CT Peep up

Posted on | July 29, 2010 | No Comments

To say that these few months have been a challenge, “I laugh in the face of danger – HAHAHA” and silently weep! So, in celebration of the madness, I invite you, if you are in the Cape Town area, to come and join us for a cocktail, mocktail, and some mexican food at Tequila Town.

The owner has generously agreed to provide some specials if we have enough peeps, so please feel free to join for 1 drink or 5 minutes to get out of your office or your house :).

http://twtvite.com/ctpeepup

Stretch those legs!

Six months in review …

Posted on | July 28, 2010 | 1 Comment

Okay so it’s been more than six months, but lots has transpired. Yes, I said “transpired“. Using the word “happened” feels insignificant at least.

So, we’re looking back and taking stock. What exactly has been filling my time? The new baby/business, the new-new business, new projects, new clients, new experiences.

I’ve officially decided to keep www.shanakay.com as my personal blog. Yes I have. Thank goodness. Now I can woo, swoon, laugh, cry, be silly and well, do anything I like …. almost ;0. What about the rest?

1. http://www.shanakay.com – personal
2. http://www.infointeg.com – business
   • http://blog.infointeg.com – business
3. http://www.theconnector.co.za – project
4. http://www.toydrive.co.za – charity
5. http://www.yourdigitalagent.com – business
6. http://www.findthefun.co.za – project
7. http://blog.onyxinterweb.com - portfolio / business

There are always exciting projects to work on, but one also needs to fill ones soul with that which gives us joy. So, Shana Kay, here to stay, in her own way, not for a day is here to say … life is short, play, laugh, love, live and have a great life.

Start it now!

Time for another “awesome” list

Posted on | July 10, 2010 | No Comments

Yes, I’ve been flu bound for what feels like – oh, let me see, for”ever”. But, I will not let the sniffles, sneezes, sore nose, ears and throat, congestion like the freeway when it rains and there’s been an accident, or lack of sleep get me down. No, no way, not I.

Instead, my next awesome list rears its head and screams the following:

1. It’s been a month of World Cup madness, fun and excitement, the “gees” is strong in me and the whole country
2. I’ve been privileged to go to two live matches
3. Made an impression (who made an impression on me as well) on a visitor from Holland who is convinced that South Africa has the friendliest people on the planet *beam*
4. My partner gave me a “bass guitar” [r-o-c-k-o-n!]
5. My new business was placed 2nd in the start-up category, for the Cape Town Entrepreneurship Competition
6. I started another new business which is …. fun!
7. I have the most amazing partner in business and in life ♡
8. I did the fan walk with my BFF and my BF, separately
9. My post on Brand South Africa and being proudly South African was publish immediately
10. I may have the opportunity to finally write technology articles for publications I have always wanted to write for
11. Since my last awesome post, I got an awesome digital camera for my birthday
12. I had an amazing birthday with fabulous people, oh and my friends were there too ;)
13. Because I have my own business, on the stormy, miserable days, I worked from home.
14. Completed another business development programme
15. Received humbling and inspiring feedback from the delegates on the programme
16. Snow in the Overberg, up close and personal
17. Meet incredible people every day via social media
18. ….. and last for now, get to meet them in real life, sometimes.

Irrespective of whether everything in our lives seem to be going wrong, there is always something awesome that happens. The trick is, to look a little bit harder for them and not focus on the other “stuff”.

Get your awesome list cracking, and give yourself a dose of #feelinggood.

The World Cup means more to tourists than we think ..

Posted on | July 10, 2010 | No Comments

It started with a phone call on the way home from a meeting from my bf’s bff :). “How would you guys like to sample the best steak in Cape Town?” was the question posed to us by bff. He adds “I mean best steak, calamari and vegetarian dishes” because I am vegetarian :). The bff lives in Johannesburg and its been ages since we have seen him and we agree to an early dinner.

We arrive at “Brad’s Grill” in Harfield village, where Brads is buzzing with activity. As I walk through the door into Brads, the first person I see is a gentleman sitting on his own, wearing Dutch colours. My bf, his bff and I are seated and we start the catch up. Every now and then, we mention asking the gentleman dining on his own to join us and eventually, although our meal has already been polished off, Dean (bff) makes his way to the visitor and invites him over.

He introduces himself as Han and brings himself and his meal over and we start chatting. As it turns out, Han had just dropped his friend off at the airport, as both of them were meant to return home, but Han decided to stay. After all, watching Holland play Spain in the final was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He mentions that he had booked the trip in December already, which happened to be around the time ……….. and this is the sad part, his wife died.

The story continues with him telling us that they discover that his wife had cancer in September and in December, she died. How sad is this. She leaves behind a son and daughter 20 and 22 years of age. She was 50. The night continues with us chatting about life and the world cup and how wonderful the experience has been for us (locals) as well as the tourists.

Han writes his blog URL down on a piece of paper, and earlier today when we checked, he had already mentioned his encounter with us. Wow. Thank you Han, meeting you was special as well. It jolted my thinking into realizing that people may have come to our beautiful country to do more than watch the soccer. They may have embarked on this special journey to start a healing process.

So thank you Han from Holland, you’ve taught me to embrace every minute of life and to keep the special ones I love close and let them know how special they are. Thank you for coming to sit and chat to us and for making our day as well.

My take-away, to appreciate every moment of everyday and to keep the focus on the good and happy things we do have. I’ve always felt that the World Cup meant a lot to us as South Africans, and now we have evidence that it means a lot to others as well.

Ayoba South Africa, AYOBA!

Confession time …

Posted on | June 26, 2010 | 1 Comment

Okay, it’s officially confession time. The biggest confession I can make to the known world. Okay…. here it is.

Or should I……… okay so I am having second thougts, oh who am I kidding. It’s time to come clean. Hi, my name is Shana, and I am……. I am ………. a……. hopeless …….

…………. romantic! There, I said it. It is out in the world. For years I pretended to hate flowers, and dates and love, but no more. I love flowers. I love getting surprised with little things, like tea in bed. I love being asked out on a date, by the same man, because I truly believe it will keep the spice alive and I love the way I feel when I am in … love.

I love valentines day, I love sunsets, I love walks on the beach and I love to be loved.

Not much of a confession I hear you say? Well it is to me. I live in a mans world and I play by the rules of business which typically do not entail pink fluffy things and especially gooey things all love-filled. Now I am not saying I was faking it before, I was not. I’ve realised of late that this is the way I feel and perhaps it is all new to me?

But that is not why I confessed. I confessed because I see so many girls and guys play the game. Both of them may really like each other, but their “boys” or “girls” advise them to keep it cool. I confess because like so many other exciting things in life, excitement is something that I have noticed over the past few years, is something that we have very little of, in all aspects of our lives.

The prospect of a deal, downplay your excitement, keep the cool, we don’t want to show the client/supplier/investor how happy we are. The prospect of attending a game or play or movie we’ve been dying to watch for months or the birthday approaching in a few days, which we claim is “not that important” in order to avoid disappointment.

I am not saying that we are not disappointed when we get excited and are let down, but I honestly believe that when there is genuine excitement, the prospect of a postive outcome is much more outweighed than its counterparts.

So I confess, I am a hopeless romantic, I love stupid comedies, I movie talk and I sing (badly) in the car on my way to work and people stare or laugh at me as they drive by. Guess what, I don’t care, it makes my travel time, oooh, sooo much fun.

So, I date you to confess something good today. Something you love, something you like doing and something you need to do more of. I am confessing because I am not about to become complacent in a new relationship and stay that way for the next ten years. No way! Happiness, lots of sex, lots of romance and more is what I want and what we all deserve from our loved ones.

Okay, shhoooo, that was a relief. For the record, I am not “posting under any influence” and although I may feel as though this is a TMI post, who cares, I share because I feel the need to and it feels great.

Happy reading, happy confessing and happy living, it IS about time!

That’s life! What’s life? Life’s a magazine …

Posted on | June 25, 2010 | 1 Comment

How much does it cost, 50c, I don’t have 50c, well that’s life!

And so it goes on and on. Life is like that. It throws you curve balls and challenges and sometimes, FUN things ;). Challenges are not always bad, I know this because I have had many over the past 9 months (yes as in the time it takes to make a baby!). So many things have changed since I left my previous company to pursue a new one and you know what, it is all good. I’ve been listening to Deepak Chopra and Anthony Robbins and others and the common message is to just “do” or just “be”. Fear is in my mind and the sooner I realise that and well.. get over it the more time I have to live and have fun !!

Control, yes we know I am a “control freak” doh! and this does not help. But listening to the words of wisdom of the ones I am inspired by helps. It helps me realise that I am normal and to get over myself. It helps me see that it’s okay to not be the “ray of sunshine” people know be to be, but to get through it one day at a time. It helps me realise that I am human and that it’s all sooo really normal.

Sigh*

Okay, so what?

So, that means that there are up times and down times and the way I deal with the down times makes all the difference. So, I am getting off my ass and getting things done, starting now. Wait, I have to do the dishes, then vacuum the floor, I HAVE to ;). Okay, seriously, as soon as I get that done, I am starting the new me. Or, I do feel sleepy, let’s start it all tomorrow. Yes tomorrow I will start the new me.

Giggle* Procrastination is my name and avoidance the game, but really I am exhausted, a week of sneezing and not sleeping .. really – no avoidance – promise :D.

Seriously though, life is all about the interactions and experiences we have. Else we do not learn and grow and have no fun. Starting now, I am living life and not being afraid of the unknown. For as Deepak Chpora says “if we focus on past and future, we do not live in the present and therefore we miss our on life!” or something like that.

Hang loose ya’ll!

Entrepreneur, how art thou? Patient and persistent, that’s how :)

Posted on | June 19, 2010 | No Comments

I haven’t blogged about entrepreneurship or technology in a while. Why? I’ve been busy with various social media campaigns for other companies. However, in the interim, I have learned a few valuable lessons I thought best to share :)?

Onto my second business, oh, I’ve started a third, called Onyx Interweb, which has a Digital Agency running social media campaigns in the technology industry mainly (www.yourdigitalagent.com), I wish I had thought of these six months ago. Nevertheless, here are some lessons I’ve picked up along the way:

1. supplement your income
   1. if you have not managed to plump up a cushion, you absolutely need to supplement your new business with something else. Funding always takes at least 12 times longer than you expect and having an additional income does help, start it immediately alongside your new business
2. apply to and for everything
   1. applications for funding, loans, grants etc. takes a long time, do a bunch of them at the start and get started on your business while the processes are in place
3. follow entrepreneurs in the same space as your business
   1. look at their challenges and lessons learned, it helps to know what the obstacles could be
4. put your pride aside
   1. if you believe in your business and your ability to succeed, put your pride aside and approach investors who you find suitable to be part of your journey
5. persist, persist, persist, persist
   1. there will be many no’s before your “yes”, expect that, thicken your skin and realise that no’s are great because you fill the gaps, and move one step closer to that yes!

Business owners, entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, realise that you are brave, courageous and full of guts to start your own business. Realise that it does take a little longer to build something great. And realise that you are doing what so many are afraid. When challenges arise, keep this in the fore of your mind and keep going. You know you can and you know you will. Why?

Because entrepreneurs are … just ….. like …….. that :).

Keep pushing on, until you get it.

Good luck!

World Cup 2010 unites the nation and I was a part of it!

Posted on | June 13, 2010 | No Comments

Ayoba! Ayoba! Ayoba! What exactly does it mean? Well, all I know is that the origin stems from “approval” and more so, approval in the light of dance.

Rewind 1 year.

Traffic go-ers are complaining about road closures and extended some stuck in traffic, electricity issues, and what they are going to do with their children. The school holiday structure has changed to accommodate the World Cup and one wonders how employers are going to handle times when matches are being played. Travelers are complaining about airport delays due to construction and there is a panic in the air about “how things will go during the actual World Cup”.

Set to present time.

We see progress. Visible progress in the form of extra roads, extra lanes, bridges and magnificently designed airports. Wow, how far we have come in the last two-five years.

The weeks leading up to the World Cup were exciting to say the least. Soccer Friday was implemented and anyone visiting a shopping mall (or walking anywhere in general) would be confused as to who are the staff and who are the shoppers as the number of yellow soccer jerseys increased. If you were not feeling the spirit before, Vuvuzela Day certainly set the tone for it. At 12:00pm on 9th June 2010, the nation erupted with the sounds of honking and Vuvuzela’s. Saying it was a loud affair, would be an underestimation! However, I have never felt such a love for this country as I did that day.

Moms and their children alongside taxi drivers all honking and blowing their Vuvuzela’s in unity. What a moment!

Sitting in a cafe ordering lunch, I could barely hear the waitress, but I no once cared. All I heard was the melodic sound of a unified nation. Proudly South African I am.

Fast forward to the opening day of the World Cup. My day starts out with work as I will be watching the Bafana vs. Mexico game somewhere on tellie in the afternoon. I need some lunch and make my way to the mall to grab some food and wow, nearly every person is wearing a South Africa soccer shirt.

Proud!

Getting ready for heading to “destination soccer match“, I too am dressed in my South Africa soccer jersey and head out. My partner and I are watching the match as his brothers house as we are taking his children to the opening game at Greenpoint stadium.

We get there just in time to see the opening ceremony and watch the match. Wow Bafana, you’ve stepped up and made your country proud. They score the first goal and all of us are screaming with pride and happiness. When Mexico eventually scores, our spirits are slightly down but not at all out. We are proud of the team, scoring the first goal of the World Cup and giving the nation hope for the finals.

Okay, game over, we head to the “park and ride” where we take the bus into town to the stadium to watch France vs. Uruguay. The atmosphere on the bus is electrifying. Black, White, Coloured, Asian, we’re all happy and excited!

Midway, we pick up additional passengers. The bus is packed but no one cares. Suddenly, from the back of the bus, we hear the beginnings of a song “Shosholoza” and soon, the entire bus is singing, I managed to capture the moment on my camera. Next we have the “National Anthem” in all its glory being sung, in tune, by the entire bus as well.

A more special moment I cannot recall off hand :).

Soon, we arrive at the stadium where thousands of people are making their way to the stadium. Unbelievably, the queue is not too bad and entry into the stadium is glitch free. On entering the stadium I am in awe (awwwww) of the beautiful stadium right here in my home town Cape Town. Wow.

Pride. Proudly South African. World Cup excitement. Cold,  but grateful to have the opportunity to attend such an auspicious occasion.

The fan area is filled with stands of various activities and tons of uhm ….. fans. We have not had dinner yet and decide to mission for food pre-game. The queues are too long, and we decide to head in and mission for food later.

Entry into the stadium.

Wow. Wow. Speechless. Gasping. Breathless.

The Greenpoint Stadium is an architectural piece of artwork, a magnificent creature of design and one can only imagine the technology behind it. The game starts with the National Anthem of both teams and the game starts. The stadium is packed with people and the game is slow to start. Soon, a Mexican wave of 64,100 people is underway and I find myself part of this site which one can never capture the true spirit of, unless you were actually part of it.

Ayoba!

It’s a slow game, but this does not hamper me from soaking up every experience I can. My first soccer match at the World Cup, one I will always remember. Post the game, I meet up with my best friend and we head to the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) for a post-game concert. It is 10.30pm and thousands of people are walking in the CBD area. A strange site which feels incredible.

The Cape Town eye which is positioned at the entrance of the Waterfront greets all visitors, local or foreign and it is an attraction I am definitely going to be testing in the near future.

The walk from the stadium to the CTICC is fresh (meaning really cold) and we are happy that our destination is warmer. The concert starts with Estelle from the UK, followed by Dino Moran and his new band Afrotec. Both concerts were great, but I confess, it was a long day.

Home at 2.45am yesterday morning, today it seems like the experience was an eternity ago as it all seems too surreal to be true. But, it happened. It happened to me and its happening to all South African’s. What you ask? That unified spirit that says “hey, you may not like soccer, but this is  once in a lifetime opportunity to support your country, your team so come on, let’s get into the spirit which it creates.”

Proudly South African. Alongside South Africans. I feel a greater future beginning.

What hosting the World Cup with do for Africa can only yield positive results. My message to all is simple. We are all Africans. We are all human. We want what is best for the nation and our families. It is our time to shine.

Happy celebrations for the rest of the time and may we only do so in a peaceful way.

Ayoba!

A month to celebrate, yes it is your birthday, all month long ..

Posted on | May 23, 2010 | No Comments

I celebrate my birthday all month long. Yes you heard me, birthday month. Why? Well, I am one of those people who work too hard, focus on everyone else most of the time and feel guilty for spending on myself. Not in the birthday month :). Not always having the opportunity to celebrated birthdays and have had very few birthday parties in my life, it suddenly dawned on me a few years ago that why celebrate one day, when the month of your birth is too cool to waste not celebrating.

(I’ve also had to work for most of it and when birthday month approaches, it is my “permission slip” to go slightly crazy.)

If I’ve been eying something all year and its my birthday month, there is no guilt attached to it and feels like an awesome purchase instead of the “post-purchase regret” one. I also take this opportunity to catch up with friends who haven’t had time to socialize and use my birthday as my secret weapon to get them out.

Think of your birthday month as:

• a build up to that special day you entered the earth
• a “permission slip” to let your hair down
• time to hang out with friends you don’t get to see that often
• time to reflect on what has happened over the past year and what you can plan for the next year
• time to start storing for the next session of your life
• time to shop
• time to play :)
• time to laugh (”,)
• time to connect
• time to celebrate

Birthdays are a time of celebration, even if you can’t treat everyone to the biggest, fanciest party, who cares! It is so no about that. Last week, at my birthday get together, it felt amazing to hang out with some of the coolest, smartest, friendliest, comical, spontaneous, sassiest people I am fortunate enough to call my friends. Sometimes we forget how many awesome people are in our lives and how easy it is to just reach out.

Anyway, May is not over yet, so I am still celebrating even though the actual birth date is over, but I have been spoilt by those who love me and I’ve spent some time with my friends and its been great. So, for your birthday, think about what it means to you and those around you, you may like spending your day on your own, but sometimes, your friends would also like to spend some time with you, spoiling you with their time or even better, lots of presents.

Ciao for now, Shana

Birthday ponders of …. a 30 something ;)

Posted on | May 14, 2010 | No Comments

It’s Friday night, I have one kitten on my lap and one next to me, I am home alone and its only 8.30pm. I love my kittens and they’ve just had an operation on their girly bits, so I don’t mind, but pre-birthday ponders have me wondering:

• why am I home alone on a Friday night (not that I expect to be “out” every Friday night)
• why I don’t feel like being out anymore, is it because I am getting older or … am I “just confused” lol
• why am I such a home body and I am only 31
• why am I so heavy these days, is life not meant to be lighter than this ;) yeaaah, I think so ;).

Uncoventional I am, to say the least, but having worked multiple jobs since the age of 13, the “time” factor is starting to become an issue. To clarify, life is short and I’ve spent the better part of my childhood being a grownup and nothing seems to have changed.

It’s time for a change.

Don’t get me wrong, my life is by no means doom and gloom. I have an amazing partner, who treats me like a queen (not the homosexual type (”,) that would be creepy), beautiful kittens, a new business, amazing friends and a loving new family in the form of my partners. Not to forget my kick a$$ friends who I would do just about anything for (work the pole, perhaps not so much ;)).

What I am saying is that, life is short, challenges are plenty, but so what, everyone goes through the same thing. It’s time to take charge and set some fun time, some me time, some love time, and some travel time. I go through a review each year, it’s good for me, you should try it if you already don’t.

It always gives me a renewed sense of self and motivation to get things done. Only this time I have to consider that I am partnered and how my choices impact the fam. Tricky but do-able.

I am at a point in my life where nothing is certain, nothing is confirmed and  I have no control, So I am letting go of trying to control what I cannot. It’s time to be, just be … and see what happens. (Hard for a control freak to do (so I’ve heard), I would not know (”,)).

Birthday ponders of a ……. 30 something, it’s been a year of intense change and i’m still standing. It’s been a year of growth, love and happiness. It’s been a year of challenge, but I would not change it for anything. All I wish for now, is clarity on the next phase of my life. Or at least some light, a faint light would be okay as well. Come on Universe, please, enough with Penis Retrograde, oops, I mean Mercury Retrograde, I am ready to embark on the next adventure of life called me.

Let’s get going!

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