Tell me about PR Worx.
PR Worx is a full-service marketing-communications agency that recently celebrated its 21st anniversary. Our head office is in Johannesburg and we have an independent network in 26 African countries, meaning we can handle all our clients’ pan-African needs.
What does your job as CEO involve?
I am often asked how PR Worx has remained relevant after two decades and my answer is simple. As the CEO of the agency, it is my job to ensure we do not follow global trends blindly, but position PR Worx as the best demonstrated practice in Africa.
That includes the way we communicate and embrace technology, ensuring our approach makes sense for our country and continent.
As CEO, I do not work in the business, as I have an incredible team that manages our operations and clients. Instead, I work on the business.
This means I look for ways to make our business offering smarter, the teams more efficient and to provide my employees with maximum opportunities in a challenging environment in which they can thrive.
My job is also to retain and attract the best talent so PR Worx’s clients can benefit from our combined and integrated service offering.
Attracting top talent with the promise of a higher salary and better working conditions is one strategy, but more important is getting them to understand and contribute towards our agency’s purpose to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
What do you think makes you good at what you do?
To become unstoppable, I have learnt how to handle failure, adversity and success. Developing mental toughness has kept me strong and focused during rocky times, but it has also helped me to stay focused on success in the long term.
Life is cyclical. What comes up will eventually go down, and what’s down will eventually move up, if you persist. So don’t believe every situation is a permanent or final outcome. This includes success and failure, so plan and be prepared for it all.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be a doctor, but we couldn’t afford it. My father passed away when I was 11, but because he didn’t make provisions, my mom got her first job at the Tab as a cashier to take care of my three siblings and me.
None of us had the financial means to study immediately after school, but we all eventually did through self-funded studies or corporate assistance from our employers.
What is your go-to career advice?
Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” I believe our thoughts have incredible power to build our reality. Think about it. Our words can be like handcuffs to hold us back or wings to help us fly. It all depends on how we use them.
What this boils down to is self-limiting beliefs; we’re purposely building monstrous mental walls that we can’t climb over. If you are afraid to fail, you will never succeed. If you continue to make excuses, you will never try. If your excuse is to stay safe, you will never reap the rewards. If your excuse is to avoid potential pain, you will never truly live.
Start believing in yourself and making a plan to succeed. Then the world will be your oyster.
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