Magriet is helping women in South Africa to be entrepreneurs this Women's Month!
When a woman realizes her own worth it can be life-changing, and this is what Magriet Groenewald has made her passion – helping women, especially female entrepreneurs, find their voices and change the world, one business at a time.
Magriet, one of six children, grew up on a farm in the Eastern Free State and had to go to boarding school at the age of six. She often felt that it was difficult to express her own opinions and views among so many children.
“I felt that I didn’t have a voice and that no one was hearing me. I was very shy and believed my opinions were not valuable. After deciding to resign from my job and start my own business at the age of 35, I embarked on a journey to find myself, especially my voice. Now, I help other entrepreneurs, particularly women, reclaim their voices and use social media to share their messages with the world, and thereby helping their businesses to grow.”
According to Groenewald, every woman has a story to tell and a message to share, but that fear is holding them back. The fear of putting themselves out there, wondering what others will think of them, and the misconception that their message is not important.
Magriet believes that entrepreneurs, especially women, need to be heard. Her passion for social media has opened the door for many female entrepreneurs to find their voices and make a significant impact, not only in their own lives but also in their families and the lives of their clients.
“I have a social media business school where I empower mostly women to market their products or services on social media. I’ve found that once a woman regains her ‘sparkle’, she becomes truly ‘unstoppable’. There is such a great need among female entrepreneurs to be heard and to be part of a community where they feel safe to share their opinions and ideas.”
One of her students, Deidré Conradie, a stylist and image consultant from Glam & Garment, shared that she realized when a woman has a passion for something, or something comes naturally, there is a deeper meaning that she should explore, as it could very well be the clue to a business she can build from it. She also believes that the entrepreneurial journey is unique to every woman and that one should find peace in not having to achieve all your dreams immediately.
Another student, Adele Camarena from Spectacle World in Goodwood, mentioned that her daughter used to handle her social media. When she became busy with her own studies, Adele had to take over. She went from knowing nothing about social media to becoming an empowered entrepreneur who can now tell her own story and create engaging videos. She shared with us that she has gained so much confidence and no longer hesitates to post videos of herself sharing tips on social media.
Her passion is to make her clients feel like the hero of their own story with the best possible vision, while looking beautiful and stylish with their new glasses.
We have a motto in our SMB school: “Done is better than perfect”. This helps with the perfectionism everyone struggles with that holds us back from sharing on social media.
Madri van der Westhuizen shares that her and her husband Konrad’s business, MadKon Stainless Steel Braais, has reached an international market through their organic social media. Initially very sceptical about social media, she quickly realized that the demonstration videos, where her husband himself does the demonstrations of the fold-up braai, instilled trust in their clients.
As I always tell my students:
“People buy from people. They want to see the person behind the business.”
This resulted in clients specifically coming to chat with them at expos like they already know them from their social media videos. She notes that social media is a very powerful place to build a community, as in their case among outdoor enthusiasts.
Magriet further shares: Research shows that social media use is linked to increased anxiety and that women sometimes feel they need to present an idealized version of themselves online. This can lead to a negative cycle where women start competing against and judging each other.
However, I have realized that women naturally tend to support and nurture each other rather than compete. Historically, women have played important roles in community building and care, and these traits are still present today.
Social media can amplify these positive traits if used in the right way. It can be powerful tools for women to share their stories, support each other, and build businesses that promote the growth and empowerment of women. We live in a world where entrepreneurs often feel very alone; in my business school, I create a very comfortable environment where women can find that much-needed community without judgment and where they can grow as individuals and business owners.
According to Groenewald nearly all of the students in her online social media course join with a great fear of putting themselves out there on social media or even just making that first post. However, she believes that everyone has a message that needs to be shared, and once you as a business owner or entrepreneur realize that your service or product will make someone’s life easier, you quickly overcome that fear.
She often tells her students:
“Rather focus on the difference your product or service can make in someone else’s life than what someone else will think of your post. Someone out there needs your product or service, but your fear of putting it out there deprives them of it. If you look at it that way, you shift the focus from yourself and place it on the positive impact you can have on the world.”
Magriet believes that by fostering a culture of encouragement and authenticity, women can use social media to find their voices online, uplift each other, and build successful businesses that reflect their true selves.
