Mining, Mindset & Mastery: Mashudu Mbhele's Personal Journey

Mashudu Mbhele is a transformation life coach, credit repair coach and social entrepreneur based in Richards Bay in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province. She’s a Professional Engineering Technologist too, having been a Metallurgical Engineer for over two decades, making her an expert at process improvement and lean methods. With her name meaning ‘gift’ in Tshivenda, Mashudu loves transforming mindsets, hosting people, healing, empowering and guiding others. As she describes, her portfolio career has had its ups and downs, and she writes authentically about her own struggles, what she’s learnt, and the power of a growth mindset. Here is her story: 

Mashudu is a coach on the Protagion platform. To experience what we offer our proteges or arrange a coaching session with her, signup as a protege:

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​​“Looking back now, my first introduction to the mining industry, extraction metallurgy and physical metallurgy, was when I was part of the Mintek Aurora Programme in South Africa in 1995. That programme was designed to develop our mathematics and science skills as scholars – I discovered I had an affinity for extraction metallurgy and decided I wanted to study it at university. 

After passing Mathematics, Physical Science and English at school, I was offered a bursary to study extraction metallurgy. As Extraction Metallurgists, we control and design process improvements to optimise the recovery of metals and minerals from ore. 

I pursued engineering studies so that I could be independent and take care of myself. Throughout my studies I was funded through a bursary except in my last year where I was retrenched from the bursary programme because of a decline in the gold price that impacted my future employment. However, I believe our purpose will always nudge us even if we take a detour. During my final year, I was  employed to help Masters in Technology students with their research work, which allowed me to pay for my studies and graduate. Within 2 months of qualifying, I  was employed as a graduate! Talk about luck and alignment in the universe! I was introduced to shift work and completed my graduate training within 14 months instead of 24 months, which was a great accomplishment. I enjoyed both working and mentoring graduates and other employees. And, in my role as a peer educator, I organised fun walks for employees and their families. Peer educators facilitate awareness, learning and behaviour change by educating their peers about a range of topics, including health-related ones. 

Whilst working I was involved in community work too, liaising with different non-profit organisations to empower youth in the local community. And, my entrepreneurial side was also being harnessed as I became a network marketer selling home and beauty products. 

Mind you, I am an introvert by nature, but if something involves people and empowerment, the extrovert in me comes out. I love small groups and having intimate chats with people about life, and I later realised I’m passionate about mentoring and coaching people. My ex-colleagues remind me about how their life changed after our conversations about managing money and relationships.

In life we all go through different phases and they impact us holistically. My career life has had its ups and downs. In my early 20’s I moved up the ranks quickly, but after 30 it became stagnant, and I was juggling being a wife, raising a family, being a  career woman... 

Work life balance has been challenging in my life. There was a point I was overwhelmed by life and the challenges I was facing and became depressed, suffered from burnout and struggled to sleep. It was a challenging time for me because I had a young child and siblings to take care of. Over time I weaned myself from depression medication and started working on myself through reading self-help books. During that time I did not know about life or transformation coaches, but I knew that there are psychologists and therapists. However, I told myself ‘I am not that mad to see one’! There was also societal pressure that Africans don’t go to shrinks and we don’t talk about our problems - a cultural norm that it’s better to suffer in silence. I realised that this is not right. I know the pain of feeling stuck, going through midlife crises, being on medication for a prolonged period... It is not a great state to be in as a human being. 

I then made a vow that I would not like others to struggle through what I went through. Now that we have access to social media and technology, help is readily available to us. I also remembered the earlier feedback from those who told me how I helped them transform their lives and they told me I am a natural, gifted coach and mentor, and that I am a good listener. 

During my mid-life crises in my 30’s I went for different assessments to guide me on which new career path to follow because I was desiring a change. I had become tired of working on data analysis, process improvements, etc. The assessment results said I am a specialist and love working with people and also have a creative mind. 

But, I had just taken on a new mortgage, so I could not simply leave everything behind and further my studies. So, my dreams and desires died, and I numbed my pain with alcohol, food and overworking to pay the bills. For another six years, I just let life be. 

Eventually I needed a challenge because I was bored. As I was employed full-time, I picked up my network marketing after-hours again. I learnt so many skills (such as selling, visibility on social media, and understanding my brand) and more about myself. It also helped me to look forward to going home as much as there were challenges at work. I started becoming someone different and tapping into my talents and gifts, learning to network and travelling overseas.

Through being active on social media, I came across a coach who was advertising a class on how to utilise your unused skills. I've learnt so much from Busi Selesho who inspired me to birth my company N-Abler Solutions in 2017. When I look back at the business plan now and what I wrote during that time, it brings me joy. In 2018, I held my first workshop “Inner Make-Up” and it was successful. I offered other workshops on vision boards and goal setting. 

In 2019 I had an urge to study coaching so that I am accredited and I also realised how the industry was growing. I enrolled to be a Transformation Life Coach and my life has never been the same. I obtained new skills which were added to my natural gifts of coaching and mentoring others. I am forever developing myself, and as much as I am a coach, I also have coaches who help me to be a better person in different areas of my life.

I worked in the mining industry (gold, coal, diamond, platinum and heavy minerals sands) for over twenty years since qualifying as a Professional Engineering Technologist with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). I am grateful for the opportunities I was exposed to and offered. I participated in lots of development programmes and they were part of shaping the person I am. Also participated in Women-In-Mining initiatives and have been a speaker at engineering conferences, a facilitator of workshops and also involved in philanthropy work and women empowerment. 

​I have a strong conviction that coaching, teaching and healing are my life purposes because I desire to add value and make a difference in our world by leading people in an inspirational way. From as young as 14 years old when in my mind I became independent because of my challenging upbringing, I made a decision that I am going to help others so that they don’t go through the same challenges and to prevent reinventing the wheel. 

I enjoy touching lives and seeing people transform to be the best they are meant to be.”
MASHUDU MBHELE

Having gone through the transformation process myself, I have been trained to help others become masters of their own lives by getting rid of mental and emotional baggage and negative belief systems that are unconsciously sabotaging them in life. I am a coach and mentor to graduates, professionals, network marketers and others. I am continually improving myself through personal development because I believe if we are not growing, we are dying. I enjoy touching lives and seeing people transform to be the best they are meant to be. The most satisfying thing in my business is helping clients improve their awareness, shift how they view themselves, their lives and society, and find their purpose whilst transitioning from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and transforming other people’s lives around them.

In 2022, I became self-employed - it was not an easy decision to make, and I am grateful to my coaches who have been by my side preparing me for the past two years. It has been a great decision for me and my family. I love the person I have become and cherish being able to serve my purpose effortlessly. I am more involved in my kids’ lives and schooling: working for myself has brought me balance within my family, bonding with them and being readily available for them. Even my working hours revolve around my two kids who are in high school and primary school. 

Even though there are challenges in entrepreneurship, I am able to rise to them. I learnt to ask for help and to utilise experts and stop trying to be superwoman. I am growing daily and loving my creative side, networking and the positive impact I am making in society. I am healthy, productive, vibrant and glowing like never before. I love the person I am becoming. It’s a great experience to be able to improve my consciousness on a daily basis and heal my own limiting beliefs, traumas, negative emotions and release my emotional baggage.

If I had a magic wand I would change world hunger, inequality and the schooling system whereby the curriculum is to be built around the concepts of self-awareness, mind mastery, responsibility and honesty.

When we know ourselves and transform from the inside, our outer world transforms. We are able to be agile, congruent, effective and driven as individuals. Our consciousness, self-confidence and awareness improves. We are able to transform and shape places, situations, environments where we are planted effectively, adding value, leading, serving, utilising our authentic power, talents, gifts and skills.”
MASHUDU MBHELE

Are you feeling stuck? I can help you start your transformation and healing journey.
Reclaim your life back. Your journey starts NOW. How would you like to proceed?” 

Mashudu spoke as part of the ‘Financial Independence & Diversifying Income’ panel during Protagion’s Professional Development Conference in March 2021. Watch an excerpt of the panel below. The full recording of the hour-long panel is available to Protagion subscribers. 

She also hosted an interactive in-a-group discussion with Protagion subscribers on 'Money Mindset & Financial Freedom' in May 2022 and is available for one-on-one discussion/coaching via our protege platform.