Gibébé by Joyce Mbaya-Sample

GIBÉBÉ™

imaGIne your success path,
BElieve in the impossible,
BEcome who you’re meant to be.

Joyce Mbaya

GIBÉBÉ™

imaGIne your success path,
BElieve in the impossible,
BEcome who you’re meant to be.

Joyce Mbaya

2

GIBÉBÉ™ By Joyce Mbaya

Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Mbaya All rights reserved
The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any
form for any purpose or by any means without the prior written
permission of Joyce Mbaya

Book design copyright © 2011 by Joyce Mbaya
Cover design and illustrations by Sammy Mwirigi
All rights reserved

eBook ISBN: 978-9966-1615-0-5

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GIBÉBÉ
NHIF Building, Upper Hill
Nairobi, Kenya

Telephone: +254 20 2728982
Mobile: (254) 713 923759

Email: gibebe@joycembaya.com
Web: www.joycembaya.com

Join our Face book Page:
www.facebook.com/joycembaya.fanpage

Follow @joycembaya on Twitter:
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D E D I C A T I O N

This book is dedicated to my father Obadiah Mbaya, my mother Eva Mbaya
and my two sisters – Valerie and Nkatha Mbaya. Thank you for your wisdom,
love and support that has helped me in realizing my dreams

I also dedicate this book to my late grandfather, Eustus Mutegi. Thank you
for the great message of wisdom and inspiration that you left for me…a
precious gift that has given me so much strength in striving towards
greatness

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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

I start by acknowledging God, my Heavenly Father-without Him I am
nothing. He has gifted me and chosen me to inspire and empower people
in realizing their greatest potential. I am truly humbled and I thank Him for
revealing my purpose to me and helping me stay true to the work He has
called me to do.

I would like to sincerely thank the team at GIBÉBÉ that has worked so hard
on my projects and continues to support me. I would specifically like to
thank Millicent Matingi, Valerie Mbaya, and Sammy Mwirigi. I also take this
opportunity to thank the staff and directors at Capacity Building Institute
Limited for their partnership and support.

Thanks to all my friends that have also supported me through the sacrifices
and struggles towards seeing my dreams come true. Specifically, I’d like to
thank Ivy Mumo for all the support as I transitioned into the tough world of

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business and Wairimu Kingori, who has been my spiritual sister and master
mind friend through my journey writing this book.

To so many others, including my former work colleagues and mentors that
have been part of my journey, I may not have enough space to
acknowledge all of you here - but know that in my heart I am truly grateful.

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C O N T E N T S

THE PATH OF GIBÉBÉ 15

IMAGINE

A Granddaughter’s Promise 23

Who Am I? 32

What Are My Strengths? 64

What Is My Purpose? 73

What Is My Vision? 82

Imagine: Your Foundation Pillar 87

BELIEVE

Believing in the Impossible 91

Know Your Mind Power 98

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Harness Your Mind Power 114

Believe in Others 125

Take Action 149

Believe: Your Defining Pillar 154

BECOME

Become who you’re meant to be 158

Become an Innovator 168

Become a Project Manager 177

Become a Brand 189

Become a Leader 201

Become: Your Breakthrough Pillar 213

WALKING THE PATH

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

I would not trade this moment for anything. Let me paint the picture for
you. It’s about 3:00am and it’s raining very heavily outside - The kind of rain
that makes sleep sweet. Most people are curled up in their warm blankets,
deeply asleep and dreaming away. Yet here I am, typing at my computer,
excited about the ideas that I am about to share with you. My life purpose
is being fulfilled as you sit there reading this book. I know that it will have a
big impact on both our lives.

This book is all about getting to know who you are and how you can
channel your greatest strengths and your potential to help you realize your
dreams. Many people come to discover their true passions and talents after
they have already wasted many unhappy years, others, never at all. There is
so much power and potential in you which may remain untapped because
you do not realize the importance of your purpose and the potential it has
to transform your life. For most of us, when we lose our innocence and
youth and grow up to be responsible adults, we also sadly lose our dreams.

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This book means a lot to me because it is my chance to share with you
knowledge that I have discovered and applied to be able to achieve so
much in my own life. I am twenty eight years old and I am the Founder and
CEO of my own company. I have also had the opportunity to work with top
corporate companies in the US and in Africa. Two years ago I was selected
out of over 50,000 applicants as one of three Kenyan representatives on the
competitive business reality show, The Apprentice Africa. I have also had the
opportunity to appear in various media magazines and TV shows and share
my message with so many people who have attended my coaching
programs either as corporates, individuals or entrepreneurs. I am truly on an
exciting success journey; walking and living my purpose.

One of the questions people ask me all the time is how I have managed to
achieve and successfully manage all these things, more so at my age. This
question as well as my vision to inspire and empower you with this
knowledge helped me realize that the secret to my success lies in an
exciting path called GIBÉBÉ.

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I invite you to walk with me down that path and also discover how GIBÉBÉ
can change your life. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I do feel
that my entire existence and ongoing success is based on certain choices
and decisions. I hope that sharing my experiences can help you walk the
same successful path. I also hope that by sharing my story you can also
search within you and realize that you also have a story to tell. One that you
can start to build on right now if you join me in unveiling power that you
may not have realized is within you, yet is the key to unlocking your
potential.

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T H E P A T H O F G I B É B É : I M A G I N E ,
B E L I E V E , B E C O M E

Welcome to the beginning of an exciting road. First of all, I will commend
you for your courage in walking this path for the very idea of personal
growth and discovery is scary to many people and we go through our entire
lives avoiding situations that would expose us to ourselves. Yet the rewards
for those who are willing to walk this path are greater than any of us realize.

This is your personal quest towards discovering how to transform your
aspirations into achievements. Think of it as though you have travelled to a
remote land in search of this path known as GIBÉBÉ.

After many months of searching and seeking, you have finally met someone
who knows and understands the path that you seek. You have searched for
many years for this knowledge and you are now ready to complete your
journey and reap the rewards. I will share with you this knowledge and this
path and walk with you as your guide.

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The Path of GIBÉBÉ is made up of three pillars that ultimately lead you to
Success. These pillars are major stepping stones and create a process that
can lead you to transform your dreams into successful achievements. When
combined, their names also build upon each other to form the actual word:
GIBÉBÉ

THE PILLAR OF THE SUN: imaGIne… your success path

THE PILLAR OF THE STARS: BElieve… in the impossible

THE PILLAR OF FIRE: BEcome… who you’re meant to be

You can now see that the path of GIBÉBÉ has been derived from the three
pillars that it symbolizes; imaGine, BElieve, BEcome. In Swahili, we have a
word that maps the true meaning of this path… the word “ JIBÉBÉ ”, which
literally means, “to uplift yourself”… or in this case we can think of it as “to
improve or transform yourself”.

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Your journey to success using the path of GIBÉBÉ will be unveiled by
exploring these three pillars and the knowledge within them. As you
complete each pillar, you will realize how it becomes a key stepping stone
on your journey and you will be shown how to apply the knowledge within
each to realize your breakthrough.

The path of GIBÉBÉ is a challenging one and you must prepare yourself
accordingly for there will be many insights and mysteries that will be
revealed – some of which may be difficult to fathom.

In order to begin the journey you must start by opening up your mind. If
you succeed in this, then the path will be illuminated and will become clear.

During the quest, you will discover important steps to your success. You
must unveil these steps and successfully navigate the lessons that shall be
revealed to you. As your guide, I will reveal my own experiences that helped
me complete the journey and in turn this will help you unlock your own
path.

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As you discover the knowledge, also know that purpose and success can
only be perfected through practice. As you learn the path of GIBÉBÉ, you
also must place yourself in situations that will reveal to you more deeply
how this knowledge can shape your future. There is a reason why children
are more likely to achieve self discovery than adults. It is because they are
open-minded and have not formed opinions and beliefs that would form a
barrier to change and transformation.

Scientific Research has now proven that when we are conceived, we have
the same potential in each and every one of us. You know deep down that
you have the potential to be as great as the most important and wealthy
achievers of our time. So why then are we not all successful? The answers
are right there in front of you! From the moment we are born, we start to be
impacted by different messages around us and by the environment we are
exposed to. We go through different experiences and teachings and we
quickly begin to form opinions and thoughts that start to influence who we
eventually become. This is why it’s so important that you open up your
imagination and your mind so that reading this book is not just an action

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but becomes an experience that will truly start to show you how you can
reveal your greatest potential.

I cannot do this without you. I could be telling you about the guaranteed
formula for winning the lottery or an expert system that would immediately
make you millions in your business but none of these things would work if
your mind garden is not watered and ready for the seed to grow. Think
about what I will be sharing and how you can make it practical in your daily
life.

And this is the goldmine of it all: the ability not only to listen, but more
importantly, to apply as much of the knowledge we gain as we possibly can.

Realize that there is a reason why this knowledge is now being presented to
you. In the great journey of life, we are often given opportunities to think
about our purpose and our success as well as how to grow and develop
faster and this is another one of those opportunities, knocking on your
door.

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In the past few years, I have seen myself move faster on my own success
journey and I have seen my aspirations becoming one achievement after
another. These accomplishments and many others are what have led me to
believe that anything is possible and also to see that the strategies I am
about to share with you can really work in helping you achieve your dreams.
By applying these ideas in your own life, you can begin to set yourself apart
and see yourself going from ordinary to extraordinary.

Your success journey begins now…

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A G R A N D D A U G H T E R ’ S P R O M I S E

“To imagine is everything, to know is nothing at all”
Anatole France

It all began when I was seventeen years old - my life changing moment. The
experience that forever shaped who I am, and that I hold responsible for so
many inspired and good choices that I’ve been blessed to make in my life.
Looking back, sometimes, I wonder what I would have done differently if I
had known what that moment would mean to my life. I did not recognize it
for what it was at the time but it was the beginning of my journey on the
path of GIBÉBÉ.

The life changing moment is different for each person. It may be a memory
of something that has already happened; it may be a loved one’s belief in
us and our abilities to succeed. It could also be a difficult situation that you
have been through that forced you to stop and evaluate your life and your
decisions. The way to recognize this moment is that it makes you restless.

22

By this I mean that you are no longer satisfied with settling for the norm,
you want more. And not only do you want more you start to see that you
can have more and you truly start to reach into your innermost child and
believe that whatever your mind conceives it can achieve-that your destiny
is within your reach.

My grandfather had always been a monumental figure in my life. As a child,
his booming laughter and voice, his toothy grin and the twinkle in his eye
when he greeted me, calling me, “His little darling” was a warm part of my
life. Based on our African tradition, I had been “named after” his wife –
Kathomi – which means “the one who reads”. This was the reason why he
called me, “His little darling”. It still amazes my parents and my family how
much I have lived up to the legacy of that name.

My grandfather was a well read man for his generation, educated, able to
speak fluent English. My mother’s stories on her upbringing (as his
daughter) clearly tell of an intelligent man who had a profound legacy and
impact in his time.

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My love affair with mathematics (and the sciences in general) also had a lot
to do with the fact that my grandfather taught me my first multiplication
tables. I was nine years old and had been struggling to make sense of this
evil thing called math and when I went to spend the holidays with my
grandparents, he somehow turned something that had seemed so
impossible into something fun and interesting. My teachers were perplexed
when I went back to school after and had been transformed into a straight
A Math student – a reputation I maintained all through my school years.

When I was seventeen, we made our annual trip to visit my grandparents, as
we had many times before. This is a common tradition in my African culture,
where families that live in the cities and towns travel and spend the holidays
in the traditional homestead or the village. We had made the trip many
times before and that time it was no different.

I remember being grouchy and sulking at my parents for making us spend
the holiday in the village instead of being in the city. I had thought about all

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the excitement I was going to miss out on and how my friends would have
interesting stories to tell about their holidays once we got back to school.

Later though, my adolescent misgivings seemed so childish when I thought
of all the things I could have given to go back and have the chance to make
that journey again, make that journey with the awareness of what I was
about to learn and how those moments were going to change my life.

The light at the end of the tunnel had been the fact that I would get to
spend time with my grandfather. He still had a way of making me feel like a
princess even as a teenager. I could barely wait for my dad to park the car…
As he had done all my life since I was a little girl, my grandfather had
stretched his arms smiling and called out, “My Little darling, come say
hello….” And I had said hello, as I looked up at him, feeling like a small girl
as I always had around him and glowing with the pride I saw reflected in his
eyes.

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That day passed like many other days I had spent at my grandparents’
home in the village, my mum was hustling and bustling and catching up
with her family, my dad was sitting on the front porch enjoying the view
and sharing the latest political intrigues with my uncles. My sisters, my
cousins and I walked up and down the tea plantations awed by the serenity
and beauty of nature.

I did not think much of it when my grandfather asked to speak to me as this
was also the norm when we visited. He would always take time to find out
how I was doing and offer words of wisdom to me - his darling.

As we spoke that day, I could tell there was something very important he
needed to tell me and of course my mind wandered, like any teenage mind
would in the face of such serious discussions. But there was an unusual note
of urgency and persistence in his tone that had made me pay attention.
One aspect of our conversation stood out in particular and has stayed with
me since…

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“If you remember nothing else about what we’ve spoken about today, you
must never forget that you have a crown on your head. Since you were a
child, I have seen great potential in you and your purpose in this world is of
grave importance. Your crown makes you special, it’s made up of all your
talents and gifts, the things you have been given to enable you to achieve
your purpose….

…Wearing this crown is a great responsibility and you will encounter
situations that may try to take this crown away from you. You must be
careful whom you share your crown with and you must treasure it and be
sure to see your responsibility come true. Never forget, Kathomi, about the
crown you have on your head and promise me you will remember my words
and heed them”

I made my promise to him and when we left his words had remained with
me as I tried to make sense of what he had told me.

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I did not think much of that conversation until a few months later when my
grandfather passed away. It had all seemed so surreal when we received the
news that he was gone, almost like a bad dream, and for me everything else
after that happened in a blur. It was a painful experience to lose him in my
life and our conversation that day translated into my life changing moment.
The last conversation I had with my grandfather left me with a great legacy
and I felt I owed it to his memory to see it through.

I started to read leadership and motivational books and to search for this
greatness, this crown that my grandfather had spoken to me about. Self
awareness became the tool and the comfort that would help me make
sense of my crown and what I learnt in the process completely transformed
my life. I took an active interest in my success and in my life – my first
leadership role in high school was as a result of this life changing moment. I
became the chairlady of my “house committee” and also became a “senior
student prefect” in my last year of high school.

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This is how I began my journey with the first pillar of GIBÉBÉ – imaGIne – as
I tried to understand what it meant to have a crown and how I could fast
track my journey of success and greatness.

I believe you also have a crown, whether you recognize it or not, and the
goal of this first pillar of GIBÉBÉ is to become self aware and help you
realize who you are, your strengths, your purpose and your vision as the
foundation of your success.

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Who Am I?

The simplest strategies are often times the toughest ones to implement.
The idea that you need to know who you are in order to achieve your goals
and aspirations may not seem very inspiring but all you need to do to
realize just how many people have missed it, is to think about all the
meetings and places you have gone where people are asked to introduce
themselves.

First there is a subtle shift, a wave of discomfort, as people start to glance
this and that way… paying closer attention to who is in the room as they
wonder what to say. You can almost sense that most of them wish that they
didn’t have to go through this moment and a few have already marked out
the exit and are rapidly calculating how to use it without making it obvious
that they have chosen to escape.

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More importantly, this experience doesn’t occur once or twice in our lives –
there are countless instances where we’re asked to brave it out in front of a
group people as we introduce ourselves.

And yet many people are no closer now to making this moment work than
when they first had to do so, as a child in school or in front of family at a
young age. The reason is that it’s not easy to introduce yourself when
you’re not sure who you are. By who you are, I am not talking about your
name and job title. Let me show you what I mean:

Imagine that you have been given the honor of introducing your favorite
sports team in one of the greatest matches that they are going to play. If
you’re not a sports fan, you can imagine that it’s your favorite celebrity,
getting ready for the greatest performance of their lives.

This is indeed a special moment and you want to get it right – so much so,
that you may even do some research on their accomplishments to be sure
that you have made it an introduction to remember. Because you’re their

32

greatest fan, you’re not lacking in lavish praises and words to describe just
how great this team or celebrity is.

You stand up armed with your facts and praises and you are so excited and
have so much to say that you’re even worried that you don’t have enough
time.

Now imagine that you have been randomly called upon at a major business
conference or in a class to introduce to everyone what a molecular de
compressor is. I can see you standing there, looking around nervously and
wondering what in the world it is and why you had to be the one chosen to
look like a fool in front of the others. You lack the words to say anything
because you have no clue and you’re worried about looking foolish before
your classmates or colleagues.

Do you see my point? For most people the reactions in the second scenario
are closer to how they feel when asked to introduce themselves. They don’t

33

know what to say and are nervous and scared about what everyone is
thinking!

My point is: many of us assume that we understand who we are yet the
truth is we do not. And because we don’t understand ourselves, we try to
walk the success journey thinking we know where we’re going when all
we’re doing is guessing which way we should go and assuming this will
somehow lead us to great achievements.

One of the traits of successful people is that they are confident – and this
confidence stems from their knowledge of themselves and their purpose.
This is what makes it possible for them to stand in front of ten people or ten
thousand people and talk about themselves with firm resolve. It’s also one
of the great weapons that will help you fight your fears and doubts and
enable you to make important and necessary decisions towards your
success.

34

No One Gets That Job

The very first time I had to ‘audition’ for a role against many other
applicants, was in my second year of College. I was applying for the position
of Community Advisor, more commonly known as an RA (Resident
Assistant). In the American College System, an RA is a student employed by
University Housing to supervise other students in the halls; similar to being
a student prefect in the African high school system.

This may not sound too exciting but let me explain to you why this was the
job of all jobs to have on campus… It meant that the University paid for
your housing expenses, including food. For an International Student like me,
you can imagine how much money this would save my parents who were
sacrificing so much financially to pay for my education abroad. Getting this
campus job also meant that one got his or her own private room which is
typically more expensive to pay for and to top it all, students also got paid
quite fairly for the job which means you also get money for your daily
upkeep. This opportunity also gave a significant boost to a student’s CV

35

considering that this is a recognized and important student leadership role
in the US campus education system.

The application process in itself was quite competitive and intense. First of
all one had to submit a written application and then go through various
interview stages and exercises. At each stage, there were eliminations until
finally the applicants had been narrowed down to a final small group from
whom the list of Resident Assistants would be chosen. I remember seeing
the posters advertising that the recruitment process was about to begin and
inviting students to apply and getting so excited at the benefits of the job
and what it would mean for me. I also remember my friends and other
International Students telling me not to bother.

“No one gets that job.” They said.

“What do you mean no one gets that job?” I wondered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * En d of Sam p l e * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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GIBÉBÉ™ By Joyce Mbaya

Thank you for reviewing a sample of this book
The exclusive digital edition is available on CD as well as online
for download. Get your copy today, for only KSHS 500
($6.25 at a rate USD 1 to KSHS 80)

For more info, kindly visit:
http://www.joycembaya.com/gibebe-the-book.html




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F R E E R E S O U R C E S

To help you continue to understand and discover strategies for success,
sign up for our FREE Online Newsletter delivered via email, which also
shares the latest updates and workshops on GIBÉBÉ. You can sign up by
visiting www.joycembaya.com or via our face book page,

T R A N S F O R M Y O U R O R G A N I Z A T I O N
W I T H G I B É B É

Powerful transformation, high impact, positive change, growth…these are
the results when your employees / staff, managers and members experience
the GIBÉBÉ Coaching Program. The program offers informative, thought-
provoking and inspirational lessons through a well planned, premium
course carefully packaged and organized for maximum value.

38

Our workshops delivere high impact training in an intensive and diverse
program that is unparalleled. By combining a variety of success coaching
modules and topics, we provide an effective way for you to address your
training and coaching needs.

S U C C E S S C O A C H I N G C L A S S E S

Join our success coaching classes where you have an opportunity to
experience some of the tools mentioned in this book and also master the
pillars of GIBÉBÉ. The classes make the lessons more clear and practical in
transforming your life.

G I B É B É C A R E E R C O A C H

Career Coach is a series of programs that offer strategic career
improvement and career planning for professionals. The programs range
from basics on developing award winning CVs, job searching, interview
skills, personal branding to more in depth workshops that teach how to
navigate corporate culture and fast track career growth.

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M O T I V A T I O N A N D S P E A K I N G

Joyce is available as an Expert Speaker (Motivational Speaker) for groups,
seminars, events etc. Based on her dynamic experiences, she can address
various topics and issues to inspire greatness. She has opened for
international speakers that have hosted seminars locally, such as Robin
Sharma

CONTACT US







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A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

Joyce Mbaya is the Founder and Author of GIBÉBÉ. She is a Charismatic
Author, Passionate Visionary & Innovator, Expert Speaker and Coach.

Joyce’s expertise is focused on Success Coaching, Career Coaching,
Leadership Skills, Project Management, Product Development, Information
Technology, Self Awareness, Communication, Motivation and People Skills.
She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and
Mathematics from the University of Central Missouri in the United States
and has an excellent CV showcasing extensive experience and growth within
her various responsibilities and within the corporate arena.

She began working when she joined Barclays Bank of Kenya in 2001 and has
had remarkable growth working her way up to her most recent corporate
job as a VAS Project Manager at Safaricom Limited. She held this role until
December 2009 when she left to become an entrepreneur and have more

41

time to pursue dynamic projects and follow her passion to inspire and
empower others.

Joyce is a well known brand not only in Kenya but in the global markets,
having been selected out of over 50,000 applicants as one of three Kenyan
representatives on the competitive business reality show, The Apprentice
Africa, in 2008. As a contestant, she demonstrated superb Leadership and
Project Management Skills and her diverse talents, creativity and energy
made her popular. She still has a strong following with professionals across
the continent and leads as a visionary and innovator in various facets of
business.

Joyce has appeared in various media magazines and TV shows and her
message has been heard by many who have attended her coaching
programs either as corporates, individuals or entrepreneurs. She has
continued to inspire and mentor all walks of life through her blogs,
newsletters and talks. More info: www.joycembaya.com

42

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Edward Everett Hale
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