Cohort 3 is Complete! 🥳

Just like that, another cohort is finished. Cohort 3 began on the 11th May 2024 and we concluded our final session yesterday, on the 24th August 2024. The last four months have been full of brand education, laughs, bonding, vulnerability and connection - everything the programme was designed to offer.

A huge thank you to our partners and sponsors: Sky Uk, Sky Creative, Lush Cosmetics, Grace & Green, Rose Marketing and Femme Fatale TV.

Whenever we end a new cohort, it's a bitter sweet moment. We have spent the last 4 months educating these wonderful, talented, Black, Female entrepreneurs, and all of a sudden the monthly sessions are over! However, the sweetness comes from the community that our latest graduates join, the Alumni benefits that they get access to and the growth that they will continue to make in their individual businesses.

Cohort 3 was full of vibrant characters who we are thrilled to have met, and every single one of them brought something unique to The Branding 101 Programme. We cannot wait to see what's next for them! But for now, let's recap how the sessions went.

Session 1: 11th May 2024

Session 1 was fantastic, we got to meet all of the ladies and truly break the ice. A Programme goodie-box was given to each attendee that was filled to the brim with gifts from our sponsors and we went on a grand tour of Sky Studios.

We learnt about the different businesses in the room and did a deep dive into what each attendee aimed to achieve by joining the programme. Branding 101 is open to Black women at any stage of business, and we had ladies who had been running a business for multiple years, mixed with ladies who were still yet to launch and everything in-between. We accept anyone over the age of 18 onto our programme, and the Cohort 3 participants ranged from 19 to 60 years old. Having such a variety of women in the room meant that not only were they learning from the B101 staff, but they were also learning from each other.

We pride ourselves on building a community that thrives, and this is why networking is a must on this programme. Once the majority of people leave school, meeting new people tends to become difficult, and building meaningful connections becomes even harder, but Session 1 is where the sisterhood started to form.

Not even an hour into the first instalment of this cohort, the ladies were supporting each other and completing the activities we had set up for them.

We were learning all about Brand Strategy and outlining the importance of the intangible aspects of a brand. It never ceases to amaze me, the difference that some great guidance can make in just a day.

With the introduction to building a brand complete and the ladies fully clued up on what 'branding' actually meant, it was time to move onto our next session.

Session 2: 22nd June 2024

When the ladies arrived at the second session, you would have thought that they had known each other for years. The vibes in the room were immaculate and everyone came back ready to build upon the knowledge they had gained in session 1.

This group was nothing short of proactive, making full use of the complimentary coaching sessions they were offered alongside the programme. So when Session 2 arrived, they were roaring to go! This time around, we were taking an in-depth look at Customer Experience (CX) and Visual Brand Identities.

We had the wonderful Kowiyat, Founder and CEO of The Lady Powerhouse CIC facilitating the CX workshop, and what a great workshop it was! Kowiyat created the space for another interactive and insightful session that got us out of our seats and into our acting bag!

Session 3: 20th July 2024

It felt like we blinked and we were back at Sky Studios for the third session! We delved into the world of Procurement and we were joined by the lovely Vicky Kavan, who gave us some valuable insights that our ladies could implement into their own brands.

We also had the pleasure of being taught about Personal Branding by Tiwa king, Founder and CEO of Beyond A Song CIC, and little did we know, it was going to get deep! Tiwa's approach to building a personal brand had us figuring out who we truly were as people and encouraged us to live our authentic lives.

This is where the safe space and community element of Branding 101 showed it's true strength. Each lady was championing another, allowing everyone in the room to be vulnerable, and as a collective we got a million times closer!

We also got invited to take a tour of the Sky news box which was a great experience for all of us.

Session 4: 24th August 2024

It's true what they say, time really does fly when you're having fun, because how did August get here so quickly! Our fourth and final session was all about Brand Development and Public Speaking.

Tedx Public Speaking coach and Co-Founder of Believe in Greatness Fred Afrifa, delivered a public speaking masterclass that left us with a new found confidence. I speak on behalf of all the attendees (and the team who couldn’t help but get involved 😂) when I say that the results of this incredible session were immediate and invaluable.

We also had the amazing Femme Fatale Tv capturing the essence of this last session in the best of ways, and we look forward to sharing all the content with you soon!

So what's next?

Although our final session is now complete, the fun doesn’t stop there! We look forward to the graduation ceremony later on this year, and each of our attendees have officially joined the Branding 101 alumni network and we can’t wait to continue our work with all of the ladies. Watch this space!

If you or someone you know would like to be a part of our next Cohort, make sure you sign up to the waiting list: www.branding101.uk/waitinglist - you don’t want FOMO for a fourth time!!!