For those who read this blog daily and seek to use its stories, experiences and sometimes rantings in order to change the world, whether globally or locally, thank you: Thank you: For the difference you are making; For the courage to stand out and not fit in; For consistently disrupting the status-quo; For caring and…
by Seth Godin I'm betting on the following happening in 2016: An event will happen that will surprise, confound and ultimately bore the pundits. Out of the corner of your eye, you'll notice something new that will delight you. You'll be criticized for work you shipped, even though it wasn't made for the person who didn't like…
A couple of years ago, I was invited to give a talk at an event in Port Elizabeth. I spent hours preparing and practicing my presentation. Woke up early to catch the plane to PE, so that I can get there early, refresh and mentally get ready for my talk. When I got on stage,…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47rQkTPWW2I Last year I saw the above video clip played by Octavius Phukubye at an entrepreneurship bootcamp in Polokwane. The video clip is about two "important looking people" on an escalator when it stops moving. Insisting that they cannot go anywhere, the two people start calling for help and wait for someone to fix the…
“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”― Franz Kafka Books inspire me and have always been my refuge to conflicts in life. Books have changed my life and they continue to... In 1999 or so a friend (Tebogo Segola) recommended a book I should read and that book changed my life…
Anything worth doing might not work. You might fail. You might announce your project to the world and then have to admit that it did not work. All the rewards, all the satisfaction, all the interesting things that happen in life go to those who are willing to play in the unknown, who are willing…
One of my all time favorite quotes comes from the great American writer Mark Twain: "...the world owes you nothing; it was here first." Even when you make your art, your best skill, even when you have exerted your most and best emotional effort into a project – the world owes you nothing. There is…
For some people, being seen as a public success is very important because it boosts their ego and makes them feel important. This means that always been praised by peers and media and being seen at VIP events. I have however learned that even though a good PR or what some call personal branding is…
If I sell you something, we exchange items of value. You give me money, I give you stuff, or a service. The deal is done. We are even. I give you something, you give me something in return. Its an exchange, a transaction. A gift where some form of reciprocation was expected is not really a…
Some people are able to reflect the light that lands on them, to take directions or assets or energy and focus it where it needs to be focused. This is a really valuable skill. Even more valuable, though, is the person who glows in the dark. Not reflecting energy, but creating it. Not redirecting urgencies…
A great story is true. Not necessarily because it’s factual, but because it’s consistent and authentic. Customers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a story that is not authentic. Great stories are subtle. The fewer details spelled out, the more powerful the story becomes. Allowing people to draw…
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell,” said entrepreneur and marketing guru Seth Godin. A great story is true. Not necessarily because it is factual, but because it is consistent and authentic. Consumers are too good at sniffing out inconsistencies for a marketer to get away with a…
