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Arts Correspondent
Bikita-born Lorraine Guyo has set her sights on a legacy-driven career path after signing a renewable one-year brand management deal with local creative agency Esteem Communications.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, the versatile creative said she is happy to take a positive step towards redefining her career path seeing the amount of goodwill and support she has received since she burst into the local entertainment industry.
“My creative edge has become my source of livelihood, but I am also aware that there are so many sides to my craft, hence the decision to engage a professional brand management company so that there is better coordination and consistency in how my brand is managed and positioned,” she said.
“There is the creative side, the business side, and then the community development aspect of my brand. People know Lorraine Guyo-Chihera Productions, they also know my hair and beauty company Braid and Weave Nation, and then there is the philanthropy side where I am involved in community development work. I want to be more structured in managing this entity for better results and impact.”
Guyo said engaging a professional company would ensure value for all her clients and corporate partners that engage her, at the same time bringing a professional touch to her craft.
“Esteem Communications is one of the leading brand development and brand management companies in Zimbabwe. They work with brands across sectors and have managed some of the most successful brands and campaigns in Zimbabwe hence my decision to engage them,” she said.
“They are coming at the right time in my career and I am confident that we will achieve a lot more together. I am now focusing on growing a legacy brand inspired by luminaries like Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and South African Star Connie Ferguson closer to home. Beyond the talent, these giants have been able to touch lives and become faces of powerful brands in a more telling and rewarding way.”
Esteem Communications founder and managing director Takemore Mazuruse said they were happy to work with Guyo.
“We call ourselves the dream factory and we are happy to have Lorraine Guyo on our books, especially at a time when she is deliberately investing in redefining her career path. The goal is to grow her dream into an intergenerational legacy and celebrated brand,” he said.
“We have followed her story and seen her achievements. It’s not easy to grow in rural Bikita and rise to become the force that Lorraine is in business and the creative space. Most people her age would be seeking vain fun, but she is even going back to school and enhancing her brand at the same time running a growing business.”
The seasoned brand strategist, communications expert, and business development consultant said it was their priority to make sure that every brand that engages Lorraine gets value for money while helping position her brand for bigger opportunities and community impact.
“Lorraine’s story is inspiring. From the day she became a name, we have witnessed a steady rise, but even more important is that we employ a method to her craft in a way that not only attracts partners and clients, but also retains them through value,” said Mazuruse.
“We are going to be thinking outside the box from here on. We are working with a whole team of young creatives at Esteem Communications in exploring new ideas and strategies to enhance the Lorraine Guyo brand.”
Guyo, who recently went back to school where she is pursuing a business management qualification, recently enrolled with the school of public speaking to enhance her grooming and etiquette.
“For me, it goes beyond the beauty, fame, and glamour. I lost my parents at a very young age and I have become the breadwinner for my siblings hence the desire to become the best version of myself. I also know that I don’t know it all hence the decision to go back to school and engage experts,” she said.
“I don’t want to disappoint any brand that engages me or shows confidence in my work. The goal is to give value for money while at the same time building a legacy out of my craft. I want to impact generations and the best way to achieve that is by professionalising.”
As part of her growth game, Guyo recently joined Empowered Women, a progressive group of over 200 women who are excelling in various sectors of the economy.
The group promotes ideas exchange, experience sharing and leveraging for all its members through training, capitalisation, as well and mentorship.
Online Reporter