Family time in the movie

Dec 2, 2015 |

Parenting is no child’s play. Trying to provide your children with a balanced life that serves as a foundation for the lives they want to live is an ongoing task as well as a major responsibility. When I was growing up, factors like ‘screen time’ just weren’t an issue and the risk of our children being exposed to video programming that contained sex, violence and other inappropriate content wasn’t that high. I still remember how even seeing two people kissing and the suggestion of more was often as far as it went on telly. While studios like Warner Bros and Walt Disney delved into...

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Pay Your Future Self With Small Investment

Dec 2, 2015 | ,

Entrepreneurship. A word cloaked in so much hope, passion and idealism but, having been brought up by an entrepreneur and having been one for most of my professional life, I have also learned that it comes with hard work, erratic income and setbacks. The stories of entrepreneurs who failed multiple times before succeeding beyond their wildest imagination are many, and that is what drives most of us who enter the entrepreneurship space. In South Africa, many have spoken of entrepreneurship as the solution to issues of unemployment, particularly amongst the youth. When submerged in your...

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Grooming: Manscaping

Dec 2, 2015 |

The other day, I received a tweet asking me whether it was ‘manly’ to interact with men’s fashion and grooming media. Having spent four years at the helm of a men’s business and lifestyle magazine, I was a little puzzled by the question. I had hoped we had moved beyond the narrow view of what is to be a man but I was probably being very naïve. I was glad when the whole ‘metrosexual’ label faded because I could never understand why, when you take a little time to consider your style and grooming - especially manscaping -, it automatically meant you are ‘a metrosexual’ which never seemed...

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Fashion: The JD Collection

Dec 1, 2015 |

In a previous lifetime (one of many) circa 2001/2, I used to be a booker at an actor’s agency Contractors. It’s been interesting watching the growth of the artists I used to spend my days sending to auditions. Many have gone to build solid careers in the entertainment industry while others have found their professional homes in other industries. I recently met a young man, Jodi Deerling, who was with the agency many years ago and, while he continues to dabble in the entertainment industry, has gone and expanded into the fashion realm with a men’s accessories label called the JD Collection. I...

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Huawei Launches The Mate S

Nov 19, 2015 |

Why do you choose one smartphone over the other? What influences your purchasing decision? Is it the specs? The design? As these little devices have taken over all aspects of our lives, I believe that simply specs become less important. The reality is most, if not all, smartphones do the same things, have the same apps, etc. Apple showed the world how design in the tech space drives many of our purchasing decisions because it is about how you connect with something emotionally. When you buy a pair of jeans, you may take note of the stitching but the decision to purchase is influenced more by...

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Wesbank Drives Uber

Nov 17, 2015 | ,

When Uber first launched in South Africa, I enjoyed chatting to the drivers, in particular about what they did before driving an Uber Black, which was the only one available, initially. I met former taxi drivers, a factory supervisor, a truck driver, the unemployed, and even a tour guide. While Uber was something new for all of us, the potential was evident from the get-go, as an avenue for decent earnings for the drivers. And, despite the well-documented challenges Uber has faced, not only in SA, but globally, it is available in 344 cities across 63 countries and 6 continents (according to...

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