holiday.
10:33:33 Maybe they go Safari or maybe they stay in Joburg just to kick it, but how is Joburg influenced you as a creative, like how does how does it influence you, you know, walking down the street and how you arrived.
10:33:50 That's an interesting question.
10:33:54 Mainly because I was born and bred in Johannesburg.
10:33:59 When I go to Ks it in, in Durban, that's where my family was brought up my dad's side of the family so we'd go there every now and then, and you get to see the rural areas, and being in Joburg just constantly reminds me of the privilege that I have, we've
10:34:17 got electricity here, some parts of the country don't have electricity we've got roads, you know it's it can be small things that are taken for granted but every time you enjoy working you living in the space it's like, No, actually, I'm if I've got a
10:34:31 roof over my head, then I'm in a good place.
10:34:36 Yeah, walking down the street, depending on which part of Joburg you ads, depending on the levels.
10:34:44 Yeah.
10:34:45 And and it's quite interesting so for me when I'm traveling from Soweto which is at same a balance of lower class and middle class, zombie still get we have shacks there we have people living in government, built houses we call them our DPS.
10:35:06 They are people who have managed to build your own houses so you see the people like the community there is very tight, you know, everyone knows everybody, and everyone is growing together.
10:35:21 The fashion sense is quite interesting and you get to see it from the older generation and the younger generation the styles are quite different.
10:35:37 You get to see how our generation, always adapt to what was daddy previously, you know, sometimes they come up with their own things it's this this tradition that the culture that came up it's called is equal timing, they literally only were the most
10:36:03 clothes for street way that they own culture so innovate. Again, what do they call that is a cotton is quite timely, which quarter is a new word for Nick.
10:36:09 So Nick Yeah, so. Mm hmm. Which is also quite interesting because they'd have this thing with they pull out your mouth on the street because ultimo customers and luxury in South Africa.
10:36:23 Optimal custard. Oh, we really have in December time So, okay, it's poor, you know on the side of the road to to boast about how rich they are and, you know, show off the culture, the street way that they have this this really a lot going on.
10:36:44 And as you move up you've got the city life that we can get like rich diversity you get punks, and you get like classic people you get street wear high fashion, literally everything you'll find it there.
10:37:01 And then these, the opposite is where you can imagine people are looking more comfortable
10:37:11 with a high class, rich anti rich anti vibes.
10:37:17 Wow, wow so we would even know like our people checking for high fashion in Joburg you know like I see, this is something that you know we always looking to like New York or LA or just like traditional places but by Joburg is sounds like dripped out,
10:37:38 you know, in terms of the culture now would you say like the fashion is it you know that street where is it like they're wearing Gucci and Chanel or is it like Do they have their own brands or like they're all local brands that have a statement or, you
10:37:55 know, represent some type of influence, maybe tell us a little bit more about that. Yeah. Well, we've got a mixture of everything, literally, you can find anything here.
10:38:09 Someone that came to the top of my mind when you spoke about high fashion is the likes of written Niecy.
10:38:16 He also got got some publication when he created an outfit like a skirt, based on event, like there's a tradition called Linda, language, yeah.
10:38:33 They also have their own cultural attire, Richard nice he took that and turn that into a high fashion piece, literally, you could find someone who could make that for us up line that's what they call it right you can find someone who makes us you spell
10:38:48 you, literally, next to your auntie could do that for you, but he took that and turn it into high fashion so something someone could make for you for, let's say, 200 to 500 grand, it became a statement piece which cost up to 80,000 Rand, which is a lot
10:39:06 of money for something that's traditional.
10:39:10 So, creativity comes from our culture's someone else I'm thinking of is the likes of Rena, she does a lot of boho mixed tradition, African print feel outfits and interestingly enough,
10:39:31 the pieces that she had created right she created her own theme for her wedding, which was aired on a popular TV show on on sat in South Africa.
10:39:43 Everything almost everything that she had created for her own wedding was used as inspiration for a movie that recently launched, so it just tells you how impactful.
10:39:54 Wow.
10:39:56 Wow.
10:39:59 These creatives are these African prints these traditions and fusing everything together to create high fashion so yeah this is a mixture of everything here, LA and I just looked up 80,000 ran and that's about five grand over here.
10:40:17 fashion, definitely, definitely. Wow. That's an incredible story and then just to hear about the other, the other creative her what's her name again Rena Rena she does her clothing line is called rich factory rich factory.
10:40:34 Shout out to Marina rich factory maybe you have to have her on the show.
10:40:52 Um, but that's, that's so cool that reminds me of like Breakfast at Tiffany's right because it was that same idea of, You know, Tiffany's being influenced by our already have bird, and she has a little black dress, that's made by jeevanjee.
10:41:00 And you know, kind of all these things are at play, but it was iconic branding.
10:41:05 At that time, people know you know breakfast that they know Breakfast at Tiffany's because of Tiffany's, and even down to the the color that Tiffany blue, you know you know what that represents.
10:41:19 And so, and then the OBD that was jeevanjee, you know, so it's interesting to hear this happening. Also, and Africa, particularly South Africa, because I think there would be, I would be down to watch the wedding.
10:41:36 I like
10:41:46 to watch the movie I buy it. You know, I would love to do that. So that's really really cool that to hear that creatives down there are getting the flowers they deserve and getting the, the ammunition to keep going.
10:41:54 That's great. I hope it's a good conversation altogether because unfortunately it didn't turn out that way but I think that's a story for another day.
10:42:05 And maybe that's a conversation you could actually have with her on the podcast to hear her side of the story yeah I would love to hear that, I would love to hear that.
10:42:14 So just tapping into creativity and business.
10:42:19 Tell me do you think creativity, like in business is necessary.
10:42:27 Tell me. Tell me about that. Do you think it's needed. Do you think it's important.
10:42:32 What role does it play in business.
10:42:35 I think it is important.
10:42:37 I say that because you can separate the two but at the same time you can bring the two together and say they work hand in glove.
10:42:45 But when I think about a business, I think, I think about processes I think of systems I think of goals and I think of profits. And then when I think about creativity, I think, okay, natural born inspiration, putting out the, what is inside of your mind
10:43:05 things that you have conceptualized things you want to see other people using and self expression, right, but at the same time you can see your creativity as a business, and at the same time to get the business the processes and the systems to reach the
10:43:24 right people, it also needs a good balance of that creativity to say how do we get, get it there so we can marry the two together. That's what I'm saying.
10:43:33 That's how it goes hand in glove so to answer the question, yes I do think it's important.
10:43:40 I think it's important to have creativity because when creativity that's when you get to innovate you get to serve your people and speak to them in in ways that they understand in ways that they can receive the messages that you're trying to convey.
10:43:56 And with the bigger goal to get them to buy basically so that's why we've got people like copywriters because the creative they know how to speak to people to get the business product out there we've got designers who can make whatever the product is
10:44:12 or the service is to to be alluring on the eyes So, yeah, I do think it's important I think they go hand in hand. And they just fit beautifully together.
10:44:25 Yeah, I love the most beautiful illustration.
10:44:29 Thank you for everything just weaving together.
10:44:33 And just so you guys know master towel is one of to the team or with three of us, right.
10:44:43 We have another member of Destiny's Child know
10:45:04 the dream.
10:44:56 So, does all the strategic planning and processes and strategy for social.
10:45:05 And then we have Maddie who will be joining us on the next episode, who is kind of the creative mind graphic designer art direction she's really giving us like the visual identity.
10:45:20 So yeah, they're basically like my baby mamas, basically, the baby got there. Yeah, the powers that be, it's gonna be coming to you. May, 2, okay. Hopefully I don't have to edit that that we're not saying that it's edited that we out may 2.
10:45:43 We can't wait for you guys to tune in.
10:45:47 I definitely want to have Mr Intel back on to just give us more of her.
10:45:57 I would love to have is that we should have another check in like once we're done, all the episodes this will be like kind of our before and after, you know.
10:46:07 Yeah, was it was a when I was gonna say transformation Tuesday it's Wednesday, but I think it'll be interesting to see kind of where we're at.
10:46:17 At the end of this so it's gonna be really really dope. Um, let me just see if there's any other questions I'm going to ask. Oh, there is, there are more questions, um, let me see what what is the biggest are surprised opportunity that you think the pin,
10:46:36 Dimmick has brought in the past year, what is the, like, who
10:46:45 or. That's a good one.
10:46:50 I'm sure a lot of it's been stressful, it's been stressful having to adjust to what you know life is to being forced to always being indoors, always being indoors means always being with yourself and looking within, and you know interest big team, without
10:47:13 having any external influences, to kind of mold or take your thinking in a different direction.
10:47:23 So, one thing I'm very grateful for, for this pandemic is that opportunity to come back to myself and st NZ.
10:47:40 This is actually who I am, this is actually what I want to do some of the things that I have been doing haven't been adding value to my life, some of the people that I have been associating myself, they haven't really been an enabling me to push myself
10:48:00 the next level and they also haven't been receiving that so that means I need to find people that are aligned with who I am and what my goals are and I can also contribute to their lives in that way. So, that time to introspect.
10:48:06 And I have to say that another thing it's allowed me to do is to tap more into the things that I love doing. And not only focus on the job that needs to be done from nine to five.
10:48:16 You know, for the fact that I can do this it's because this big thing this pandemic happened, which caused a butterfly effect and here I am doing more of what I love instead of only focusing on just work work work so been a blessing in.
10:48:35 That was is everything.
10:48:39 I love that, I love coming back home to sell.
10:48:45 The introspection. I've also been in here up and have a lot of conversations with myself.
10:48:51 Oh, you have to get the podcast,
10:48:55 but wow just what a beautiful transformation, and you know just to be a part of your journey as an honor.
10:49:03 I love, I mean maybe that is the message we leave with the people like getting back to yourself and eliminating a lot of stuff, and people that we don't need.
10:49:16 I'm actually eliminating a lot right now, just in my home.
10:49:21 But just knowing that that's just going to create more space for things that we do want. And like you said doing the things that you're really passionate about.
10:49:29 So I love that, and I'm so happy you're on the journey. Thank you. I'm so excited.
10:49:37 So tune in May 2 will be coming to you live, and this is gonna this is gonna be a soft drop, so we're gonna see how this goes. But it's, it's out here, we're out here.