My name is Delight Mapasure, an award-winning entrepreneur and a dynamic speaker whose journey exemplifies the fusion of ambition, adaptation, and unyielding strength.
With a remarkable story as an immigrant turned successful businessperson, I love sharing invaluable insights on entrepreneurship, the immigrant experience, and the power of resilience.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and your current role:
I am a Zimbabwean-born UK based award-winning serial entrepreneur. I arrived in the UK in 2001 in search of greener pastures. I have over 7 years experience running my own business. My portfolio spans cleaning, food and recruitment businesses. I am currently the Managing Director at K’s Wors Ltd an award-winning sausage manufacturing brand which produces South African-inspired sausages. I am a professional speaker, mentor and resilience coach.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
Not at all. My business started as a passion project with an intention only to share my heritage with my neighbours and a few friends and now we are a global brand. This has naturally landed on my journey as a professional speaker, mentor and resilience coach.
Have you faced any challenges along the way?
Yes. The main challenges I faced were raising funding and being a woman in a position of leadership. I made in total 19 applications for funding which were all declined. I even went on Dragon’s den to get investment and that fell through too. As a person I was gutted and as a woman I felt let down by the system as I was often not taken seriously and was once told to give it up and concentrate on looking after my children and cleaning.
How did you persevere through the tough times?
I always looked back at my WHY which for me is my children. I want to create a legacy for them and do my bit to ensure that it is a lot easier for them to have access to opportunities just like everyone else.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
My appearance on Dragon’s Den where I failed to get investment but then went on to get listed in Costco Wholesale UK- a retailer valued at $250 Billion!
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?
My ability to bounce back from setbacks. I took every failure as a lesson and an opportunity to become innovative and try again.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?
Mentoring is vital for everyone, whether in business, education or just life in general. It helps you to spot your weaknesses and a mentor can also see your blind spots and help you avoid unnecessary mistakes. I have several mentors and have several mentees. I am a registered mentor on the government’s Help to Grow mentoring scheme.
If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Parity, what would it be?
There isn’t a single “one-size-fits-all” solution to accelerate the pace of change for gender parity, as achieving gender equality is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of efforts across various levels of society. However, I can suggest a key principle that can contribute significantly to accelerating progress toward gender parity:
Key Principle: Empowerment and Inclusivity
Empowering women and creating a more inclusive society are fundamental to accelerating gender parity. This involves dismantling systemic barriers, challenging gender norms and stereotypes, and fostering an environment where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
You are PERFECT and ENOUGH just as you are.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
I have recently started another business and I am looking forward to growing it into a seven-figure business and exiting in the next five years.
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