Whispers of an entrepreneur

Lately I have been having a tough time, after setting up my goals for the 6 months to June, I was very fortunate to achieve them, with varying degrees of success. After the whole period and goals achieved, I felt empty and without purpose – I was happy of the achievement and the progress made, but the ability to pursue no longer existed. Katberg Mountains - Eastern Cape, South Africa   As a friend recently commented, “maybe you should set bigger goals next time round” – I set up these goals on a biannual basis as to keep myself going and motivated with strict and clear results to be achieved. Challenging myself but also ensuring that I am realistic in my approach. Goal setting is arguably one of the most difficult things to do - to sit down and pen commitments to yourself that you are accountable for and have to evaluate your progress on yourself. A sort of personal KPIs without the whip or carrot of a manager. Annually people lay simple to complex goals - from los...

As the 1960's song, MONEY by Barret Strong goes – “the best things in life are free, you can give it to the birds and the bees, I need money, that’s what I want” Combination briefcase used to store my cash on hand I have always been interested in money, acquiring it, accumulating it and more importantly viewing or counting it. As a boy, I used to go the bank once a month, so during the time, I was conducting my various entrepreneurial activities, I would have my money safely locked up in my briefcase – hidden at the back of my clothes in the cupboard. Like any obsessed (well, more like – highly motivated) child, I would occasionally go to my room, close the door, open the cupboard, and move all the clothes out the way and grab my black leather briefcase. I would put in the combination of the lock (for the life of me, I do not remember the combination) and take out my bank bag. Inside there would be other smaller plastic bank bags, with 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, a...

Surmounting your own Everest Most of us dream of living in that big house, driving a car that costs more than most homes in South Africa and get the opportunity to travel the world at your leisure and be financially protected and safe well beyond your grave. These are great aspirations and there is nothing wrong with them – these are some of the aspirations I have for my life. Consequently, my aspirations have a bearing on my family; for better or worse. One of the most significant things seldom discussed or delved into in entrepreneurial education and development is the effect that being an entrepreneur has on relationships in your life. Relationships with family (parents, spouses and siblings), friends and your children. We all view the great strides that the mega-super stars among our entrepreneurial fraternity – creating mega businesses with turnovers that rival the GDP of small African countries. We look at these individuals that over a short a time as 5 years have be...