INSIGHT
HOW BEING AUTHENTIC CAN
RETURN GREAT RESULTS
Lee-Ann Johnstone of Paysafe Group looks back at how adopting a fresh approach to her work and
business towards the end of last year drove her in new and rewarding directions, and she recommends
that you do the same in 2016.
IT’S A NEW YEAR and we all use this
time to make resolutions and bring about
change. I therefore want to start my column
with a quote from a good friend of mine
(Mel, a successful bingo affiliate) that is:
“Be authentic to yourself and it will reflect
in what you do – as that’s what makes
others buy-in to it.”
Seems this advice rings true, as I started
being authentic to myself in the latter part
of last year and it has changed the way I
work. It allowed me to focus my efforts
on doing what I believe in, what made
me happy and brought about the birth of
a unique collaborative event for affiliate
learning – AffiliateFEST.
To me, being authentic means working
with purpose, loving what you do and
spreading your energetic work vibe around
Answer: Change your vibe, and engage
your tribe!
Be cognisant of where you find yourself
today - find the right people and the right
tools to help you bring about change. Then
take time to learn from that change. This is
what will give you the head space to plan
and strategize where you want to be in the
future and what you want to be focussing
on, as you expand your business, your
program or yourself.
Stop talking and start doing
It’s really that simple!
If you aren’t sure where to start (I have
struggled with this at times too), find
people who motivate, inspire and help you
to get back on the right path. Being South
African, I want to quote a very wise man
“Saying NO to people, projects and so called
‘opportunities’ that aren’t 100% right for you or your
business gives you the bandwidth and headspace
to tackle the things that are.”
your immediate tribe (those who work with
and alongside you) so that they too can
help you build your business. I talk to a lot
of affiliates and operators daily and have
discovered that many seem to be missing
out on this authenticity in their businesses
and in themselves. Some have fallen out of
love with what they are doing or what their
business is about and where it is going. This
happens sometimes, and it’s by no means a
measure of you or your businesses success.
But…how do you ensure you find your
true authentic self and go back to working
with renewed purpose?
who said: “It always seems impossible until
it’s done.” Nelson Mandela.
Saying NO to people, projects and so
called ‘opportunities’ that aren’t 100%
right for you or your business gives you
the bandwidth and headspace to tackle the
things that are.
The more you help people in
business, the less help you need.
Collaborate with others in the same space,
talk with colleagues, strangers and with
your customers too. This is possibly one of
the most powerful things I learned about
how to be authentic with myself and the
projects I delivered. Last year, NETELLER
bought the Skrill Group and I found myself
quickly collaborating with my competitors.
Embrace working with people you haven’t
worked with before and you may find some
surprising and exciting results occur.
*Technavio’s analysts forecast the global
online gambling market will grow at a CAGR of
10.73% (in terms of gross gaming yield per year)
during the period up to 2019.”
The market is buoyant and new brands are
launching regularly with unique propositions
to service this growing industry. If you’re
new to iGaming, have already launched
your affiliate business or are working for an
operator in this sector, chances are you’ve
got an idea, a niche or a brand that is already
investing in the long term.
Keeping abreast of digital and it’s
constant change is not easy. It’s good to
take stock and step outside of what you are
already doing in order to learn something
new. You will meet new like-minded
people, you’ll feel energised about your
thoughts and ideas and you may even find
fruitful relationships which start to make
these ideas - a reality!
Andrew Edwards – CEO of
MadAboutBingo.com recently shared his
own authentic working experience with
me: “My business grew dramatically after
I learned to ‘let go’ and empower my staff
to perform on their own. It meant I was
able to refocus my attention on the SEO
and coding side of my business, which
is what I specialise in and love doing.
I’m being more authentic to my business
vision which reflects in how my sites have
performed since.”
iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016
75