Business Fit Magazine July 2019 Issue 2 | Page 62

Interview December, I take a select group of business leaders and business owners to South Africa where I host my life changing Safari Leadership Experience. This safari is not a ‘normal’ safari that most people think of or are used to. This is a true wilderness experience in an unfenced area where we walk and become part of nature. Walking in the bush always does something special to me and the people and it’s where I go to disconnect from ‘everyday life’ and reconnect to myself, my spirit and soul. This is where I get back into my power. What is your favourite quote and why? So many come to mind. So, I’m going to choose; Just do it! And the reason I like this quote is because of its simplicity. Most people over- complicate life and live in a space of doubt, uncertainty or even in the feeling of “I’m not good enough”. Which I feel is such a shame and a total energy drain. I always remind my coaching clients that “in life and business if you want more happiness, more success, more wealth”, than it all boils down to one word and that is - Action! I talk about this more in depth in my book. It’s simple. “The name of the game is action”. So just (freakin’) do it! How does relevant? with people because they had a good talk, made lots of promises and in the end they would not back that up with the necessary actions, responsibility or respect towards their partners and the deal would fall through. Even when it actually was the right product/ service, at the right time but because I tried to develop it with the wrong person, we all ended up getting hurt. family. That played an incredibly powerful and important role in me achieving the success I have today. Seeing my mum juggle multiple jobs so my younger siblings and I had just enough food on the table, barely a roof over our head and clothes on our backs made me subconsciously decide that “I will never live like this”. Success and financial freedom was my duty. What was your motivation to achieve what you have? How do you take care of your body, mind and soul? Growing up as a kid, from about the age of 14, our father had left us, and I watched my mum struggle financially to keep us together as a 62 From a body perspective, I enjoy kickboxing and playing football with my son. Mind and soul, well I am blessed that every year, in a business stay In today’s competitive markets, I believe there are many important things a business leader must strive for in order to stay relevant. Firstly; Innovation, always look for ways to innovate, improve, do it faster, better, with more effectiveness and efficiency. Include client and market research to find out what innovative ideas will keep your business in the forefront of your client’s needs and minds. Fortunately, or unfortunately we live in a world where technology and AI is becoming an integral part of our everyday lives and so we are living in exciting times. However, in business due to all this technology shift we are experiencing it really is a time of ‘innovate or die’. Like the classic story of Blockbuster who wouldn’t evolve and Netflix who eventually took them out of the game. Secondly; Caring. Genuinely care about your customer, understand their needs and wants but most importantly their pain. And how you can, as a business, as a product or service provider reduce or even eliminate that pain for your clients. And my third piece of advice is to fire quickly. Get rid of people who are either not pulling their weight, in other words not contributing to the company’s vision and mission. Or choosing to let go of a person who might be doing his or her job well but simply doesn’t bring a positive attitude with them to the game. Having a healthy and fun company culture today is so important. So even if you have people, although good at their jobs, but with a bad attitude then you’ll find they normally drain the energy out of the team. Remember, you can teach people a skill or a talent, but it’s difficult to teach someone a positive ‘can do’ attitude. Fire quickly! How are additional streams created? income I always look at the end-user clients. What additional services would they benefit from. And what is the client buying anyways, maybe from another supplier. When I coach business leaders, I ask them to break out of their mould, break out of old thinking. Instead of looking at verticals rather see what other ‘bolt-on’ services can be provided to their clients. For example, I am currently in the process of buying up accountancy firms. Some of the additional revenue streams that we offer to the accountant’s clients are; business coaching, CFO consulting services, business trainings, insurance policies, wealth management services and many more. Think out of the box Having a healthy and fun company culture today is so important 63