A-Game Business Podcast: Recent Episodes
A-Game™ Business Consulting (Pty) Ltd
At A-Game Business we believe every founder and entrepreneur deserves a thriving business. But getting there comes with many challenges most cannot overcome.
Join business and brand strategist, digital marketer and author, KK Diaz, every Monday as he interviews his A-Game Guests and pulls back the curtain on topics relating to business strategy, marketing, leadership, technology and more.
If you believe your business has potential and with the right information and guidance you too can thrive, then tune into the A-Game Business Podcast to learn, connect, share and achieve the success you deserve.
https://agamebusiness.com/podcast/
In this episode, I interviewed Ilario Savi, HubSpot’s Principal Channel Account Manager for Africa. We talk about the connected customer, digital transformation and working on the expansion of HubSpot's Solution Partners across the Sub-Saharan African territory.
Ilario’s been working in B2B Tech Sales since 2010. As a world nomad, he lived in the Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Ireland and briefly in Ghana. He’s passionate about education and proudly holds an MBA in Innovation and Data Analysis.
His mission is to "Empower through Technology": He’s motivated by being able to help Business Partners with their digital transformation projects and by doing so, facilitates a social paradigm shift.
Enjoy
Next week is Global Entrepreneurship Week 2022. I’m dedicating this solo podcast episode to all the hustling, innovative, hard-working, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs out there.
And just to be clear, an entrepreneur is not just someone starting out, or a small business owner. But it includes the multi billionaires who’ve achieved global success and are still practicing as entrepreneurs.
This episode is the first of many solo efforts where I’m going to continue sharing how we think about and approach the four stages of entrepreneurial business development, marketing, leadership, and personal development.
Enjoy
Kim Meredith is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, sales strategist, author, negotiator and dealmaker. 17 years ago she founded The Dealmaker Company where she worked with blue chip companies on every continent and helped them drive revenues and to improve profits.
Having held executive positions in business since the late 1980s and becoming one of the highest paid women on the African continent, one of her last corporate positions was with a top Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed information technology group, where she spent four years on the main board as Executive Director of Strategy.
During this time, she was responsible for international strategy including actively driving negotiations for key mergers, acquisitions and disposals.
In this episode we talk secrets to effective negotiation and dealmaking, how women can get better at the art of dealmaking, as well as the natural negotiation skills we’re born with but lose along the way.
Alan Newman is a business psychologist who applies insights from the world of psychology to business - with a particular focus on two areas; behavioural economics and entrepreneurship.
His corporate clients come primarily from the areas of insurance and reinsurance.
In this episode he shares not so obvious insight about human and customer behaviour.
Apologies for the less than great audio quality. We recorded it live at a noisy conference media room during the conference.
Enjoy
Mongezi Mtati is a Digital Marketing Strategist, Content Creator, Podcaster and Keynote Speaker.
Since 2008, he has played, worked and built campaigns across the internet with a focus on digital marketing.
In 2009 he launched the NetwebTV channel on YouTube and podcast aimed at start-ups who wanted to defy the status quo and build meaningful organizations. In its first year the channel featured interviews and thoughts from influential local and international entrepreneurs, including two interviews with best-selling author, Seth Godin.
As the founder of WordStart, a boutique digital marketing outfit that started in 2011, Mtati helps brands with their digital campaigns and strategy while understanding the significance of data. WordStart evolved from a digital word-of-mouth marketing to becoming a specialised digital marketing company with an interest in the role of data for audience engagement.
Mongezi currently serves as Brand Strategist at Rogerwilco, an award-winning digital agency.
Mongezi’s interview with Seth Godin: www.theleadcreative.com/sethgodin
The Township CX Report: https://bit.ly/township-cx-2022
The 2022 South African Digital Customer Experience Report: https://www.rogerwilco.co.za/2022-south-african-customer-experience-report
Africa is the next frontier. In this part 1 interview, I speak with the prolific and legendary Saul Molobi about his career and new book “De/constructing brand Africa: A Practitioner's Perspective: - a collection of articles with links to podcasts and videos on trade, investment and tourism promotion”.
Saul Molobi is former SA’s Consul-General to Milan and is touted by many as one of the foremost thought leaders on Africa’s competitive identity and public diplomacy with expertise in global marketing (tourism, trade and investment promotion); diplomacy; and the development of cultural industries. His area of specialisation is how a country’s nation brand impacts on consumer and investor decision making.
He is a Fellow of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing; and a member of the Marketing Association of South Africa and the Institute of Marketing Management (an affiliate of the African Confederation of Marketing).
In 2020, the World CEO Rankings Board nominated him as the “World CEO of the Year”. Then the World Brand Congress bestowed upon Brandhill Africa the Brand Leadership Award 2021.
In this interview we explore leadership, multi-disciplinary skills and the opportunities around the ‘African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To get a copy of Saul Molobi’s new book “De/constructing brand Africa”, visit:
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https://www.brandhillafrica.com/
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https://www.jamboafrica.online/publishers-comment-a-book-changing-the-narrative-on-brand-africa/
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https://www.amazon.com/constructing-brand-Africa-Practitioners-Perspective-ebook/dp/B0BFNTD32Z/ref=sr_1_1
In this episode of the A-Game Business Podcast, I speak with Audrey Verhaeghe who is the founder and spearheaded the commercialisation of the SA Innovation Summit as a Southern African institution and grew it over 13 years to represent the largest ecosystem in tech-driven start-ups on the African continent. The contribution of the Summit is estimated to be R1.15 billion to the SADC economy in 2019.
Audrey is now chairman of the SA Innovation Summit, Chief Executive Officer of Anza Capital and director at WineTech. And this, is my conversation with her just a few days before the SA Innovation Summit 2022.
Bob Dorf is a rockstar VC and founder coach of digital businesses since 1993. He’s had successful 7 IPO’s.
He helps startups entrepreneurs in three key ways:
1. "Growth coaching" CEO's and teams to get un-stuck or accelerate revenues and business models.
2. Training founders and their teams in 1/2/3-day and 6-10 week boot camps and virtual incubators.
3. Training cadres of startup educators/coaches/mentors in startup ecosystems around the world.
Bob co-authored a global bestseller, the "Startup Owner’s Manual," with Steve Blank. The book is available in 21 languages. He’s also Professor/Coach @Columbia Business School (oh and lifelong entrepreneur).
In this conversation recorded some years ago at the South Africa-held Global Entrepreneurship Congress, Bob and I talk about:
- Product-Market Fit.
- The 3 pillars of a successful startup, and
- The importance of testing everything.
Apologies for the less than great audio quality. We recorded it live at a noisy conference media room during the conference.
Enjoy
Maru-a-Pula School is a distinguished and celebrated school. It was founded in 1972 and was a model for how a multi-racial school could thrive at a time when apartheid was rife in neighbouring South Africa. The founding headmaster, Deane Yates OBE, was a University of Oxford graduate, a former headmaster of St John’s College, Johannesburg and received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand for his pioneering work in education.
163 Maru-a-Pula (MaP) School alumni of the school's pioneering first 20 years, 1972 - 1992, have come together and contributed their stories about their memories of their high school in Gaborone, Botswana.
The stories in Memories of Maru-a-Pula (aka Memories of MaP) come from an illustrious Maru-a-Pula School alumni body of Ivy League and Russell Group university graduates, Botswana’s first female pilot, a former Silicon Valley executive, academics, entrepreneurs, business-owners, authors and others who are leaders in their fields.
The editors of Memories of Maru-a-Pula: The First 20 Years, 1972 - 1992 include:
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Batsho Dambe-Groth: is a member of the MaP Council, an HR professional and has served on a number of boards.
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Glenda Daniels: is an associate professor in the Media Studies Department at the University of the Witwatersrand, is the author of three books and is a member of SANEF.
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Warren Nebe: a founder and a senior lecturer at Drama for Life at Wits, was the head of the Maru-a-Pula Drama Department, is a Salzburg fellow, was a Fulbright scholar and a TEDx speaker.
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Shams Essack: corporate communications & digital marketing consultant + executive & business coach.
To buy the book:
a. In Gaborone and the rest of Botswana, please visit: https://www.maruapula.org/
b. In Johannesburg and the rest of South Africa, contact Shams Essack via email: shams@sessack.co
c. Internationally, the book is also available on Amazon KDP as an eBook and printed book.
Proceeds/profits from the sale of the book will go to the Maru-a-Pula Orphan and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) Scholarship Fund which pays for the tuition and boarding of children who have academic potential to do well at MaP but who don’t have access to funds to pay the school fees.
Other important links:
· MaP official website: https://www.maruapula.org/
· Memories of MaP https://www.memoriesofmap.org/
· The crowdfunding campaign https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/shams-essack
Henning du Preez is a scientist, International TOC (Theory Of Constraints) Expert and Mentor, Managing Director of Goldratt Group South Africa and Co-Founder of TMARA Group.
He helps innovators, startups and investors to find, found and fund emerging new market category kings.
Category Kings = Companies that succeed at creating entirely new markets, industries, or product categories. Eg: Red Bull, Uber, Airbnb and Salesforce.
In this interview, we talk about Henning’s experience working with the late Eli Goldratt, Israeli business management guru and originator of the Optimized Production Technique, and author of the world famous book title ‘Theory of Constraints’, and others.
Henning lives his passion and contributes to solving a big challenge for the world - "the horrendous infant mortality rate of innovation and startups". His basic premise is: Combining the Theory of constraints(TOC) and the Theory of Evolution (TOE) will further this field dramatically
To learn more about TMARA Group and to reach Henning du Preez, visit https://tmaragroup.com/
Mareike Mgwelo is an entrepreneurial minded Design Thinking expert and impact investor with a passion for people, storytelling, and multicultural exchange.
Known for her enthusiasm to empower others to reach their full professional and personal potential with confidence and dignity, Mareike utilises digital tools, creating learning journeys, and developing start-up ecosystems.
In this episode, we discuss her journey to South Africa, marrying into a Xhosa family and working with startup entrepreneurs.
In this episode I’m proud to feature 5 of the entrepreneurs we at A-Game Business are working with through a Tech Tribe and Innovation Summit sponsored 6-months digital marketing support programme.
The entrepreneurs include:
- Prabashnie Ramouthar: Nematologist and Marketer at Nemlab
- Hanita Muthray and Jayshree Ramjee: Co-Founders of Kinetic Therapy
- Rosaria Cedras: Leadership & Communication Specialist at Madam X and Co.
- Aishah Malik: Entrepreneur and Co-Founder at BookliteSA
Listen as we talk entrepreneurship, overcoming challenges, adopting new marketing methodologies and technology as well as great advice for women seeking to start and grow an entrepreneurial business while managing motherhood.
Isabelle Rorke is the leading woman behind the growing male-dominated South African animation industry. She is Deputy Chair of Animation South Africa and head of Social Impact and Human Capital Innovation.
She is also founder and sole owner as well as Executive Producer at Enlightened Poppy Network Pty Ltd (EPN)
Isabelle was co-founder of Anamazing Workshop, founded in 2000. The company’s’ success can be attributed to their ingenuity, creativity, excellent team selection criteria and innovation. Anamazing went on to lead the way in innovative technology manipulation and design of an innovative training initiative that addressed the black and female skills shortage as well as multiple industry problems which previously prevented long form animation from being produced in S.A.
Isabelle Rorke is a multi-award winning business woman with the following accolades, amongst others:
- Best animation at the South African Film and Television Awards,(SAFTA's)
- Regional and National winner of the dti Technology Women in Film Awards, (Twib)
- Gauteng Economic Development - 'Passing the Torch Awards – Winner of the Women in Film category.
- Finalist in the African Pioneers of Prosperity Awards – One of two companies representing South Africa.
- Most Innovative Company in Africa at the Africa growth Institute Awards
- Ubizo the Calling - Best actress, sound design and music in a drama – (SAFTA)
- The Magic Cellar - The first 3D African folk tale series - won 29 Awards globally
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelle-rorke-epn/
Email address: enlightenedpoppy@gmail.com
Mmusi Maimane is a politician, businessman, former Leader of the Democratic Alliance political party, former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa from 29 May 2014 to 24 October 2019, amongst many other significant roles and helped to grow the DA’s voter base by significant numbers.
He has since led the formation of One South Africa Movement in 2020, who’s vision is:
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To create a society in which all men and women regardless of race and background live together peacefully and prosper.
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To bring about economic prosperity in South Africa and realise the dream of a country at peace with itself.
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Government of the people, by the people, for the people.
To learn more about One South Africa, click this link: https://osa.org.za/
Mmusi grew up in Soweto and lived there most of his life. Through sacrifice, hard work, and a desire to use every opportunity afforded to him, he has been building an impressive career in business and has dedicated himself to community work in various ways.
He also worked as a business consultant and trainer with a number of firms in South Africa and internationally. He also lectured at the GIBS Business Institute, University of Pretoria. In addition, he is a philanthropist and used to chair a number of NGO boards.
Mmusi also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and speaks seven South African languages fluently.