Destiny mag has included Jules’ thoughts in an article entitled The Time of Your Life.  How much time would you say you waste per day? I’m sure some days are worse than others; deadlines, meetings, parenting, stress… These all contribute to a loss in productivity.  In today’s society, women are expected to do it all - but how can we fit “it all” in and still find time to live?

Jules gives is some invaluable tips on what we can do to balance the work / life paradigm.

Click here to read the scanned article.

Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the Eastern Cape where one of our clients is training HIV mobilisers in Aliwal North. I happened to sit in on the section they were training on Prevention of mother to child transmission. It was an eye-opener for me to learn that a child is not necessarily born HIV positive if the mother is HIV positive, but that the infection only spreads if there is some kind of abrasion or tearing. This was one of many things I have learned working on this project.  I am continually reminded on how uninformed we, who sit our comfortable “white suburbia”  are, as to the extent of the epidemic and the realities of the disease.

I share this because just this morning, on my way to KZN, I read an article in today’s STAR newspaper “Aids Drugs not reaching enough people”,  a report on an ‘epidemic update’ held in Shanghai by the The World Health Organisation and UNaids. The director of UNaids said that “The major problem we are facing today is inequity. It is very important we don’t continue to have 400 000 babies born with HIV in Africa every year. That is why we are calling for virtual elimination of transmission from mother to child by 2015.”   As I sat in that room, watching a group of people, who are not being paid to go into the communities but are volunteers who give up their time to help others, I was proud to know that we are part of a project that is having a positive effect on the lives of millions who are suffering in our country. Just this last week in the E Cape the mobilisers who have already been trained took to the streets to target 400 house-holds, using their new “Red Bags”.

We have played an integral role in creating a platform for the training to take place efficiently enabling these volunteers to be more effective in their work. I hope you will take a moment to be proud of the work we are achieving on this project, that something you have done could be saving a life and the way HIV/AIDS counseling is conducted in South Africa.

We go live next week in Bronkhorstspruit with four trainers training Money Fo’ Sho’ under the PostBank and Wizzit Bank banners, sponsored by the Financial Education Fund in the UK.

We are proud to be part of a great experiment, a test case to see which financial literacy model works best in the African context. FEF is running 9 projects across the continent, and the ones that yield the best results will become models for future investment in the upliftment and poverty alleviation in Africa.

Footprint’s peer-trainer model is being put to the test, and we already know it works well. In addition, though, we are seeing our entrepreneurial model taking flight. We have made some strides in understanding how to ignite and support our trainers in starting training SMEs of their own with whom we can walk in sustainable partnership. Already in all the regions targeted for this project our trainers have been pro-actively activating their community networks, plugging in to local business development and seeing returns on their efforts.

Good luck, Footprint trainers: we wish you all the success you’ve worked so hard for! And know, you are making a real difference to the people who carry this country.

This may sound rather bizarre but it is a very important moment for me.

My relationship with Avo started in 2005. I was publishing a magazine for working women called Women Inc. The Complete Resource for the Working Woman.  Jules and her team became invaluable contributors to the publication and I valued our working relationship.

My visits to the Avo space were filled with laughter and respect. I was inspired by the company Jules had grown and loved the connection time with them. Through the years our friendship continued to grow.

In 2008 I hit a wall. The realization that I had gone as far as I could on my own was very clear (and very painful). In January of 2009, Jules and I sat down and had a crucial conversation. I shared my pain and frustration, my hopes and aspirations. She reflected her experiences and learning in 13 years of running Avo.  She graciously extended her hand to me to join her team, and I have not looked back.

Practically, it was not viable to shut down my business, so I have retained the company and have formed a strategic partnership with Avo – they are the official training partner Every Woman Education & Training Solutions. I could not have wished for a better partner.

At the onset of this partnership, I wrote an article titled, “When the going gets tough, the tough get together.” This is the perfect description of our partnership. 
The thing I most value about this relationship is that I am not held at arm’s length by the full-time Avo’s. Rather I have been welcomed into the fold as truly a member of the Avo family. Thanks to all the Avo’s who have made me feel like one of them.

A little about me: I love spending time with my clients, I enjoy conceptualizing the most strategic solution or plan to any particular problem or opportunity that they are facing. My mantra is that the solution we bring into the organization must be strategic and have a clear and sustainable impact on the business. I build authentic and long lasting relationships with the people I work with – but a little word of warning –I am an activator – if you are not serious about getting things moving – I am probably not the best person to chat to    I look forward to meeting you.

Rachel van Doorene (The Activator)

Jules’ new article has made it into a fantastic monthly mag called Sales Guru.  The magazine is marketed as the must have tool for all sales professionals. 

Our boss-chick’s article entitled “How to steer your sales team through an economic blizzard”, focusses on a simple formula: If you can increase your sales team’s activity and sales discipline, you can get your business through the tough times.  And then expands on it, saying; current conditions call for even greater support and motivation for your sales team.

Read the article here to find out more…

Jules’ new article entitled “Finding ways to reach people is a creative exercise” featured in the Star Workplace newspaper yesterday.

Less than perfect conditions have lead to trainers having to use their imagination in delivering our material effectively. Ask yourself how much it really matters to have all those worldly luxuries, like… well, like chairs and tables?  For some communities, in a training hall, chairs and tables is not a must have but a nice to have. 

Read Jules’ article here to find out the whole story.

Sometimes there is just absolutely a necessity to blog! I have just gotten back to the office side of Avo this morning, after two days of participation in one of our Open Course Workshops, On The Spot…

Had just the greatest time, this is the second time I have attended one of our Courses, and I am yet again blown away by the product we offer… Now I love to learn, and I love to be challenged, but I have never liked being On The (proverbial) Spot – unless I voluntarily fling myself there, which surprisingly I do quite often. The thing is that I have always liked to be in control of when and where I will be the focus of attention (as well as with whom), and if I do not feel the time is right then you can just find me amongst the wall-paper.

So, while I was excited about the opportunity to attend another one of our courses (especially after attending our Let’s Talk program), I was not particularly thrilled with the idea of facing that fear of being forced to step into the spotlight, and managing myself in that… with a bunch of strangers to boot!!!

The facilitation was awesome! Errol (Van Der Merwe) was just brilliant at handling the nerves, and relaxing the trepidation we all had at the prospect of failure… We laughed, discussed, analyzed, debated and validated not only our personal points of views and fears but the lessons that were being shared with us – and all this happened under the umbrella of “Avo Magic” which Errol so expertly gave us each a chance to hold and experience. Too often Facilitators can talk AT or TO the attendees as opposed to the masterful art of discussing WITH us – and Errol was Fantastic at this, at all times leading the pack… But never was it forced, exhausting or exclusive which made the experience optimal for all in the room.

My fellow delegates (Adele, Stephen, Nyamy, Masego, Phillemon, Cèzanne, Rachel) and Myself had a blast – I challenge you to find one of us who didn’t – and by the end we were all more confident, relaxed and structured in our final presentations than I think any of us thought we could be… We all walked out knowing that we still have more growth to do, but so well-equipped to continue growing in this regard - It’s really like we were given (as opposed to a blunt boring kitchen knife), a Nice Shiny Red MacGuyver Swiss Army knife with all the tools and fixings required to improvise and improve…

I think that the best example of the strength of this workshop is that one of my fellow delegates turned around and said the he has been on two other presentation courses in the recent past, and this was by far, the better of all three – I liked that, being an ambassador of such perception is an awesome feeling…

When I started I mentioned how nervous I was at the thought of facing my fear, perhaps the more appropriate word is phobia, as in an irrational fear, totally unfounded and not as serious as I thought – I do feel more relaxed about the prospect of being required to stand up in front of people, especially strangers, and what nerves remain I know I can tackle and (even more shocking) embrace.

To find out more about the open courses we are offer you can go to the Course Date on the website or contact me at the office 011-614-0206, or by e-mail soz.theo@avovision.co.za

Last month I wanted to write Trevor Manuel a letter.  I wanted to tell him how much he’d hurt my feelings by joining the gravy train and buying himself the most expensive car possible for the execution of his new duties.  I, myself, I wanted to tell him, have chosen a much less expensive car: I still seem very capable of performing my duties, but it means I can earn a lower salary so that I can use the spare cash to employ more people within the Avo family and actually try to make a difference in this world.

He pre-empted my sad letter with a half-apology about an error in judgement, which I understand.  Who hasn’t, as a leader, sometimes been seduced by delusions of one’s own grandeur and the intoxicating trappings of power?

But this month, I am moved to write to him again.  This time, I think he’s the only one who can look holistically at my challenge.  In one word, my challenge is compliance.  Not personal compliance (before all my friends pack out laughing and remind me that my lack of compliance was not created by Trevor, but rather a stray gene gone wrong..), but company compliance.

We’re doing our damndest to meet all the compliance requirements that are heaped upon small business: our 3 main focusses are SARS, SETA, and BEE compliance.  I don’t want to tell you the long drama and saga of each of these journeys, suffice to say that, after spending many very frustrating and stressful months, absolutely unreasonable chunks of my own and my team’s time, and far too many thousands of rands, I am still at a total loss as to how we can actually get a tax clearance certificate out of SARS (we are now at the point where the departments are accusing each other of lying to us, and nobody is picking up our issue), we have been advised by our SETA consultant to lie about our assessment activities in order to be accredited there (after a 5 year litany of incompetence from their side), and we have slipped down 2 levels on our BEE accreditation because the burden of proof has become so cumbersome that we just no longer have the time or resources to gather it together!

I know all the issues about ill equipped civil servants - I know for sure that government is very committed to upping the game in service delivery.  But the impact on our small business is that working with incompetent, unporfessional people is eroding our energy, time and profits - all of which could be used so much more constructively in the conducting of our normal business of training South Africa.

Trevor.  Please!  I am a small business owner trying my best to create employment and education for the people of South Africa. As a company, we do more than our fair share of contributing to the upliftment of the community.  All I ask is that you call off your pit bulls who are ripping our sustainability to shreds and let us get on with the job of building South Africa, one person at a time.