Expedition Business

Claudia Castellanos - The Patagonia of Hot Sauces

Claudia Castellanos is the co-founder and CEO of Black Mamba Foods, a fair trade producer from Eswatini (Southern Africa) that manufactures and distributes specialty food products that are good for the planet and good for the rural communities they work with. 
The company's range includes chilli sauces, pestos, chutneys, and jams, all made with organically grown ingredients and no added nonsense. Through its partnership with the local NGO Guba, Black Mamba trains smallholders in permaculture and organic farming and buys the fresh produce from them to make its goods.
To date, 60 farmers are part of their value chain, and their direct positive impact reaches over 1000 individuals in Eswatini. The company has won several Great Taste Awards in the UK for its sauces and exports to several countries including the US, the UK, Germany, Norway, and Taiwan.
Claudia Castellanos is passionate about changing the world one chilli at a time and is an impact entrepreneur and food rebel.
She holds an MBA from ESADE with a focus in Marketing and a degree in Finance and International Relations from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. She is a Future of Food Fellowship Fellow and has received several awards, including the WIA Awardee 2020, the 500 Most Influential Africans in the World 2021, the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women 2022, and the Trophee des Anciens Eleves du Lycee Francais dans le monde 2022.
 
Host:  Christél Rosslee-Venter
Want to find out more about Expedition Business?
Visit them at www.expeditionbusiness.co.za. 
This episode of Expedition Business was sponsored by AddShine Corporate Gifts & Clothing.  When you need to ADD SHINE to your TEAM.
 

Rael Levitt - Thriving through business Tsunamis

Rael Levitt has been the Golden Boy of the Auctioneering industry in South Africa, but this all changed at the fateful Quin Rock Auction on 10 December 2011.  His entire legacy fell to pieces.
But this is not where the story ends.
A couple of marathons, two International Masters' Degrees, and just over a decade later Rael has managed to reinvent himself.  Bigger & better.  In fact, he has aced the reinvention so well, that deserves Reinvention Platinum Status.
The dramas he faced shaped him for bigger and better journeys ahead.  And in-between he learned how to navigate away from the 20th floor.  Or so it seems.
If you need some serious inspiration, this is one Expedition Business episode that you must listen to from beginning to end. 
In the car, at the gym, or in your tekkies on the road.
 
Expedition Business is hosted by Christél Rosslee-Venter.
This episode is sponsored by AddShine Corporate Gifts & Clothing. It's all about helping your team to shine spectacularly!

Tiffany Markman - World's Best Copywriter

Tiffany Markman is a highly accomplished professional with nearly 20 years of experience as a freelance copywriter, writing skills trainer, and international speaker.
She is known for her wide-ranging expertise, diverse experience working with both local and global clients, and an excellent industry reputation.
Tiffany is passionate about teaching and empowering others, whether it's helping someone craft a brilliant email subject line or guiding them into self-employment.
She even offers an online course on freelancing. Tiffany Markman is also recognized for her social media survival strategy, focusing on maximizing results with minimal time and effort.
Additionally, she is a published author and a successful word nerd, showcasing her talent and dedication in the field of writing
 
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-markman/
Website – http://tiffanymarkman.co.za
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TiffanyMarkman
X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/tiffanymarkman
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tiffanymarkman/
Medium column – https://tiffanymarkman.medium.com
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@tiffanymarkman 

Anita du Toit - Franchise Fundi for SME Growth

Franchising is alive and well and Anita du Toit, founder of Franchise Fundi is ready to help our South African entrepreneurs scale their business to heights previously unimaginable.
She has more than 26 years of franchise consulting experience across the telecommunications, automotive, restaurant, and retail industries. During her years in the industry, she has served on amongst others, the council of the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA), been the keynote speaker at numerous SME franchising events, and has co-authored a couple of publications on franchising.
Whether you are keen on social franchising or commercial franchising, Anita has got her ear on the ground, her sleeves rolled up, and is passionate about expanding the economy through franchising development.
"You can make it happen. Arthur Ash, the tennis player said: start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.
 

Tim Wagner - Let's be SELFISH!

"So it's creating a purposeful time for self and being selfish. Selfish being self first. Because if I'm not looking after myself, then there's nothing left for anybody else around me, my clients, my networks, the people, my community, the wife."
Tim Wagner is a former burnt-out executive now turned Breathwork Alchemist.
He now specialises in breaking business professionals and teams out of the stress cycle using breath to create transformation in their well-being and mindset.  
 
Tim worked for over 30 years in hospitality, and his businesses, before turning full-time to focus on personal development and professional speaking.  
Speaking with enthusiasm, passion, and tenacious energy, Tim will inspire you to reach new heights, dream bigger, and live a life by design and not default. 

Hamilton Wende - Journalism Entrepreneur: From the frontlines of Apartheid, Zama Zama's and beyond

Hamilton Wende is an author, journalist and TV producer.  He has worked all over the world, covering historical events and some 17 different wars and conflicts. He is the winner of a 2022 National Press Club's Journalist of the Year award and a 2023 Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Award.
He has worked for a number of international networks including BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera.  He is the author of 9 books.  House of War, Only the Dead and The King's Shilling are thrillers based on his travels around the world as a journalist.  His latest book Red Air is based on his experiences filming with the US Marines in Afghanistan.
He is also the author of the popular children's books:  Arabella, the Moon and the Magic Mongongo Nut and Arabella the Secret King and the Amulet from Timbuktu which are set in Johannesburg and Knysna.  He is working on the third volume in the series. 
 
https://www.hamiltonwende.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hamilton.wende
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamilton-wende-516598/

Heidi Muller - Adventure Racing Through The World

When it comes to inspiring entrepreneurs in South Africa, Heidi Muller, has taken this challenge to a whole new adventure.  An adventure race to be exact.  And she is not going to settle for runner-up!
 
As CEO of the Adventure Racing World Series (AR World Series), Heidi Muller has expanded this global series of Adventure Racing events by building relationships, sharing her knowledge and experience, mentoring race directors, and infusing her commitment to the sport into every interaction. With more than 25 years in sport and business, navigating the way forward for the global AR World Series brand is a new era for this visionary businesswoman.
Over the many years, Adventure Racing has taught Heidi lessons and skills that she implements in her daily life – from raising her children, nurturing friendships, and developing partnerships, to confronting challenges, and running her business.
Her ambitious drive together with her experience in business, and as a competitor and Race Director establishes her pedigree and sets Heidi apart as a woman leading the way with the global Adventure Racing World Series brand under her stewardship.
Christél Rosslee-Venter had the privilege of talking to Heidi about the highs & lows of her entrepreneurial challenge.
Would you consider writing a book about your romantic endeavors with adventure racing?
Do you agree with Magda Wierzycka, who talks openly in her autobiography Magda about the value of making an effort with your appearance, even though you often find yourself in some pretty rough terrain?
How do you manage to bring up your children in such a hectic, nomadic lifestyle?
What are the fun & exciting ways that you use to regroup, refocus & rejuvenate?
If you could be your 20-year-old self again …. And you could change anything …. What would that be?
and a whole lot more.
Heidi also talks extensively about the value that her mother and God play in her business journey!  A story in progress.
 
#southafricanentrepreneur #heidimuller #adventureracing 
#expeditionafrica #entrepreneurpodcast #entrepreneur
 
 
 
 
 

Fred Richardson - Mindful Runner High on Life

Fred Richardson is a seasoned entrepreneur with a diverse and rich background. His journey began in the realm of IT, where he was deeply involved in startups during the mid-90s and the early part of the 2000s. With a career spanning over 30 years in the IT sector, Fred has demonstrated a keen ability for innovation and a flair for pioneering new ventures.
His entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to the world of running, where he founded Mindful Runner. Initially starting as a running shoe shop, the business evolved under Fred's vision and leadership. Today, Mindful Runner stands as a unique coaching business, utilizing Fred’s homegrown 'Narrative-based' coaching methodology. This approach, placing clients at the center of their own stories, reflects Fred's innovative mindset, seamlessly blending his passion for running with his entrepreneurial acumen.
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In layman's terms, Fred takes ordinary people like myself and exposes them to a running culture as well as running experiences far beyond your wildest dreams.  One such experience was the 3-Day Mahai Adventure Weekend where we started with a 50km Mount Aux Sources run on Day 1.  Click here for my account of how this adventure weekend culminated into a few very good business lessons.
https://www.mindfulrunner.co.za
https://www.facebook.com/MindfulRunnerJHB
https://www.instagram.com/mindfulrunner/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindful-runner/
 

Ian Fuhr - The Culture of Sorbet & Beyond

Expedition Business brings you the highs & lows of our inspiring South African Entrepreneurs and how they manage to keep the flame of business adventure burning. 
Ian Fuhr is the living definition of a serial entrepreneur in South Africa.
His working career is lined with a number of entrepreneurial start-up businesses, which include:
His retail chain Super Mart was sold to Edcon in 2003 and was rebranded to Jet Mart.
His record company Priority Records was sold to Jive Records of the UK.
Ian also had a race relations and customer service consultancy called Labour Link which consulted to public companies between 1991 and 1997.
And then he started the first national chain of beauty salons called Sorbet which he launched in 2005.The Sorbet business has subsequently grown to 225 franchised salons and is the largest chain of salons in Africa. In 2017, Sorbet was sold to Long4Life, a listed company. Ian subsequently left Sorbet in February 2019 and set up a new coaching and consulting organization called The Hatch Institute. Hatch is aimed largely at helping business leaders with the issues of self-development, culture, leadership, customer service, and race relations.
Ian Fuhr has written three books:
“Get that feeling” (2014).  This book tells the story of his lifelong entrepreneurial journey which started when he was 22 years old.
“The Soul of Sorbet” (2018). This book highlights the power and competitive advantage of the corporate culture of the Sorbet business. 
“Cultureneering” (2021) This book shows how to build a strong culture in a diverse workforce that lays the platform for obsessive customer service.
“Today, I’m even more passionate about culture than ever before, which is why I’ve launched the Hatch Institute. I truly believe that we’ve built a framework that any business can embrace and follow. I believe that if we all become ‘cultureneers’, we can change the face of business in South Africa, solve race relations in a meaningful and impactful way, and spread success across our country and all levels of society.”
This episode is hosted by Christél Rosslee-Venter and sponsored by addShine Promotions.
For more information on how to become involved with Expedition Business, please visit www.expeditionbusiness.co.za. 
 
 
 

Wayne Duvenage - The Man Behind OUTA’s Challenge to Conquer MountSA

"It's a mountain and we've got to climb it, or we go down the mountain and walk away and switch the lights off.  But this country's too beautiful and the people are too precious to walk away."
These are the inspiring words of Wayne Duvenage, at the helm of the OUTA challenge to slow down corruption in South Africa to manageable portions.  
Christél Rosslee-Venter had the privilege of talking to Wayne about the matters of his heart.  These include:
How the hell does he stay positive through all the years of fighting corruption in South Africa?
Does he ever have time to sleep?
Does he really believe change is possible?
How does he manage to keep all the business balls in the air?
What are the fun & exciting ways that he uses to regroup, refocus & rejuvenate?
Does he still have family and friends?
If he could be 20 years old again, and he could change anything, what would that be?
What are the metaphorical mountains that he still wants to climb within the next 3 to 5 years?
Wayne's views on the possibility of success in South Africa.
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We need your support to keep on sharing the highs and lows of our South African entrepreneurs and those inspiring people who make a difference in our lives.
Get more info on this program at www.expeditionbusiness.co.za.
 
This episode was made possible by www.addShine.africa.
They will help your company to SHINE!
 
Supporters of this episode include:
www.nuecosolar.co.za
www.camalbproperties.co.za
www.club.addventures.co.za
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