The Fairy Godmother of Namibian Weddings

Monique AdamsHaving represented Namibia in various international wedding industry networks, she has 16 years of experience in the wedding and events industry and launched an annual coaching and training initiative to share her skills and expertise with the aim to empower upcoming entrepreneurs in the events industry.Windeline Kausiona has an International Master’s Degree: Public Management from Tsinghua University, Beijing and a B-Degree in Human Resources Management from NUST.She has also done a number of sub-courses, including: Principles of EntrepreneurshipFinancial ManagementBusiness AdministrationIndustrial Phycology Communication ScienceProject Planning and ManagementHuman Resources Capital Development“I got certified as a project manager by Royal Institute of Public Administration in UK in 2013 after attending a six-month PMI project planning and management course which comes handy when it comes to planning, organising and monitoring event production. “Project management training provided me with excellent hands-on planning and production skills. The training also exposed me to various problem-solving, organisational and management models and time management skills and those are the skills needed by event/wedding planners to successfully plan, monitor and produce any type of event,” Kausiona says.As for the events/wedding designing skills, she counts on her sense of fashion and natural talent. She is a very detail-oriented, methodical, and creative person. She groomed her talent to master the skill to design eye-catching concepts to fit within an aesthetic idea or colour schemes. She counts on that ability as one of her niches that has kept her going this far.There are also other soft-skills training courses that Kausiona has attended to help her manage her company effectively, such as communication skills, transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, customer care and conflict resolution. Her job description consists of assisting clients in planning the entire event/wedding, visualising and designing a customised look and feel of the event/wedding by discussing ideas with producing sketches that demonstrate options. She also needs to obtain quotes from vendors to ensure that the budget changes are incorporated in the client’s wedding plans accordingly.“To be a successful wedding planner, one should be methodical and adept at handling difficult or stressful situations. Ultimately, a top-notch wedding planner should keep abreast of the latest wedding trends as well as demonstrate exceptional communication, organisation and customer service skills,” says Kausiona.Her duties and responsibilities include: To oversee the transformation and styling of the venue from the outside and inside to ensure that the client’s visions is achieved, negotiating contracts with selected vendors and making payments on behalf of the clients as required, ensuring that the event/wedding venue providers are ready for the venue transformation at least a day or two before the event/wedding and providing set-up directions to event/wedding cake baker, caterers and a DJ on site.An average day for Kausiona starts with waking up early, taking 30 minutes of quiet time to pray, dropping her child off at school, do some exercise, eating a protein-rich breakfast and getting ready for the day.She then goes through her day’s activities with the team before heading to the National Council office for her day job, where she is a full-time employee as a chief parliamentary clerk.“My afternoons are occupied with client consultation meetings from 18:00 – 20:00 daily. Meetings take place either at my home office in Khomasdal or in town. I am very specific about what I eat because of my gluten-free diet, so I prefer eating dinner at home which is usually at 21:00,” she says.Kausiona enjoys drinking herbal tea throughout the day and ends her day with doing final planning for the next day’s activities just before she goes to bed, which is usually around 22:30 unless she has pending deadlines.One of the high points of her business is the sense of accomplishment every time her clients acknowledge the work she has done.One of her lows is that a monthly income is not guaranteed as the trade itself is seasonal by nature. During quiet months, event planners do not generate funds while their expenses are still going on and it can be very stressful.Facts:1. Girl from dusty streets of Outjo.2. Raised by a single mom and first born of six children.3. Mother of two (20-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son).4. First black senior dux learner at Outjo Secondary School and cum laude student at NUST 2005.5. Left-handed.6. Follows a strict gluten free diet.7. Has been wearing size 6 (size 30) clothes since varsity years.8. A globetrotter (visited uncountable countries on five continents).9. Speaks four local languages in addition to English and intermediate Mandarin.10. A perfectionist with a high level of intuitive intelligence that she often counts on for decision-making. Advice to upcoming entrepreneurs: 1. Start where you are with what you have at your disposal right now. 2. Dream big, believe in yourself and your ability that you will achieve that giant dream of yours for you are the only one with the details of your dream.3. Provide your services to your customers as though they were the only and the last customer, for you are not guaranteed of the next customer.4. Take time to conduct your own SWOT analysis and define your own success factors. 5. Behave like a racehorse when you strive to build your brand. Set that goal, talk about that goal, see that goal and without looking back or sideways, run your race to achieve that goal.6. Be proud of your small achievements and celebrate and don’t forget to be kind to yourself in the process.

The Fairy Godmother of Namibian Weddings

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-10

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The Fairy Godmother of Namibian Weddings

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-10

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