Being Marica

So I'm pretty certain that all the truths about the brain and mind - it's workings,  biology, psychology, psychiatry and any other facet I may have missed - is undeniably true! I relate to EQ, IQ and LQ- the latter being a recent public verb from Alibaba's Jack Mau. I recently picked up on a chirp on DQ which presumably pertains to Digital...then there's SQ ( "S" can be for anything you want...I will keep it strictly to Social!). This being said, I am of the opinion that any mind, with grooming and fertility to want to learn, can and will acquire what's needed to achieve. A human spirit "open" is a spirit that can never be shut off or down..or not for too long anyway! We are pretty much anything we choose to be. Ofcourse exposure, opportunity, wisdom, insights from enough f-up's, people taking a "chance" on you, support and all else plays a major role in how far you can go...or rather how fast. Ultimately, you walk that pa...

I was fortunate enough to work with a WEF endorsed and globally recognised design leader and conversationalist from Denmark - a country notably built on modern design philosophies. This meaningful time gave me insights into the world of design, design processes and basically how modern day innovations are the result of design thinking. Consider this; Anything that resonates carnally, has design at it's core. However superficial the subject matter. Aesthetics and functionality for great "UX",  through design processes, starts the conversation. Pretty much like the workings of a relationship... which equally can go very wrong if without understanding, if inferior in quality and if poorly designed. Companies are heavily investing, more so now, on design-impact research. This has attributed to innovations like smart phones and smart homes. Constant innovation through design built the world's greatest car brand. Apple, too,  made design thinking visible while ...

Today was full of key learning's! The type that refines you in business and which makes you better at being human.. and while dealing with humans. A visit to down town Joburg reminded me of what I've always maintained- you cannot market to people, or communicate with an audience, whose world's you have no clue on. So there we were, my business partner and I, feeling connected again,  as we were in our youth when frequenting Joburg City centre - outside of the trendy spots. The hustle of daily entrepreneurship paved the streets and met us vibrantly and on steroids! We had an interesting chat as we made our way to an appointment which encapsulated us not being removed from realities of life, and how we once more enjoyed our time experiencing the same people we've been marketers to at some stage of our careers. Another key learning today was to move more swiftly when required and when it matters most. It may be making a call to explain a mail, or explaining furt...

Before organically becoming a business owner, Sunday's had always been "restfully busy" and my best day of the week. I totally lived up to the saying of "Sunday and a girls bed being an endless love affair".  And boy, was I in love! My "prior" Sunday's saw me planning for the working week ahead around midday.  Well, that was if I was not in the office every Sunday, as was the case in a recent role,  where It was a normal working day to service the Middle East.  My day eased into many of my hobbies including cooking, painting, writing, reading, styling... blah blah blah. Now, it's only reading that remains while cooking is no longer a leisurely exercise. It's become a task to service a bodily need...as has everything else. I no longer have much time to faff about too much. Not that I ever really did. And writing is now a case of this short and considered blog. In our business venture, I cannot say that midday is the start of our bus...

Football is one of the sports I can watch and enjoy even if my attention span to the game isn't for the entirety of it. I seldom watch TV, so I must really find something I like about the sport.. and more than just the obvious! It's a sport I may even want to attempt playing for a women's club just for fun. Ok, maybe just for the cardio and before summer! So I'm catching the highlights of yesterday's Barcelona & Juventus game, to the aromas of my business partner preparing dinner for her family and me while I visit.  Her football frenzied fiance gives me the scoop on the football fraternity and we all even share a moment of passing an invisible ball between us in their warm home. Most interestingly for me though about this football fueled evening, is watching Lionel Messi just after he scores a goal. So the lack of detail to which goal I'm referring to exactly, possibly shows the depth of my interest to the game. But hey here I am writing about it...

While humanity with it's endless needs exists, there's always going to be business opportunities for innovation-centric organisations. However in ever evolving times, can the approach to business now be the same as prior? Or is it a time to dissolve egos, to look holistically at industries learning's as a collective of thought leaders? Can this collaborative position replace competing "anxieties", providing some sustainability guarantees and industry relevance? Often companies are competing for market share and a bigger slice of the same pie. But who's to say consumers are even serving pie? Consumer behavior "schizophrenia" is fast changing the business landscape and technology is the key driver of this. Societies are sporadically becoming borderless and like-mindedness is forming cultures. Freedom of choice is "consumer currency". So what does an organisation or industry need to be and do to ensure they're not just an expen...

  I really do believe that all people, trans-ethnicity, are innately smart! I mean, can the human spirit with it's endless possibilities ever be limited? Once realized, can passion's manifestations ever be undone? And is talent limited to a ration ..or two per person? Is genius a birthright to some, or a birth choice for all? It's my belief, that once you've spent enough time understanding that we are vessels of infinite possibilities, it's a personal responsibility...no, no..actually, it is a personal indebtedness to explore just that! Agreed, primary Maslow'ness (in celebration of "innovation", I temporarily created this word ..save it linguists!), with access to key resources are enablers for reaching potential. But is the lack of that a deal breaker? And even with primary human needs met, are you guaranteed of reaching your full potential? Or is it all a personal decision? I do know that I have been super fortunate...actually super bles...

Beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder, but some things are so plain to see..right? Being sensory driven, I'm influenced by the manner in which things are created, presented and displayed. I'm inspired by the consideration given to spaces designed, a well prepared and beautifully presented meal, together with other living basics. I'm not saying that things need to be perfectly curated, fancy or expensive to be beautiful. I knew that spaces influenced me very early into my childhood, and I always 'created' my space in a way that I felt resonated with me and which inspired me. Additions of beautiful decor pieces or furniture, flowers and art can change the feeling of a room. So those are basic aesthetics that I'm always on the look out for. Perfection is not the goal when creating ones space, neither is incurring expenses through purchases of non-serving items or extravagance. However, quality should never be compromised. This is something i hold ont...

Life's timing is perfect and all the dots do connect! I am designing my life and I am standing tall. I trust Life and I trust myself in this process of Being Marica! I invite you to join this journey.