Breaking Out with Jared Lesar

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In the Season 1 finale, we sit down with Lindile Ndzaba, the founder of Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines, the newest addition to the wine scene in the Western Cape, South Africa. By partnering with winemakers from across the Cape, Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines is aiming to bring the kind of high-quality wine you might find in Cape Town’s finest bars and restaurants to areas like Lindile’s home neighbourhood of Khayelitsha. For too long, communities like Khayelitsha have been underserved by the wine-making industry and Lindile is on a mission to change that.

After starting out in the hospitality industry scrubbing floors and cleaning glasses, Lindile developed a love and appreciation for wine and the business of wine. By 'stealing with his eyes', he learnt as much as he could about how to start a wine label and has now turned a side hustle into a truly exciting gem of a brand that is very quickly taking the wine-drinking scene in South Africa by storm.

If you want to learn how to manage a side hustle while holding down a full time job, or learn a little bit more about the wine industry in South Africa, this is the episode for you. Prepared to be inspired!

Jared and Lindile discuss a number of topics:

Starting a wine label (6:00)
Growing up in Khayelitsha and being exposed to wine culture (9:00)
The challenges of running a side hustle and learning along the way (15:20)
Disrupting the wine industry and changing perceptions about wine and Khayelitsha (27:15)
Upskilling oneself, building relationships and self-learning (35:20)

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On this episode, I sit down with Ezlyn Olivia Barends, the founding director of the South African chapter of the DreamGirls Academy. The DreamGirls Academy is a female mentorship and empowerment organisation which supports young women all across South Africa from economic dependency to self-sufficiency through education and entrepreneurship in the tech and innovation sectors. Before co-founding the DreamGirls Academy, as a young social entrepreneur, Ezlyn headed up the D.A.D Fund, an NGO started by her father which aims to develop future leaders.

Ezlyn is a career coach, mentor, speaker and blogger and has an impressive CV which includes an MBA, a certification in Impact Investing from Oxford University. She’s been recognised, among other things, on the coveted Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans list and named a World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

At a pivotal moment in her working career, Ezlyn made the choice to leave a corporate job to do NGO work with the D.A.D Fund and DreamGirls Academy. A major element of her career so far has been about following her curiosities to find purpose and meaning in her life and work, and she had many quotable words of advice to share about how to go about doing so!

Jared and Ezlyn discuss a number of topics:

The importance of education and choosing a career path (5:15)
Leaving Corporate and joining the D.A.D Fund (7:40)
Following your curiosity to find purpose in your work (10:50)
Founding the DreamGirls Academy in South Africa (18:00)
Making the decision to leave corporate and advice for starting your side hustle (26:40)
Leaning into your unique essence and dealing with burnout (36:00)

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On this episode, I sit down with South Africa's latest young export to the USA in the performing arts, Keenan Tyler Oliphant.

Keenan is a Cape Town born theatre-maker and director currently in New York at the prestigious Columbia University in New York studying for his MFA in Directing for Theatre. In 2021, Keenan was named as one of the Directing Fellows for the Drama League in New York, putting him among other illustrious names like the late Chadwick Boseman. Keenan is also a founding member of Mixing Bowl Productions, a Cape Town based theatre company which produces music theatre and has directed productions at numerous festivals around New York, as well as being a performer himself and an accomplished vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.

Like so many people, Keenan's dream of going to study theatre directing in the US was nearly derailed by a lack of funding. After succeeding through the arduous interview and audition process to get into Columbia, Keenan needed to raise USD96,000 to demonstrate proof of funding to the US government to get his study visa. Unable to secure scholarships or grants, Keenan rallied friends and family to successfully raise funds through a crowdfunding campaign to make his dream a reality.

If you'd like to find out more about the world of theatre and life as a performing artist, and whether to use crowdfunding as a platform for raising funds, this is the episode for you!

Jared and Keenan discuss a number of topics:

Studying and working as a theatre director in New York (3:00)
His journey to Columbia University (14:15)
Crowdfunding to realise your dreams (23:15)
Pursuing a career in the performing arts (35:35)
The business of theatre and lessons learnt (40:30)

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Building the latest new disruptive start-up these days is something glamorous and often celebrated. But what happens when your business fails? How do you pick yourself up after setbacks and start over as you continue to pursue your mission?

On this week's episode, I chat to Arthur Attwell who is on a mission to change the book publishing industry. Arthur is the co-founder and MD of Electric Book Works, a Cape-Town based book publishing innovation company that is helping bring book publishing into the digital age. Arthur is a Shuttleworth Foundation fellow and serial business starter - apart from Electric Book Works, Arthur is also the co-founder of Book Dash, an organisation devoted to improving youth literacy, Bettercare, an open-access healthcare publisher and Paperight, an award-winning experiment in distributed print on-demand.

After founding Paperight in 2009, Arthur set out to disrupt the book publishing and distribution model by making print on-demand a key part of the print media distribution chain. Despite receiving widespread acclaim for their work, Paperight unfortunately closed in 2014. But that wasn't the end of the journey for Arthur - by returning to his creativity, Arthur regained his confidence and continued his mission with his other ventures. If you've experienced setbacks in building a business and want to find out how to rebuild, or would like to learn more about the book publishing industry, this is the episode for you!

Arthur is also the host of his own podcast, How Books are Made, where he speaks to book-making leaders about the art and science of making books. Go ahead and check it out!

Jared and Arthur discuss a number of topics:

Getting into Book Publishing as a Career (3:30)
Being a serial entrepreneur and founder (5:00)
The Paperight Story - disrupting the book publishing and distribution industry (8:00)
Starting over after when your business fails (19:20)
Electric Book Works (23:00)
Book Dash and the mission of bringing new books to every kid in South Africa (33:30)
Advice for anyone looking to start their own business (39:00)

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Before you listen to this episode, make sure you first listen to my full interview with Allan van der Meulen - The Power of Choice and Destroying Stereotypes: The Zlto Story!

On this bonus episode, I chat to Allan van der Meulen, co-founder of Zlto, about a pressing problem for impact ventures and impact investing: reporting. For a corporate or impact investor, being able to quantify and accurately measure and report on the impact of their investment is crucial to justifying an investment to funders. The way that Zlto has overcome this on their platform is genius and I wanted to find out more from Allan about this.

If you're an impact investor, are looking to build your own social enterprise or just want to find out more about Zlto, this bonus episode is for you!

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In this special Youth Day episode, I sit down with Allan van der Meulen, the co-founder of Zlto. Zlto is a fintech start-up that has designed a platform that uses blockchain tech to incentivise positive behaviour and deeds amongst youth by rewarding users with digital currency that can be used to buy things like groceries, electricity and airtime and in doing so, helping reduce unemployment by allowing young people to develop skills and work experience. Allan co-founded Zlto as a teenager but his journey started out after a happy accident looking for a jazz cafe led him to RLabs, a non-profit innovation lab which empowers the youth through teaching tech skills. Growing up in Mitchell's Plain on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, an area notorious for poverty, gangsterism and drugs, Allan's story encapsulates the difficulties faced by many young people in South Africa but also illustrates that it is possible to break out one of the most problematic walls that many face - circumstance.

By surrounding himself with the right people, constantly learning and actioning his desire to change his community, Allan and Zlto are restoring dignity to the young people of South Africa by giving them the most valuable gift: choice. Too often youth from areas like where Allan has come from are stereotyped as not being capable of achieving something greater than where they've grown up, but Allan and Zlto are helping young people shatter those stereotypes. There are lots of quotable moments in this interview and you are sure to be inspired!

Jared and Allan discuss a number of topics:

What is Zlto and why does it exist? (3:10)
How Zlto gave hope during the COVID-19 pandemic (10:00)
Looking for a jazz cafe and finding a future - the founder story of Zlto (15:30)
The limitations of growing up on the Cape Flats and gaining a greater perspective of the world outside (27:15)
The power of choice in breaking out of poverty and circumstance (35:20)
Destroying stereotypes while at the same time embracing them (41:45)

Be sure to check out a special bonus episode for additional content from my interview with Allan!

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On this week's episode, host Jared Lesar, pauses to reflect on the journey of the podcast so far and some of the lessons learnt from his guests. He unpacks some of the themes that cut across each of the guests' stories: everyone has their own walls and the struggle to break out of them is not unique; finding purpose and fulfilment in your vocation is a worthwhile pursuit; and creating meaningful connections with people who matter is something we all need to be doing more of.

Jared also discusses, briefly, the concept of Ikigai - your reason for being. If you'd like to learn more about Ikigai, we highly recommend checking out this Ted Talk and this article

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If you watch local South African TV and film content, chances are you've come across some of Bradley Joshua's work. Bradley is the CEO and Executive Producer at Gambit Films, an independent multi-award winning film and TV production company. Gambit Films has produced acclaimed South African films like Noem My Skollie, Nommer 37, Ellen, The Ellen Pakkies Story as well as loved local TV series like Suidooster. Most recently, Bradley produced TV series Blood and Water, which is only the second SA-produced show to be distributed on Netflix and he is the producer and executive producer for numerous other film and TV series produced by Gambit. Bradley's professional life started with qualifying as a mechanical engineering followed by a stint in a corporate role at Chevron, but it was after assisting his brother Daryne Joshua and the other co-founders of Gambit Films with the business side of film and TV that he found his passion of producing films and TV. If you're looking for the inspiration to take a risk on yourself or want to understand more about a career in film and TV production, this is the episode for you!

Jared and Bradley discuss a variety of topics:

What exactly does an executive producer do? (2:40)
Entrepreneurship in film and TV (5:45)
Finding purpose with faith (12:45)
His journey to Gambit Films, identifying a gap in the SA market and the start-up days of a film studio (20:00)
The importance of telling South Africa's stories to the world (30:00)
Advice for building a career in film and TV in SA (38:55)

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Imraan Samuels, co-founder of Guerilla House, speaks about his journey from dropping out of high school to becoming an award-winning permaculture practitioner and co-founding one of South Africa's leading urban permaculture platforms. Guerilla House is a registered NPO which operates as a shared learning platform for the experimentation and pursuit of regenerative technologies and regenerative worldviews using permaculture as a framework. Imraan has appeared on a number of platforms to discuss permaculture and Guerilla House, including Cape Talk Radio, and he and co-founder Josh Potgieter were honoured at the 2019 Eco-Logic Awards winning gold for their work with Guerilla House. Imraan's story illustrates the importance of self-learning and listening to the voice of your heart to pursue your passions. If you want to learn about permaculture or how to break out of traditional notions of learning and career paths, this is the episode for you.

Jared and Imraan discuss a variety of topics:

What is permaculture? (3:10)
Guerilla House using permaculture as a framework for driving sustainable living (7:00)
Getting back to "Zone Zero" (15:05)
Dropping out of high school and self-learning (19:30)
Bringing the fight against climate change closer to home (35:00)
Listening to your heart's call (40:10)

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Frans Cronje, co-founder and CEO of DataProphet, talks us through how he went from a promising career in management consulting having studied Actuarial Science to co-founding one of South Africa's leading AI companies. DataProphet develops machine learning solutions which enable manufacturers to significantly increase production efficiencies. DataProphet has been named as one of the most promising AI start-ups in the world by CB Insights, and Frans has been invited to present at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Until only recently in South Africa, there was very little in the way of formal education in AI and machine learning, and like Frans and his co-founders, many of today's AI experts are self-taught. You'll hear the word "pioneer" feature heavily in this episode, as Frans and the DataProphet team have built a successful business in an uncertain space where there was a nascent market and very little available technical expertise. If you're interested in learning about a career in AI and machine learning, or how to build a business in a new and untested field, this is the episode for you.

Jared and Frans discuss a variety of topics:

DataProphet, AI and machine learning (3:10)
Industry 4.0 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (5:50)
Frans' entrepreneurial roots and the founder story of DataProphet (10:20)
Self-teaching machine learning (18:15)
The highs and lows of being a tech pioneer (23:05)
Reflections on the early days of a start-up (27:15)
Focusing on purpose rather than milestones (33:50)

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South African costume designer, Eulyn Colette Hufkie, walks us through how her passion for costume and fashion design took her all the way to the USA and a successful career designing costumes for film and TV. Eulyn is best known for her award-winning work on 6 seasons of hit TV series, The Walking Dead, but she has worked on a number of other notable projects like Hell Fest, The Purge, The Resident and Forever My Girl. While studying accounting at UCT, http://www.eulyn.com/ discovered her true calling was designing fashion and costumes and got her first job in design working for free. Sacrifice and hard work paid off as Eulyn has since worked with top designers and incredible filmmakers like Frank Darabont during her career. Eulyn's experience growing up in South Africa as a person of colour under Apartheid also inspires her to use costume design as a form of storytelling to actively break down stereotypes through her characters.

Jared and Eulyn discuss a variety of topics:

Working on The Walking Dead with Frank Darabont (4:55)
Breaking out of stereotypes through costume design as a form of storytelling (10:00)
Getting her first opportunity in fashion design (13:40)
How she switched careers from accounting to costume design (18:00)
Moving to the USA to pursue her passion (24:00)
The challenges of being a South African working in US film and TV (34:00)
Embracing your uniqueness and the value of being proud of who you are (37:00)

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Dalin Oliver, comedian and sports presenter on Goodhope FM, discusses his improbable journey as a high school mathematics and history teacher to becoming one of South Africa's most loved comedians and voices on radio. His comedy shows "I Came, I Taught, I Left", "Face for Radio" and "Day Zero: the Water Shortage Comedy Tour" have each had very successful runs and are currently available for viewing on Showmax. Dalin also made his on-screen debut in a lead starring role in the action comedy movie Finders Keepers in 2017. Dalin's story truly illustrates the value of perseverance, investing in yourself and grabbing your opportunities with both hands when they come; his start in radio came while at university by him entering a campus DJ search on a dare and it was while procrastinating before studying for an exam that the seeds of the comedy persona of https://dalinoliver.com/ was born. If ever you needed proof that taking your shot will reap rewards, then this is the episode for you!

Jared and Dalin discuss a variety of topics:

The meaning of success as a comedian (8:20)
Vin Diesel and comedy being rooted in self-deprecating humour (15:45)
He Came, He Taught, He Left...literally! From teaching to comedy (22:37)
Intergenerational trauma and its effects on career choices (29:40)
Sexy Chick - Dalin's big break (32:45)
Authenticity and being comfortable with yourself and your accent (43:15)
Persevering when there's no clear career path to progression (45:20)

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Glenn Kisela, the Creative Director of NiBBLE Esports, talks about his journey from studying finance to co-owning one of South Africa's premier Esports organizations. Esports, short for 'electronic sports', is a form of online gaming that has transformed traditional gaming into a full-blown spectator sport and is now firmly part of mainstream media worldwide. Although Glenn always had a love for gaming, it was after becoming a prominent gaming columnist and advertising guru that Glenn first became involved with https://nibbleesports.co.za/ It hasn't always been an easy road and Glenn's story highlights the importance of having a passion and love for your craft. Jared and Glenn discuss a variety of topics:

The Esports industry worldwide and in South Africa (5:50) Venture capital funding in Esports (10:15) Going from studying finance to Esports and gaming (20:15) What is an Esports organisation and how to build a career in Esports (30:25) Glenn's struggles in the gaming scene and introduction to NiBBLE (34:30) Diversity in the gaming industry (40:00) The importance of passion and love for your craft (44:20) Gaming as a powerful medium for storytelling (48:00)

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Sarah Collins, founder of Wonderbag, unpacks her incredible journey to founding a multi-million dollar global social enterprise focused on empowering women and impacting climate change. Raised in rural South Africa during Apartheid, from a young age Sarah was confronted by inequality and injustice and it was then that a burning desire to change the world around her, and the inspiration for https://www.wonderbagworld.com/ was born. Jared and Sarah discuss a variety of topics:

What is the Wonderbag? (3:30) How Wonderbag alleviates the effects of poverty in Africa (7:35) Building a Carbon Credits business model (16:30) Life as a young Sarah Collins and her fight against the Apartheid government (38:00) Finding her purpose in life (56:00) Advice for young women looking to change the world (1:07:15)

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Listen to host, Jared Lesar, about the inspiration behind Breaking Out and his personal journey to starting this podcast.

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Breaking Out with Jared Lesar: Recent Episodes

Jared Lesar