Makgotso, a life life coach who was never interested in climbing corporate ladder
When it comes to life coaching, Makgotso Masingi-Zondo considers it a passion as she loves to show people their own potential.
Johannesburg - Life coach and entrepreneur Makgotso Masingi-Zondo always knew she was not meant to work in the corporate field.
“It was not for me. Sometimes we just go into things to be able to sustain ourselves. Especially us black people. You can’t just start a business without raising capital. We also have things like black tax, to give back to our community. Corporate was never for me and I was never interested in climbing the ladder or working in some big corner office because I knew deep down that was not where I was meant to be.”
It was when she started her life coaching that she got the courage to break out of the mould of limitations.
“We can all do more and be more. That really helped me a lot. I started to pursue my dreams and be who I am. What I realised is we all have different purposes, but sometimes you tend to follow the crowd. It was through self discovery that I realised what I needed to pursue.
“I am an educator, a teacher. My lifestyle is how I teach people – what better way to do it than to show people through what I do? I have to walk the talk,” said Masingi-Zondo, who holds a Transformational Life Coaching Certificate accredited by both the International Coaching Register and the Association for Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Born and raised in Dobsonville, Soweto, Masingi-Zondo managed to start her business after she attended the coaching course. She worked for corporates for more than 15 years after she graduated with a Bachelor of Science specialising in Computer Science degree.
“I left corporate in 2019 but I started my business before leaving. By the time I left, I had already put things in place.”
Masingi-Zondo opened her latest venture – a Tammy Taylor Nails franchise in Illovo – last month. It was after a visit to one of the franchises that she fell in love with the brand.
“It is one of the visions that came my way. When I used to work for banks there was a salon where we could do our nails. For me, doing nails was always just to look neat but I really didn’t like the time it took. A person could sit there for hours and then a few days later the nails break.
“Once I visited Tammy Taylor with a friend, I never looked back. My nails never broke and everyone would stop me to find out where I had them done.”
She loved the brand so much she eventually bought into it, but wanted her franchise to have a special touch.
“I asked the head office if I could specify my salon the way I wanted to, because I really wanted to cater for my own needs. I wanted to make it a place where women would love to come, where it would be a small heaven, and where women would feel like the queens they are.”
The businesswoman made it so that everything from the seats the women would sit on to the feel of the salon was beautiful.
“Women work so hard and they deserve to be spoiled. If you’e going to leave your house and spend two hours at a place, it must be worth your while. So I went OTT (over the top). For me that was the whole idea.
“It’s also a space for women to network. You know how men go and play golf and network? We hardly have places like that as women, where we can gather and exchange numbers, so I wanted to create an environment like that.”
The 5-star beauty stop theme is a modern French-style look with gold leaf accents and finishing. It took her two years to source the hand-crafted materials and fabrics. She relied on her love for beautiful things and interior decorating for a feel that is luxurious and decadent.
Masingi-Zondo collaborated with Desmond Archibald, an interior decorator from Pretoria, to bring her vision to life.
When it comes to life coaching, something she has been doing formally for the past four years, she considers it a passion.
“I love to show people their own potential. I don’t give up on people, that’s my nature. I believe everyone can do what they put their mind to. A lot of people don’t know that it’s possible to really reach for their dreams. It requires a change of mindset.
“There is so much money out there but we’re limiting ourselves because of the way we think. Confidence is something you have to walk in, you have to understand it. Believe in what you want and go out and get it, that’s something I always do.”
Masingi-Zondo said she faced many obstacles during her studies and when starting her businesses, but she managed to stay firmly focused on the prize.
“If I don’t have something, it means I don’t want it. If I want it, I will go out and get it.”
The Star