… for your trust and attention over the course of the past year[s]. … for being open to a different and occasionally provocative point of view. … for writing in every once a while to let me know that a blog post has resonated with you. … for being willing to share your disagreements with…

No need to wait or reserve your best for the special time. No need to put away the cutlery and cups that are reserved for visitors No need to buy those Choice Assorted biscuits only during the festive season for visitors. Saying the kind word, giving the gift, the extra encouragement, the helping hand…give it…

This novel is about a young Motswana lady, Miss Tebogo Harrison, who lived abroad for a few years and then moved back home to Botswana to take up a job at a local school. The novel starts like those local stories on TV, I wouldn't be surprised if it is turned into a movie or…

For many innovative people, the problem is not coming up with enough ideas, but getting attention for those ideas we decide to implement. To solve this problem, we need to invest more time developing persuasive stories that make an emotional connection with the people we are trying to influence. Make Your Idea Matter is a…

One day we are going to run out of places to hide, we will run out of excuses to pursue our dreams. We are the ultimate paradox. There are only two things we want: We want to hide; and We want to be seen. We hide because we are scared, but we want to be…

In this book Bernadette Jiwa explores doing meaning work in today's changed business landscape. She does an awesome of exploring the importance of understanding customers and their needs before conceptualising cool innovations ideas. Bernadette makes a case that marketing [and innovation] starts with the customer’s story, and that the job of entrepreneurs and marketers is to “compete…

“I’m not saying that you have to be a reader to save your soul in the modern world. I’m saying it helps.” -- Walter Mosley Books are great companions, they keep you company, they are friends, smart friends, they entertain, educate, provoke your thoughts, expand your horizon, keep you thinking, stretch your mind, heal you, pick…

Do I show you a powerpoint filled with bullets? Or give you a spirited sales pitch while looking you in the eye… Perhaps I should send a very attractive salesperson. Do I amplify my word of mouth and be sure you hear about my idea from your friends or people you trust? Do I minimize…

There's this guy at the OR Tambo International Airport [Johannesburg], he is a janitor at the men's restrooms at the domestic section of the airport, next to the food court. He always welcomes his clients with a smile and friendly greeting. "Good morning, goeie more, welcome to my office, would you like to use one…

Understanding history is important, because it is when you understand where you come from that will understand how you got here but most importantly where you are going. Understanding history is about knowing and understanding the reason for things. For example, understanding the history of school and public education, makes us understand that school was…

A former mentee got a bad experience from a business deal with some who is deemed to be a successful businessperson in the country. And this got me thinking of trust. We spend a lot of time wondering who we can trust. We are careful to work out who is worthy of our friendship, business…

When you are at a party, do you suddenly feel the desperate urge to escape somewhere quiet such as a toilet cubicle and just sit there? Until I read Quiet Power, I thought it was just me. Growing up as an introvert, I wish I read this book. Always feeling that social scenes were not…