Our 2014 Family
“If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the thing you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:”
Stanza 2 Rudyard Kipling - If
Over the past year, we’ve met some astounding entrepreneurs who have shared with us their journeys. We listened to their stories and learned from them all. If there is one thing we took from this experience, it is that there is no single formula to success. We had so much fun throughout the process. We connected with each and every single entrepreneur and fell in love with all of their ventures.
It was also amazing to meet such a varied group of individuals. Their personalities were unbelievable and their personal philosophies were all enlightening. FundBabies was truly enriched by the experience of meeting all of these wonderful people. We were so inspired to do everything we could to get FundBabies off the ground.
First we have the Principality run by Margaux Henning and Carien Els. They started their business due to a strong desire to control their work situation: not to be bound to an office and at the same time find new challenges. Their consulting-style business is a concentrated, specialised service that doesn’t sell the client what they don’t need.
One of the most interesting things they’ve learned is that making an income and building a business isn’t always the same thing.
Sometimes you have to streamline the two to work for you. They fully acknowledge that building a business is not an exact science and having each other as partners has been more than a blessing
Then we have King and Neo of I RUN JHB. I RUN JHB is –in essence- a clothing brand that is indicative of an Afrocentric sub-culture. Their goal is to “change the feel of the street”. Their style philosophy goes beyond just the superficial, it extends to the socio-psycho-political. Their brand is more than just clothing, it’s a cause.
I learned one critical thing from this interview, there is no formula for business: King and Neo began with no start-up capital. Throughout the process they’ve managed to learn from their hardships. They advise future entrepreneurs should to show potential, character and a fighting spirit
Kate Naughton runs a start-up catering company called Kate Naughton Food and Events. Kate had this to say about her food, “My food is quite intuitive, I cook what I feel.”
Her husband (an entrepreneur and hunting enthusiast) encouraged her to leave her good job with a good salary (at a diamond company) to start her own company. He said, “stop thinking about the money you’re losing and start thinking about the money you could be making”. It has been her best decision. Keep your eyes peeled folks because we have a few recipes by Kate and a yummy giveaway.
Finally we have the amazing Emile Dlamini, Founder of the Gentleman. His story is documented in detail, just keep reading.
That is our 2014 family of entrepreneurs