Sandra Chuma on the Impact of Owning Your Story
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Featuring
Sandra Chuma
Speaker, Storyteller, Entrepreneur
Founder, Ndini Media, Woman on Fire Summit, Verified Talent
Bio
Sandra Chuma is inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. She believes that our greatest responsibility is to share our stories so we can inspire and create a possibility for others.
Sandra is the founder of NDINI, a platform focused on telling the stories of inspiring, trailblazing women of African descent. In the words of Liberian Peace Activist Leymah Gbowee:
“You have not heard it before, because it is an African woman’s story, and our stories rarely are told. I want you to hear mine.”
NDINI aims to inspire, educate and entertain, and to encourage all women to believe in who they are and what they’re truly capable of.
She is also the founder of Woman on Fire Summit, an event that brings women of all races and backgrounds together for a high-energy day of inspiration, transformation, connection and entertainment.
In what her husband jokingly refers to as her “mid-life crisis’, in 2015 Sandra stepped away from the management consulting company they built, to go back to school. She was accepted into the prestigious Columbia Journalism School, graduating with a Master’s Degree with Honours in Multimedia Journalism & Documentary Filmmaking. The Faculty was so impressed by her that they created a position making her the inaugural Documentary Fellow. Following graduation, Sandra produced two award-winning documentary films, that played at film festivals across the world.
Sandra’s mission is to bring awareness to stories that celebrate our infinite potential. Through multimedia content, live events, mentorships, and merchandise, Sandra’s mission is to ignite every woman’s inner fire, so they can reach for the ‘more’ they were meant to have; and to inspire them to create better futures for themselves and their communities.
About this episode
Sandra Chuma is one of the most inspirational women I have ever come across. Sandra was raised in a mud hut with no running water or electricity in Zimbabwe and, thanks to the sacrifices of her family, she had the opportunity to attend university in the UK, where she worked two full-time jobs while also attending school full-time. Since then she has held many positions, from working in factories and fast food restaurants to being a business analyst, project manager, corporate trainer, and management consultant. Most recently, Sandra has become an Entrepreneur building multiple successful businesses. Most recently she has created Ndini and Woman on Fire. Ndini is a podcast and media platform that supports women of African descent as they share their powerful stories. The Woman on Fire Summit, a safe, inclusive and judgement-free event for any woman who is committed to achieving her dreams, and is ready to invest in herself.
Two of the words used to describe Sandra are ‘Storyteller’ and ‘Fire Starter’, both of which I believe to be accurate as I’ve been following along on her journey over the past few months. When I met her at an event back in January, I knew immediately that I wanted to learn more about her and her mission. I am very honoured to have had the opportunity to interview Sandra for the podcast and very grateful that she was willing to share her story with The Mind Your Own Life Podcast listeners.
On today’s episode, Sandra shares how she became the Creator, Founder, Entrepreneur and Speaker she is today. She talks about how much her life has changed since leaving her home country of Zimbabwe, how she feels when she returns home and how it has propelled her create opportunities for other African women to share their stories. In addition to this, we discuss the heightened awareness around racial injustice in 2020, ‘cancel culture’, and Sandra’s thoughts about the ways to work towards equality. Finally, in relation to her inaugural ‘Woman on Fire Summit’ event originally set to take place in April, Sandra shares how she had to pivot quickly and ultimately postpone the event.
Tune in now to hear all the inspiration!
Key takeaways
- In the end, your success isn’t measured in accolades, but rather in how much impact you make on the lives around you.
- Empathy is a key ingredient in the fight for equality
- ‘To those who much is given, much is required’ (a sentiment imparted on Sandra by her father).
About your host
Natalie Cooper
Founder of MindYourOwn.life
Natalie is a soul on a mission to empower you to take your healing – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual – into your own hands.
As a self-healer, living fully- medication and symptom-free, with chronic autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s & Multiple Sclerosis), Natalie believes in the power of mindfulness, intention and self-care to create the health, happiness and experiences you desire in your life.
Natalie started ‘Mind Your Own’ to share her experiences while navigating her path to wellness and to show you that anything is possible when you live mindfully.
Natalie’s healing journey has led her to experience practices that have been instrumental in strengthening her belief in the power of mindfulness. She feels her purpose is to share her experiences with others who are interested in becoming active participants in their healing. Natalie is a certified Meditation Instructor, EFT Instructor, Reiki Practitioner, Labour Doula and Childbirth Educator, living near Toronto, Canada.
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