On Our Platform: Chris Bertish On How To Dream Big And Follow Through
The South-African-born surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, motivational speaker, author, filmmaker and entrepreneur reveals his process, his driving force and the ingredients to achieving big dreams.
Dreaming big is an essential entrepreneurial trait.
However, achieving anything worthwhile takes a lot of effort.
The dream alone is not enough to carry you through - you need grit and an insurmountable belief in yourself and what you're capable of.
In a new recipe, adventure man and ocean pioneer Chris Bertish outlines how he actualised his remarkable dream.
To access his recipe, and more from other Heavy Chefs, sign up to our learning platform HERE.
We all have a big dream inside of us. An idea or an objective so audacious that we’re afraid to speak it out loud. The tricky part, though, is that unless you acknowledge it and start working on it, your dream remains just that. Someone who is not afraid to dream big and make it happen is the indomitable Chris Bertish - an ocean pioneer and record-breaker of note.
Chris is a South-African-born surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, motivational speaker, author, filmmaker and entrepreneur. Whether he's breaking world records in water-based disciplines or making films about his adventures, Chris aims to shift boundaries and shatter perceptions of what’s possible.
In 2017, he broke world records when he became the first person to cross the entire Atlantic Ocean on a stand-up paddleboard.
Surprisingly, because he looks so at home in the water, Chris started his career in the corporate space as a marketing and sales director for multiple big companies all over the world. It wasn’t long before he realised that something was missing.
“I think what I learned was that I wasn't fulfilling my passion and my purpose by working in the corporate space. I realised that while I was creating successful businesses and brands for other people, what I did wasn't really contributing to making the world a better place and empowering people.”
Chris makes it very clear from the get-go that achieving the type of feats that he does requires a lot of consideration, practice and self-sacrifice. Having started his journey in the water while he was still working a full-time job, he realised early on that if he were to succeed at this thing, he only had himself to rely on and that he was going to have to put in twice the work to get where he wanted to be.
“When I was competing on the world stage and winning multiple big international awards and events against all odds, I was completely unsponsored, on my own terms, without any backing and support. Doing it with just sheer grit and determination and putting in the planning and preparation, before work and after work while I was still holding down a full-time job, competing against the best athletes on the planet - that is when I realized how you can fulfil your goals and dreams even when you are working a full-time job”.
Something that is immediately notable about Chris’ story is his refusal to admit defeat. In fact, as far as he is concerned there is no such thing as failure - failing is merely the road to succeeding.
“Talking about failure and success is very simple for me because I just don't believe in failure. There is no such word - it doesn't exist. There's only a failure to try. And when you try something, you don't succeed, you just have to ask yourself the question, "What did I learn from that? How can I use that as a building block?" I don't believe that I've ever failed because I just keep doing it until I get the result that I need. There were multiple times with the Guinness twenty-four-hour record - I think I did it four times - that I thought I might die. But I'm pretty good at catching myself before I die, hence the reason why I'm still here.”
That is the type of conviction you need to cross over 7500km of an ocean on a paddleboard - standing! It’s the type of conviction you need to leave a cushy corporate career for the cold, harsh conditions of the wild sea. And Chris doesn’t reserve this energy for the water alone neither. He’s also passionate about using his experience and skills to create a real impact in the world around him. Through the Chris Bertish Foundation, he’s making waves in education, conservation and sustainability, running projects that not only protect the oceans but teach others how to find the same peace and purpose he found for himself.
So what does Chris consider to be the stumbling block for many entrepreneurs? What does he think is holding us back from achieving our dreams?
“We are so concerned with making sure that everything is right before we start something. ‘I'm going to start when this happens,’ or ‘When I get enough money,’ or ‘When I get enough time,’ or ‘When the time is right and the market is right,’ or even, ‘When all the digital assets that I'm creating to launch are perfect.’ Don't worry about things being perfect. Just start. When you start, you build a foundation. Once you've got a foundation, you can build on that. But you can't build a foundation and you can't move forward until you start. So, don't wait for things to be perfect. Just start.”
Sounds familiar? Well, if every Heavy Chef is saying it, then it must be true.
New on our learning platform this week, Chris reveals his process, his driving force and the key ingredients to achieving big dreams. He shares some key tips on fostering the right mindset to achieve big, managing failure, persevering through tough times and much more in his recipe on Dreaming And Achieving here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Platform: Picking A Star Sales Team With Landie Stevens
A sales expert with over 27 years of experience, the director of Landie Stevens Consulting reveals how to build the ultimate sales strategy and team for your business.
Sales are an essential part of every business.
An effective sales strategy and team are therefore integral to the success of your business and should be prioritised.
While we’re not all born star salespeople, learning what to look for when building a star sales team is a must.
Landie Stevens is a sales expert and entrepreneur.
She outlines the building blocks of a great sales team in 10 informative bites.
To access her recipe, and more from other Heavy Chefs, sign up to our learning platform HERE.
We define a Heavy Chef as someone who eats their own food. While this is at times literal, we mean it in the metaphorical sense that a Heavy Chef is somebody who walks their talk - someone who speaks from the trenches about an area they have experience and expertise in. The latest Heavy Chef on our learning platform, Landie Stevens, fits this bill to the T.
Landie is an entrepreneur and a sales expert. As the director of Landie Stevens Consulting, she's been involved in various aspects of sales and business management for over 27 years, working with various organisations to implement, coach and provide training that creates sustainable sales solutions for her clients. Landie has a keen understanding of sales cycles and processes that makes her top-notch at what she does, although that was not always the case.
As with many of the entrepreneurs we’ve spoken to, Landie started her entrepreneurial journey from a place of need.
“It was a desperate time for me and I needed to pay bills. At that stage, I had three kids and a fourth on the way, so I needed to pay bills. I remember my washing machine broke down - I was doing washing in the bath and then having to squeeze the water out of the washing before walking to hang it. I thought to myself, 'I need to change my life. I need to sell.’”
Another thing that Landie has in common with many of the other Heavy Chefs we’ve had the honour of interviewing is the fact that it took someone taking an interest in her, believing in her and mentoring her to get to a place where she believed in her gift and skills.
“Initially, when I started with sales I had an incredible manager. She actually defined who Landie is. When I started selling, it was in telesales, with earphones and the whole tut. This manager sat down with me and she believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. She said to me, ‘What do you need most?’ I said to her, ‘A washing machine.’ She then said to me, ‘OK, which one?’ And I said, ‘I don't care. Just a washing machine. I don't know which one.’ So she said, ‘I'll tell you what. This afternoon, go do window shopping and choose your washing machine.’ I came into the office the next morning and I told her about my choice and she said, ‘Great. But this is your target - I need you to double your target and I will give you the washing machine.’ The very next day in my office there was this big washing machine with a big red bow on it. She said to me, ‘Now I'm going to sit with you,’ and she coached me.”
This interaction with her manager ignited a passion for sales in Landie that she’s fanned into a successful career in sales where she gets to uncover the same in others and train them to master their craft.
“I think what changed for me was that somebody believed in me before I even believed in myself. Somebody saw my potential before I even saw it myself and she knew that by tapping into my core need, what I needed would actually unlock that. She was a visionary. I then actually more than doubled my target at the end of that month and I got my washing machine. I think what that did for me was it showed me that I can and I never went back.”
Landie has since been involved in various aspects of sales and business management over the course of her career in sales, with 17 years spent in a senior management role. Eight years ago, Landie became an entrepreneur when she launched Landie Stevens Consulting, a coaching, training and consulting platform through which she implements key sales methodologies to various organisations in order to create sustainable and robust sales strategies.
She’s worked in multiple sectors and with businesses of all sizes, giving her a deep understanding of the internal battles and silent struggles faced by business leaders and their impact on sales and ultimately the success of the business.
“As an entrepreneur, sales is the core of your business. If you cannot sell what you have, your business is not going to go anywhere. It's great that you believe in your product, it's great that you have this amazing product but how do you articulate what you have to somebody that can potentially buy it? How do you convince somebody else to believe in what you're selling, whether it be a product or a service? If you can't do that, then you've got a problem.”
And therein might lie the challenge with sales. While the necessity is apparent, it takes a certain kind of person to sell themselves successfully and, sadly, not all entrepreneurs are that person. Does this mean that some businesses are doomed to fail simply because they have a poor salesperson for a leader?
“I believe that the skills can be taught. But if you think of a triangle - you've got skills, you've got activities and at the bottom, you've got the mindset. I believe that the mindset is really important because that talks to the positivity, it talks to the visionary. It's about the mindset of being able to conquer stuff. Then there are the skills, which can be taught and, obviously, the activities that can be measured. When you look at a good salesperson, your top salespeople, they have the skills, they do the activities and they have the mindset.”
Fresh on our learning platform this week, Landie explains why it’s important for entrepreneurs to prioritise their sales strategies and teams. She shares some insights for building and managing sales teams, unpacks Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and much more in a recipe on Sales Teams here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Platform: Sarah Rice On Building A Healthy Company Culture
Passionate about people and culture, Skynamo’s Chief People Officer unpacks her recipe for a happy, efficient and productive organisational culture.
Culture is the pulse of your business - it sets your business apart and is what attracts the right kind of people to your business.
It can also be toxic and serve little to no purpose for what you want to achieve as a business.
As a founder, you have to be deliberate about how you go about creating a culture for your company.
In 10 incredibly useful bites, Skynamo Chief People Officer Sarah Rice reveals the makings of a healthy company culture.
To access her recipe, and more from other Heavy Chefs, sign up to our learning platform HERE.
The culture of your business is a key selling point. It attracts like-minded people to your business and has even been known to be the reason why the general public engages with a particular business. The culture of a business is at the core of all interactions within a business - it reflects values and expectations, and guides everyone on the acceptable way to behave within the business.
Basically, the culture of your business is critical to your success. As a business owner or founder, it’s your responsibility to keep your finger on the pulse of the culture and to steer it in the right direction. ‘Follow the leader’ may seem outdated but that is literally what employees do in the workplace. They look to the leader, in this case the founder or business owner, for what is acceptable behaviour within that particular environment. As an entrepreneur who is passionate about people and culture, Skynamo Chief People Officer Sarah Rice knows this all too well.
“As a founder, you are the culture. The culture and the founder are so strongly linked and the idea that you can have a culture that is different to how your founder is showing up to work every day is completely wrong.”
While no one voluntarily wants to be anyone’s role model (the pressure!), there’s no two ways about it - as a business owner, you need to be accountable for your actions and realise the impact they have on the behaviour of your staff and the general vibe within your company.
Sarah got her introduction to great company culture just a little over 10 years ago when an offer letter completely changed the way she’d thought about what culture entails.
“I didn't really know that culture was a thing until I started working with Christo Davel at 22seven - he's obsessed with culture and how you can craft it. The first thing that I realized was that my offer letter was not an offer letter I'd had ever read before. I'm used to offer letters being very transactional but this offer letter was all about me. A lot of it was around what they could offer me, which is so different. Mostly when you join a company, it's all about, ‘Great, this is what we need you to do’, whereas this was very much about what I could expect from them and the sort of growth I could experience at 22seven - it made me feel really good. The way he structured the layout of the offices, the food we ate on Fridays, the fact that the lunch on Fridays was called family lunch - all of those were signals about the culture that we were getting into. And it's very intentional. Before then, I hadn't got that culture is something you can craft, it's something you can nurture and grow.”
Her time at 22seven led Sarah on the people journey she’s on today. At Skynamo, Sarah is right at the heart of the company’s culture, where she drives recruitment, coaches on team leadership, helps to resolve employee relations issues and manages programs that help develop staff. Being at the centre of the organisation’s culture machine, Sarah understands that growing an effective culture is a dynamic, somewhat complex process and no one size fits all.
“If your culture doesn't support your business to do the stuff it wants to do, your culture isn't working. You can have a high-performance culture that holds people extremely accountable for what you need them to do and it can still be a great culture. Some cultures aren't nice, but they still work for the business - just because your culture isn't nice doesn't mean it's bad for the business.”
At the same time, Sarah reminds us to be wary of the expectation that organisational cultures should be overly joyful, playful casual spaces à la #StartupCulture.
“#StartupCulture is some myth that we've imported from Silicon Valley. That's not true - I don't even know if startups in Silicon Valley ever had that culture. I think it was designed by PR people to try and sell ‘Come work for a startup where you're going to work too hard and not get paid enough’. #StartupCulture is a myth - foosball, beer and pizza, fatsacks, ping pong. It's like getting to work at 12 pm and then coding till 4 am. It's around micro-dosing mushrooms so that you can really, like, plan and get your strategy right. I think it's just 'bros' with whiteboards and sticky notes.”
It’s a cliche and is rarely a sustainable way to run a business. So, by all means, be intentional about it but keep it authentic. Allow your culture to reflect your true values without the influence of startup culture rhetoric.
And if you’re waiting for the right time to implement a culture in your business, Sarah has news for you:
“Culture is not something that can happen later. Culture happens the moment you start your business. Even if you're alone in your kitchen, culture is happening because the founder is the culture. So you can't wait - it's happening organically anyway so you may as well just make it intentional from the beginning.”
On our learning platform this week, Sarah shares her top advice for growing a company culture that is healthy and productive in a recipe on Culture And Teams here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Platform: Polo Leteka Reveals How To Attract Investors To Your Business
The renowned entrepreneur and private equity investor outlines what investors are looking for and how to optimise your business for funding.
Access to business capital is a real challenge for many entrepreneurs.
Many business owners are under-informed about what it is that investors are actually looking for in a great investment.
Respected private equity investor, IDF Capital founder Polo Leteka, shares with us what it is that investors are looking for in a viable business.
To access her recipe, and more from other Heavy Chefs, sign up to our learning platform HERE.
There’s no other place on earth that is as prime for investment as Africa. At Heavy Chef, we speak often about the fact that the entrepreneur of the future is African. The neverending social and infrastructural challenges we consider our curse may well turn out to be our biggest blessing yet because where there’s a problem, there’s a need for a solution - and ultimately an opportunity for entrepreneurship.
Investors know this very well. They are trained to recognise the signs and they’ve read the writing on the wall. In the past couple of years alone, Africa has turned out tech unicorn after tech unicorn, as investors, local and international, look to be part of investments that can make a real impact. Polo Leteka is one such investor. The South African private equity legend understands very clearly the potential that tech has to build and empower Africa and its entrepreneurs.
“I always say to people that the beautiful thing about being on the African continent is that we've got a problem for every solution. The problems that we face as a continent, for me, those problems are actually business opportunities and they just require enterprising people to identify those problems. To define them very, very clearly and find a way of articulating them such that the next person can see your vision, they can understand it, and they can also see the 'how' of it”.
Polo is particularly proud of investing in African solutions for African problems. A renowned entrepreneur and private equity investor and the Chairman and Founder of IDF Capital, a South African based entrepreneurial financier and advisory firm, Polo has contributed towards changeling investments into SMEs across South Africa. Like most investors, she is an accountant by training, specialising in accounting and auditing, corporate finance, investment banking, public policy formulation, venture capital and private equity in the SME sector. With over R 1,5 billion assets under management, IDF Capital has been managing and administering funds for various corporate and institutional clients for over 12 years. As a level 1 BBBEE contributor, Polo’s firm is 100% black-owned and more than 80% black women-owned.
Empowering other women by investing in their businesses is something Polo is very intentional about. In 2015, she co-founded the AlitheiaI DF fund to continue investing in high growth businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa that are women-owned and led.
“I grew up in South Africa where if you're black and you're a woman, you're not going to get anywhere in life - we all know the sad story - and you are surrounded by a lack of inspiration, really. So I lived in the USA in my head, I watched every movie you can think of, I read every magazine - I lived vicariously through their stories and that's where I got to see black achievement. That's where I was able to crystallize in my mind what black wealth and black success look like because these were role models within that society. In particular, Oprah Winfrey's story stuck with me - she was able to use her position and her wealth to improve the lives of other people, I was exceptionally inspired by that.”
Not that Polo herself is any less impressive. Very early on in her career, she was tasked with leading the process of developing South Africa's first-ever Codes of Good Practice on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment - a Government policy seeking to transform the South African economic landscape to be more reflective of its population demographics. Her groundbreaking work has changed how corporate SA interacts with the rest of the economy and she is consequently considered a thought leader in areas of economic transformation and development in South Africa.
Polo is also an accomplished public speaker and a regular contributor to thought leadership articles on transformation and entrepreneurship. And if she looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen her on your TV screens quite a few times - she was part of Dragon’s Den South Africa, the local edition of the British show where entrepreneurs get to pitch their business ideas to win investment. Polo is also the co-author of a book entitled And For All These Reasons…I’M IN, a manual for entrepreneurs who want to be investor-ready.
Her ultimate advice to budding entrepreneurs?
“Be fearless. Be bold. Be courageous and just go out and do it. And you really will figure it out as you go along. You don't have to have it all figured out now. Yes, do your research, but don't wait for a perfect ‘Yes! I have now figured it out,’ - by the time you figure it out, it's too late. Ten other people have and they've already started. So just get on with it.”
Fresh on our learning platform this week, Polo Leteka shares with us what it is that investors are looking for in a viable business. She unpacks the perfect pitch deck, due diligence and much more in a recipe on Investor Readiness here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Platform: Graeme Wilson On Why Entrepreneurs Need To Prioritise Legal Business Matters
The founder of legal firm Whipping The Cat shares why his firm is passionate about entrepreneurs and how they can provide your business with the legal advice it needs to grow sustainably.
Legal compliance is the Achilles heel of many an entrepreneur.
While business owners are super focused on the day to day management of their businesses, they tend to neglect the legal side of things until it's too late.
Graeme Wilson, an entrepreneur himself and the founder of legal firm Whipping The Cat, has seen this too often.
In 10 new bites, he explains how his firm can provide your business with the legal advice it needs to grow sustainably.
To access his recipe, and more from other Heavy Chefs, sign up to our learning platform HERE.
There are many ways an entrepreneur can find themselves in a legal pickle. Despite this, entrepreneurs tend to neglect this side of their business that has a large potential to kill their business if not handled with care. Heavy Chef partner Whipping the Cat’s Graeme Wilson knows this very well as a legal eagle and an entrepreneur himself.
Not doing anything at all about the legal side of your business is a big mistake for any business. There are legal components throughout the business journey - from the moment you start handling money to the moment you register your business and all the way through to when you hire your first employee and beyond .
Often to the chagrin of many entrepreneurs, legal matters are an integral part of running a business and can only be ignored at your business’s peril.
This is why Graeme and his team at Whipping the Cat are so passionate about working with entrepreneurs.
“Whipping The Cat is my second business - I had a previous legal consultancy - and I regard myself as an entrepreneur and entrepreneurial at heart. I love working with entrepreneurs because there's nothing more rewarding than working with a business owner and seeing the direct impact and the tangible value of the things that we do with that entrepreneur. Moving their business through the various life cycles, progressing with them and, as humans, actually seeing the thing that they've created taking shape and growing. That's just enormously rewarding!”
Being an entrepreneur, Graeme knows precisely what it’s like to be so focused on the day-to-day survival of your business that you miss the bigger lurking threat. Still, one of the golden rules of entrepreneurship is, if you can’t do it yourself, get someone who will. And this is where Whipping the Cat comes in. The award-winning legal firm works with small, medium and large businesses, offering corporate and commercial legal solutions that, most importantly for entrepreneurs, fit your business and budget.
“What does that mean? Anything that looks like a contract, we'll draft, review and knock into shape. We do some employment-related stuff - anything that a business needs from a legal compliance point of view. To de-risk their business and help them stay between the guide rails is our sweet spot.”
Whipping the Cat has been one of our best-of-breed partners for quite some years now. Besides the massive support they provide us, they also serve as a great legal resource for our community of entrepreneurs and Graeme is a frequent contributor on our platform. He has advised our community on legal matters like Intellectual Property, COVID-19 and lockdown regulations and, most recently, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
So what’s Graeme’s top tip for steering clear of damaging legal issues?
“Trust your gut. When you think, 'Oh, I need to figure this out, but I may need to get some help or guidance to do that.,’ - trust your instinct and get that guidance because if you take a step and it's the wrong step, it's really difficult to undo that and you can end up in a lot of trouble.”
In a new recipe for our learning platform, Graeme reveals why his firm is passionate about entrepreneurs and how they can provide your business with the legal advice it needs to grow sustainably.
Access Graeme Wilson’s recipe on Whipping The Cat here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Learning Platform: Filmmaker And YouTuber Dan Mace On Creating Compelling Content
New on our learning platform this week, award-winning filmmaker and YouTuber Dan Mace unpacks the recipe to YouTube success.
The Heavy Chef entrepreneur education platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives.
They share their ‘recipes’ to success in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur.
From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their knowledge on all the aspects of entrepreneurship.
New recipes are served piping hot, weekly.
An 'All-You-Can-Eat' pass grants you access to these and a bunch of cool resources for one monthly fee.
This week, award-winning filmmaker and YouTuber Dan Mace unpacks the recipe to YouTube success.
Sign up HERE.
Next to data, content is one of the strongest currencies in the digital realm. Bill Gates once famously predicted that “content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the internet” and he was very right about that - today, YouTubers of all demographics from all over the world are making a killing on the platform with compelling content and businesses are fast getting in on the action and launching their own channels.
The truth is, if you plan to have any sense of impact online in this day and age, you need to create kickass content. Content interacts with your customers before you do and in a world where people spend most of their lives online, great content is how you get and hold the attention of the clients and supporters you need. It’s how you build a community that bridges your online and offline worlds, and the more seamless these worlds become, the more interaction a brand should have with its customers. With over 2 billion users worldwide, YouTube is the biggest video platform on the planet and home to content from people, brands and media houses around the globe - making it a great place to interact with your community and provide them with value from.
Creating kickass content is something that Dan Mace does really, really well.
In his years behind the camera, the visionary filmmaker, film director and YouTuber has directed over 100 commercials, music videos, documentaries and short films spanning across four continents. He also has an audience of over 750,000 subscribers and more than 36 million views on his content on YouTube, making him one of the most popular South Africans on the platform.
So, where did it all start?
“I feel like I fell into filmmaking by mistake. I was about 16 years old and I had to do an oral presentation in front of the class on the topic 'Defending the indefensible.' I knew it would have to be about a five-minute presentation and I couldn't do that - I had such bad social anxiety. I still do. I thought, "I've got to come up with another way to be able to present to people without actually having to present to them." So I said to my teacher, "Do you think I would be able to use that old TV, then I could film something, film myself and then present it to the class." And she said, "Well, don't film yourself talking. If you can make a video presentation, that'll be cool."
That’s exactly what he did, and he was immediately hooked by the fact that, for the first time, he could tell a story the way that he wanted to tell it - without the crippling anxiety but with visuals, music and sounds that are specially designed to capture the audience in a way that he couldn’t by himself.
“Before that, I could never get it from my mind, to project onto an audience. With filmmaking, I figured out that that could be the vehicle to tell a story. For some people, it’s poetry and for other people, it’s a singular image. For me, it was that moment when I was 16 years old that I just knew. I thought, "This is like magic!” You could take something that didn't even happen, turn it into something and go, ‘Imagine if this was reality, let me show you what it would look like.’ I completely fell in love with that process from there."
Dan writes, produces and edits almost all of his own work and considers himself to be an all-around creative. As a film director, his talent lies in his authentic story-telling abilities and honed technical knowledge both on and offset. Still, he believes his greatest asset is his open mind - he has an uncanny ability to think and see things differently that helps him craft narratives that hold meaning for people. At heart, he’s really just an altruist with an earnest desire to see the world changed for the better, and it’s this desire that he uses to fuel and inspire his films.
“My dream is to make such powerful content that when you watch it, it moves you from your toes to the top of your head. You watch it and it's like Silver Linings Playbook - moments in a film that just are so memorable that you can cry and you can laugh and you can feel loved and you can reference back to when you first fell in love or to the loss of somebody. And it's just so powerful. That, for me, is what filmmaking is and what I want to do with it.”
Dan has received multiple accolades for his work, including three Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions, an African Cristal Film Grand Prix, Bronze Loerie Awards, Ciclope Africa Editing Craft awards, and Creative Circle ad of the month, to mention just a few. These may seem like a lot to the average filmmaker but Dan is just getting started.
For a new recipe on our learning platform, we’ve asked Dan to unpack how you can create compelling content that will propel the growth of your business or personal brand. Check out his jam-packed recipe on Creating For YouTube on our learning platform here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Learning Platform: Vusi Vokwana On Reviving The Township Economy
Hot out of the kitchen, the serial entrepreneur and director of Kasi Catalyst reveals the intricacies of running a business in disconnected communities.
On the Heavy Chef entrepreneur education platform this week, Kasi Catalyst director and serial entrepreneur Vusi Vokwana reveals what it takes to run a business, with an impact, in less privileged communities.
The Heavy Chef platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives.
Our ‘chefs’ share their recipes to success in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur.
From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their knowledge on all the aspects of entrepreneurship.
New recipes are served piping hot, weekly.
An 'All-You-Can-Eat' pass grants you access to these and a bunch of cool resources for one monthly fee.
Sign up HERE.
The ‘township’ is one of apartheid’s most prevalent legacies. South Africa has over 50 townships, spread across the country, and many are underserviced and largely disconnected from main city centres. What more, prevailing stereotypes about life in these communities, with many deemed too dangerous and too poor to conduct business in, mean that the townships are not considered as viable markets by a lot of brands.
Vusi Vokwana and the legacy of her family’s businesses are proof of what is actually possible in the township. Born and raised during apartheid to entrepreneurial parents in Langa, a township in Cape Town, Vusi has been exposed to doing business successfully under less than ideal circumstance all her life.
“My father was a township entrepreneur who died when I was 6 years old. His vision, his freedom (despite being a black man in SA during the most oppressive times) and the conversation in my home was always around independence, which inspired me to become an entrepreneur.”
Today, Vusi is a seasoned retailer whose passion for the township market burns even stronger. As the director of Kasi Catalyst, she wants to stimulate the township economy because she has first-hand experience of its untapped potential for economic growth. Vusi often credits CK Prahalad’s book The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid for affirming what she already knows about the profitability of places like the community she grew up in.
“CK Prahalad helped us start the conversation in identifying that market. So it's the market of the underserved, and when he named it, he gave it the gravitas it needed to be recognized. Because there isn't a place where numbers mean more than in that bottom of the market - if you're selling one single serving of toothpaste and you're selling a billion of those, that's a lot of money. The township market in South Africa is exactly the same - it is that bottom of the pyramid, it is the masses that are underserved, that are under-banked. But I think that when you've grown up around township businesses where bulk is key, you understand that you don't have to make a hundred per cent profit on each item that you sell. You just need to make enough, just a little bit on each one, because you're selling a hundred thousands of those items.”
With this knowledge and her experience in tow, Vusi has set out to revitalise businesses in townships across South Africa. Through her capacity as Kasi Catalyst director and community member, she has negotiated with Cape Town Municipality for the transfer of 150 shops in Langa, Gugulethu and Nyanga to historical tenants at discounted rates and also played a key part in the opening of the Pick n Pay Market Stores around the Western Cape.
“We’re a guide that helps corporates better understand the township economy and how to access that market. We also teach township consumers how to better use their 'rand votes' so that they can influence the changes in those corporate spaces. But the third thing that we do is we make sure that we keep money rotating for much longer in our township economies.”
In her own words, Vusi is ‘a mushroom’, someone who can grow anywhere. The talent extends to her business capabilities and she is proving that she is just as effective at growing a business anywhere, no matter the conditions.
Access Vusi Vokwana’s incredible recipe on Business In Communities on our learning platform here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Learning Platform: Kirsty Bisset Shares Her Recipe On Pricing And Value
Fresh from the kitchen this week, the serial entrepreneur and HaveYouHeard managing director shares some practical advice for pricing your product or service.
The Heavy Chef entrepreneur education platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives.
They share their ‘recipes’ to success in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur.
From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their knowledge on all the aspects of entrepreneurship.
New recipes are served piping hot, weekly.
An 'All-You-Can-Eat' pass grants you access to these and a bunch of cool resources for one monthly fee.
This week, serial entrepreneur and managing director of HaveYouHeard Kirsty Bisset outlines how to price and add value to your service or product.
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Putting a price on your blood, sweat and tears is never an easy task. This is especially true for entrepreneurs because we tend to have a real attachment to the work we put out. Entrepreneurs are, essentially, creative people and creatives are super sensitive about their art. So how do we find that sweet spot that satisfies us and makes our customers happy as well?
Kirsty Bisset should know. With over eight business under her arm, Kirsty has had a lot of experience determining the value of her products and services. She also has a lot of experience navigating the tricky interaction between business and client when it comes to asking for the price she believes her services and products are worth.
Kirsty started her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 24. Frustrated from a fruitless search for work that fulfilled her, she decided to start her own digital marketing agency. She’d entered the R1,000 Challenge on 702 and CapeTalk in 2012, taking R1,000 and turning it into R67,000 in six weeks and going on to win the competition. This helped her launch her own agency, STIR, which was quickly followed by Braai Free, Dream Republic, Steam Punk’d and many more businesses, many of which she’s since sold. Earlier this year, STIR merged with HaveYouHeard, a communications agency of which she is now the Managing Director of the Durban office that works with brands globally to develop and implement through-the-line solutions.
With eight businesses you would assume Kirsty is a born entrepreneur, but she doesn’t think so.
“I think that entrepreneurs are either born out of privilege, born out of necessity or just born. I think I was born out of necessity. I don't think that my entrepreneurial skills came from a very natural place.”
Along with other businesses she has started and sold over the years, Kirsty is also a shareholder in several technology companies. These include crowd equity investment platform AZUZA, a platform to build fintech products called Fraxeum and another to match customers and service providers called Sirvis.
Sounds hectic, doesn’t it?
“I think once you have a taste of that entrepreneurial journey - and no matter how relentless it is or how much it breaks you down - it's so addictive because it's so fulfilling. You will never work harder. You will never be under more pressure. You will never be more stressed, but you will never feel more fulfilled than you do as a business owner.”
The hard work has certainly paid off and Kirsty is often shown recognition for her work. She’s been named Fast Company's Top 20 South Africans under 30, featured in Destiny Magazine's Power of 40 and was one of three FAIRLADY Women of the Future in 2018.
In an insightful, beautifully delivered new recipe for our learning platform, this wonder woman shares some practical advice for pricing your product or service.
Access Kirsty Bisset’s recipe on Value And Pricing on our learning platform here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
On Our Learning Platform: Dr Michael Mol On Optimising Your Health As An Entrepreneur
Fresh out of the oven this week, the most charismatic doctor in the land unpacks how entrepreneurs can better care for their health and, in turn, their businesses.
The Heavy Chef entrepreneur education platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives.
They share their ‘recipes’ to success in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur.
From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their knowledge on all the aspects of entrepreneurship.
New recipes are served piping hot, weekly.
An 'All-You-Can-Eat' pass grants you access to these and a bunch of cool resources for one monthly fee.
This week, we’re learning from the multi-talented Dr. Michael Mol, best known as the suave TV presenter and executive producer of shows like Top Billing and Hello Doctor.
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For the better part of a decade, Dr Michael Mol had the job every person in the country wanted. As a presenter and, later, executive producer of Top Billing - only one of the most iconic lifestyle TV shows in South African television history - Michael spent most episodes hobnobbing with the rich and famous in their home and on picturesque locations all over the world. From there he went on to build both a media and medical empire just by doing what he loves. It’s no wonder Michael Mol is a South African TV icon.
His journey begins, quite aptly, with a pair of sunglasses. A foreshadowing of a bright future in front of lights? We think so. Michael loved the pair of sunglasses so much he decided to enter Mr Sunny Park to win them as a prize. In what we can recognise as typical Michael Mol style, he did exceedingly well and won the competition, and the glasses. Winning Mr Sunny Park qualified him for Mr South Africa, which he went on to win as well. Mr SA led to Top Billing where he wowed the producers despite having no background being in front of a camera and the rest is SA TV history.
But Michael is an entrepreneur at heart, and like any entrepreneur, he was plagued with the need to do more and make more of a positive impact with his skills and talent.
“A decade and a bit later, it got to a point where I was like, this is fantastic but I need to do something different. And as amazing as Top Billing was - I would get stopped in the street and people would say to me, ‘You've got the best job in the world!’ and it was phenomenal - it just felt like I was a poster boy for something I didn't quite believe in.”
So he combined his two passions - medicine and television - to produce and present a television show around healthcare he called Hello Doctor, which fast became a hit with viewers. He followed this up with The Dr Mol Show, also with a focus on healthcare.
“And now the people who stopped me in the street or people who had seen the show moved from ‘You've got the best job in the world.’ to ‘Hey, thank you so much for what you shared. Do you know that I realized I had diabetes?’ or ‘I quit smoking. I lost so many kilograms because of something I heard on the show’ and that, to me, was great feedback.”
Today, Michael is still doubling in his two passions and using them to fulfil his purpose to make a difference. As founder of telemedicine platform Hello Doctor, he is making quality health consultations easily accessible to the underserved, many who do not have access to private healthcare and can’t be seen in an overstretched public healthcare system.
“Do you know that in Africa, we have 25% of the world's global burden of disease but we've got 3% of the healthcare resources and 1% of healthcare funding? And the sense was, there are more phones in Africa than there are people. So can't we use a phone to get healthcare to Africans and South Africans? That's how Hello Doctor started. The big idea was healthcare for all, in any language, any time of the day, twenty-four-seven, on any phone, largely - if possible - for free.”
With the same energy to solve the world through his work, Michael is also the CEO of TruthTV, South Africa’s first subscription video on-demand service that focuses on faith and family entertainment with a vision to rekindle wholesome societal values. A man of faith and strong values himself, he wants to create a platform for like-minded people to consume content that they feel enriches their lives.
In a motivating recipe on our learning platform, the good doctor helps us enrich our own lives as entrepreneurs by sharing what we need to look out for in terms of our health, and the practical steps we can to take to ensure that we are in the right physical and mental condition to run our businesses successfully.
Access Dr Michael Mol’s recipe on Health For Entrepreneurs on our learning platform here.
About The Heavy Chef Learning Platform
The Heavy Chef learning platform features the world's best technologists, leaders and creatives who share their ‘Recipes’ in easy-to-digest learning bites designed to fit the lifestyle of the entrepreneur. From starting to scaling and selling your business - and everything in-between - these Heavy Chefs share their recipes on all the aspects of being an entrepreneur.
A R250 per month 'All-You-Can-Eat' Pass grants you access to a bunch of cool resources for one monthly cost:
30-day free trial.
Access to all entrepreneur learning recipes.
Access to all events and livestreams.
First-come, first-serve on physical event seats.
Access to a host of best-of-breed entrepreneur partner benefits.
Sounds like your bowl of soup? Try it free for 30 days, cancel anytime.
Diversity In The Crucible Of 2020
The last in a series of articles, by measurement guru Dr Mariheca Otto, exploring diversity in the workplace.
Shocking as it may be, diversity is still a challenge in most workplaces.
This despite the fact that it helps a business innovate and grow.
The more kinds of different you have in the workplace, the bigger the variety of ideas you can draw from.
Still, being a woman in a male-dominated space is no walk in the park.
Measurement specialist Dr Mariheca Otto shares one woman’s experience in the space sector.
As often highlighted by culture and people specialists, racial inclusion and diversity is essential for business success. Diverse teams are proven to out-perform homogenous teams 2:1 because they have a wealth of ideas and perspectives to draw from that culminate in more innovation and a better understanding of potential markets.
In advanced organisational cultures, men are more accepting and receptive to the input of women, compared to the lack of confidence levels women display around innovation, sharing their views and participating. Women often hold themselves back. They are not as confident and risk-taking as men in general - they pull back. We have to encourage women on an individual level to participate.
In some diverse teams, women end up overcompensating by using their voices. Some young dynamic women have strong opinions to the point of being overbearing. That’s because they are used to not being heard and have fought hard to get to the professional level. They have to unlearn this behaviour and start listening better as leaders.
Diverse teams have robust conversations if they are managed in a safe and mature way, resulting in the best solutions, offering creativity, energy and hope.
I spoke to Andiswa Mlisa, MD of the South African National Space Agency, about her experience as a woman in a very much male-dominated space. Mlisa believes that diversity is only achieved by design, it’s not accidental. As often the only woman in the room, and a black woman at that, Mlisa has experienced very little workplace diversity.
“In my technical field, I am often the only woman and South African men especially tend to treat women as just a ‘gal’, flirt and not take them seriously,” said Mlisa. “When I worked in Geneva there was a 50/50 gender balance in our team, an international community representing people from all over the globe. One thing that struck me was how my skin colour did not set me apart. Rather, being a foreigner, an African, did.”
Mlisa believes that two camps tend to emerge around diversity:
Those that want to keep the status quo, regardless if it’s all black, all white, all women or all men.
Those that point fingers towards others saying you must change, I don’t have to change.
There is little acceptance and buy-in of what diversity actually is. People still see diversity as “something for others to do and not for me”.
Embracing diversity in the workplace and doing activities that enable diversity are what changes this. The local space sector has very little diversity and is still very much male-dominated. We need to change the narrative that the only ones who are worthy, capable and belong are the ones who are the same as us. This perpetuates the same behaviours and notions we are trying to move away from.
“In such a male-dominated field, some men undermine and are not equipped to recognise a woman’s value and promote women into leadership. I have struggled to find mentors who don’t have ulterior motives. There are a few gems that have shown a genuine intention to mentor and acknowledge my capability,” added Mlisa.
“I remember being in a workshop in West Africa, I was assigned to chair a break-away session and the rapporteur was a male. The delegates were shocked I was the chair. ‘You’re a girl, you can’t be the chair of our session.’ I had to break the sad news to the 90% male audience, I was the chair. We had an interesting conversation about gender perceptions and biases stemming from the different cultural backgrounds in the room,” she concluded, smiling. “I recall this encounter with fondness as I believe there was a shift in behaviour, at least for some, after that discussion.”
In a male-dominated world, it’s often a lose-lose for women – when you show femininity, you’re criticised for being weak, when you take the masculine approach, you’re accused of trying to be a man. We say forget gender, just look at the capabilities.
About The Author
Dr Mariheca Otto, the measurement guru, founded Motto Business Consulting in 2005. She consults in the field of organisation development and internal marketing (creating buy-in into vision). She works in association with independent OD consultants. She completed a B.Com (Hons: Industrial Psychology and Sociology), HED, M.Com and PhD in Business Management at the North-West University (Potchefstroom University). She has delivered papers at both national and international academic and business conferences. She has almost 20 years of lecturing, training and facilitation experience and is seen as the leader in her field thanks to her groundbreaking work.
Four Reasons Why Diverse Teams Are More Effective
Measurement specialist Dr Mariheca Otto expands on why diverse teams are a no-brainer.
Diversity is important in any situation, and especially productive in teams.
Different people from different backgrounds offer a wider range of ideas and experiences to draw from.
It’s simple - the more colours in a crayon box, the more colourful the picture.
Measurement specialist Dr Mariheca Otto expands on why diverse teams are a no-brainer.
Smart leaders know they need diversity of backgrounds, characteristics and ideas on all levels so that they can attract, retain and make the most of people’s abilities. Diverse teams are proven to out-perform homogenic teams 2:1. That’s because diverse teams have a wealth of different ideas and perspectives that lead to innovation and understanding of potential markets.
Although women make up more than 50% of the population, in 2018, it was recorded that only 32% of them are managers. Additionally, only 31.5% of senior management positions are occupied by people of colour.
Increased Bottom Line
Time and again, evidence supports the theory that gender diversity has a positive impact on the bottom line. According to McKinsey, the most gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability.
Studies have shown that a more gender-equal private sector correlates with better business performance and greater economic growth. On average, there is a 27% higher return on equity in women-owned and led businesses, and an 18% increase in sales.
Creativity And Solutions
Every individual brings a fresh perspective to a problem and different racial, gender, political, religious and cultural perspectives add richness to a solution. Diverse teams produce more creative results than teams in which all members are similar.
Creativity is bringing something new by combining two or more pieces of information together to form something useful to solve a problem. It makes sense that the more diverse the ideas available, the more creative the solutions will be.
A Boston Consulting Group study in 2018 found that organisations with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues due to innovation.
Better Place To Work
Women are generally team players and women on teams can help improve team processes and boost group collaboration. Researchers have observed that women have stronger skills reading non-verbal cues.
Women don’t generally hog the mike. Groups with more women were better at taking turns in conversation and ensuring that all voices are heard, which helps them make the most of the group’s combined knowledge and skills. Diverse teams aren’t built by themselves, they are achieved by design, not accident.
Diverse teams have robust conversations if they are managed in a safe and mature way, resulting in the best solutions, offering creativity, energy and hope.
Customer Insights
It makes sense that a workforce that best reflects an organisation’s customer base will have greater insight into customer needs and expectations. If you know your customers, you communicate with them better, enlisting customer loyalty and satisfaction.
About The Author
Dr Mariheca Otto, the measurement guru, founded Motto Business Consulting in 2005. She consults in the field of organisation development and internal marketing (creating buy-in into vision). She works in association with independent OD consultants. She completed a B.Com (Hons: Industrial Psychology and Sociology), HED, M.Com and PhD in Business Management at the North-West University (Potchefstroom University). She has delivered papers at both national and international academic and business conferences. She has almost 20 years of lecturing, training and facilitation experience and is seen as the leader in her field thanks to her groundbreaking work.
Why It's Important To Have Women In Leadership Positions
Dr Mariheca Otto nails it home - because the world still needs reminding, and quite often.
Put simply, women make awesome leaders.
They bring empathy and heart to an organisation in a way that men leaders can’t.
In fact, it’s the very attributes that supposedly make them unsuited to leading that make them great leaders.
Dr Mariheca Otto expands on exactly why women are so kickass at heading a team.
“Duh, Mama, why would you want all the same kind of people in a leadership team: women bring things that men don’t have?”
This was my 14-year old son’s response when I bounced the idea of men-only teams in business off him.
My observation and experiences are that women are generally raised to be ‘less than’. It’s not assumed we’re going to be something in life. In most cultures, girls are second grade. So when we land up in leadership positions, women are far more humble and question their decision-making.
Despite our common insecurities surrounding being in charge, we are far more engaging and participative as leaders; we include people before a decision is made. It’s very rare that you find an authoritarian female leader - they usually employ a participative leadership style. In my more than twenty years of consulting, I have never come across an authoritarian female leader.
Empathy comes easily for women. Empathetic and compassionate leadership is highly valuable in a collaborative world. Leaders drive the culture of an organisation, so when women are included in your leadership team, your culture will be inclusive.
When you include empathy and compassion in an organisation, humanity is a result. You create a space of belonging and belonging is a critical driver for most individuals. The world lacks belonging and there is a hunger for it.
I work in the measurement space, so evidence and data are my thing.
If you look at data on staff satisfaction and engagement, there is plus-minus a 17% increase in productivity when people engage. If you move from engagement to inspiration, there is a further 50% improvement in productivity. Organisations that have an environment where there is belonging and inspiration outperform those that don’t almost 2:1.
Female leaders are naturally more inclusive. Teams in an inclusive environment outperform homogenous teams 2:1. Data shows that organisations that include women in leadership, creating a diverse team, out-perform those that don’t. This doesn’t take success related to innovation into consideration. Women tend to be innovative and open-minded in their problem-solving styles. A lack of arrogance means they are open to group contributions. In general, women are able to hold vulnerability far more easily than men.
I am involved in change projects and they are often painful. If organisations don’t change, they die. In this time of COVID-19, that is happening right now. Organisations have to be agile and nimble and sometimes take a 180 degree to survive. When you drive change, one of the keys to success is communication. Speak to your people often, telling the same message simply and emotionally. These are very female characteristics. We talk a lot, we repeat ourselves and we’re emotional. We understand and have empathy for people who are struggling. Women are able to drive change messages because they are generally more emotional. They can feel their own struggles. This gives an organisation the opportunity to reinvent their cultures and to be more agile for the future.
I have always worked independently, but always formed part of my clients’ leadership teams. True leadership is influence, and not power and authority. A shop steward that is strong is so because of influence, not authority and power. I have always used my influence when being part of a leadership team. I use my influence to ask questions. I ask questions to drive change and shift mindsets. People move forward when they discover the answers themselves. I could come in and tell people what to do, but that’s arrogant, and full of the assumption that I know the answers. When you understand people’s mindsets, when they share their perceptions, feelings and thinking, you can predict their behaviour. If you’re clear on the organisation’s strategy, you can influence their stories with other information and knowledge, leading to change. If we help people to understand the stories they tell themselves, we can change perceptions, we can change their minds, we can change behaviour.
If you want a sustainable organisation, then you need women on your leadership team to ensure innovation, adaptability, influence, belonging and engagement. Data proves this.
About The Author
Dr Mariheca Otto, the measurement guru, founded Motto Business Consulting in 2005. She consults in the field of organisation development and internal marketing (creating buy-in into vision). She works in association with independent OD consultants. She completed a B.Com (Hons: Industrial Psychology and Sociology), HED, M.Com and PhD in Business Management at the North-West University (Potchefstroom University). She has delivered papers at both national and international academic and business conferences. She has almost 20 years of lecturing, training and facilitation experience and is seen as the leader in her field thanks to her groundbreaking work.
Top Advice For Building A Kickass Team
What are the healthiest, most productive teams doing right that others are not?
A great team is only possible with an effective leader.
Leaders set the tone in the workplace so it’s important that one invests in being a great one.
A great leader is empathetic and aware that employees have lives outside of work.
A good leader also sets clear, fair rules for the workplace, but is not unbendable.
With everything that’s going on, it’s vital that the rest of the kitchen is on the same menu as the head chef.
It's been an interesting time to lead. Business owners, especially, have had to pull some serious hat tricks in the last few months.
Some have been forced to starting afresh, they've suffered their losses and are trying to build once more despite incoming odds. Others are holding on to the last of their teams, stressed out but having to put on a brave face for their employees. Then there are the fortunate ones, the ones who managed to find opportunities in the chaos and are either starting brand new businesses or scaling on existing ones. Whatever the scenario, being a good leader is especially important right now.
Leading your employees, through successes and failures, is a skill that is pivotal to the success of your business. Teamwork, though, is a fickle beast. It is essential for moving mankind forward but getting the dynamic right is an incredible challenge. People are different and will invariably clash, and yet you need diversity in a team for innovation and cultural growth. So what do you do?
What does it take to build an effective team? And how do you build a team that not only communicates well but is able to work together and innovate even in times of stress?
Create a culture of active listening in your organisation. Don’t just hear the people around you. Tune out your own judgments and responses, and enable yourself to fully engage with what is being said to you. Really listen.
What are the healthiest, happiest, most productive teams doing right that others aren’t?
Set Kitchen Rules
Every chef needs a working menu. What are the laws and codes of conduct that guide your kitchen forward and are they relevant to everyone on your team? Are they applied consistently? A clear vision and a set of values and org-culture guidelines can make all the difference because it means that everyone in the team is on the same page. Set clear objectives, and have a detailed account of each team member’s role in it so that there is no confusion as to what has to be done. Most importantly, be transparent and take the lead.
Pick A Strong Head Chef
The head chef sets the tone in every kitchen. Strong leadership is important for the growth and smooth-running of a team, but what makes a good leader? It’s all relative. Different contexts require different types of leaders. However, for a team to work, certain characteristics are key. As a leader, you must lead by example and set the agenda for how you want your team to behave toward their work and one another. You also need to be consistent and as a result of this, predictable enough in your management style that the people around you know you enough to at least presume decisions in your absence.
Create A Culture Of Listening
The ability to listen is largely underrated. People love being listened to, and listening has a bunch of benefits too. And if ever there was a time for you to listen to your employees, it’s now. A virus is running rampant and fears about work security and mental and physical health issues are rearing up.
So, create a culture of active listening in your organisation. Don’t just hear the people around you. Tune out your own judgments and responses, and enable yourself to fully engage with what is being said to you. Really listen. Listening shows that you give a damn, and when teammates feel cared for, they reciprocate. Good energies are established. People also generally do more for people and causes that they care about so productivity will go up and everyone wins.
Most importantly though, you will show your teammates that you see them not just as parts of a machine, but as people with full lives and fears, allowing you to connect on a human level.
Respect Your Team
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Find out what it means to your team. Don’t be surprised when it means different things to different members of your team, be glad for the diversity in your team. Find out what respect personally means to each member of the team and make it a key part of your organisational culture. For some, it’s acknowledging the fact that they have a life outside of the “office”, and being respectful of how much time you ask of them. For others, it could be as simple as the way you talk to them. Figure it out and create your team values from it. Teams are loyal to leaders that pay attention to their needs.
Inspire And Show Trust
Terrible team leaders have similar traits. They don’t listen to their team members and they show a lack of trust by micro-managing, which kills morale and motivation. Team members need to know that they can be trusted to do their work. Let go a little and allow your team the space to run their own workflow. Likewise, teams operate better when they trust and respect their leader. If you are leading a team, make sure you are worthy of the respect you are asking from them.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Kak happens. It does. Even to the most careful people, so keep this in mind when you interact with your teammates. Don’t blow your gasket, anything can be fixed. And where it can’t, life will go on. Your teammate can’t make it to work? Let them work from their couch, everybody is remote working now, haven’t you heard? If they can’t afford a doctor’s note, let them bring in a pharmacy receipt.
Your Jedi ways will earn you lots of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. from your team.
Finally
The head chef alone cannot cook for a whole restaurant. It takes a team to do that. We’re in the same kitchen and hierarchies are incredibly last century. Treat your team as equals and they will share with you the tasty morsels they normally reserve for their friends.
Really. It’s to your benefit to suck it to bureaucracy.
Executive Leadership Will Soon Be Extinct
The workplace is being fundamentally re-imagined and recreated with traditional organisational structures and top-down leadership styles fast disappearing. CEO and co-founder of Basalt Wayne Zwiers explains.
Written by Wayne Zwiers
To say that the world of work is changing would be a colossal understatement. Forget the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is an even more fundamental revolution taking place which is empowering self-starters and disempowering those who cling on to old ways.
How so, you ask?
The workplace is being fundamentally re-imagined – and recreated – with traditional organisational structures and top-down leadership styles fast disappearing. Much like the oft-cited story of Kodak’s demise, the entire architecture of corporate culture is tumbling – and is being replaced by a radically new blueprint for business growth, innovation and human-centric development.
Beyond the hoodie
Inspired by the seemingly casual yet fiercely dynamic approach of global tech juggernauts such as Facebook, Google and Spotify, fast-growing companies across all spheres of business are now embracing a more fluid, organic approach to work – in which employees create their own ‘structure’…and more importantly, are evaluated not by archaic timesheets - but by creative and commercial output.
In this world, there are no dictatorial CEOs and suited up executive teams. Instead, there are mentors who provide guidance and advice.
Beyond the apparent nonchalance of teams sporting hoodies and sneakers, this cultural ‘revolution’ is a direct response to the need for agility, creativity, and free-thinking – which in turn translates into work that transforms not just one business…but entire industries.
In this world, there are no dictatorial CEOs and suited up executive teams. Instead, there are mentors who provide guidance and advice. Similarly, there are no departments and siloed divisions – these are small, fluid teams that are formed to solve specific business problems, operating with autonomy and self-appointed ‘leaders’. This approach is based on the premise that it is your people – not your leaders – who create value, and who should thus guide the nature and pace of work.
Ok, so what does this really look like in practice?
Fuelled by collaborative working
Underpinned by smart technology (yet not dictated by it), the new world of work demands that you learn a new language: a language that has no vocabulary for traditional leadership and hierarchies, but instead describes an ecosystem characterised by collaboration and the ongoing cross-pollination of skills, energy and vision.
At Basalt, we have created an ecosystem that is modular and set up to scale. We work in pods of up to seven people, whereby a leader is allocated who has certain KPIs to meet. Our teams spend 80% of their time on clients, and 20% of their time on the business itself. The latter can include categories such as mastery, incentives, business development and innovation. Essentially, employees select what they want to work on, which naturally leads to higher engagement and better results.
Often, it is junior employees who step up to the plate and volunteer to be a team leader. They flourish in this role, as they are given the opportunity to learn, and they are highly incentivised and motivated from the start because they have volunteered themselves.
Every team leader takes part in check-in calls, during which this person explains what the team has achieved, and how it stacks together (not up) to meet a strategic objective. In this way, new best practices are continuously created and shared - and the business manages itself!
Purpose-Driven Work
While there is no doubt that the face of the workplace is transforming, let’s not mistake trendy new appearances for the underlying change: the shift from purely profit-driven business models to purpose-driven work.
At Basalt, for example, profit is important, of course, but it is not our reason for being. Instead, we exist to bridge the gap between technology and humanity – providing technology solutions that propel business innovation and growth. Our people and partners buy into this vision, creating a synergy that produces pioneering work. This approach fosters organic growth, and yes, profit.
We are ditching the suits and breaking the rules. Step into this world, and you step into the future.
About The Author
Wayne Zwiers
Wayne Zwiers is the CEO and co-founder of Basalt, a leading South African tech start up that prides itself on building business through technology. With over 15 years’ digital experience, Wayne specialises in leading new product development across cross-functional, international teams. As Director of Basalt, Wayne has gathered a team of visionaries to solve business problems with technology, by applying a unique business model built on the delivery and rapid implementation of profitable solutions.
How To Build A Kickass Team
Teamwork is an interesting beast. It is essential for moving mankind forward but getting the dynamic right is an incredible challenge. People are different and will invariably clash, but you need diversity in a team for fresh ideas and cultural growth. So what do you do? What are the healthiest, happiest, most productive teams doing right that others aren’t?
Teamwork is an interesting beast. It is essential for moving mankind forward but getting the dynamic right is an incredible challenge. People are different and will invariably clash, but you need diversity in a team for fresh ideas and cultural growth. So what do you do?
A meme pops to mind (as they always do) when I think about the way I felt about teamwork prior to experiencing a great team dynamic. It said something along the lines of ‘I want my teammates to lower me into the grave when I die so that they can let me down one more time’. I used to think teammates could only mess up my mojo and stab me in the back because that is what I experienced.
But what if the issue wasn’t with my teammates? What if the issue was the team itself, or the leader, who was in most instances, me?
So I set myself the task of researching just what it takes to build an effective team. How do you build a team that not only communicates well but is able to work together and innovate even in times of stress (as if there are any other times in business)? What are the healthiest, happiest, most productive teams doing right that others aren’t?
Set Rules For The Kitchen
Every chef needs a working menu. What are the laws and codes of conduct that guide your kitchen forward and are they relevant to everyone on your team? Are they applied consistently? A clear vision and a set of values and org-culture guidelines can make all the difference because it means that everyone in the team is on the same page. Set clear objectives, and have a detailed account of each team member’s role in it so that there is no confusion as to what has to be done. Most importantly, be transparent and take the lead.
Pick A Strong Leader
Strong leadership is important for the growth and smooth-running of a team. What makes a good leader? I think it’s all relative. Different contexts require different types of leaders. However, for a team to work, certain characteristics are key. As a leader, you must lead by example and set the tone for how you want your team to behave toward their work and one another. You also need to be consistent and as a result of this, predictable enough in your management style that the people around you know you enough to at least presume decisions in your absence.
Create A Culture Of Listening
The ability to listen is largely underrated. People love being listened to, and listening has a bunch of benefits too. So create a culture of active listening in your organisation. Don’t just hear the people around you. Tune out your own judgments and responses, and enable yourself to fully engage with what is being said to you. Really listen. Listening shows that you give a damn, and when teammates feel cared for, they reciprocate. Good energies are established. People generally do more for people and causes that they care about so productivity will go up and everyone wins. Most importantly though, you will show your teammates that you see them not just as parts of a machine, but as people with full lives and fears, allowing you to connect on a human level.
Respect Your Team
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Find out what it means to your team. Don’t be surprised when it means different things to different members of your team, be glad for the diversity in your team. Find out what respect personally means to each member of the team and make it a key part of your organisational culture. For some, it’s acknowledging the fact that they have a life outside of the office, and being respectful of how much time you ask of them. For others, it could be as simple as the way you talk to them. Figure it out and create your team values from it. Teams are loyal to leaders that pay attention to their needs.
Inspire And Show Trust
Bad team leaders have similar traits. They don’t listen to their team members and they show a lack of trust by micro-managing, which kills morale and motivation. Team members need to know that they can be trusted to do their work. Let go a little and allow your team the space to run their own workflow. Likewise, teams operate better when they trust and respect their leader. If you are leading a team, make sure you are worthy of the respect you are asking from them.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Kak happens. It does. Even to the most careful people, so keep this in mind when you interact with your teammates. Don’t blow your gasket, anything can be fixed. And where it can’t, life will go on. Your teammate can’t make it to work? Let them work from their couch. If they can’t afford a doctor’s note, let them bring in a pharmacy receipt or work from their couch. As long as the work is getting done. Your Jedi ways will earn you lots of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. from your team.
Bonus Point
Notice how I used the word ‘teammates’ throughout the article. We’re in the same boat mate, hierarchies are incredibly last century. Treat your team as equals and they will share with you ideas they normally reserve for their friends.
Really. It’s to your benefit to suck it to bureaucracy.
German Virtuoso DJ Explains The Critical Link Between Being A Creative And Being An Entrepreneur
At Heavy Chef’s end of year celebration lineup, one name that stands out from the entrepreneurs and technicians is JanuaryOne, the DJ who has taken Cape Town by storm, with residencies at some of the top clubs in South Africa. Before Heavy Chef's year end event in Cape Town, we cornered the deep thinking virtuoso to find out his thoughts on business and being an artist in South Africa.
At Heavy Chef’s end of year celebration lineup, one name that stands out from the entrepreneurs and technicians is JanuaryOne, the DJ who has taken up residency at some of the finest clubs in Cape Town. JanuaryOne will be closing out a long, tough, rewarding year for the Heavy Chef community. Far from his home in Germany, he established himself as one of Cape Town’s most in-demand creatives with residencies at highly acclaimed establishments like Asoka, Grand Africa, Jade and Orphanage. Guest appearances across the country have seen him share decks with some of the international greats of House Music. Weiss (UK), Hot Chip (UK), Superflu (GER) Ryan Murgatroyd and Goldfish (RSA). Not content with a straight up festival sound, however, over the years this enigmatic artist has been evolving his own sound called #TANZMUSIK, a deeper and less obvious approach on House Music. JanuaryOne’s Music Podcast series reaches over thousands of listeners every month from well beyond the borders of Germany and South Africa.
Before our year end event in Cape Town, I cornered the deep thinking virtuoso to find out his thoughts on business and being an artist in South Africa.
JanuaryOne, as a DJ, do you consider yourself more as an artist or an entrepreneur?
When I am in the booth I use creative material to have an impact. Reading and responding to the energy of people in a particular space is something that is unique to every person or every DJ for that matter, there are no hard rules on how to do it, the choice of tracks are the result of a subjective interpretation of the current energy and what is suitable to be the soundtrack for that moment. That is closer to art than entrepreneurship.
The marketing, communication with clients and colleagues, admin and everything else. however, is as much a regular business as every other. This often seems to be overlooked. 80% of the actual work as a professional DJ does not take place in the DJ booth. How you go about those 80% is how much of an entrepreneur you are. Since this is my full time profession and not a hobby or a side project every question I ask myself does have an entrepreneurial nature. How do I communicate? How and where could I grow? Smaller and bigger details about the identity of my DJ alias as a brand and so on.
"80% of the actual work as a professional DJ does not take place in the DJ booth."
What's the most extraordinary gig you've ever played?
Playing at Afrikaburn is special. The absence of money as a social measuring tool falls away more than it does in nightclubs or bars. The barrier for people to come and go is lower because nobody needs to worry about being over or underdressed, having to pay admission or book a table. If people stay, they stay for the music, the responsibility as a DJ to tie people in is much greater and the reward when things go well is too.
You've attended a few Heavy Chef events now. What impresses you about the entrepreneur sector in South Africa?
I find young businesses in Cape Town and in hospitality particular very creative. You often hear that being so far away at the very tip of Africa is a disadvantage and I suppose in many way it can be, but it also means that not everything that happens in London, Berlin, Barcelona is copied here in Cape Town two months later. There is a unique approach to many things that I believe to be an advantage rather than a handicap.
What advice do you have for young creatives working in South Africa?
I grew up in Germany. One of the reasons I left is that life is very structured. By officials and administrations, politically, socially, there is very little air to breathe. When you cross a red robot as a pedestrian in Germany and a cop catches you you will be fined and it might even have an impact on your drivers license. In South Africa you can cross a red robot right in front of a police car and all that might happen is they might shout at you to walk faster. You do not necessarily need to break the law, but there is a more human and liberal take on things here. Make use of the longer leash.
Back in your land of origin, Germany, what do you think the secret is to the 'German efficiency' label that is so prevalent amongst German businesses?
Similar to what I said earlier, the leash in Germany is tight. Things are so structured that the execution of a job can be much more mechanical than creative. To simplify this I want to say it is a streamline of automatisms. The moment you go too far to the right or left you will be put back into order. These automatisms are surely great for productivity but for creativity maybe not so much.
Thank you! - and good luck for the event. We look forward to letting our hair down with you.
Readers of Heavy Chef can dive deeper into JanuaryOne's amazing talent at his SoundCloud page (click here) - or connect with him on Twitter, here.
Khalid Abdulla Wins Business Leader Of The Year Southern Africa. Here's Why.
African Equity Empowerment Investments Limited’s (AEEI) group chief executive officer Khalid Abdulla, was named the Business Leader of the Year – Southern Africa 2017 at the 7th All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in partnership with CNBC Africa.
African Equity Empowerment Investments Limited’s (AEEI) group chief executive officer Khalid Abdulla, was named the Business Leader of the Year Southern Africa 2017 at the 7th All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA). The ceremony was held in partnership with CNBC Africa and held in Johannesburg earlier this month.
Khalid Abdulla is the big chief at one of South Africa's fastest growing and best performing investment companies. AEEI has multiple business verticals, from fishing to IT to big-payoff companies in the biotech arena. Abdulla, and his leadership team, including Cherie Hendricks, Chantelle Ah Sing, are known for their hands-on approach to facing challenges.
Whilst their portfolio is diverse, Abdulla himself is not afraid to get stuck into the businesses that are flagging within the group. An insider says: "There was one particular smaller company that was making significant losses, but had clear potential to succeed. Khalid rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in. Within two years this company went from a small income and being millions in the red to making a healthy profit and contributing almost R100m turnover to the group as a whole."
ABLA selects leaders who have contributed and shaped the economies in Africa
The AABLA, in partnership with CNBC Africa, distinguishes leaders who have contributed and shaped the economies in Africa and are visionaries behind today’s outstanding businesses, honouring business excellence across the African continent.
The AABLA also recognises bold leaders and change-makers of the East, West and Southern Africa and hosts three regional events in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, before moving on to the AABLA Finale, which is hosted in South Africa.
After a rigorous judging process and scrutinising several applications, the panel and awards secretariat selected Khalid Abdulla, Group chief executive officer of AEEI as the winner in the category of Business Leader of the Year Award in the Southern Africa region. This comes in recognition of Abdulla’s on-going commitment and accomplishments.
"We are all winners, driving change in Africa for Africa."
Khalid Abdulla's award for Business Leader of the Year
Abdulla said, “I am truly humbled, yet delighted to have been recognised for my efforts which is a testament to my (and my team’s) commitment to broad-based economic empowerment, enterprise development and delivering strong financial performance with a holistic and sustainable business model. Being named a finalist is an achievement of high honour and indicates my willingness to serve and contribute to the community, making me one of the leaders in changing social and business landscape. However, it would be a disservice of me not to mention and congratulate my fellow finalists, Gerrie Fourie, CEO of Capitec Bank Holdings and Jabulane Mabuza, Chairman of Telkom SA. We are all winners, driving change in Africa for Africa.”
The spokesperson for the AABLA said, “We received a high volume of qualifying entries, making the final selection extremely challenging.”
The secret to the AABLA success is its stringent judging process. The Judges select finalists from a qualified short-list who will go on to the prestigious awards ceremonies hosted in East, West and Southern Africa, where they will have an opportunity to take the coveted title in their respective category.
"The sports field is where I learned the power of a people-centric approach."
When asked what a good business leader is Abdulla replied, “The sports field is where I learned the power of a people-centric approach and the benefits of strong leadership. A hands-on, project management approach leading by example is the manner in which I approach leadership. Teamwork in business is what will define a good or great company and determine the long-term economic sustainability of our country too.”
Winners of these awards exemplify the best in African Leadership. They epitomise the core values of a successful leader – strength, innovation, ingenuity, knowledge, and foresight – values that are imperative to carving out powerful businesses in a Pan-African and Global economy. Abdulla is also the recent recipient of the SA’s Future Maker of the Year 2017: Driver for Change; the Top most empowered business leader of the year 2017 by the Oliver Empowerment Awards; and also one of the best CEO’s in the country and ranked amongst the 10 best executives in 2015 by the Financial Mail. Abdulla was also the honoured as a recipient of the prestigious Black Business Executive Circle (BBEC) / Absa Bank Kaelo Award in 2010.
"We need to keep hope alive for our African citizens."
Abdulla continued, “Despite all the negative news in the country at the moment, including the recent ratings downgrade, there is still much to be positive about in Southern Africa. As business and governmental leaders, we need to keep hope alive for our African citizens to build the nation on a sustainable basis towards 2030 and beyond.”
Abdulla has over the years, set his sights on achieving more for the good of the Group, the communities in which AEEI operates as well as in Africa. Previous winners in this category include Adrian Gore, CEO of South Africa’s Discovery, Dr. Johan van Zyl, Group chief executive of Sanlam and Edward Kieswetter, CEO of Alexander Forbes and Sisa Ngebulana, CEO of Billion Group.
Under the leadership of Khalid Abdulla, AEEI received the following awards:
- First overall in the Empowerdex Top 100 Empowered Companies Award of 2016
- First overall in the Empowerdex Top 100 Empowered Management Award of 2016;
- A top 10 listed Company in the Financial Mail’s Top 100 JSE Companies for financial performance in 2015 and 2016;
- Integrating Reporting Assurance Services (IRAS) rated AEEI as 1st in its Sector: ‘Financial Services – Other’ for the Highest Sustainability Data Transparency Index (SDTI) for reporting and governance; and
- AEEI was also awarded 3rd place overall by IRAS, out of a total 311 JSE Listed companies.
Why Fairness & Equality Should Be A Leader's Core Values
Ntombenhle Khathwane, founder & owner of Afrobotanics, spoke to Heavy Chef about how fairness and equality should be a leaders core values.
There has never been a better time to be an African woman, than now in South Africa – well for those of us who are lucky enough to be educated. We have the latitude to do and be whomever we want, if we are willing to fight for it. Ntombenhle Khathwane, founder & owner of Afrobotanics, spoke to Heavy Chef about how fairness and equality should be a leaders core values.
Ntombenhle Khathwane, founder and owner of Afrobonatics
I was raised to be assertive and a fighter. I was raised in a matriarchal family, and although I felt the absence of my father, I have drawn from the strength I saw in my mother and grandmother. I learnt from them that you will not get something unless you go for it, ask if you have to, but go for what you want. Growing up in the Swazi culture, I became aware of the inequality that is inherent in that patriarchal system. Also being subject to racism under the apartheid regime at the young age of 13 when I was not allowed to swim in the Northern Natal swimming team in 1991, made me hold fairness and equality as core values that define me as a leader today.
"I will show young rural women that they too can succeed without political favour."
Everything I do is motivated by the values of fairness and equality. I chose to pursue a business in manufacturing hair care products for African women because there was a gap – there weren’t naturally formulated hair care products on the market when I started out. But I was also motivated by wanting to set an example that as African consumers we should produce that which we consume. I was devastated by my 8 years in government in rural Mpumalanga, seeing how the majority of Africans aren’t able to leverage their political freedom for economic freedom. So I promised myself that as I go into business – a field I had no experience in but I believed would bring me the economic freedom and equality I crave – I would succeed and grow a huge manufacturing enterprise based on building a brand from scratch and I will show young rural women that they too can do it without political favour.
“Everything I do is motivated by the values of fairness and equality.”
My abilities as an African woman are questioned all the time, especially in the business world, and it is harder to push back compared to when I was in government. An African male financier doesn’t see the opportunity or value in funding my business because he doesn’t understand female cosmetics and thinks there’s no need to challenge international cosmetics brands.
A white female buyer in a large retail chain won’t list my products because she doesn’t understand trends in black hair care. I fight these battles daily, and they empower me. AfroBotanics is the leading South African natural hair care brand because I focused on excellence. I focused on delivering a quality product that meets the needs and demands of African women. I invested in getting my packaging looking good and since entering formal retail, I ensure that we deliver on time on every order placed by retailers. AfroBotanics is at the forefront of revolutionising the African hair and beauty category by claiming shelf space from international brands and opening the door for other local brands to make it into formal retail and be trusted by retailers and customers on the basis that my brand, AfroBotanics did it right with the first and only opportunity we had.
“Leadership to me is about being authentic and being true to your values.”
Importantly for me, AfroBotanics is contributing towards changing the narrative on beauty by affirming African natural beauty by impressing the fact that African women are beautiful the way they are and they are good enough. This is also motivated by my core values of fairness and equality.
Leadership to me is about being authentic and being true to your values. There are different kinds of leaders because we all value different things based on our experiences. As a woman you don’t get a second chance, you mess up once and it follows you the rest of your life, whereas male leaders get more reprieve in the African context. This is why we have political leaders whose personal values and professional values aren’t in sync and yet we still elect them and defend them. Let us learn to lead fairly and equally – as Africans and as women.
About the author: Ntombenhle Khathwane is the owner and founder of AfroBotanics – a proudly South African premium hair care brand designed for Africans, by Africans. Khathwana holds a Masters degree in Philosophy in Politics from the University of Natal. After graduation, she joined an Mpumalanga government department, where she worked as a research planner and Media Liaison Communications Manager for eight years.
Ntombenhle also participated in the Goldman Sachs 10 000 women entrepreneurship programme at Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs). In August 2014, AfroBotanics was featured in Destiny magazine, where her products were described as “one of the best brands on the market if your concern is healthy hair.” She was named one of Destiny Magazine’s 40 Trailblazers under 40 in 2011, one of M&G’s 200 Young South Africans, an Investec Young Trep in 2015 and one of Forbes’s 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in Africa in 2016. She was also an Arch Tutu AFLI Fellow in 2014.
Matt Buckland Shares The Key Traits To Succeeding In The New Digital World
We interviewed Matthew Buckland, a man who has made an indelible mark on the media industry, from his current position as the founder of Creative Spark and Burn Media to his previous titles as the MD of Mail & Guardian and interactive editor for Carte Blanche.
We interviewed Matthew Buckland, a man who has certainly made his mark on the media industry, from his current position as the founder of Creative Spark and Burn Media to his previous titles as the MD of Mail & Guardian and interactive editor for Carte Blanche. Talk Radio 702 referred to him as the ‘master of digital,’ the Annual named him one of South Africa’s top 100 most influential media and advertising people and his name has become synonymous with brands like Memeburn, Ventureburn.com and Gearburn.com.
Matthew Buckland, founder of Creative Spark and Burn Media
Matthew also proudly shared the stage with Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales in a talk on future web trends in 2007 and Craigslist Creator Craig Newmark at the IIE Goldman Sachs Global Leaders in New York in 2008. In this interview, Buckland shares his insights on leadership.
What have your biggest challenges as a South African entrepreneur and businessman been?
I think it would have to be finding enough skilled Staff or people with strong, entrepreneurial work ethics. Those people are out there, but hard to find, and if you come across them — you hang on to them like crazy and they become the mainstay of your business.
What does it take to be an effective leader and innovator within South Africa’s current economic, political and social climate?
Ironically, innovation actually occurs best in times of challenge and economic scarcity as it creates focus and cuts out noise. We started our company six years ago during a recession. I think with the right drive, quality offering and focus you can beat most challenges that may occur on a macro-economic, social or political level. As an entrepreneur you also become intensely inward looking and focused on your business. You tend to switch off from the country and world macro-issues that are outside your control to focus on the immediate, all-consuming job at hand: building your business.
“It’s the 100 Successes out of the 1000 failures that move you forward.”
What characteristic do you believe is indispensable to aspiring South African leaders?
If there was one characteristic I would say is critical — it’s that tenacious never-give up attitude: it’s the 100 successes out of the 1000 failures that move you forward. Good entrepreneurs have an ability to bend reality to their will, to control reality and get what they want. This may sound like ‘magic’ but it’s not. It’s a distortion field in an otherwise mundane day-to-day existence that is created from a sheer relentless, persistence and that never give-up attitude. The entrepreneur keeps trying in the face of failures, mistakes and people saying ‘no’ – they keep bashing down doors and keep approaching a problem from new angles until they have reached their goal.
What are some of the pitfalls that young/emerging leaders commonly fall victim to?
They give up too quickly, or they believe the Silicon Valley hype. Or they over-analyse an opportunity instead of just rolling up their sleeves, starting the business and evolving or pivoting it in its day-to-day running.
What is the difference between a CEO / company founder and a leader?
They can be the same thing, although a company founder may not necessarily be a natural leader. The founder will initially perform the leadership role out of necessity (because there is no-one else to do it), but if self-aware they will know this may not be part of their skill set and willingly hand over to a CEO that Is a natural or a trained leader. The founder of bidorbuy.co.za, Andy Higgins, did just this: handed over to a salaried, corporate CEO even though he was the key shareholder and founder of the company. Must have been tough to do, and took self-awareness and courage to hand over his baby.
“I think you only really fail when you give up and turn your back on something.”
In achieving your numerous accolades, who have your mentors been and how have the experiences of others shaped your reality as a business person?
The accolades are fun. They give you a brief lift, but then you forget about them quickly, feel a bit undeserving – and then move on. I’ve been inspired by many, my previous corporate bosses Trevor Ncube, Hoosain Karjieker, Koos Bekker, Ferial Haffajee, JP Farinha and Russell Hanley. My peers in other digital agencies and businesses: Rob Stokes, Vinny Lingham, Fred Roed, Mark Tomlinson, Pete Case, Jarred Cinman, Ben Wagner, Larry Katz, Paul Cartmel - these are all people that have been part of my business universe, they’ve inspired and helped me in some way to develop into the entrepreneur I am today. And at the company, I have a great management team with some long serving staff who I learn from every day.
What are some of the most important decisions you’ve made as a leader?
Those key moments during a negotiation, when you instinctively judge and size-up a room or a situation to bring the parties together in order to form a successful deal.
Has failure played any significant role in the establishment of your career and in the ventures you’ve founded over the years?
I’ve had many, many letdowns, but i don’t dwell on them or really consider these “failures" because I keep finding other ways to crack these problems and never really give up. Creative Spark was my third agency attempt. I have never seen the previous two attempts as “failing,” but just evolving works-in-progress, i.e. all that happened was my approach changed and evolved. I think you only really fail when you give Up and turn your back on something.
How have you defined success in your career?
That’s a great question, because I genuinely don’t consider myself “successful.” I’ve reached some of the milestones and goals that I have set myself, but success is such a relative term and there are many levels to achieve and areas to conquer.
Which phrase best describes your journey as an entrepreneur in digital?
We are part of a digital ecosystem, not a digital egosystem.
EVENT: The 4th Industrial Revolution: What Is It? And, How The Hell Do We Survive It?
At the new OPEN Workspace auditorium in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Tuesday the 17 October 2017, two of South Africa’s foremost thought-leaders will tackle the question “How to survive, and thrive, in the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
At the new OPEN Workspace auditorium in Cape Town, 31st October and in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Tuesday the 17 October 2017, two of South Africa’s foremost thought-leaders will tackle the question “How to survive, and thrive, in the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
Wait, what? 4th Industrial whadda?
Yeah, okay. Few really know what the term means, but it appears that the term '4th Industrial Revolution' has hit the big time.
‘Heavy Chef’ is the bustling entrepreneur community formed in 2005, and registered as a company in 2016. It has been focusing on ‘4IR’ themes recently, and this month is hosting two of South Africa’s preeminent thought leaders to unpack the concept on the Heavy Chef stage.
Fred Roed, CEO and Founder of Heavy Chef, says: “These days, every consultant with a decent tie has an hour-long slide deck packed with scary '4IR' stats… designed solely to sell us more hours of more scary stats. Heck, even our previous speaker, Magda Wierzycka of Sygnia, recently launched a fund that tracks this stuff. What next?”
Well, it turns out that 'what next' is actually kinda important.
Roed continues: “The 4th Industrial Revolution refers to an age of connected physical, digital, and biological things. Think, your toaster speaking to your phone, then you winking at your phone to order more bread.”
The 1st Industrial Revolution alludes to steam power taking folks out of their farms into cities back in the 1800's; the 2nd to mass production before 1st World War; while the 3rd Industrial Revolution focuses on the age of computers, everywhere. Looking forward, we're at the brink of unprecedented advances in technology. We're entering a heady age of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, drones, energy storage and quantum computing. Phew! How will we function in amongst all that lot?
“We posed that very question to two of South Africa's preeminent thinkers in the space,” says Roed.
Marc Rogatschnig is a Clinical Psychologist and leadership consultant with over 15 years of experience. Marc has worked with blue chip clients such as Woolworths, Coronation, Microsoft and General Electric, across Africa and the Middle East. Marc will begin the talk, focusing on the learnings that he is uncovering while completing his Phd on Leadership (um... in between tending to his family, travelling the world, writing books and surfing). Marc will reveal the surprising truth in what makes a leader succeed in this tumultuous environment.
Marc Rogatschnig, Clinical Psychologist, author and internationally-renowned Executive Coach.
Rich Mulholland is a successful entrepreneur, consultant and one of the best public speakers South Africa has ever produced. Rich is also the author of the best-selling book Legacide, which speaks to the way we think about change and innovation.
Rich will close off the event by sharing the unique perspective he has gleaned from 15+ years building businesses, working with some of Africa's top leaders, as well as speaking at some of the world's preeminent conferences and leadership festivals.
Rich Mulholland, successful entrepreneur and best-selling author.
Roed exclaims: “This is going to be a firecracker session. I reckon this is going to be October's most stimulating, fun, entertaining and unmissable event - so buy your tickets quick. Seats are R95 each - essentially 1/80000 the price of a firepool.”
Heavy Chef creates inspirational experiences for graduates, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.
“Our name comes from the saying never trust a skinny chef,” Roed explains. “We celebrate people who walk the talk, who practice what they preach - who eat their own food. We believe that, in a world of talkers, it's the doers that are going to change it. Together with our partners, we aim to inspire our community members to start things and empower them to succeed.”
Heavy Chef will also be hosting Marc and Rich in Cape Town on the 31st October. Tickets for either event can be purchased on Quicket or the Heavy Chef website: www.heavychef.com/upcoming-event
