“Little Black Book” by Otegha Uwagba
An amazing toolkit book for all working women!
I was first intrigued by the cover of the book and the title as well as by the size of the book which I thought I could carry around easily in my bag. I read the book within two days and I am excited not only from the simple language it has, the great ideas and suggestions but also from the sincere way Otegha expresses her opinions.
Through this book Otegha is full of fresh ideas and practical advice for every self-made woman that wants to excel in her area and have a successful career. She has a plan for everything! From money management to building a killer personal brand, via a crash course in networking like a pro and tips on how to dress and overcome obstacles. The most important lesson for me in this book is the way Otegha urges all of us women not to undervalue ourselves and dare to ask for a pay rise when we believe we are worth to having one.
Otegha Uwagba is the founder of Women Who, a platform she created to connect and support creative working women worldwide, inspired by her time working at some of London’s top ad agencies and cult youth brand Vice Media. Besides running Women Who, she is also a freelance writer and brand consultant and she lives in London.
There are ten chapters in the book all starting with a quote from an inspirational woman while the last chapter is full of answers from working women in key positions in the industry to the question made by the writer which is “What advice would you give to other working women?” The final quote comes from the writer herself and says “Because you deserve better than made-up Marilyn Monroe quotes.”
“Nothing will work unless you do” says Maya Angelou on the first chapter which explains to us how to maximize our productivity and get things done instead of postponing them.
Isabelle Allende’s quote inspired the second chapter in overcoming creative blocks by “Show up, show up, show up and after a while, the muse shows up too.”
In building your brand, Judy Garland states it correctly “Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else.”
Chapter four is all about public speaking and ways to give a kick-ass presentation with clever suggestions and things to avoid.
I loved chapters five and six because they are the ones doing all the money talk and Otegha gives us clever ideas about how to save money, about how to use our money correctly and always have something saved aside for a difficult hour while being able to negotiate your business affairs is laid in a simple and honest way.
Going back to school –literally and metaphorically – and learning new skills is as important as everything else in your career. Make yourself more valuable by learning something new that will lead you to a promotion or a pay rise.
The importance of networking is high and has always been! As much as you love it or loathe it, you need to do it in your best possible way. In chapter eight you will find out that networking can happen in the oddest places and with the least expected people. Be open and sincere about what you do and take time to learn what others do instead of just saying what you do.
Last but not least you need to take care of yourself. In chapter nine, we read how we should always be our number one and nobody else. By keeping our mind and body healthy then we can have a kick-ass day, a kick-ass meeting and an even greater career.
As Michelle Obama said “If you don’t take control over your time and your life, other people will gobble it up.”
So take the time to read this Little Black Book with great meaning – you can order it from Amazon and have a look @womenwho on Instagram and on the official website womenwho.co to broaden your horizons with other creative and amazingly talented women like yourself!
