First let me just say in case it has slipped your mind…It’s December! A month of celebration. Did you know that the most awesome people are born in December. People born in December are driven, kind, gentle, warm, giving, loving, friendly, sweet, nurturing…sound familiar…of course it does -  I just described Jules and I…the golden pair, the black chick and the white chick…the Avo Queens…our names fill your heart with joy and gladness…at the sound of our voices you delight in our existence. It’s okay we know this to be true.

So before I launch into my reflections of 2007, just a gentle reminder . There are two dates you need to keep in mind the 24th and the 31st. And yes, we do accept expensive gifts. We live for your calls, with wishes of good health and propserity it is the least we can do for you. Allow you to submit at our throne.

Okay enough of our wonderfulness.

2007 at an end, and what a dynamite year, some much has happened to me personally and in the Avo space, engagements, marriages, death, new team members, new clients, new growth and so much more. Yes, it has been hard, it’s been challenging, it’s been exhausting but it’s been beautiful. It has demanded of me, it has stretched me, challenged me, reduced me to tears, humbled me, strengthened me. I remember sitting with Jules on December 31st last year and saying 2007 is going to be my year. It has been. Not quite as I had expected. We would all prefer plain sailing, it’s been everything but that. I would not change a single second for the world. The journey I have travelled this year has brought me full circle.

I am so grateful, for every tear shed, every smile, every laugh, every moment of despondency, every moment of victory, for every friendship made, for every friendship lost and for the pain of that loss.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunities presented to me in 2007, thank you. May the year ahead be filled with as much joy and challenge, may I be pushed beyond what I believe I can endure…it is only in times of struggle that I will grow with my darling precious Avos alongside me cheering me on.

Avos you have achieved so much this year. Well done. Celebrate your achievement, celebrate each other. May 2008 bring your joy and happiness, peace and love, propserity and thankfulness.

With much love E

And for the newly married Avos…GET ON WITH IT WILL YOU!!!!

“Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue; it is hard for an empty bag to stand upright” Benjamin Franklin

So most of you know out there that I’m playing in the Ngikwazi space for a bit. While having the priviledge of being closeted by the Avo space. Now if you know the two companies at all you know that Avo is a gentle, nurturing, supportive space that seeks to give it’s team and clients the very best of what it has to offer. Ngikwazi is similar in that the client: Gidani and the South African public we serve, deserve the very best and Ngikwazi is committed to delivering to SA and Gidani the BESTESSSST Lottery ever!!!

The biggest difference bewteen Avo and Ngikwazi of course is the nature and pace at which the two companies operate.

Avo, though pressurised, has a warmer more feminine type of pressure, where Ngikwazi is hard and driven.

Though I am operating in the Kwazi space at the moment I still continue to straddle both spaces and hold both teams very close. At the start of this journey I said to Jules, “I do not know why I need to experience this space but I know I do, instinctively”.

So you saw my quote at the start of this blog… yep that’s why I need to be in the Ngikwazi space. The journey of training retailers has taken me from the affluent to the poorest of the poor. It has taken me into areas where desolation exists not in the poverty of the surroundings, but exists in the hearts, eyes and far more powerfully in the minds of people.

You all know I come from and operate from a space of comfort and a life, though challenged, but one of ease. Yes, it might be argued that I have worked hard to achieve this and maintain it and you would not be wrong. The thing that hit me square between the eyes …well there were two things, was simply this:

1. I have a choice and I have a voice… I am powerful (not meant arrogantly at all). What this means is that even with the challenges we faced at Avo,( and you who were close to us know exactly how real they were), had Jules and I lost everything we would have been okay. Not because we are clever or had a private stash somewhere but because we understood we had a choice, and a voice and it is this that makes us powerful. And even if materialistically we had nothing and had lost everything we would still be okay… we would land on our feet because we understand the power of choice.

But in this country the vast majority of people do not have a choice, there a few who can tap into that thing that exists within us that makes us powerful. But 90% of our country are too shrouded in poverty and fear and a sense of helpless to understand the concept of choice. How do you stand up when around every corner you are beaten down? When you have no sense of self…because it has been starved from you?

The second thing that struck me was this:

2. I was training a retailer in store and a gentleman came in and it was pre-rugby and he was jolly and all was good. He bought his Lottery ticket from me and off he went. Tata Ma Chancing interlaced with AmaBokke and Rooi Rok poppie type-medley of sorts, type thing. I remember him saying to me tonight’s lottery draw would be the one.

Anyway, he left the store and I went on with the training, and the very next minute the store owner came out shouting “What’s going on there?”. The very man I had served a minute before, who I had laughed with, chatted to, was being beaten to a pulp. I am talking about being kicked in the face, one guy was jumping on his head. I am talking full on assualt with the intent of doing serious bodily harm. I come from Cape Town, I live in Joburg, while I have not ever personally experienced violence of this kind I am not naive to it.

The senselessness of this assualt and the brutality of the assualt that happened right in front of me can only have come from desperation or people who are inherently evil. It’s one of the two, I cannot believe the latter, so in my head it must be the former.

This oke had NOTHING, he was dirt poor and he had had a drink and was supprting the bokke, he had nothing. So for him to be assualted and robbed etc was beyond me totally. The brutality of the assualt left me reeling. It was like I witnessed the transition from person to animal.

This blog is not about how depraved this country is or how I am looking for a better life for my children or how unsalvagable South African society is. On the contrary it is the opposite.

It is about understanding that my personal road that I am travelling now with Ngikwazi has defined for me so very clearly the purpose of FOOTPRINT.

You see, as the quote says, you cannot expect a man who has nothing, absolutely nothing….to live with dignity and respect…it is just not possible, when your belly aches day after day, when all you understand is desolation and helplessness, when the only language you have is one of desperation how can you live virtuously? How do you give a damn about your’ fellow man?

Please, I am not trying to excuse violence either or even justify it. All I am saying is that poverty and lack of education robs people of the right and choice to live with dignity. Extreme poverty robs people of their humanity.

Maybe I am simplistic in my understanding but surely the restoration of dignity will come from people living as people, not as animals scrounging to make meaning of their existence by lashing out as cruelly and as inhumanely as possible.

So my point is this, somehow through this Lottery project I am drawing closer to the reality of the South African experience, through this project and in the Ngikwazi space I am growing for a purpose… . I have an inkling, I have an understanding of that purpose and for the moment all I am saying is with power comes responsibility and our responsibility is to this country.

And to those who have no power….

I had such fun last night, and no it did involve a tattoo, a beer, a pool table or anything of the sort. I went to watch the Jeppe Boys production of Scapino.

The play was absolutely enjoyable, the costumes were sweet, the singing delightful, the dancing charming, the script entertaining, the set fantastic, the casting marvellous. For the first time in a long time I laughed and laughed and laughed some more. It was good clean fun…Much like getting a tattoo done . It really was so funny, I split my sides. The play was entertaining, refreshing and well worth giving up precious sleep. You okes do of course know that sleep time for me is at 19H30 which is when the play starts.

Come on guys you have to get out to Jeppe to see Jono in Scapino. He plays Elandro, and the character suits him perfectly. Our dearest Jono has got that dapper, suave, charming, roguish thing going on…and it is absolutely delightful. Jono the Italian stallion rides again. Funny, I was watching him on stage last night and I could not reconcile the Jono I met 4 years ago with the dashing, excepotionally good looking, and wonderfully talented, confident young man on stage. It was as if he has just grown up over night. Jono, you were awesome and you did exceptionally well and I am so very proud of you. Well done, well done, well done.

That aside it was fabulous to see the talent and spirit in our country. Oh dear, I sound quite old don’t I ? Well, anyway it was fabulous to see our youth on stage having the time of their life, they absolutely sparkled. It was definitely a magical evening with a fair amount of fairy dust, excitement and adrenalin in the air. It was a wonderful performance and well worth a late night (eish my age again) . So if there is anyway you can get out to Jeppe Boys at 19H30 please do, these guys can do with the support, they have worked their behinds off and are just dying to show you what they can do. You won’t be disappointed!

I have enclosed a link to a webiste which will give you some insight into the storyline :http://arts.belhaven.edu/Theatre/Scapino.htm. Take a moment to look up the website, and get yourselves to Jeppe Boys. The show starts at 19H30 and runs till the 15th of September. The cost is R30-00 per person.

You will have an absolutely enjoyable evening…guaranteed and if not I’ll get another tattoo !

So it’s about that time of the year when blossoms start to bloom, bright new leaves start to sprout, the world feels bright and new, and you can feel rebirth or new beginnings in the air. It is also about that time when Jules and I feel the need to remind our dearest, darling Avo’s about the way things should be. You will remember that we had to do something very similar last year…it did of course have very little effect on the Avo’s, so this year I thought I would start the conversation earlier and infuse it with a healthy dose of indoctrination and, if I can, hypnosis.

So there are two things Avo’s that we need to bring to your attention:

The first is that Jules and I remain the bosses in the business irrespective of what you tarts might think. Jules say after me …WE ARE THE BOSSES..never mind what they say.

Secondly Avos, the count down begins to THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE YEAR, not Christmas but Jules and my birthday (24 and 31 December). As usual we do expect gifts that range from the very expensive to the heart warming. As we move towards these two events both of which you agree are watershed moments in your existence we are going to request in addition to the expensive gifts you delight us with the following attitudinal changes:

So where before you were assertive we would like submissiveness, where you might have been opinionated we would like silence, where you might have had a voice we would like you to listen to our voice, where you have had the space to be innovative you may still be, but please where necessary bow to our insight and superior intelligence.

What we will be looking for in the following months really is just that you all be NICE!!!

Recognise us as the Queens of all Avoland for this really short time and we will be most grateful. Leave all thoughts of coup de tarts, mutiny’s and the like…alone, embrace us with love and surround us with adoration. We in turn will bless you with our sunny, dispositions…you will feel all the happier for it.

If you need any assistance with deciding on our birthday gifts please feel free to contact our spouses and as a last resort you may of course consult Nomsa who will happily assist you.

So from Jules and I, we wish to extend much love and happiness to our Avo’s. We are in office all week if you feel the need to be close to us or just to bask in our radiance.

Love you all !

What a company! What an awesome bunch of people…I am so lucky to be a PIP!!!

By now all of you out there know that Avocado Vision is a bit of an anomaly. It is common knowledge that we dance to a different tune and march to a different drum. If truth be told we don’t always know what that beat is, but we know it’s there.

Often when you are so engrossed in a company and are so close to your team mates you forget or don’t see what differentiates us from the world out there. Dealing with the death of my Dad and all the associated stuff I was once again reminded of how truly unique we are.

To my Pips thank you so much for the support and loads of love that cushioned me over last week and this week mind you. Thank you for taking the time to touch base, to connect, and to check how my family and I were doing. Your support and more than that your friendship was absolutely tangible and very encouraging.

From Gulio, Chris and I to all of Avoland …Thank you …You okes rock big time!

Wow, we just had our Friday morning Kudos and Cock up session, very briefly it is the one time the whole team gets together and reviews the week that’s been. So we bring our mistakes to the table and openly talk about them, so that the entire team gets the benefit of the learning. So rather than hide our ‘oopses’ we see it as a learning opportunity. At the same time everybody has to bring one thing to the table that they feel they have excelled at. No-one dares to come without a Kudos.

This morning it was different though, we have a few new Avos on board and they are injecting a whole new flavour into the Avo space. They are dynamic, motivated, deeply passionate and are hell bent on lifting the Avo game a thousand fold. If you know Avo at all, you know that (if I say so myself) we are pretty awesome. We have the most amazingly talented people around the table who live to excel and deliver excellence to our clients and to each other.

Now of course with this new energy flow, the sky is the limit. This blog for me is simply about saying to the team, “you guys are phenomenal in every way”. I know that together we will produce the most amazing work our clients have ever seen. I am looking forward to the next few months team!

To my darling partner who has managed to bring all these wonderful people into our space…you are awesome!

Well done!

Wow! Who would have thought we would get to May this fast? It seems almost impossible to imagine…. yet here we are…. I think it is safe to say that this year has very possibly been the most powerful year to date for me.

I remember sitting with Jules on New Years Eve reflecting on 2006, and hoping and praying that 2007 would be a gentler year. You all know us Avos are delicate. So I thought I would pray for a year that would allow us to grow and ripen gently . Did I ever get it wrong! 2006 did not have a patch on 2007. If anything, 2007 has been far more challenging than 2006 ever was. In a different way though, this year certainly for me, has been about personal growth. I woke up on Jan 1, 2007 and knew that this year would challenge me, grow me, inspire me …and would change me forever. I also knew that this was the year I would grow titanuim balls…(cast-iron ones are to heavy for a little person like me), this would be the year I would challenge and demand from myself excellence beyond my wildest dreams.

It wasn’t at all about personal wealth..though that could be nice, but more about striving to be all that you can/would/should be, and having said that realising that I am solely responsible for achieveing that “greatness or self mastery”. You see, somehow this year I have realised that it is not at all about how others see you, but rather about how you see yourself. No-one else actually knows what you’re truly capable of……but you do! While it is easier to hide behind the pain of previous experiences, those very trying times that have scared you are the very times that are able to give you the fuel to drive you to your personal greatness. I spent some time working on Robben Island and it was hard, it was demanding, it was self sacrificing…parts of it were even shitty. Yet it was those very experiences and the wisdom that came from that very dark time in my life that allowed me to demand, grow, nuture, develop and shine over the last few months.

Personal greatness means something different for everyone: for me it is about being truly authentic. When you are truly authentic you understand all that you are and all that you have been designed for. Nobody can help you discover your authenticity, it comes as it is meant to in it’s own time…it is what it is… . You see it cannot be forced because when it is forced you miss that most important part, you don’t understand the responsibility that goes with finding your personal power through authenticity.

So this year is dedicated to me being true to me, I have a voice; it is clear, strong, powerful and true . I get that it needs to be used responsibly, I also know that I will sometimes use it for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way. I also understand that when that happens it’s through lack of experience rather than malice. Still I know that this is my 2007, this is what I am supposed to be doing…it is hard, to get it right every time….but I am looking for the lesson in every interaction…because that is also what make this experience so truly powerful.

In the mean time I will continue to plan my adventures; I have the bloody diving course…eish my nerves, I have the bungi in July and Greece in Sept …wowweee…2007 what an awesome year….

Hope it has been as awesome for you !

“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!.
 

It has been brought to our attention very recently that there is some confusion around who the AVO bosses are. Now Jules and I would like to clarify this argument once and for all and categorically state that: WE ARE THE BOSSES OF THIS COMPANY. What this means quite simply is that as the bosses of this company there is a type of behaviour that we expect and would like to encourage.

The following are the traits we would like to engender in the fabric of Avo PLEASE:

• blind devotion
• passivity
• utter subservience
• puppy like adoration
• regular gifts (expensive)
• less feedback about everything we do
• antidepressants for the feedback
• counselling sessions for the effect of the feedback
• loving notes on our desks
• manicures and pedicures
• little food parcels according to diet..see Nomsa for detailed brief
• less feedback again
• and less feedback again
• and less feedback

We know that we have very purposefully encouraged a flat structure and transparency in our decision making believing in empowering you, the team, but in retrospect we now understand the error of our ways…

So as of today… which marks the begining of BOSSES MONTH it all stops. We are the bosses , no more opinion sharing, please just do as we say…..

At least for October…

Many thanks Elaine and Jules

Yay! SAB HR Spring Day!

A huge, big thank-you to all of you who helped pull off such a successful tour…The food was waiting on the bus when the delegates got in (thanks, Kanasa and Nomsa!)

The snack packs were lovely and the people commented on how much special attention to detail went into everything and how much work it must have been to get it all together!

The books were ooohed and aaahed over, used and tucked under each person’s arm when they went home. Someone even asked how long it took to cover all those books! And thank-you so much for checking that even all the drinks were from ABI, even ‘though I forgot to say specifically that they should be. It is such a pleasure working with you guys and just knowing that it is all going to be PERFECT!

Love. Hanli