ISSUE 1
head in the clouds yet? PG6
Coach me!
B E H AV E YOURSELF! PG20
That’s what he said ... PG10
TO PERSONAL BRAND
or not?
PG14
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOGO! PG23
EDITORIAL QUERIES: Address to Lisa Bell, E-mail lisa@thewordarchitect.co.za Tel. +27 82 466 4806 DESIGN: ART DIRECTOR: Lisa Bell SENIOR DESIGNER: Krystin Morgenrood PHOTOGRAPHER: Marike Herselman Photography PHOTOSHOOT VENUE: Office and Co, Bree Street, CT ADVERTISING SALES: Cape Town Tel. +27 82 466 4806
FROM THE EDITOR A long time coming and a dream for many years, the development of this digital magazine couldn’t have come at a better time. With a pandemic threatening to bring down businesses and spirits, one needs to consider how to stay front of mind with the public. As fingers move quicker over keyboards and screens, the world over has moved to a more digital way of living. Ordering shopping online, chatting to friends, family and colleagues on video, and finding what we need through websites and social platforms, are all part of the new normal. Our digital
magazine will help you, the business owner, find your footing in an always-plugged-in universe, using the correct words, imagery and platforms. We look forward to adding value to your world. Our first issue will focus primarily on the power of you, the business owner, the person behind the brand; and how what you say, do and think can have a defining influence on the future of your business, your livelihood and your network. Yours in writing,
Lisa Bell
FROM THE EDITOR
IN THIS
issue Feature To personal brand or not to?
That’s what he said ... Contributors Have you got your head in the clouds yet?
06
Henk and Damion Stander
10
14
Coach me! Behave Yourself!
20 The Bizz Buzz You’ve got Mail! Ughhh!
19
Must Read Kreatively Yours It’s all about the logo!
23
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
24
H AV E Y O U G O T Y O U R
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CONTRIBUTORS
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CONTRIBUTORS
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9
That’s what he said ... HENK &DAMION S TA N D E R of Interview by Lisa Bell
Every business owner needs a guiding hand, and the team at Optigrowth could not have come at a better time in my entrepreneurial journey some four years ago. This family-owned business was created when Henk, Damion and Barbara wanted to escape the rat race of corporate life. They saw the need for a safe space for business owners where they could follow a well-thought-out program with a view to making the most of the business they had put their blood, sweat and tears into. Today, we chat to Damion and Henk Stander, to find out why they do what they do, how they can help other entrepreneurs and we dig a little deeper into who these dynamic men really are. 10
Q1 – What makes you and your business unique? D - Many business coaches tend to come from a background of being retrenched or are ex-corporate – not many have run their own business and have not experienced the ups and downs that are part of this journey. At Optigrowth, we bring our own business owner experience to help them run
If you don’t make a difference, you don’t matter. -Henk Stander
D – They lose their purpose because many can’t articulate them. Many business owners don’t actually know how to describe their differentiator into words. H – There are too many, and it becomes overpowering-listening from all these experts they drown you in acronyms and snippets and knowledge. We try to steer away from that and instead help you filter through the massive amounts and get to what works for you and your business. In the end, we practice what we preach.
their business. I am the critical thinker, always pushing boundaries, attacking, finding perspective and the risk-averse possibilities. H – Optigrowth addresses a gap in the market. We are not coaches but rather there to focus on the levels of business and form a deeper relationship with business owners. As for my uniqueness, I am good at looking at businesses differently, seeing the opportunity, and how to make it work. I very seldom start something if I can’t practically implement a plan or solution for it.
Q4 – Let’s go back to when you were 20, what advice would you give your younger self now?
Q2 – Are you a smart worker, or do you give pure hard work? D – I am a naturally lazy person, so in essence a smart worker, and I am always looking for easier ways to do things. H – A smart worker. Lazy by nature. If you look at my desk, you will find zero papers on my desk – I like clean and neat. Damion is the last-minute guy. D – Ha! Last-minute, yes, but I produce great work anyway!
D – I was a student – jolling! – so, I say keep having fun while you can and don’t focus too much on the money – focus on what you’re good at – the money will follow. H – Save! Every month put away money – even if a small % - put it away for that rainy day. In my day, you had to stick it under your pillow – cash was king – today not so much. You have options nowadays, so start sooner than later. D – Yeah, and I think a subject that is very undervalued and it should be taught in the school curriculum, is some
Q3 – What are your thoughts on buzz words like USP – Differentiator – Understanding your Why? Q&A
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I don’t like people who just tell you what they want you to hear. I like good critical discussions – people who are firm in their opinions – open-minded – I value balance and family too – those who are inquisitive and want to make a change. H – The one thing I value is sincerity and transparency – someone who is open and frank. If I engage with a customer to sell our services, I try to get them to engage with me to develop trust. I’ve been this way since the beginning.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. -Damion Stander
thing like Business Economics, but touching on interest rates, why does the Reserve Bank change the interest rates, what is the effect of a fixed CPI? This is the basis of most economics and what should be taught in school really. H – Yes. True. I did save from young but wish I had done more.
Q7 – What failures in your life have taught you valuable lessons?
Q5 – Would you rather be extraordinary but always late or mediocre but always on time?
D – I got fat! … mostly from working too hard - I had no balance in my life and was too stuck in my career. I let go of happiness – that was before I was 30. Now I train three times a week - take a holiday – it’s the reason why we started our new business. It’s a big part of what we offer our clients – help them find self and balance. H – Shew, okay, let me think.
D – Extraordinary but always late – I never want to be average. I never want to be that guy doing the mediocre things - I don’t mind making an entrance, even if late. H – Extraordinary, but always late. Q6 – What qualities do you value in a person, and do you find you gravitate towards people with these values?
D – What about working with family, that bad experience? H – Yes, we worked with family a while ago, and
D – Straight shooters. 12
Q&A
it didn’t work in that instance, mixing family with business. It could have worked, looking back, if I had handled it differently. Today, Damion, Barbara and I work very well together.
however, I like helping a client build their business up. I will leave the getting of business to someone else, like Henk. H - I’m a very good salesman, so a hunter. I can take a nurtured customer and turn it into money quite easily.
Q8 – Do you have a morning routine, and if so, how does it help you with your day?
Q10 – What is your superpower – both human and dystopian world?
D – I actually think my evening routine is better, but here you go - I wake up, brush my teeth, grab a cup of coffee and head to the gym to coach CrossFit – and while I’m coaching I plan my day out in my head. My evening routine is more relevant to me though – I do my own CrossFit session, take my puppy for a walk, and then have total me time – no communicating, some TV and zoning out. H – My energy is best in the morning, so I take time to catch up on news, and check my plans for the day. If something throws my attention off in the morning, then I feel out of control, and my day doesn’t work out well.
D – Definitely not invisibility – I find that creepy, along with mind-reading. I think I would like to be Superman. Besides that he is a damn good looking guy, he has great morals. My human superpower is that I am able to build a good plan, strategize and I’m great at delegating. H – Flexibility – in life and mind – I have the ability not to hold on to anything that doesn’t add value to my life, like I don’t have regrets. TAKE UP THEIR SPECIAL OFFER OF R1500 P/M GROUP MASTERMIND Group Webinars via Zoom x2 a mth• Hand-outs & File Sharing • Knowledge Sharing • Business Testing• Implementation Consultations• Networking Opportunities
Q9 – Would you say you are a hunter or a gatherer, and why? D – Definitely a gatherer – I’m not a very good salesman – Henk says I talk myself in and out of deals in minutes,
www.optigrowth.co.za Q&A
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“Build & leave a legacy”
14
TO PERSONAL BRAND
or not?
BY LISA BELL
PEOPLE DEAL WITH PEOPLE ... PERIOD!
And, while I will be the first to tell you that your company brand is important, building your own personal brand can be just as important.
No matter your reason, there are a few key rules on creating your personal brand:
Many people will build their personal brand BECAUSE they want to separate themselves from their company brand. They may want to represent themselves independently while the business carries on, and possibly is taken over by new owners or handed down to family. Most will have a real purpose for wanting a personal brand. Perhaps they wish to launch becoming a speaker or they have a message and motivation they want to bring across with thought leader pieces. Think Oprah Winfrey – Think JLo – Think Tony Robbins – they all have created a personal brand and built their businesses around it instead of the other way round.
KNOW YOUR WHY Old Simon is on to something for sure, because all good things require you to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Ask yourself why you want to build a personal brand. As with business, your personal brand needs to be focused on a niche – both the offering and the target market. When you know what that is, you can start to etch yourself into your ideal market setting. CONSISTENCY IS KEY Focus on what you want from this and stick to it. And, be consistent in your communications. Commitment to your goal means speaking about it at every chance, through digital posting, mailers, networking and all dealings with the public.
FEATURE
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AUTHENTICITY WILL GAIN FOLLOWERS It stands to reason, as this is your own brand, that you need to be genuine in all your approaches. This leads us back to the beginning where you craft and mould your brand. From the name to the logo and all the pretty that goes with that, ensure it shouts you- you – you! People will connect easier with you if you are authentic. STORIES SELL With that, you should have a story. If you don’t have one, then perhaps building a personal brand is not for you. However, having said that, I believe everyone has a story. There is a trick to finding and cultivating the story and we often sit for hours with clients helping them. Your story may be communicated in the form of the written word, podcasts, videos or through dance. BE POSITIVE If your brand isn’t adding value and bringing positive thoughts to others, then you’re doing it wrong. It may seem like an easy thing to do, but many get caught up in their own troubles and forget that to be a public figure means to be positive. No one wants to hear moans and groans and negative sentiment.
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FEATURE
Go back to your why and use that to push out your positivity. HAVE A MUSE No one says that you must do it on your own and most times you will have looked up to someone during your lifetime. Hold that person close and if it’s possible, get to talk to them, and often. BUILD AND LEAVE A LEGACY Understand that a personal brand is a lifetime affair. Your aim should be more about leaving a legacy than showing off, however often the two overlap. Your brand may ebb and flow – and very well change over the years, but your why should stay the same. Sometimes personal brands come about organically and before you know it, you have created one without knowing it. For others, it requires thought and planning. Either way is not wrong. Both can work – but both need work and patience. A personal brand can be a powerful way of communicating your message and opinion. A personal brand can be your way of solidifying your career and also allowing you to run many different businesses, all the while keeping your own voice intact.
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YOU’VE GOT MAIL! Many businesses cringe at the prospect of sending out mailer campaigns (i.e. emails/mailers) as they themselves are generally inundated with mailers on a daily basis. But, this form of mailing is one of the quickest ways to reach your target audience and the cheapest. 5 EFFECTIVE MAIL TIPS
1
Ughhh!
give them some eye-candy - and keep it relevant and professional
4 5
Keep it simple - 1 focus - make it easy to read and scan - people just don’t have time to read. Make your call to action clear, concise and powerful - don’t be too pushy - don’t instruct - rather encourage - if you’ve done 1-4 correctly, they should want to reach out and book, buy or find out more.
Personalise your mailer - not only with the ‘Hi Lisa’ part, but also the content - ensure the content connects with the people you’re sending it out to - that may mean you need to segment your audience
2
ake your subject line catchy M and click-worthy - this is the 2nd part they see (the first being your name) - this doesn’t mean use click-bait style subject headings (i.e. shocking but not true) - think of why you would open a mailer - what text would make you click through
3
Use a clear and engaging graphic - past the header or before the header - we are a visual nation -
THE BIZZ BUZZ
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Coach me!
Merritt
C
ol
te let
THRIVALIST LIFE COACH
Collette brings over 20 years of invaluable local and international corporate experience. Using various tools & techniques clients work with her to move from surviving to THRIVING! Focusing on Team Dynamics & Intentional Leadership.
B E H AV E YOURSELF! So, you are busting your @$$ to keep your business together through COVID-19 season, right? Staff issues are amplified; cash flow is in crisis because demands dropped during lockdown; and you moved from a team of 9 in your modest workspace to feeling like it’s all on you. Fuel to the fire - working from your living room with the kid’s e-Learning at the same time draining the zoom bandwidth - add to that a smattering of load shedding and no wonder you’re growling at your team members on the phone! Are you going through difficult times? – YES! Are you 20
frustrated? – YES! Are you scared – YES! But, taking it out on your staff or team members, who are carrying the same concerns, is not the solution! Why? Because, when you signed up to launch into the brave frontier of being a business owner, maybe without realising it, you signed up to be a leader. You took on the challenge to lead your team; and particularly in a small business, the relationships are tight, and they run deep. So how do you SHOW UP as a Leader in these challenging times in your business? •C larity On Deliverables Present your people with very clear directives about what is happening; today, this week and next week, because things are fluid right now and clear
COACH ME!
deliverables and instructions are needed for everyone; •D ouble Down On Your Wellness Keep those blood sugar levels even. Erratic spikes in sugar levels can make you more irritable and shorten your fuse. Ensure healthy eating and snacks are on hand, to keep the spikes at bay; •M anage Your Stress We inadvertently snap at others when we are feeling frayed at the edges. So, what do you do to decompress in the moment? Run, swim (brrr because August), meditate, take part in Nia, Zumba or whatever’s your zen thing. Make sure you are putting that on your agenda e.v.e.r.y.d.a.y; •B e AWARE of Your Triggers Self-awareness and understanding the things that make you go pop, is key to harnessing a strategy to your triggers. Know your triggers, understand the circumstances and then put a plan in place to traverse them;
our businesses does not mean we don’t have anyone to answer to and that we can behave as we like—quite the opposite. We have staff and colleagues that look to us, not only for guidance through these challenging times but also for HOW we are handling ourselves through these challenges. If it’s needed, apologise or open a discussion around “the situation” with them, with a commitment to handle it better next time. Yes, times are tough, but these are the moments when a leader is shaped. People, your staff, your clients and your colleagues are not only looking at what you are delivering but HOW you are doing it. Now is a great time to hone your Leadership Style. Step into your leadership, because leadership is not a title … it’s a state of mind.
•O wn The Error If you do snap at someone or make a decision that you could have handled better, own it and remediate. Owning and running
COACH ME!
If you would like to work with Collette Merritt from Be The Change Coaching around Team Dynamics & Intentional Leadership, CONTACT www.btccoaching.co.za
21
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Lisa Bell
Kreatively Yours
by Krystin Morgenrood
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOGO! CONSISTENCY =
SEPARATES YOU
MEMORABLE
FROM THE
COMPETITION
BRAG BRAG BRAG
WHY NOT?! DIFFERENTIATE
YOUR BUSINESS
And, make sure your logo is versatile and relevant!
KREATIVELY YOURS
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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! ... WHEN YOU HAVE A BOOK!
The Greatest Salesman in the World by OG Mandino What you are today is not important, for in this runaway best seller you will learn how to change your life by applying the secrets you are about to discover in the ancient scrolls.
RECOMMENDED BY Donovan Bell
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MUST READ
Everything Is F*cked: A Book about Hope by Mark Manson With his usual mix of erudition and where-the-f*ck-did-thatcome-from humor, Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven’t considered before.
RECOMMENDED BY Damion Stander
My life and rugby The autobiography by Eddy Jones Written with Donald McRae, twice winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award and three-time Sports Feature Writer of the Year, My Life and Rugby is the story of one of the most compelling and singular figures in rugby. Told with unflinching honesty, this is the ultimate rugby book for all fans of the sport.
RECOMMENDED BY Henk Stander
MUST READ
25
The Rules to Break by Richard Templar Richard Templar, an international bestselling author, exposes the most common phoney rules, explains what’s wrong with them and then offers a refreshing alternative and a new way of thinking. Above all, he’ll help you master the ability to truly think for yourself, so that you can follow a path that you’ve chosen, rather than blindly following someone else’s.
RECOMMENDED BY Lisa Bell
The 5-second rule by Mel Robbins The 5 Second Rule is a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all facewe hold ourselves back. The secret isn’t knowing what to do-it’s knowing how to make yourself do it.
RECOMMENDED BY Collette Merritt
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MUST READ
The Upside of Down by Bruce Whitfield A robust mindset is the one common characteristic Bruce Whitfield has identified in two decades of interrogating how South Africa’s billionaires and start-up mavericks think differently. They are not naive Pollyannas. They don’t ignore risk or hope that problems will go away. They constantly measure, manage, consider and weigh up opportunities in a tumultuous sea of uncertainty and find ways around obstacles.
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“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself Any direction you choose.” - Dr. Seuss
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THANK YOU
for indulging us with your time ... ... ISSUE 2 RELEASING 1 SEPTEMBER, The Shape of your Business
DISCLAIMER Despite the constant care and attention that we devote to the structure of this magazine and the information it contains, The Word Architect and it’s various contributors (hereinafter collectively referred to as: TWA & Contributors) cannot guarantee the completeness, accuracy of the data and content of the magazine, nor that it is up to date at all times. TWA & Contributors, therefore, accept no liability for any direct or indirect damage of any kind whatsoever that arises from, or is in any way related to, the use of the content or its accessibility or lack thereof. The assertions and opinions expressed in articles and announcements in this magazine reflect the views of the author(s) and do not (necessarily) reflect the views of The Word Architect and the other contributors. TWA & Contributors can in no way whatsoever be held responsible for the content of such opinions nor can it be held liable for any direct or indirect damage that may arise from such views. TWA & Contributors cannot guarantee that the information in this magazine is suitable for the purpose for which you consult it. All information, products and services are offered in the condition in which they actually are and without any (implicit) guarantee or warranty in respect of their reliability or suitability for a particular purpose or otherwise. The information in this magazine is regularly supplemented and/or modified. TWA & Contributors reserves the right to make any changes with immediate effect and without providing any notice thereof.
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