Developing The Entrepreneurial Spirit (Mindset Vs. Skill Set)

 In the last decade, I have interacted with creative people either in a project, fellowship program or attended their events. One thing that is much of a concern is on  how to develop a personal brand that delivers meaning and eventually earns them decent money throughout their creative life cycle.

As a passionate social entrepreneur, I love to create solutions based on the knowledge economy of existing and emerging trends where the creative people would get platform to learn other important aspects of their chosen craft that would connect the meaning and the money side.

Did you know you can have the right skills but fail to train the same in the right way? It becomes a double challenge, especially if you are to train a creative class with a bundle of knowledge. My passion and niche is in how to deliver quality training in a creative way using the right resources and more importantly, I encourage an environment where everyone learns including myself as the facilitator and lastly also important making  learning to be fun.

I hope I just did that after honoring an invitation from Hope Raisers to train a group of creative people at their centre known as Bega Kwa Bega Creative Hub space in Babadogo.

The session was held on today (Wednesdays 20th November 201) and the main topic was on how to develop the entrepreneurial spirit that focuses on the mindset and the skill set required in their field of practice. In attendance we had Musicians, Dj's, Actors, Dancers, Photographers, Drummer, Song Creative writers among others who are on a different level in their creative life cycle.

 The main objective of the session;

1. Train on how to develop the right mindset and skill set. 
2. How to innovate around existing markets
3. How to disrupt existing market in a positive way creating the next value chain. 
4. How to partner with other creative people in developing the business side of your craft. 
5. How to create meaning and eventual money. 
6. How to acquire the entrepreneurial mindset and skill set.
7. How to use the business model canvas.
8. How to create a Unique Selling Point (Unique Selling Point) in the creative sector where there are many other people doing the same things. 
9. Understand who is an entrepreneur and what pathways to take in a start-up. 
10. To kick-start the idea as an individual or as a team? What are the risks? Pro's and Conn's? 
11. How to spot opportunities.

Tools used in achieving some the above mentioned objective; 

1.  The business model canvas. Good reference click here!
2. The Golden Circle. Watch The Golden Circle by Simon Sinek 

Below is the session in pictures.

In all the training I have facilitated either in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania it emerges that the majority of creative people are keen on improving their skills set which is more on the technical side and less in done in the other front of mindset which I would classify under soft skills. The soft skills here are the extras you bring into the craft which will create your unique identity, think about the attitude, professional ethics, pitching, teamwork, interpersonal skill, problem solving, innovation, creativity, adaptability, time management, personal branding, communication and so on.

Get in touch with me for a session with your team in photography, self marketing, storytelling, social media, blogging, communication, teamwork and many more.

The session is designed in three fold that is;

1. The ATTITUDE side.
2. The SKILLS side.
3. The KNOWLEDGE side 

 I call it the ASK model! wilson.masaka@gmail.com

Finals Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament Featuring U10 & U12

We had a successful two weeks tournament whereby a total of twenty four teams took part in the U10 & U12 category.  Flames Sportive won 1-0 against Mathare Cranes U10 and for the U12 category Mathare North Rangers won 3-0 against Mathare Cranes.

Congratulations to the finalist and all the teams that took part in the tournament.

 Statistics;

•  16 teams participated under the U12 category. 
• 8 teams participants under the U10 category.
• 12 coaches whereby others had more than one team 
• 8 community volunteers as referees 
• Approximately 150 spectators per day watching the match. 
• Winners awarded balls and branded Wilsen Initiative jerseys. 
• More than 200+ kids took part as players 

The MNFSST Tournament

Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournaments (MNFSST) brings together the community and coaches in designing safe spaces for children to be positively engaged, especially during the festive season when schools are closed. We organize a soccer tournament for the teams with the main objective of keeping the kids out of bad influence highly witnessed during school holiday.

The tournament creates safe spaces for kids to be trained by the coaches, mentored through the tournament , get encouraged and awarded with the most valuable resource the teams needs for example soccer balls and uniforms.

 How Our Initiative is Similar to Others

There are many soccer initiatives in the Nairobi running soccer tournaments and soccer training clinics. The majority of teams, especially from the informal settlement lack the necessary resources and support to make the soccer journey of a young star painless

The pain is evident from;

1. Lack of transport to and from tournaments 
2. No uniform for the team and if they have, it’s either one set and worn out. 
3. Quite a number play barefoot on gravel and bumpy fields prone to injuries 
4. In case of injury, lack of necessary medical attention and lack of basic first aid. 
5. Majority of the coaches lack the necessary on and off the pitch technical and soft skills. 
6. Lack of dedicated space for kids to play. 
7.  Lack of enough exposure locally, regionally and internationally. 
8. Lack of planned and timed transition from one age group to the next one and still maintain high standards and interest to play even at the professional levels. 

How Our Initiative is Different from Others

Our tournament runs especially during the school holiday or breaks. This is the time most kids would get extra free time with no plans to do with ‘free’ time while their parents and guardians are busy looking for the family daily bread in a tough economy where both parents are engaged in a mission to keep the family financially stable.

We have designed the tournament is a way everyone who takes part either as a player, volunteer or coach learns something new and challenged to do more in making their situation better using the available resources

 What is Unique about the Idea?

We don’t only focus on playing, but more important we encourage the kids to follow up on their education and also learn to be good ambassadors through what they do. Our model based on (PL) Play and Learn as they transit into different age groups.

We mobilize for resources for the teams before the tournament, we run an ongoing Soccer Boots (shoes) campaign for the young-stars to address one of their pains.

 So far since inception in 2011 we have reached more than 300+ kids with playing shoes boosting their esteem of becoming the next star. As much as we have been able to reach many we haven’t been able to assure the teams how many we are going to reach every year because our support comes from individual contributions and friends support which sometimes is not certain.

We encourage partnerships with other like minded individuals and organizations in addressing the pains while also working on a model that will encourage play and learning. We have been successful in meeting our promises during the tournament, especially awarding the winners with our branded jerseys and balls.

We would wish to donate to all the teams at least with soccer jerseys and balls, but currently we don’t have funds to support the idea.

 Our bigger vision come 2030

 We envisage to have a resource centre in the neighborhood where the kids would also have space to learn, especially in a library and the digital space. By the way it doesn’t have to wait until 2030, our only hindrance is the funds to support the idea fully from set-up to sustainability levels. Lastly, we thank everyone who has supported us in funds and in kind, we encourage not to give up and soon we will reach our 2030 vision. Please get in touch if you can support us in any ways.

 The finals in pictures More pictures on www.facebook.com/matharenorthsoccer

Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament U10 & U12

Four Things You Need To Know About...

 Mathare North Festive Season Soccer Tournament U10 & U12

1.  We create safe space for kids during the holidays through soccer.
2.  We use soccer as a vehicle to reach the kids whereby mentoring them to be responsible citizens. 
3. We encourage everyone to make a contribution either in materials, equipment or in kind through coaching. 
4. We promote the kids to play safe by proving soccer shoes through our soccer shoes campaign. 

Join us today to enable us reach more than 500 kids per year! Your effort counts. Make your contribution today, get in touch with me wilson.masaka[at]gmail.com