KNOW THE AUTHOR (PART 1) ft Ziyanda Magazi
1. What’s your favourite room in your house/home and why?
Definitely my bedroom. I love sleeping, haha.
2. What is your idea of a restful day? What do you do to unwind and relax?
A restful day for me is being in bed with both my phones off and watching comedy series and animated movies (Yes I sing along to ALL Frozen songs). My work involves a lot of talking and thinking, isolating myself from all of that is restful and helps me to relax.
3. What is your favourite holiday destination and why?
I love backpacking because it’s so minimalistic (like me) and forces you to invest in the experience rather than the aesthetics. However, The Spier Hotel in Stellenbosch is my favourite spot because of where it’s situated and just how classy it is.
4. If there was one male celebrity you could spend a day with, who would it be and why?
Without a doubt Drake. He’s so hot, hahaha. However, if James Harden popped the question, I’d choose him in a split second.
5. What’s the most romantic gift you’ve received from a man?
RESPECT! I’m an acknowledged and appreciated woman and I enjoy that, a lot. A man’s respect is as treasured as his love and hence I find it to be the most romantic gift. Witnessing how a man respects me even when he’s angry, how he respects my boundaries, the respect he has for my contribution, my Faith, my love, etc. is a gift that never stops giving. Although one of my most desired romantic gifts is a Magic Mike performance by my husband, hahaha. I can’t wait to throw R10 notes at him while he dances to Johnny Gill’s My My My, hahaha.
6. Your favourite feature in a man?
Physically — his Arms.
Personality-wise — his humour, humility, and self-control.
Character-wise — his integrity, values, and inclusive leadership style.
7. Three things you’d take with you to a deserted island?
Water, food, and my music collection. In the words of The Mighty Spinners, “But when it comes down to my music, baby that’s where I draw the line. And if you try to separate us, then you ain’t no friend of mine”.
8. Are you a sweet or savoury person?
I have the worst sweet tooth, EVER. I’ve done well over the years in not stocking sugar at home, especially in my fridge. But the fact remains, I am a sweet person and a dessert SNOB.
9. Good music is?
The art of storytelling. Old school music writers, vocalists, instrumentalists, and producers are some of the best storytellers I’ve ever witnessed. Writers were vulnerable and authentic, vocalists respected the writing process and it showed in how well they expressed their art. Then you had producers and instrumentalists who knew how to complement the story and place it on its deserving pedestal. This is why old school music is timeless, artists respected the art of storytelling and they embodied it. That for me makes for great music and hence I am an old soul.
10. What do you do for fun?
I go out with loved ones and laugh till late, haha. My people are so funny man, super cool and the truth is I looooooove great company. It’s not where I am but who I’m with. I also enjoy performing at home to some live music, in my t-shirt with shades on. I highly recommend live music from The O’Jays, Isley Brothers, The Platters, The Bee Gees, Tevin Campbell, Marvin Gaye (his live intro to that something healing song is SICK), etc. In fact, I’ll send you a link to my “Live Music Club” but the important thing is that I have various ways of having fun.
11. What do you love most about being an adult? / The best part of adulting is?
Its permanent versatility. I’ve been an adult since my teens and came across the concept of freedom quite early in life. I was free to do as I pleased but for some odd reason, I had the wisdom to know that being free to make choices did not exempt me from their consequences. That’s why I was very focused and accomplished many things in my youth. I must say, I’m very proud of myself for the exceptional choices I have made and for learning from the poor ones. My early 20s taught me so much about change, failure, and Christ. While my mid-20s taught me a lot about loss, surrender, identity, boundaries, acceptance, and rebirth.
My 30s are currently teaching me to be okay with being different and embrace being myself. I just love how versatile this adulting thing is. As soon as you figure out one thing, another falls apart but with each crack comes a great revelation and I LOVE IT! Also, I am very good at it and value its fruits even though I am not always a fan of the seed season.
12. What do you find challenging about being an adult?
Sho! So many things but I’ll stick to two. The first thing is being comfortable with facing myself. It’s so difficult facing your best and worst traits but it’s very important for being a healthy person, having healthy relationships and it is God honouring. I love how facing myself has taught me that neither my wins nor losses define me and thus I should see both praise and correction as an opportunity to grow rather than accessories for my ego. It’s hard seeing my ugly traits but I’m proud of myself for diagnosing them, acknowledging them, accounting for them, and working on them. I do a lot of internal work because I do not want to be my own worst enemy but the process is hard and often humiliating. I’ve learned to soldier on because I enjoy witnessing the final product. For me, adulthood has meant owning my choices and accounting to those my actions have harmed.
I’m not afraid of reaching out to people and apologizing for what transpired years ago. They may not apologize back for their role but at least I sleep peacefully knowing that my part has been accounted for without projecting or deflecting. I do not just want to be an adult, I want to be a healthy and quality one. It’s a massive challenge to reach my goal but I know it’s worth it.
The second thing is realizing that while I may be committed to facing myself, it does not mean that others are on the same path. There is nothing more difficult than being a witness to adults who project a lot of their internal issues. Adults who’d rather impose on other people’s life stories than work on their own. All in all, It’s really challenging co-existing with adults that are well-spoken externally and yet dwell with unspoken (and unaccounted for) internal toxicity.
13. As you’ve grown, which areas of your life have you become more intentional about?
Every area but one. I’m one of those people that do not want their life to be a consequence of chance but rather of choices. I’m very intentional about being friends with people who share the same values as me and people with an energy for life. I love being around people who are passionate about where God has placed them and thrive in those areas. I am intentional about my career and have been making some very foreign decisions these last few years. I slowed down (extremely) and focused less on being successful and more on being impactful. I’m very blessed with different talents that add great value to my craft. But instead of just going with the flow, I’ve learned to act wisely and allow God to plant my skills where the best fruits will grow. This has meant saying NO to a lot of good opportunities so I can say YES to ones that fit into the path that’s been designed for me.
Finances are also an area where my intentions thrive the most. I am very intentional about money, from how I make it to how I use it. I am a good steward and to not be trapped by debt or spending amnesia, I’ve had to be very intentional about my financial habits for my peace of mind. It also helps that I am not into things, haha. The most important area of my life is my relationship with God and that’s where intention is such a priority. I love that Dude and it’s important for me to nurture our relationship, hence I plant myself where I am to know Him best. When my relationship with God is healthy, every other area becomes healthy too. It’s weird to explain but beautiful to witness.
Closest to that priority is my relationship with myself and my husband. I’m very intentional about who I allow to lead my home and parent with. I’m also very intentional about my healing and growth. I go for counseling regularly so I can be a healthy person, make decisions from a healthy perspective, and account for my choices. Being emotionally healthy affords me the opportunity to be a healthy partner, healthy friend, healthy family member, healthy mother, and a VERY healthy leader.
The worst area is my physical health. It’s the only area in my life where I make more excuses than progress, hahahaha. Overall, being intentional about my life has brought me so much fulfillment and purpose. I’m really proud of myself for being intentional about being a quality human being. I hope I cross the finish line and finally beat my sugar addiction, haha.
14. How would you define your career and what legacy would you love to leave behind in the work that you do?
I’m an entrepreneur and I’d define it as loooong suffering. It’s a lonely job (leadership is lonely) and faces more problems internally than the ones it solves for its clients. I’m not a legacy person but if my running a company that values people over profits would encourage others to do the same, I’d be very happy.
15. Do you find your choice of work fulfilling? Does that matter to you? What about it fulfills you?
My work is in strategy and we’re currently working towards creating new organizational narratives. The fact that I get to define what value is and how it should be communicated to stakeholders is majestic. I am co-creating a new normal and have the talent to sell it. I’m involved in projects that matter, with people who matter, and that matters to me. It’s fulfilling to be planted where I want to be and for being compensated for executing ideas I believe in. My work allows me to show up as myself and I love that.
16. Has your career influenced the person you’ve become, or has your personal growth influenced your career trajectory?
Sho! Good question and the answer is that both areas influence each other. Learning to be wise with business finances gave me insight on how to better manage my personal finances. Learning to lead wisely at work convicted my personal life to follow similar principles. But without a doubt, going for counseling these past few years has upgraded all areas of my life. I’m a much better leader because I face myself without judgment or hate but with courage and grace. I now have much more patience and exercise healthy control. I can now facilitate an environment for people to learn and grow. However, one thing still remains. I do not suffer disrespect or bullying and probably never will. This is consistent in both my career and personal life.
17. Who inspires you?
Shuuu! When I was a teenager it was Oprah Winfrey. I mean how many black women did we witness doing that growing up? I saw someone who looked like me commanding the stage and holding a conversation like a pro. She’s really played a unique role in my life and I respect her very much. She was also the first black person I witnessed crying over their dead dog and that’s when I knew she was definitely not a black person from South Africa, hahahahaha. In my 20s it was Christ (still is), Shonda Rhimes, Carly Fiorina, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, and many of my peers. I now have added myself to the list. My life is a product of the choices I’ve made and I’m so proud of myself for running the race so diligently.
18. What is the greatest career advice you’ve ever received?
Ink The Deal.
19. What is the biggest misconception you had about the world of work?
That running your own business would mean sleeping in. What a lie! It takes years to achieve that level of comfort and entrepreneurs know that every day is a different set of problems. How do you sleep when there are bills to be paid and clients expecting their needs to be met? It’s not the business plan fairytale at all, hahaha. In the world of work, progress takes time.
It takes time to get in, build a reputation, build credibility, and a loyal network. The important thing is to adapt to change, release unfounded expectations, accept disappointment, give yourself grace, make peace with being different in the room and look after your mental well-being. I’m still learning, there’s so much more to learn and I’m young. God willing, I have the time to be wiser.
