She is a wife, mother and businesswoman. She had another dream, a powerful one; one that scared her. Few believed in her, but she continued to pursue her dream. They said that her magazine-dream would collapse before it even started.
Felicia Buthelezi. Founding Editor of I do Magazine.
Says Felicia: “For a little while I believed this, because there were so many factors to consider. The print media is hard to penetrate; it requires a lot of money and focus. It is one industry that is not fully transformed to allow independent publishers especially blacks to compete on an equal footing with few established publishers. The magazine industry is saturated. You have to study the industry well to identify the gap.”
Felicia heard all those comments that were meant to make her give up, but the dream grew stronger and stronger. It refused to die. She looked around her and knew that there was a gap in the market for a magazine that encouraged couples to work through their challenges and build healthier and happier homes, instead of focusing on messy divorces in a sensational manner.
In a society where women empowerment often happens with men being excluded, she knew that she wanted men to be part of the picture. She believed in her dream and worked hard at turning it into a reality. And today she is known as the Founding Editor of I do Magazine. She is Felicia Buthelezi, affectionately known as Mrs. B.
Words of wisdom “Due to the many challenges that I experienced while I attempted to turn my dream into a reality, I would have given up a long time ago. The biggest reason why I refused to give up was because there was a powerful vision behind my dream and I didn’t simply want to start a magazine, just to be in the print media industry or just to be famous.”
Values “I do magazine is who I am. It is aligned with my highest values. This, together with my life’s purpose and my passion, was what fuelled its survival. The glamour and attention are a wonderful bonus, but that was never my focus. And this is where most young people make a mistake; most of them want to be in a career, because of money. Money and fame should never be the foundation. Money will come at the right time – provided that the foundation of the dream is solid.”
Priorities “Marriage and family are very important to me. I have packaged my highest values into a magazine. When we create a platform that could influence people’s thinking, it is important to realize how big and how powerful that is. I choose to embrace that with responsibility.
When you align your values with your business concept it makes things easier – especially during difficult times. I believe that when we can align our goals with our inner values, that success is inevitable, because you do not only rely on outside motivation. There is always that inner voice that whispers: It is well – you are going to be fine.”
Objective “It is important to know why we are doing what we are doing; why we want to achieve a specific goal. Yes, there is competition out there, but when you continue to focus on growing and on getting better at what you are doing, you can’t go wrong.
I do Magazine am synonymous with Healthy Marriages and Happy Homes.”
Felicia’s advice to aspirant Founding Editors
•A good magazine depends on several things: the quality and abilities of the people who work for it, its ability to attract advertisers, readers and its successful distribution. The big question though is what sets your magazine apart from the rest. If you can answer this question, I believe you can continue with your research.
•You first have to identify the target market of the magazine and do research about their needs and address those needs. My research took me two years.
•Packaging is very important: This includes the style of writing, layout – design of the magazine and the general look and feel of your magazine. This can’t be achieved if you don’t know who you talking to.
•Distribution is also very important because it has a huge effect in making or killing your magazine. Advertisers are interested in the numbers your magazine reaches and how it reaches them. You have to shop around before the magazine is launched.
•Set realistic goals, make a commitment and be consistent in what you do and how you do it. It takes time to win consumers’ trust. Stay focused, work hard and persevere.
•You have to consistently empower yourself with information. It is also beneficial to and network with likeminded people.
•It is hard to find people who will understand and respect your vision like you do – be patient and keep searching. Never see yourself through the eyes of visionless and don’t take everything personal during the searching process. Some people are meant to be with us for a season or one chapter of our book.
•Never be afraid to ask for help. The worst thing that could happen is that someone could say no. But then, you go and ask the next person.
•Academic qualifications are important, but remember that God has invested something so precious inside you and it is as valuable. Protect it and nature it. Most people focus more on what they don’t have than what they already have. External circumstances should not be a stumbling block towards your goal. Use it as a stepping stone.
•You have to embrace your own reality and use the resources you have to make things work. Never compare yourself with bigger and well established companies. Start where you are, with who you are and use what you have. Stay authentic to what you and your magazine stand for.
•People will only be drawn to your work when you are genuine and you live the life reflected on your magazine. When what you do is genuinely coming from within, it will show in your work. Maintain a healthy connection with the readers of your magazine by introducing brand extensions in the form of live events.
To receive updates about I do Magazine, follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/idomag
You can also connect with Felicia by liking her Facebook page;
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Felicia-Buthelezi-Mrs-B/382810245172317?fref=ts
Or you could like the Facebook page of I do Magazine. https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Do-Magazine/168957539813454
expertpositioning 
Thank you for the great advice Felicia. Andeline perhaps you could help Mrs. B turn this content into an ebook that one could download at the I DO website.