Yolanda Dube Hadebe: Your Wedding Fairy Godmother!

You will be rewarded in public for what you have practised and refined for years in private.

For one to be chosen for a prestigious leadership program from over sixty thousand applicants, you know you better come correct. The recognition ball began to roll in 2017 when Yolanda Dube Hadebe was selected to be in the renowned Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States. Not only has she been recognised as an influential young African leader, she has also been nominated for the first ever Events Industry Awards in Zimbabwe, for Designer of the Year.

Why, you might ask? If you walk into the Yolanda Dube Bridal (YDBridal) boutique, you'll come out with a straight, clean answer. Gorgeous, breathtaking and enchanting doesn't even come close to describing the gowns that come out of there. The level of detail that goes into the dresses is insane. She will literally grant your wish for the wedding dress you dream of.

So we wanted to find out how she does the magic. But today is a little different. This story is not just about her journey, its a message. In the words of Yolanda, "to that person who feels stuck in a job, career or business for whatever reason. Perhaps you haven't found your calling or you no longer feel motivated or driven to do your job to the best of your ability. Perhaps you graduated and you've been tirelessly searching for a job but the future seems bleak and there is no hope of employment in sight."

This one's for you.

When life throws you lemons, make some lemonade.

This is exactly what Yolanda did.

"I entered into a the bridal industry by mistake so to speak, but this has been the best and most fulfilling mistake of my life. I always knew I had an artistic ability within me and as long as I can remember I have always loved working with my hands. However I still went ahead to study Marketing and International Business for five long years. After completing my studies I failed to find formal employment. When two months of searching for employment turns into two years its easy to become demotivated, you quickly realise that you need to find something to do with your life before you lose your mind. Sewing then became a hobby that I used to keep myself occupied whilst looking for a job. Eventually I fell in love with it. People started asking me to alter wedding dresses they had imported from online bridal stores. It's either the dresses were too big or too small, or the design was not done as promised."

"When two months of searching for employment turns into two years its easy to become demotivated and you quickly realise that you need to find something to do with your life before you lose your mind."

"Years passed by and in 2011 I had a chance meeting with a desperate bride in a fabric shop. She was looking for someone to make her customised bridesmaids dresses. I had never made bridesmaids dresses in my life and I had no clue where to start. At that time I was just but an amateur in making women's everyday wear, but nothing as fancy as a bridesmaids dress. Needless to say with the advice and help of a fellow designer and seamstress I made my first set of bridesmaids dresses and the bride was happy with her dresses. That same year I made 3 other sets. I then realised that there was a gap in the market for custom made bridal wear and special occasions dresses. That's how I started in 2011."

Start small.

Where you are.

With what you have.

The trick is not to get caught up with what you don't have, but leverage what you do have, to get where you want to be.

"At the time, I had no office space or shop. I would measure clients in public toilets, no business card, Facebook page, website or nothing which could make potential clients put their trust in me. But I thank God that even when I felt like giving up, He would bring one or two clients who chose to trust in the service."  

The following year I challenged myself to make my first sample wedding gown. It took me some time but I did it and I was so proud of myself. I made another two wedding gowns and exhibited them at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF). After ZITF I started receiving enquiries for wedding gown alterations. Realising that there was a niche in the market I then came up with a service that would allow brides and bridesmaids have their dream dress designed and custom made to suit their specifications, size, body shape and style. A wide selection of quality fabrics and multiple fittings would ensure a perfect finish. Locally based production gave clients accessibility and assurance of a timely delivery. 

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. The purpose of success stories is to inspire and show you that you can do it too but we also love to bring the truth behind that success. Because what most stories wont tell you, is that you will fail many times before succeeding. You are signing up for mistakes, stress, conflict, being told no and days when the money isn't flowing in. But it's worth it.

"In October 2013 I managed to get my first office but I couldn't even afford to spruce it up into an ideal bridal showroom. It has been an uphill battle and at sometimes I have felt like giving up. Starting and running a business from the ground up is not a walk in the park. There is no guaranteed salary at the end of the month. At times you have sleepless nights, no holidays and whatever money you make has to be reinvested back into the business." 

"Starting and running a business from the ground up is not a walk in the park."

If I have seen further, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.

"My biggest challenge was convincing potential clients that something made in Zimbabwe or Africa can be great in quality and finish. As Africans we have a tendency of looking down and undermining our own local brands. We would rather fly to the other side of the world to purchase a product. Brand recognition and brand building is still something I struggle with."

"Despite all these challenges I am grateful for my family and the clients who have made YD Bridal what it is today. They keep pushing me forward and motivating me to keep going because making brides dreams come true is my passion. I love what I do to the point that it doesn't even feel like work. This has taught me that there is no such thing as a self made person in this world. You can work hard, have the capital, but without God and the people around you, you can never achieve anything. The team you work with, your clients and customers, your family, your friends, mentors and even strangers who give you a word of motivation; those are the people who make the real difference in your life. Above all God is the one who directs you, gives you the knowledge and wisdom that you need to see your vision come to fruition. "

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. Despite harsh economic conditions in the country, YD Bridal has committed itself to growth and disrupting the bridal industry in Zimbabwe and won't stop till this has been achieved. "Over the years YD Bridal has grown from a one man band to a dedicated team which daily strives for excellence. The team consists of someone who specialises in hand beading. I do most of the designing, cutting and sewing and then I have someone else who specialises in doing the lace work on the gowns. Our speciality is now custom made and bespoke wedding gowns and we are based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe however we have been privileged to work with clients from all over Zimbabwe, South Africa, the U.S.A, Dubai and Australia just to name a few. Even though we have come so far, we still have a long way to go. 

We believe that almost every woman dreams of their wedding day from the time she a little girl, and one of the most important things on that day is her wedding dress. We get to make the most important dress a woman will ever wear in her lifetime and our ultimate goal is for her to look and feel like a million dollars on her big day.

Thinking to where YD Bridal started its been a very long journey characterised by a lot of ups and downs. From measuring clients in public toilets, being clueless about how to construct a basic design and basically starting out without any design experience whatsoever. What I have personally learnt is that everything begins with a dream. To achieve any dream or goal you must first believe, and you're already half way there. It's all about a positive attitude."

By God's grace our vision as YD Bridal is to establish the first Bridal wear factory in Zimbabwe which will be the leader in the production of premium wedding gowns and the first port of call for all brides in Zimbabwe and in the Southern African region. It is our desire to create employment opportunities for talented designers, tailors, seamstresses and many other integral people who play a major part in the clothing manufacturing process.

"Choose to see the glass half full rather than half empty. Start dreaming more, write down your dreams and start envisioning them. Have a plan on how you are going to achieve your overall vision and start implementing that plan bit by bit. Stop making excuses like lack of capital, or I'm too old or too young to start, or I'm in the wrong country, or the economy is not yet ripe for my idea. Know that there will be ups and downs, don't chase the money let the money chase you. Don't try and be a jack of all trades but rather be the master and a specialist in one thing. Start now, start today, why wait. You only have one life to live. Above all remember to look to God for He is the giver of true wisdom. You are the author of your own life, so choose to make it a bestseller.

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