[IIWC] At the speed-meeting event, was there an immediate connection between you?
[JP] Sage and I didn’t meet before we were paired together as I was in JHB when the
speed-meeting event took place so we were paired “blindly” following a
telephonic interview I had with Jenna
[IIWC] What is the advice that you want Sage to carry with her throughout her career?
[JP] Just be patient and trust in the process and yourself. Nothing worth having
happens overnight and without hard work. If you consistently continue to always be
yourself (and true to yourself) and work on your personal brand and presence while
holding yourself true to your integrity and ethics you will absolutely achieve
everything that you aim for.
[IIWC] Has this program met your expectations and what have you learned that you would
you implement in your career?
[SB] I had no expectations when entering the programme. However, from my
experience so far, I am grateful to be a part of it because I know that not a lot of
people get the opportunity to be guided by an influential industry leader who is
openly & willingly giving me all this wisdom and knowledge which I can leverage
towards making better choices that will impact my career. I definitely do think the
programme has opened doors for me that might not be apparent right now but will
showcase later down the line.
I’ve learned the importance of having a brand for yourself which is something that I
am going to spend more time working on. From what I gathered from my mentor
as well as engaging with others is that Rome was not built in a day.
I come from a generation where we want everything done quickly and immediately
and so, I was (and to some degree still am) constantly on the lookout for the fastest
way to move up the ladder, however a wise man once told me that you need to
trust the process and keep putting one foot forward
I will be more patient with the process and continue to remind myself that
everything I am currently doing in my work life is a building block towards a
successful career within the industry. I also plan to continue taking the time to be
more aware of my strengths, inner thoughts and desires as this is an essential key
to personal improvement.
[IIWC] How do you balance work and personal life to make time for hobbies, loved one
and career?
[SB] I have no issues in balancing out my work & personal life. I always get all my work
stuff done during the week, even if it means putting in extra time after hours, and
then I know I have my weekends to myself.
I don’t have any hobbies in particular. I take each week as it comes and should
anything pop up that I would like to partake in, I will always find time for it. I think it
is much easier for me as I do not have any responsibilities in terms of kids or a
marriage.
[JP] It is sometimes difficult to do this – especially as you get older and climb the
corporate ladder there are just many more demands on your time – in work and
personal life (wife, kids, friends etc) I have found the key here is to understand that
balance is important and you need to be disciplined. A saying I heard many years
ago and that I have lived with since I heard it is “I work to live, I don’t live to work”
If you always remember this, you will remember the balance and then you just need
to apply it with discipline – one of my main hobbies / lifestyles is a gym lifestyle and
I make sure I get up at 4:30am every day in order to train before my kids are awake
and before the traditional workday starts – it’s not easy of course but if you want
something enough you will find a way to fit it in
I also make a habit of “switching off” devices (and mindset) when I arrive home in
the evenings – isolating the time for the kids and family without distractions (put
the cellphone off and in a drawer) for that couple of hours helps a lot – I do
sometimes turn on the laptop again once the kids are asleep if I absolutely have to.