Local SHEroes on a mission…
This year has been a lot, and you don’t have to look far to see how – from teachers and nurses doing the most for us, to entertainers and bartenders having to find creative ways to survive – 2020 isn’t playing games. But, if we’ve learnt anything from our Strawberry Lips ‘Behind the Hustle’ series, it’s that South African women have more than risen to the challenge. Because who runs the world? Girls!
Hosted every Wednesday, ‘Behind the Hustle’, hosted by Noxolo Mafu, applauds the changemakers, the innovators, the women who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer – and as we celebrate Women’s Month, August is no different, so join us as we revel in the bright lights of these women of strength.
Brace yourself as we dive straight in – literally. Strawberry Lips managed to get ground-breaking open water swimmer and founder of the multiple award-winning instrumental group Sterling EQ, Carina Bruwer to sit still long enough to chat with us about how she left the traditional classical training career route to instead use her passion and brain for business and mesh the two into a string of music and marketing ventures – all the while crushing records through her swimming feats (in fact, she became the first women to swim across Nelson Mandela Bay) and empowering young women through philanthropy (read it here).
Then, in week two, if she didn’t steal your heart in season two of ‘The Bachelor’, she will when Nox gets her in the hot seat. The fan favourite Qiniso Van Damme may not have gotten that final rose, but does it really matter as she’s been officially named as SA’s first Bachelorette. When she’s not winning hearts (or roses), she’s a model, actress and anthropologist. Our leading lady shares her tips on how to keep a balanced life and what’s she’s learnt from the year so far.
Wendy Gumede has made it her mission to keep SA laughing throughout the year through her YouTube channel and social media platforms. She used her skill for hilarity and combined it with her knack for writing and acting to create her satirical channel The Black Wendy show. In week three, she’ll have you in stitches all the while giving Nox her insights into how she was able to use social media to boost her presence.
In the last week of August Nox chats to the Queen of Smoke, Stacey-Lee May, who set the world on fire when she took Charlize Theron on the ride of her life on the Netflix’s Motorsport show, ‘Hyperdrive’, wowed the boys of ‘The Grand Tour’ plus made guest appearances on ‘So You Think You Can Spin’ and ‘Top Gear SA’. In our final interview of August, she talks about how she has gone on to rule the male-dominated industry of car spinning and introduced it to the international market.
Yas, queens! These ladies are here to prove that they’re in charge, and there’s no reason you can’t do it too. So, settle in every Wednesdays with Strawberry Lips, gather the girlfriends on Zoom and be inspired to take on the world, break the glass ceiling and never give up.
The Strawberry Lips #WomenCrushWednesday #WCW ‘Behind the Hustle’ series will be shared on Facebook /StrawberryLipsTequila and Instagram @strawberrylipstequila throughout July – September. Full interviews can be found on the website at www.strawberrylipstequila.co.za.