GLAMOUR Women’s Month Series: Tziona Kerton

The GLAMOUR Women’s Month Series is an ode to women who are following the beat of their drum and doing it successfully. Founder and director of bespoke public relations agency, Conversation Capital is a phenomenal woman who looks to pull up other women in joining her to lead and be the best versions of themselves. Tziona leads with compassion, love and empathy. In addition to her prolific career, Tziona aims to inspire and leave an ever-lasting legacy. Her goal is to teach the next generation ‘’to love, value diversity, celebrate and harness our differences” she tells GLAMOUR.

In this GLAMOUR exclusive interview, we caught up with the businesswoman to talk self-love, being a leader, inspiring the youth and what Women’s Month really means to her.

Which woman has positively impacted you in your career/business? And what is the one lesson she taught you?

My Mother taught me resilience and determination. As a single woman with two daughters she led by example and motivated us that challenges could be overcome with hard work, determination and positive attitude. The one lesson she taught me is the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

What are the three words that spring to mind when you hear Women's Day/Month?

When I hear about women’s Day, I think that we as women and men need to unite in order to build a better world, by raising consciousness that translates into meaningful action that results in change.

Tziona Kerton (Photographed by Lauren Theunissen, Orms)

To you, what is the most beautiful thing about being a woman?

A women’s ability to be fragile yet strong, delicate yet resilient.

In your industry or in general, have you seen any more movement to gender equality in the workplace?

Although there has been progress, we still don’t have enough women on boards or in leadership positions.

As a woman who looks to inspire young girls that look like you, what are some of the measures you think should be put in place to assure young girls have an equal say in society?

National and global policy makers should create greater consultation with women and girls to understand their needs and include these in their policies. Put maximum effort into making the world a safer place for girls and women – by putting the world’s best team together to create curriculum, programs and policies that put a stop to sexual harassment and gender-based violence, and ensure women have equal access to opportunities. Rethinking the way to bring up children – ensure greater gender equality from the start, will ensure that gender biases don’t exist.

With Black Lives Matter being at the forefront and black people calling out racism and transformation. What do you think we can teach the next generation about inclusion and representation?

To love and value diversity, celebrating and harnessing our differences.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) especially women and children abuse has been prevalent in the country for a very long time and there have been various initiatives that speak to this but the scourge of abuse still continues at a large scale, what would you advise as a solution going forward? And who should be involved?

Look at the root of the problem and attempt to deal with the cause. GBV is rooted in discriminatory beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate inequality and discrimination of women and girls. We need greater education and social upliftment. Everyone needs to be involved, it is all our responsibility to change this.

What does women’s month mean to you and what would you like to be done to push or commemorate this month?

It’s a time to collaborate, raise our voices on the issues, and take action to make a meaningful difference to ensure gender equality.

As a modern African woman, who is a powerhouse in her own right, how do you manoeuvre the African expectations for what Africa believes a woman should be, particularly in countries that are rooted in patriarchy like ours?

Encouraging ‘Sisterhood’ and creating an ecosystem of solidarity and collectivisation based on helping each other in creating more success. This will not only help individuals but will stand in direct contrast to the toxic ecosystem of patriarchy and challenge it!

What are some of the great possibilities about being a woman in the world right now, that may not be easy to see but you feel women should take full advantage of without being ashamed or afraid?

The world as we know it has changed, and it is requiring a new approach, with more flexibility and greater agility, we need to embrace our natural multitasking ability, and pivot to find positive solutions to life and work problems. I believe women should embrace their many attributes, particularly our ability to problem solve, and our desire to overcome challenges, which fuel us to get things accomplished, while embracing our inherent nurturing quality that helps motivate those around us to succeed.

The imposter syndrome is something a lot of women confess to suffer from or have suffered from. Have you ever had to deal with it? What would you say to another woman reading this about not letting the syndrome run one’s life in anyway?

Yes, it's real. Don’t let self-doubt control your actions. Focus on saying yes to you, live your values and discover your personal purpose.

How has self-care contributed to the woman you are in all facets of your life? Why is self-care important, particularly for women, as most women are raised to believe that they have to put everyone else first before themselves?

Self-care is important to me as it creates and affirms positive feelings about myself and helps boost my confidence and self-esteem, which vibrates into positive energy which supports my capacity for caring and loving others.