Since a little girl, I have always dreamed of becoming something big. Whatever that 'big' means for me, I'm going to figure it out, and when I do, I'll let you know.
First it was a vet, then it was a dancer, then it was an actress, changed into a freelancer, and now we're at a digital marketer. Thanks COVID. Don't get me wrong I've learnt a lot, and enjoy most of what I do now. However, there is still a part of me that feels like I haven't hit that BIG factor yet.
Let's get personal
I am 25 this year (2023), originally from Durban, South Africa and now reside in Cape Town, South Africa. Absolutely in love with Cape Town; the scenery, the vibe, the people and the weather (surprisingly). If I had to complain about something, it would be the traffic. Trust me, if there's something to put you in a bad mood before work, think no further. I studied a BA International Studies degree and majored in Politics and History. I enjoyed the research part of things and discovering so much new information (which FYI is NB to our current living situation today) about the world; it's landmarks, dynasties, wars, groups, social discoveries and overall mistakes. But also achievements, I found this interesting - to think the world is fairly educated considering it's gone through so much, and yet there are still parts of it that have such inextricable ties to such controversial social issues, is weird. Not to mention, it's incorrect! I have ties too, to particular social ideals - but ones that are positive to global change and resolution! I could have been a diplomat, or a journalist but didn't actually know what I wanted at that stage.
So I decided to go on the yachts. So much for 'change and resolution'. I know - you're probably thinking 'where did that come from?'. Well, I just felt the urge to travel and do my own thing for a bit - you know - across the world. My friend and I started in Nice, France. It was the most amazing, fun and beautiful night - sipping wine at a restaurant along the beachfront, looking out at the ocean, and enjoying the sweet sound of 'je ne sais pas'. It was refreshing and really satisfying. We ended up in Antibes, and rented an apartment in a 'motel' sort of place for 2 weeks. We walked the docks daily, visiting close towns such as Cannes, Juan-les-pins and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Even Ventimiglia, Italy. We also met with a few agencies and would have to share general information for application purposes. I landed daywork mostly, and was offered a potential position in Italy. When I arrived at the interview - the captain set the 22m Catamaran sail with no warning given. My bag was tossed into the porthole and I was told to start with the ironing. We continued to sail for 26 hours with no signal, while my new 'crew' only spoke Turkish, so communicating was concerning. I was worried and uncomfortable, thinking the worst, but once we docked in Olbia, Sardegna, I felt safer. Because it was such a weird situation, I left that boat to fend for myself, again.
I hopped on a ferry to Genoa, and stayed a few nights in probably the worst 'apartment' I've ever had to stay in. After 3 days I took the train back to Antibes, France and booked a room in the same 'motel' place we stayed at in the start. I found more daywork and was lucky enough to work on monster size yachts amidst the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. Being able to live in France for a few months, was the most difficult yet beneficial journey I have embarked on. I didn't think I necessarily fitted into the yachting crowd, and decided to come back to SA.
June 2019
Touchdown to SA, and I'm wondering what my next moves are going to be. I received a message from my cousin/bestie/sister and she asked me to live alongside her in the infamous Four Seasons apartment, in Gardens, Cape Town. It was an immediate yes from me. Being reunited with my long-lost partner in crime was the most refreshing feeling I'd had in a while. The fun started almost instantly, we partied regularly and explored new (to me) places almost every single day for a few months. Being completely free felt amazing, but soon became stagnant - I needed money.
I landed a job at Hudsons, which was adequate for a little while - until it wasn't. I wanted something more sustainable and moved to the Shortmarket Club, a fine dining restaurant in the middle of town. Finally, a worthwhile spot. I loved it - starting off as a runner, I learnt so many lessons. I had a great team and manager who valued support and it pushed me to want to be better. While at the Shortmarket Club, I attempted to start my acting career on the side, landing castings every few weeks. My first feature was a biscuit commercial for Lotus Biscuits, which aired in Belgium. I was starting to find my groove and follow my true passions.
COVID 19
Who are you if you didn't get knocked completely off your course thanks to COVID? It was a confusing time for me. The restaurant closed down, and there were no more castings. I felt stuck, and frustrated that this was happening. In due course of lockdown - borderline insanity - I decided to take my cousins word for digital marketing into consideration. Since everything was moving to online - I thought it would make a lot of sense that if I still wanted success, I needed to join in on the rising of digital trends.
I acquired a short course on digital marketing, and Google Ad search. Then Facebook blueprint, and a few more social media education videos from Youtube. I searched for a new (suitable) job for months, having a few interviews here and there. Some places had strange intentions and I really did wonder if this is what all the jobs are like? I mean, I had an interview for a marketing role, and the CEO asked me to clean his house when it's empty and to keep a key like I was his housekeeper or something. Just straight up strange. It wasn't until November, that I was offered a job as a logistics assistant for a shoe company. It was a great offer, and I enjoyed the position. My manager and I were really similar in personalities and really hit it off. She inspired me with my work and as a person, and had a lot of compassion for me and my story. Even though my manager and I made a good team, I soon noticed that I wasn't fairly recognized for the work I was doing.
June 2021
I started a new role as a stock controller for a company selling bulk items to E-commerce platforms such as Takealot and Zando. I once again, learnt an array of new skills and my role was much more digital orientated. I became quickly involved in other activities such as social media, customer service and paid ads. The work started to pick up and become fast, and I enjoyed it. Through the course of my role, I did many things for the first time - like build social media accounts for brands from the ground up, schedule ad campaigns, deliver sales reports, upload product listings, and control the stock between our warehouse and retailers. Being on set for most of the social media shoots, was a lot of fun - styling the models and delegating poses/outfits/scenarios was the highlight of this role. I also learnt that I am not just good on camera, but also behind the camera - and I think my love for content creation really started here. After a year of learning and growing, I decided to take my skills somewhere else to flourish.
July 2022
I walked into a whole new scene, to say the least. A buzzing energy that was exciting and overwhelmingly intriguing. I was intimidated - a new corporate vibe office with a lot of different personalities. I kept quiet and to myself for a while, until I made friends and became more relaxed. I learned the ropes and peoples names - eventually, and I am now more than comfortable in my role. Maybe a little too comfortable - sometimes I feel like I need more depth and am stuck between whether to stay or make a change to find out. But we do fun things as a team, and I love a good company games day...It's what my work bestie and I like to say "Why would we ever say no to free beer?...and boerewors rolls." It's always the best combo.
End of October 2023
So here I am, a whole year and a bit into it. Still wondering what my end goal is. But, I must say I have come a long way. I've had friends and family around to support me, and I really am grateful for my opportunities and experiences. Both the good and the bad. I've become a lot more self-aware and have surprisingly become a big fan of this whole 'find yourself' motion. Update: I am currently, trying to find myself. Really look within, and breakdown all the childhood trauma and insecurities stuck at the pinocle of my subconscious. Did you know self-discovery doesn't happen overnight? Crazy. But it makes sense, because it's taken me forever to get over the fact that I can't control anything - that I can't control. Still working on just 'going with the flow' because sometimes that flow is just too unknown and too unexpected.
I am hoping that working on just 'going with the flow' will hopefully help me in my personal and professional life. To become more at ease and let the built up stress go. I want to narrow down my passions and use them to change the world, make an impact, share experiences and value, because then I think I will feel big. At least big-ger and that's all I need, is to keep on building and growing myself - and others.
Cheers to eventually finding ourselves and becoming BIG.
