How did you end up working in the media monitoring industry?
It started with my fascination for the stock exchange — I always wanted to be a stockbroker. One of my first jobs was at a company that provided news and market data to stockbrokers. In providing these news services, I discovered the world of media monitoring — where big corporate companies (such as banks, audit firms, legal firms and government entities) want to know what the media is reporting on them, and what their competitors are up to. After working in the media monitoring industry for about nine years I decided it was time to start my own business as I was not happy with the state of the products being offered to clients, and I thought we could do better. I started Novus Group in 2014. Today we have more than 700 customers and we employ close to 100 people.
What do you do at work each day?
My day starts quite early, at around 5am, as we start receiving the morning newspapers from about 3am onwards — and our first media notifications to clients go out from 6am. As I enjoy working with people, I spend a big part of my day in sales and client service — addressing various problems and finding new ways to meet client requirements. A big portion of my day is spent managing staff and making sure we are moving in the same direction. I am a husband to a loving wife and a father to two amazing boys, so I also try to spend time with them in the evenings.
What do you enjoy most about working in the industry?
First, I love helping people! I also enjoy problem solving. So working in the media monitoring industry affords me the opportunity to do both. We help people (and companies) by finding out what the media is reporting on them, in near real-time — and we solve problems by providing advice, suggestions and then developing custom solutions for their problems.
What do you think makes you good at what you do?
I’ve found that being a good listener is critical. It allows me to truly understand the needs and concerns of those around me, whether they’re clients or staff. Coupled with my strong work ethic, this ability to listen attentively has proven invaluable.
What do you look for when recruiting people?
We try to look for relevant skills and experience, but as media monitoring is a relatively small industry finding experienced people is not always easy, so we look at the candidate’s cultural fit within the company, as this plays a vital role in our "teamwork makes the dream work" mantra, and helps us foster team cohesion and collaboration. Additionally, we look for candidates who exhibit leadership potential, even for non-leadership roles, as this can be valuable for future growth within the company.
What advice do you have for young people at the start of their careers?
I would recommend that they find a job that they are passionate about, or that fascinates them — and then spend as much time as possible learning about their chosen field.
If you have developed a true passion and skills, no-one can take that away from you.
Also, map out a plan for your life, as it will help you make the right decisions. And don’t be scared to fail — everybody makes mistakes, and these mistakes often lead to new and interesting pathways that will take you further that you ever imagined.
Lastly, work hard and pray harder!
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