Bridging Barriers - Thuli Zikalala

 

Champions Uncovered interviews Thuli Zikalala founder of Yellow Owl who making a difference bridging barriers. Thuli is a bold leader who is passionate about driving positive change in her community and a qualified South African Sign Language interpreter and who is breaking ground in this space and in this interview she shares more on her journey.

Yellow Owl is a company making digital content more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience through SASL (South African Sign Language) interpreting, this is aimed at removing information barriers within the Deaf community.

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SPEAKER_02 0:01

Champions uncovered host Carlo Bassipol interviews Yellow Owl founder Thuli Zigalala in a live interview in front of an online audience. Chuly has the desire to create change by bridging communication for an audience that includes both the hearing and hearing impaired. Let's go straight into the live interview.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Thank you for having me. My name is Chuly Zigalala. I am the founder of Yellow Owl. Just the vision of Yellow Owl was it came through, I guess, hitting the ceiling and discovering that in my own industry, a very small industry, the SSL interpreting industry, I had covered everything. So I was qualified by that time. I had already been accredited. I worked in a very well-paid job. And I just realized that I wanted more. There was something that was calling me and pushing me to do more. And it was at that point when I decided to resign. It was last year, right in the middle of lockdown, a very, very risky and a very bold move. And I didn't have all the answers, but I knew that what my desire was, my desire to create change, my desire to create opportunities that didn't exist, the jobs that we want don't exist. You have to create those opportunities. And when I did leave, um Yellow Owl didn't really have an idea, didn't really have a manifestation. But it's only as I made that first move to leave the company that the ideas came, the resources came and the people came. So Yellow Owl was started in 2020. It's quite new. It's a startup. I'm a solopreneur, so I'm the only person, I'm the founder, and I'm the only one doing all the things. I wear different hats all the time. And it's grown a lot over the months, I guess. So what we do as Yellow Owl is that we make digital content, podcasts, videos, audios, webinars, online content basically more inclusive and more accessible to a wider audience, not exclusive or limited to deaf people only or the deaf community. On the surface, you might think that because I'm an interpreter, the audience has to be deaf people. But brands don't know how to use an interpreter. Content creators, the last thing they think of is an interpreter. So I think the vision of Yellow Isle is to challenge how content is delivered and to make sure that interpreters are available as a standard. An interpreter should not be a luxury or an afterthought. All content platforms, all campaigns, all marketing or advertising material out there should have an interpreter as well because we bridge communication, we are cultural bridge, and we advocate for both the hearing and the deaf as well. We make sure that we're responsible to make sure that the conversation is inclusive to all the people that are involved. So it's a huge responsibility. And I think that we have really overcome a lot of barriers and we've achieved a lot in terms of being at the forefront and spreading the awareness and making more brands and more uh content creators and more platforms aware of the professionalism of interpreters.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

I'd like you to share with the audience how to bridge that gap and be the solution to also bridge the communication gaps in our own companies or even just in our own communities.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Fantastic. I love that question, Carla. So it starts with understanding the role of the interpreter. So my role as an interpreter is to bridge communication. I facilitate communication between one or two groups or people that do not speak the same language. And it's not just words. I think you have to convey meaning, you have to have cultural sensitivity and making sure that you're aware of the situation and the setting. Interpreters are impartial, but it's quite funny because we're impartial, but we're also present. If there are two people having a conversation, the interpreter is the third person. We are not invisible, we are there, but we also try to be as subjective as possible. So my advice to people who are not very well-versed or aware of the industry that we do or what we do in the industry is to change the narrative of that interpreters are not professional. So just like a lawyer, just like a doctor, just like any profession, you do have professional interpreters and we offer professional service. I'm a professional and I want to be treated that way. I think another big misconception is that interpreters are expensive. So to have an interpreter for each and every video or each and every meeting or platform or conversation is just so expensive. We cannot afford that service. But it's a violation of a human rights if you don't have that service to the audience that you have, particularly if it's deaf people. You're excluding them from having or participating in the conversation and having a voice and having access to empowered information to make empowered decisions wherever they are. So we play a massive role and we've got a massive responsibility in making sure that we are part of the conversation. Something that I also would love to advocate is accreditation. I don't think in any industry you'd be comfortable going to a doctor who's not certified or doesn't have a license, or eating food at a restaurant that does not meet the standards of food and health safety. So why would you take the risk of employing a sign language interpreter who also is not qualified or accredited? That's a very big risk and it's a big miscommunication in terms of the message and the information that you're trying to send to the community that you're trying to serve. It's a big disservice. With that said, accreditation is a very controversial issue in our industry. Our industry is very small, but I am pro-accreditation because it brings credibility in the profession.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

This podcast was produced, edited, and hosted by podcast champions.

SPEAKER_03 5:41

How do you, as an entrepreneur, overcome these challenges?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

I don't think, Carla, that had I not taken that bold risk of following my dreams and just trusting my gut feeling that Yellow L would exist. I don't think that I'd be having this conversation right now. I don't think that the people, the projects, the collaborations, um, the clients that you've had would be here right now. So again, to the audience, to the tip, the people that are here watching, a big tip is that trust your gut feeling and take that goal step. You never know where it will lead you. So 18 months later, we're still being recognized for content or production, a collaboration that we did, you know, a couple of months ago, and it's still relevant. So I think that that is a validation that cements my ideas and my visions and my desires. I'm not crazy. I used to think that, but you know, the validation is it just really makes a big difference in terms of encouraging me and pushing me to go forward because when I do it, it gives other people permission that it's possible. I can also be a role model to other people who are not so sure, who are feeling so doubtful about their own careers as interpreters or whatever industry you find yourself in. It is possible to leave your comfort zone and to do something that has never been done and be a success and be a champion. When I left my full-time job, a very comfortable job, a very stable job as well, to start this wild and unstable journey of entrepreneurship. There are no regrets, that's one. So it was a very well thought out decision. It was inspired, that's very important. I felt like it was a calling. I feel like I'm living out of my dream right now. I have no regrets. Everything that I do has a meaning and it's inspired. Um, I'm I'm guided. There's a very spiritual element to it, and that is why I feel like every step I take, there's always some kind of um superior hand that's guiding and just making things possible. It is a lonely road, I must say. So ever since I started this journey, people have walked away from my life. I also have had to cut ties with people that do not put maybe fit the vision anymore, that don't um support me as much, or they don't add value. I'm very cautious of the time I spend, the people that I spend my time with. If I feel that you're not adding positive or meaningful value in my time or my space, then unfortunately, I'm sorry, I cannot give you my time, or I can't have you, I can't give you access to who I am because you'll choke my dream, you'll choke the vision. We are here on a journey and it's reset, it's very important. You've got big things that you have to achieve and it requires my full attention. I cannot waste time or take that risk with people who are not as supportive of the journey. So that's just the one thing is that it's very um, it's it's quite lonely, honestly. I think also the sacrifices. So having to leave stability, just going into that norm, that takes a big strain on your mental health. As an entrepreneur, the pace that we live in, the world is changing at a drastic uh pace. You know, today it's one thing and then tomorrow it's a different trend. You constantly have to stay ahead of the game to make sure that you are relevant. It is overwhelming. And I always think that it can also take a knock in terms of your health. So stress is I'm honestly prone to stress because of the long working hours. I also work at home, so and I live in Rome. So that's something that I really need to be conscious of. You know, when I do feel like I'm losing balance, I've got my go-to people, my support system. When I'm not coping, you know, if you're not okay, say so. Ask for help. And I'm just so fortunate that I've got people who, when I reach out and say, please help me, I'm struggling, I don't know what's going on. They're able to listen, they're able to tell me the truth, and they're able to support me. So that's just the personal side. I think other things that really do help as well, routine. So I'm I'm a morning person, 4 a.m. I'm usually up. You know, I think that's when I get my most inspiration, my ideas, and that's where I check in, you know, self-orientation, that's when I have my quiet time, that's when I pray, that's when I prepare, am I on the right track? How do I feel? I'm still on the right track in terms of the vision. Exercise is also very important. Meditation is important, rest is important. That's something I struggle with. I'm a workaholic and I love what I do. So it's a mixture of working hard, but also the hard work that goes into entrepreneurship as the only person running and making sure that the boat stays afloat. If I don't do it, no one else will, and you find yourself working 14, 16 hour long days, and it does take a toll on you. So it's important to stop and to rest. It's okay to stop, it's okay to rest. And that those are just some of the things that I do struggle with, and I really try to reach out when I do not cope.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

Like you say, you've got to keep on driving, keep on pushing, but at the same time, wellness has to be in that space as well. And with Champions Uncovered, we focus on wellness and we also focus on exercise, and there's also neuroscience research to actually going for a walk. You actually become more creative. One of the other topics is you spoke on mentorship. What does mentorship mean to you on this journey?

SPEAKER_01 10:48

I love that question. I I cannot um stress how important mentorship is personally and professionally. Who you see today, Yellow Owl, and also just me, Tulisiella, is because of people who invested in me. So it's funny that people call me a mentor. It's something that I'm experiencing lately through Yellow Owl. It's a very strange feeling. I never see myself as a mentor. There are people that I'm mentoring that are also part of the audience right now, and they look up to me. I mean, I'm also trying to figure things out. I don't have all the answers. So it's a very humbling process, and it just reminds you that, you know, whatever you receive from other people, pay it forward. It's important to pay it forward as well. I think mentorship also helps in terms of other people seeing the potential that you've got. So sometimes when you don't know uh what to do and going forward in the road ahead, you've got people that have got the experience and they can help you in terms of making sure that you're on the right track. I've had personal mentors in the industry, and I feel like now they've passed the baton over to us. And I feel like now it's time for us to pay it forward. So that's what I do. I invest my time, I invest my skills, I invest uh whatever I can to make sure that other people can also be the best that they can in whatever that they do. I think that mentorship is important also on a personal level. So I'm also part of Toastmasters. Toastmasters is public speaking, it's about leadership, it's about building your confidence. That has built my confidence so much because mentorship turned into friendships and to now sort of like see how the potential of you passing that on to other people can actually make a difference. So I think mentorship has to be natural. I think that when you do look for a mentor or that connection starts, it has to be genuine. So don't force it, you'll know the right person because it'll just happen instantaneously. I think that it goes a long way in terms of nurturing and helping people discover and flourish whatever they are trying to do. So I have a couple of mentors as well. I think as I start the entrepreneurial journey, I've got two mentors as well. I've been actually very fortunate to have a mentor, I hope he's here, Michael, for the business side of things and also with uh LOA. I've been part of a lot of accelerator programs where people just invest their time, they invest their resources to make sure that you are developing in the journey of entrepreneurship because it is not an easy journey. The mentor-menteer relationship has to be very clear in terms of expectations and the boundaries. So if a person comes to me and asks me to be their mentor, they have to take initiative. I will avail myself if they come. I'm not responsible to make sure that I live the dream for them because I've got my own dreams to live. They have to initiate the conversation, they have to initiate the time and they must convince. The same thing that I do with my mentors. It's a huge way of being accountable. People call you out as well. It's tough conversations and you have to deliver, you have to show up, you have to be consistent as well. It stretches your ability, it stretches your capacity to lead as well. So it's an ongoing thing. You will never, never arrive. You always learn as you need to go for it. You have to be vulnerable as well.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

If you can leave us with one practice tip to practice a champion mindset, all of this, what we're doing, I feel like it's not high in the sky.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

You know, people follow people, people trust people. If I show up and have this conversation, it's possible. When I have DK here interpreting as an accredited interpreter, the things that people say are impossible, it can't be done. How are we doing these things? That's when you start to see that people are making excuses and they justify the things that they can't do because uh perhaps maybe they didn't commit or they took the easy way out. So I really hope that this conversation can inspire people. If you feel like giving up, if you, especially at the end of the year where it's like burnout and um you lack motivation, I hope that this is you know confirmation that keep going. Your dreams are valid. Whatever idea or vision that you've got, it really is possible, and regardless of whatever industry you're in. It just happens that we are interpreters. But as a woman, as an entrepreneur, whatever you want to do, do it. It can be done. It's possible, go for it. So, in closing, my champion quote is show up. Just wake up and show up. I think that's the first and the most important thing. If you can get up out of bed and show up for whatever you have to do, that meeting, show up for yourself, show up for whatever you have to do, show up for that dream, show up for that goal. Make sure that you show up and you give your books. I think that's just one thing that will keep you going. If you feel motivated, look back and celebrate the small ones. Um, that's just one champion that I let everyone with. Just show up.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

We hope that this interview between Carlo Vasco and Tulin Zekilala has been valuable to you. To listen to more inspiring podcasts, subscribe to Champions Uncovered Podcasts.