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Rejoyce Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
COMING from a poor background and growing up in the thickets of Tshinkesana Village in Kezi served as the main motivation for success for a 41-year-old woman who owns a thriving Bulawayo-based event planning and management company.

Ms Nosizo Chogah from Famona suburb is a proud award-winning event planner, destination wedding planner and event consultant.

She says her poor background and the fact that she needed to make money, pushed her to start her company which operates under the trade name, 4Squared.

The company, which was established in 2012 with only backdrop decorations, has now grown to become a premium destination wedding planning and event styling service.

Ms Chogah said she has worked with companies such as Old Mutual, Econet Wireless, Cresta Hotels, Holiday Inn, CABS and Barloworld South Africa among others.

“When I started my business, it was because I just wanted to put food on the table. I didn’t necessarily have passion for such an industry or anything like that. I come from a background where I did not even have big dreams or thought I would become a business person at any point.

“As most people would see or think, I saw doing decorations for events as an easy point of entry into the business and that is how I started the business,” she said.

Ms Chogah said it was not easy when she was starting as she did not have money to buy the luxury materials that were demanded by the industry.

She said she took advantage of the available resources from the environment for her decorations and these brought out all the creativity that was sought after by many clients.

The resources included flowers, tree logs, grass, and feathers among others that she would pick and design into beautiful artefacts.

“Five years into the business, I noticed that I was still going around in circles and my business was not growing mainly because I did not have something that defined me. I just used to copy other people in the industry and never did what came from me. I also did not have the self-esteem to design my own things and the courage to charge reasonably because of the disadvantaged background I was coming from,” she said.

Ms Chogah said it took so much from her to try and convince herself that she is enough and has what it takes to conquer her low self-esteem.

She said her background has aided her creativity and the need to always think outside the box.

“I started using logs, picking up flowers and palm leaves and would cut them nicely and use them for my decorations. This is how people began to notice my creativity in all my decorations, but I was not really creative because I didn’t have the choice or money to buy the expensive things that my industry demanded. The industry is premised on luxury and this is where people spend money,” said Ms Chogah.

The event planner and consultant said what makes her unique is her background and the fact that it influenced her creativity as she does not run out of ideas.

She said she does not give up and this has kept her going despite the challenges that come her way.

“I have managed to thrive in the industry as I am. I tried to change myself, but failed and have since become content with myself. One does not have to completely overwhelm themselves to attract a certain clientele because that is where you miss the whole concept of being you. I would say it was hard for me to try and change myself and it was going to take forever if I waited to be able to completely change myself to attract that market,” she said.

Ms Chogah said she wants to be a role model to people that come from tough backgrounds and show them that they can also do it just like everyone else.

She said she is grateful for all the clients and women who have supported her, as all the work she does is through their support.

Ms Chogah encouraged other women to be themselves, discover opportunities and their strengths, and make the most out of them. –@ReeSibanda