It’s 23:30, I have just got home from a long dinner after a hard day of pounding the pavement, but I can’t sleep! My head is spinning, my imagination on another planet and I can almost taste success! I have just come home from the Business Women of the Year Award 2009.

A room filled with 1100 powerful people of South Africa and majority being women, just to name a few, our host, Basetsana Khumalo (Former Miss SA, President of the Business Women Association), Maria Ramos (Former CEO of Transnet, now CEO of ABSA), Venete Kleine (CEO of Retail Banking, ABSA), newly elected Minister of Women, Youth and people with Disabilities Nolthando Mayenda-Sibiya.

My favourite feeling in the ENTIRE world is to feel like a drop in an ocean of possibility, just one of the reasons I would love to move to New York. Tonight I felt that blissful, almost overwhelming feeling in my seat right here In Johannesburg. I have never experienced an accummelative amount of wisdom, humbleness yet confident beyond words.

As each nominee spoke, I stared, listened, hoped, admired ! Admired them for the journey that they have travelled to get to this point in their careers, every story unique, humble and mind blowing. The message was clear, love yourself enough to believe in your ability, apply excellence to everything that you do and pull others with you as you rise!

As a young women who would like to leave a legacy, tonight was about confirming that opportunities are ripe, mentors and role models are plentiful and my dreams ought to be as big as ever because what is achievable is even greater!

I was rooting for all 6 nominees in the 2 categories-just doing what they do is an achievement, never mind being nominated! But my heart skipped a beat when I heard Venete Kleine’s nomination speech, her stand on Women Empowerment, family and her humble, confident approach to life and work-where she has over 40 000 people under her!

This is the same lady who afforded me a introductory meeting, (I tried to see if there is a place for Avo in ABSA Retail Banking) treated me as a fellow executive when I arrived and was humble enough to greet me with a compliment :”You are still as beautiful as the day you were crowned” she said to me, before we got started, I was blown away, I was suppose to be her groupie!

I was ecstatic when she walked away with the prize, Business Women of the Year 2009 and even more humbled when she thanked me by name, after I congratulated her!

May the feeling of inspiration that is flowing through my blood be a non-fading, contagious state of mind!

Thank you so much Rachel for taking me as your as your partner, what an honour!