SA Entrepreneurs, If Pumpkins Can Grow in A 'Junk' Yard Your Business Can Survive Junk Status

Thriving in the Junk

Doom and Gloom, Junk Status headlines and the relentless Social Media hype. Nope, we can’t escape the headlines, but we can resolve how we are feeling about these looming obstacles if we decide to think about them in a different way.

I’m reminded of a one of my childhood playgrounds, the Junk Yard.

When I was a kid, my Brother and I used to dig around in our local Junk yard looking for hidden gems.

We never knew what we might find and would spend hours sifting through rubble, if only to find an old pack of mixed tape or a wonky VHS machine. Come to think of it, this place was a dream playground and often kept us occupied for hours on end, perhaps, much to our parents delight! 

The color’s in the yard were all the same, as were the textures and even smells, the smell of things that had been burned and left there for months, maybe even years. To think of it now, it all felt a bit lifeless but intriguing all the same, kids don't notice the sadness of things that have been, in that amount of emotional detail. 

Among the heaps of paper, broken plastic containers and other throw away household items, we came across a patch of enormous orange Pumpkins that appeared to be thriving regardless of the dull surroundings. At the time it seemed quite random, though, a real find and something to report back home about. We wondered about these vegetables. 

As it turned out, many poorer people in the neighborhood came to the dump to pick these perfect pumpkins take them home and eat them. They had a purpose to serve after all. They had amazing resilience. They kind of improvised didn't they. I will never forget the sight.

Move forward in time, 30 years….

Keep Your Eyes 2 Meters in Front of You

Being an Entrepreneur is a very personal thing. We are heavily invested in our successes and our failures, which equally have a massive effect on us. So when the Economy looks gloomy and all news around it is bad news, it has ripple effect that can seriously throw us. Being equally affected by the "junk status" announcement and the future, it made me think of something that happened when I first started to learn how to ride my Mountain Bike. 

Loose sand, bumps, metal grates, mud and just general obstacles made me uncomfortable. I found myself hesitating a lot, doubting my ability, feeling unable in many regards. It's a bike right, how hard can it be?

Like all 'new' things, I had to learn or adapt to my now adult sized body being on a bike. Things had changed, what was once a piece of childhood cake to me, presented a bit of an adult challenge. The best thing to do here was to go for MB Skills training. 

It went quite well, I made it around the cones, and over the branches and even managed to skid without going flying. But I still felt uneasy when things got narrow. What stood out for me was this coach saying "always look 2 meters ahead of your bike and it will keep you from falling". Sounded basic, felt counter-intuitive, but what do you know… it worked. 

I suppose what we focus on we bring into reality. If we focus on falling or failing we probably will.  

Pumpkin...Food for Thought

It’s interesting how our mind makes connections between seemingly unrelated events, but these memories speak to a singular truth, that we have choices about how we perceive situations both personally and in business. South Africa might look gloomy right now if you look at the bare facts, but if you walk around in the gloom for a little, it is possible that something could surprise you in this space, because you decide to accept that it is where it is at right now. 

Just because we are in this Junk Yard, doesn’t mean there isn’t growth happening and business isn't booming somewhere, maybe right in front of us, and always right inside of us.

Wondrous things can exist in a heap of rubble and if we have a willingness to adapt our way of thinking about our surroundings.

Just think about it...

•  The business terrain will change, when it does, so should your strategy. Adapt.
• Clear the path in your mind, write your ideas down, and most of all keep going. Persist.
• Always be watching what is going on around you. Observe
• Be prepared, but look 2 Steps ahead. Plan

By: N. Wilson, Founder - Brand Moon