Jewish Life Digital Edition November 2013 | Page 30

BUSINESS BRAINS

PORTRAITS IN SUCCESS

RAN NEUNER
HAVE FUN OR LEAVE

BY DAN CHAITOWITZ

As I met Ran first thing in the morning, in his
fish-bowl office overlooking a park, he nibbled his chocolate-flavoured breakfast. “I love
work. I shower, shave, don my tefillin and
hustle to work unfed.”
The attitude for fun, optimism, a passion
for his pursuit, gleaned from the apples
passed down from his dad, have been a primary force in Ran’s business success. Always a
chin up, always seeing the glass half-full, has
driven Ran’s energy and fighting spirit.
Ran is the joint CEO of The Creative Counsel, the brand activations company built together with Gil Oved. Having interviewed Gil
previously, it’s evident the two partners with
differing personalities and differing roles
function together in building and growing a
buoyant business.
At The Creative Counsel, Ran is inward focused. His attention is set on ensuring the
company maintains its ethic and its culture.
He is hands-on in the business. Where Gil is
the external face of the company, it is Ran
who is the internal face, engaging staff, driving employees and pushing for the company’s
growth. His role is elevated on seeing employees grow, climb ladders, and become the best
that they can be. Never saying “yes” to average, never compromising on quality, Ran
doesn’t accept mediocrity. He ensures the
business maintains its leading position.
As an entrepreneur, Ran speaks of exploring all opportunities, walking them down the
same path, extracting every possibility an idea
affords, and exhausting them. Some ideas are
shelved, while other ideas have the stamina
and depth to last, to endure.

AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, RAN SPEAKS OF EXPLORING ALL OPPORTUNITIES,
WALKING THEM DOWN THE SAME PATH, EXTRACTING EVERY POSSIBILITY AN
IDEA AFFORDS, AND EXHAUSTING THEM. SOME IDEAS ARE SHELVED, WHILE
OTHER IDEAS HAVE THE STAMINA AND DEPTH TO LAST, TO ENDURE.
Ran looks for the good and potential in
every idea and in every problem. Problems
breed opportunity. “There are a thousand reasons not to pursue a thought,” he says.
Ran became aware of The Creative Counsel’s endless opportunity and of its potential
evolution after affording it rigorous attention. Their initial belief was that the business
could turn R3 million a year. Eleven years later, it’s a giant.
With a determination to be the best at
what he does, his DNA has seeped into the
muscle fibre of The Creative
Counsel, placing it as the industry leader, innovating,
changing, mutating the
branding landscape as we
know it. “Don’t muscle
your way into an industry
if you don’t feel you can
own it or alter its destiny.
Innovate.”
Success is having
fun, it’s having balance. It’s not a number and it’s not a
listing. How can it
be? For today you’re
up and tomorrow
you could be down.
Basing success on
achievement
is
baseless, for a giant business can

DON’T MUSCLE YOUR WAY INTO AN INDUSTRY IF
YOU DON’T FEEL YOU CAN OWN IT OR ALTER ITS
DESTINY. INNOVATE.
28 JEWISH LIFE

ISSUE 68

dissolve, money can evaporate. Happiness is
always yours. Success is an attitude. Ensure
you have fun every day.
Ran’s bu