That’s right, not only are we taking over all the article space in newspapers and magazines ( ), now we’re taking over the web too!

Have a look at Jules’ article on Persuasive Conversations published on Marketing Web.

As many of you may or may not know, I am currently in my fourth year of my Education Degree. I decided to apply for my Honours in Educational Psychology and have been through a month long selection process.  I was told on Monday that I have been selected as one of the students to take part in the honours programme next year! Exciting Stuff!! Although this is an incredible priviledge, it is also quite scary because it means another year of hard work and sacrifice…….

I have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Avo during my studies.  They have allowed me flexibility and have provided me with such steady support that I feel I would not be where I am today if it was not for the Avos. I also need to thank my wonderful husband for understanding my passion to work with children and for being prepared to encourage me in whatever way that he can.  I am the luckiest girl in the world!

There is a saying that goes something along the lines of ’surround yourself with positive people’.  Well, i say surround yourself with Avos.  They keep you healthy, strong and positive!

I am an experienced business person with a strong information technology background and have extensive general and executive management experience in service related business.

I have strong inter-personal, communication, leadership and entrepreneurial skills and have successfully established, managed and directed several service related businesses which have provided services to many of South Africa’s leading suppliers in this industry.

I sometimes consult to Avocado Vision. I provide a range of training programs which include presentation skills, communications skills, self confidence raising, executive grooming, coaching and interpersonal skills. I also spend time constructing and delivering motivational and inspirational talks. And then in my spare time, I run our company, Ngikwazi Field Marketing…

Well we have to brag!… This past Saturday the Avo’s were lucky enough to enjoy a day at the Vusalela Day Spa. This was Jules’ and Elaine’s way of saying thanks to us all for sticking together through the tough times of the last year.

We spent the day being treated like Kings and Queens (at last!) and were spoiled from head to toe, literally!. Everyone had a good laugh at each other in their white gowns and slippers and had loads of fun being driven around in the little golf carts and getting some much needed jacuzzi time! (That does not include falling in with gown and slippers a la’ Carin…).

The conversation during the day centered around “What treatment did you just have, what was it like?” and comparing notes on how the massages were… .

All in all the Avo’s had a fantastic day and a big thank you to Jules, Elaine and Nomsa for organising such a special day for everyone!. XXX 

I just loved this one: hope you do too.

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination” - Nelson Mandela

There was another article on the Boss of the Year Awards in the Star Workplace yesterday.

The article also congratulates Terry Volkwyn (Boss of the Year) and Jules (Emerging Leader of the Year) on their awards.

What I love about this article though, is that it says “The organisers stress that it is not a businessperson of the year award. It’s aim is to reward leaders who pay special attention to the needs of their employees, inspiring them, nurturing them and making sure they reach their potential.”

Once again,well done to two fantastic ladies!

“Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration - of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.”

Lance Secretan; Industry Week, 10/12/98

It has been about 4 years now since Jules and I met up. The last 4 years has seen Avo grow hugely. If you remember, 4 years ago Avo was just Jules, Grant, Clint, Hanli and Carin. Just a few years later we have 24 team members (at the last count anyway)!

I have watched Jules make the transition from running a tiny business to leading an awesome training and consulting company dedicated to delivering the most inspired training possible. Most people who meet up with Avo are struck by the what we call the Avo culture. It has been described as something between; warm and fuzzy, innovative and fresh, committed and inventive, etc. Clients and associates alike are struck by the dedication of the team towards their clients and each other. This Avo culture  is what  defines Avo and makes it magic.

As Walt Disney said (and as Jules keeps reminding us) “There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the detail.” This is what makes Jules a leader.

Jules runs a tight ship, about that there is no doubt. She could best be described as a detail ‘ball-buster’ who can spot a miscalculation, an uncrossed ‘t’, incorrect punctuation or incorrect grammer from 50 feet! But her ball-busting is because of her ability to visualise the potential of her team. And quite frankly nothing but the best is acceptable to her. She wants the only the very best for her team, and her clients. Nothing less is acceptable.

She probably sees or knows more about what we are capable of than we do. She is able to drive you to fulfill your potential… It is as if she sees the potential hidden within, and focuses all her attention on developing the magic and the power lying within you.

Now most people come into the world seeking to receive rather than to give, yet here is a woman completely centered on providing for others, developing others… She lives and breathes to grow and develop people. Her commitment is to this country and the enormous pools of undiscovered talent that we have here.

Yes, it is easy to give someone a job, but for Jules that is simply not enough. For Jules it is about opening her heart and often her life and her home to those who cross her path. Empowerment for her is not just about making money or giving money. It would be so easy to be committed to just making money and keeping people safe and yourself as well… To serve yourself and your family only.

Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Money is important yes, but true wealth for Jules lays in her ability to inspire,motivate,encourage and develop people one day at a time.

For Jules it is about growing every aspect of the person to empower them so completely that a life is changed forever.

Jules your time has come, it is time to birth FOOTPRINT.

Well done!

Jules, it is time!.
 

Some of our Avo’s recently attended the Boss of the Year awards, and rubbed shoulders with some pretty well known faces (larny hey!).

There was an article on the awards in The Citizen on tuesday. The winner of Boss of the Year was CEO Terry Volkwyn from Primedia.

And guess who won the Emerging Leader of the Year?. That’s right, we are all admiring Jules’ funky glass trophy in the office!

So to these two fabulous women - congrats!!

We had an article in the Star Workplace yesterday on Negotiation Skills.

The article is around how to negotiate in a way that makes both parties happy, that it’s not all about tricks, tactics and games but more about connecting.

To quote: “It’s about two people with different points of view working out a solution”.

It is another brilliant piece by Andre and Jules!.

I love avo’s, whether it’s eating them (the ones from the tree), chatting with them, sharing emotional moments or working with them. It is one of those rare places where you can admit to a cock-up (personal or professional) and know you will get support, encouragement, and a shared laugh.

The first time I became involved with Avo pips I was told I wouldn’t be allowed to leave as the chairs had invisible glue on them. Guys, don’t you know that the glue isn’t necessary. In fact, you would have to invent a pretty potent solvent to remove any of the butts presently occupying the chairs.

My strengths are; Positivity, Relator, Adaptability, Learner and Developer - not what I would have considered strengths in a business environment - but I have learned to think in alternative ways and now realise how powerful those strengths can be. If I can learn to use absolute references with absoute confidence, anything is possible! Like Jenny, I love puzzles, sodukos, riddles, blockwords. I love the process of learning new things, and have little use for the piece of paper that says I can do things. I would rather DO.

I lean towards the practical and logical side and leave the creative musing to people like Andre and Hanli.

I am generally the fixer of things and can often be seen with pliers, a wrench or hammer in my hands (By the way, if any avo pips need their geysers repaired I am available on weekends), and have been know to take a lawnmower apart and reassemble it in working order. (Yes, it is still working 3 years later).

My family are my passion. This include a husband of 33 years (Marraige, not age), 5 children (1 son and 4 daughters), 1 son-in-law and 2 almost sons-in-law and 2 grandchildren. So…..as the more mature member of this environment, a little bowing  will be in order.

I never considered history to be an interesting subject, but now that I have begun researching family history - genealogy - I am hooked. It is bad when you cruise the graveyards before the malls!

My S personality is showing, so I leave you with a thought….. When I start feeling blue……….I start breathing again!