The Compounding Advantage
Location: The Tryst | Photography: Kingnee Films | Event: The book launch of "Compounding Advantage"
I never thought my story mattered, but now I do.
I used to compare myself as a founder to other companies, far larger, friends who employed 2000 people. Why would people want to listen to my story?
But then I realized it was not the size of the company we built, but the significance of the lessons we learned.
Last week, I was interviewed by Leanne Manas as an entrepreneur at the book launch of "Compounding Advantage", a remarkable book that is both a mirror and a roadmap for businesses in South Africa.
As Graham Mitchell writes in "Compounding Advantage":
"Entrepreneurial writing often focuses on the end result, profiling only companies that have achieved great success. How-to books try to distil what those companies did to thrive. There is, however, something missing in these books. You hardly ever get to see what the journey looked like".
And that is why my story matters. Because it is no longer my story. It is our story. It is the story of building a business against all odds and how Graham and his team at GROW Business Coaching became part of our remarkable journey.
Twenty-seven years ago, we started a company in the construction sector against all odds. Everyone laughed at us.
But after twelve years, we had won many awards and been featured in entrepreneur magazines, on the radio and on television. We had grown from 2 to 150 employees with a design division, an R&D division, a transport division and a magnificent showroom.
We were not a startup. We were an upstart in our industry. We did things differently. We were there to serve, not to sell. We travelled the world to study global benchmarking and architectural trends. We were building a Soul Brand. We were flying.
And then we crashed. In 2010, we discovered that our trusted bookkeeper of eight years had been defrauding us by R25 million in today's currency.
We were broken. We were not financially broke - there are many layers to the story - but we were broken as leaders.
And that is where our true story begins.
Because from the ashes of that pain, we signed up with Grow Business Coaching. They were instrumental not in rebuilding, but in creating an entirely different company with impeccable systems and a financial reporting structure that very few entrepreneurs discuss.
In fact, financial literacy is one of the biggest holes in entrepreneurial education. That is why I have become an activist for entrepreneurial education.
Last week's book launch was significant because Graham Mitchell's remarkable book, "The Compounding Advantage", shows that leadership is built, not in leaps, but in layers.
We literally lived the journey of
"Compounding Advantage".
We went on to become more conscious leaders, operating in structures and systems. We went on to win more awards. Now we share our story from the wounds of our wisdom to the triumph of our turbulent tale. Because it is a story of scaling that people can relate to.
We went on to build other companies and other joint ventures because, as leaders, we knew that we were no longer impostors. We were warriors.
The fact that last week's book launch was held at Suits and Sneakers Clubhouse in Kramerville was deeply symbolic. The Clubhouse was birthed to be "The Guardian of Small Business in South Africa".
Because entrepreneurs no longer have to walk alone. Entrepreneurship can be the loneliest and hardest journey you might ever walk. You never stop learning, and you never stop growing, even after twenty-seven years.
That is the story I share from the stage and from the page.
We are not in business to make money. That is linear thinking. That is not the science of scaling. We're in the business of a deeper calling in a country where unemployment is now at a staggering 32 percent, where every job feeds a family. Where every small business matters. Now more than ever before.
Small and medium enterprises(SME's) in South Africa contribute approximately 34 - 40 percent of the nation's GDP. These enterprises represent about 91percent of formal businesses and employ roughly 60 percent of the workforce, making them vital drivers of growth, innovation and job creation.
It’s easy to take part in nation-bashing. Nation-building is far harder. It means taking responsibility. How we do one thing is how we do everything. Our identity, as companies, is not our logo or our mission statement on a wall.
It is not the legacy we leave. It is the legacy we live.
We are part of something bigger as entrepreneurs. This is a higher calling.
I was a political activist for 20 years. It shaped the trajectory of my life. It gave me a work ethic that knows no office hours. It gifted me a collaborative style of leadership.
It gave me a deeper why.
Now I am an activist for change.
I am an activist for Entrepreneurial Education.
It's not just about building businesses.
It's about building South Africa, one company at a time.
