CEO of Global Mind Consulting, winner of the “Woman Entrepreneur of the Year” award at the HUB AFRICA Awards in 2017, self-employed entrepreneur Seynabou Dia is redoubling her inventiveness to accompany the continent’s various players towards the success of their ambitions. Today, she reveals her journey and her motivations.
Her mission: to participate in the growth of Africa by accompanying the birth and development of promising projects.
You are the president and founder of Global Mind Consulting. Can you tell us more about the firm and how the project was born?
Global Mind Consulting is a firm specialized in public relations management, consulting and strategic support for economic and institutional operators on the African continent.
We decided to create this firm to allow the actors who move the lines, in their sector of activity and in their country, to amplify the resonance of their messages, to make known what they make, to have a more important impact by relaying their activities, their projects, and their actions.
By letting people know objectively what is happening on the continent, we want to change and improve the narrative around Africa. In addition, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year.
Was Global Mind Consulting your first company?
No, I first worked at the Senegalese Consulate General in Paris, then at UNESCO, and then I started as a consultant to support African actors who needed to manage their public relations, especially when their activities moved to the West. Afterwards, I created my first company with my partner in the United States, to try to cross the stakes after the 2008 crisis.
Why did you choose this time?
In 2008, the global economic crisis of the subprime mortgage crisis did not affect the African continent so much. At that time, the term “Africa rising” was becoming common, so we thought we should create a structure that would support European and American companies that wanted and needed (it was a necessity at the time) to find new market opportunities in countries that were less affected.
The challenge was to match this desire with a need to develop the continent while being driven by a “win-win partnership”. Africa needs investments, but we want them to be endogenous, structuring and above all that they are carried by people who have a philosophy to which we adhere: that of co-construction.
It is with this mindset that I built my first company and quickly, I created the Global Mind Consulting firm which exists since 2011.
Is the consulting profession what you wanted to do since childhood?
Evolving in international relations was what I wanted to do. I wanted to work in large organizations like UNESCO. But I realized that this was not really where things were at stake and that my struggle would be more economic, simply because nothing is done without money. You don’t develop anything without having the means to implement your policy.
It is therefore fundamental that Africans become more aware of this and succeed today more than ever in encouraging the development of a business climate that is healthy and conducive to the development of the interests of local actors, but also to attract international investment because ultimately the idea is not to close in on oneself, but to ensure that everyone can live together in compliance with the rules.
What studies did you do?
Basically, I am a literary person. I did all my studies between Picardy and the Paris region, after which I studied economic and social administration. I got my university diploma in business and organization management and I started to study law and political science at Assas, but I quickly stopped because in parallel I had started to work and earn money.
I was caught up by my first professional experiences which taught me a lot and which were really determining in the continuation of my career and my evolution. I was 21 years old when I organized my first big event: a political and economic delegation in Washington. I had the opportunity and the chance to learn my job with people who were extremely motivating and caring.
Did your parents encourage you in this way?
I have always been very interested in humanitarian issues, and in everything that has to do with the malfunctioning of the continent. My goal was to work in international organizations to bring a little more justice and rights to the most vulnerable people. My parents were quite supportive of this. They were extremely encouraging.
It all came so naturally, I think it was probably my calling.
What are some of your convictions for the development of Africa?
That everyone has to do their part, we are all part of the solution. Even if it’s not obvious, you have to keep at it. When you believe in something strongly enough and you give yourself the means to make it happen, there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t work.
Nobody will do it for us, it’s up to Africans themselves.
Who have been your models or mentors?
When I was at UNESCO, Ousmane Blondin Diop encouraged me a lot. I also think of Abdoulaye Bio Tchané.
Many women have also inspired me because they had the ability to assert themselves on subjects that are unfortunately too often left either to strangers or to men. I have a real admiration for them because by their sheer strength of character and determination, they have imposed themselves on a wide range of subjects.
Any book titles that have made an impact on you?
To name a few because the list is long, I would say Cheikh Anta Diop with Nations nègres et cultures, Amadou Hampâté Bâ, and Maryse Condé. They have contributed to forge my convictions and to forge what I perceive as my fights.
One book that has been very important to me is Alex Haley’s Roots, which tells the famous story of Kunta Kinte. He tells the story of his ancestor who was deported, and I find that it speaks to me even more because my parents actually crossed the Mediterranean: there is this historical dimension and heritage in which I find myself.
Knowing where you come from, knowing your culture and respecting your heritage makes you extremely strong. You can be in a room with people of a different skin color than yours without developing any complex whatsoever, because in the end you know that the only thing that counts are your values. Values that are often universal.
How do you maintain your energy level and productivity during the day?
The subjects I have the chance to work on are so diverse and broad that I don’t have time to get bored. We are constantly learning, relearning and mastering the subjects that are managed by our clients, because you can’t effectively accompany someone in their communication and public relations if you don’t understand their realities, their ecosystem, their business, and their issues.
And then I am lucky to have an extraordinary team that is very dynamic and that feeds me a lot.
What advice would you give to a student who is about to enter the working world?
To multiply practical experiences. I think it makes all the difference and I even see it in the recruiting we do. People who have had the opportunity to be an actor, to have real responsibilities and to manage projects are often the best candidates.
Finding an internship is not easy, but you have to have a lot of nerve.
As an anecdote, my first mentor, Ousmane Blondin Diop, did not want to take me on as an intern the first time, telling me that there was no more room and to come back in a few years when I was a PhD student. I insisted, and sat on the same chair for three hours waiting for him. When he arrived, I asked him for 3 minutes to talk: as a result, we had a two-hour exchange and I was accepted.
So you shouldn’t be afraid to insist because boldness pays off. We are often the main obstacles to our success, we set problems and limits that are not really there and it is these that are the most debasing.
Better to get rid of them, right?
Source: https://newanahita.com/
