CEO of Tammy Tailor Nails South Africa Mel Viljoen will be participating in the upcoming GWE tour, which will see an A-list team of some of South Africa’s sought-after business minds and motivational speakers take to the stage to inspire the next generation of young business leaders.
The tour will cover the country’s nine provinces, and will see Viljoen share her entrepreneurial expertise to thousands of students in over 150 schools and universities – with more joining the tour as it gains momentum.
“We are extremely proud and honoured to have Mel Viljoen join our tour team. She is an established businesswoman who is intelligent and hard-working,” said GWE CMO Lesego Motala, adding: “Most importantly, she cares about our youth and wants to empower them – it was an imperative and adding value to the project to invite her on board.”
As part of her speaking engagement with the Generational Wealth Education tour, Viljoen will speak at schools in the Gauteng, Free State, North West and Western Cape.
“I am truly grateful to join the team at Generational Wealth Education on this tour to inspire and motivate our youth,” Viljoen said as she shares her excitement about her involvement in the tour. “I want to tell our young girls that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and if you stay focused.
“I want them to know that they will get hundreds of no’s before they get a yes, but they shouldn’t lose hope and always remember that every rejection is a redirection to their next yes.”
According to Dubai Daily, Viljoen will also be in the United Arab Emirates over the next few months, taking part in several youth empowerment programs in Dubai.
Several big names in the UAE have since expressed their joy to have Viljoen come over to the country. Accordingly, Viljoen has shared her excitement about one very warm welcome message she received from arguably the biggest make up celebrity in the UAE, Mona Kattan, the co-founder of the internationally famed Huda Beauty.
“I am extremely proud of you Mel, for all the work that you are doing in South Africa to empower all those students and young people. You are an incredible humanitarian and businesswoman,” Mona was quoted as saying upon hearing of her plans.
Viljoen also runs an academy in Pretoria, through the Tammy Tailor Nails Academy, which has since seen her empower thousands of young people – especially females. The academy offers the much-needed skills all over the country needed to be a successful nail technician.
NOWinSA caught up with the brilliant businesswoman, and here’s what she had to say:
Why are you doing this school tour?
I like the GWE platform, it is helpful and gives young people the opportunity to develop themselves. When they contacted me to become a speaker on the nationwide tour, I couldn’t say no. As an advocate for youth development and empowerment, I believe in our young people and I can’t wait to interact with all of them on this tour this year. It’s going to be magnificent.
What tips do you have for young women out there who want to start their first business?
I would say that they shouldn’t be afraid to dream. They should dream big and they don’t have to look for external validation elsewhere, the validation they need is within them. They have to believe in their goals and dreams.
They should do the necessary research, tassess the market and make sure that they understand their potential target market.
Most importantly, they should never give up!
Having the owner of Huda Beauty message you, that’s huge. How does it feel?
Mona is so sweet, I love her so much. She is so supportive and I can’t wait to meet her in Dubai when I do go there soon. I love to see women support each other and I appreciate her mindset. She inspires me just as much as I inspire her.
What drives your business?
My primary driver is quality, this comes through in both my personal and professional life. I appreciate quality in other products, people and services, and I want to bring the same quality to those I serve.
What is the one quote that you live by?
“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.”
— Oprah Winfrey
*To find out more about the GWE tour, you can visit @generational_wealth_education on Instagram.
- Newest addition to the NOWinSA family, Zareef Minty‘s column titled, ‘Get To Know…’ is published Mondays & Fridays.
