
Flavilla Fongang: From the Ghetto of Paris to Rewriting the Rules of Success & Leadership
Speaking up when it's easier to stay silent taught me that change doesn’t come from conformity.
Speaking up when it's easier to stay silent taught me that change doesn’t come from conformity.
I am living proof of what can be achieved despite lacking what is commonly deemed necessary for success.
I have paid a hefty price for navigating corporate politics differently, all in an effort to maintain my integrity and keep myself safe.
Around six years ago, my marriage ended very suddenly and unexpectedly — over breakfast, no less. I had thought I had it all… I had a choice: give in, or go all in. I chose to go all in… That decision has shaped my work ever since. It fuelled my determination to encourage women to rewrite the rules.
Working at major publishing houses, I was often the only Black woman in the room... Rather than allow these experiences to discourage me, they became my fuel.
When my father tragically died when I was only 5 years old, my mother sent me to live with relatives in Europe, as she did not have the means to take care of me. It was a very hard time for me, but I turned to education.
I was told that my function as a woman in the art world was to marry a wealthy man and be it. Needless to say, I showed that one can build a successful business
After being told a few times to slow down, and that I was ‘too ambitious’, I decided to turn that experience into something empowering for others.
I had to unlearn a lot, especially the belief that success looks a certain way, comes at a certain time, or requires permission from anybody but me.