Project Me Nkosis haven

Posts Tagged With 'Nkosis haven'

Fast cars and unexpected adventures – project me post 849

Posted by jodene May 08, 2012 2 Comments »

The before pic next to a gorgeous MINI Roadster ... and then Pat took me for a spin!

I think we all find ourselves saying, “I should have done this ages ago.” On the other hand, I truly believe everything happens for a reason and after days of not blogging, I couldn’t wait to get through as much of the to-do list and just get here.

Just a few weeks ago I felt stuck with what to share from one day to the next and now I feel like so much has happened, I don’t know where to start.

Fast cars … that’s always a good place to begin and of course there was a great life lesson that came with racing around Kyalami race track under the full moon. I was so excited for the day to end and to climb into a sexy Mini Roadster, with my gorgeous fiance and take it for a drive. In the days that built up to the event, I imaged a semi fast (my fast) lap or two around the track and I couldn’t wait to blog about my experience. On the night, it was a very different story.

At this point I stop and thank the gods (and goddesses) for letting Pat drive first because what I got and what I thought I would get was two completely different things. Um … sexy meets speed was the theme of the mini and the only thing that wasn’t sexy about it was me screaming in the passenger seat. With a lead car in front and Pat right behind, this little car literally took me on the ride of my life. Screeching around corners, weaving through cones, flying between haystacks and she held on to the road much better than I did to the corner of the windscreen. We did have the top down, after all.
When we headed back to the pits and it was time to swap over, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep up with the lead car, take those corners or have another 5 cars hot on my tale and it had nothing to do with not trusting the car. That’s what I kept smacking myself over the head about when Pat giggled like a kid because I gave him my laps too. If there was ever a time to let my hair down, take a few risks, drive fast and not care if I knocked over a cone … it would have been in Mini Roadster.
Le sigh … a part of me will always be sad that I wasn’t brave enough. It did comfort me that as the girls arrived back, they also hadn’t mustered up the courage to drive either.

The ‘project me’ lesson … well, it’s not so bad to say ‘no’ to something that you know you just aren’t ready for and I know my day will come when I can go, at my pace, in the very sexy, smooth and sophisticated Mini Roadster.

It’s not like the pace slowed down when I was out the car and all of a sudden I’m juggling 3 event, all by the 2nd June.

If I haven’t showcased myself by now and proven to people what I am capable of on social media, then I just don’t know. It’s been one pitch after another and then hurry up and wait. Instead of getting down about it, I’ve decided to keep doing what I do and giving people even more reason to wake up and realise they need Lifeology on their side where social media and events collide.

Amazingly, none of the events are as easy as the #FollowSA Tweetups we’ve organised in the past.
Now we have decided to head down to Durban for #Howzit031 and it’s no walk in the park. I’ve been fascinated at the difference in response to the Tweetups between the major cities and I’m trying to keep my chin up about Durban. Where are the people? What is the mindset? What is going to bring them to our Tweetup?
That’s it … tickets are booked and we are heading down to Durban, with some awesome sponsors, great prizes and fantastic reasons for Durban to come out and play … now I have 10 days to convince them of that.

Dashing between events and now to the Twitter Blanket Drive, where I’m officially hosting the event at Protea Hotels, Fire and Ice Melrose Arch. I’ve chosen two charities close to my heart, Nkosi’s Haven and Kitty and Puppy Haven and we need to collect 1 500 blanket by and on the night of the 26th May. I couldn’t ask for a better team to be supporting me than the GM of the hotel, Anton Gillis. I’m thrilled that my special friend, Karen Battaliou works at at the hotel because I couldn’t ask for a better co-host.
With the blankets already piling up in the window of the hotel, the offer for the Fire and Ice to buy blankets on guest’s behalf, everyone receiving milkshakes on the night … and the just the gorgeousness of the venue, I should be calm as anything … but we know that’s not me. We certainly have our work cut out for us, with events all over Jozi, so I wake up at about 4am every morning and have to figure out how to stop the chatter in my head and fall back to sleep.

What would my life be without events that I can’t announce just yet … but in the pipelines there are a whole lot of those that are taking hours to bring to life. Gosh, I can feel the adrenal rush with every word I type …

Then, just for kicks, some amazing person nominated me for the Rising Star SA awards and within a few days I’ve been notified that I’m a semi finalist, been selected and finalist and now have to sit in front of a panel of judges on the 15th May.

And then the sun begins to set on another day and I can’t wait to stop, take a breath, have dinner with my amazing man, cuddle with my kitties … and get ready for another very adventurous tomorrow!

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

The sweetest morning – project me day 708

Posted by jodene December 10, 2011 2 Comments »

It was the second weekend of the Nkosi's Haven food collection and this girl has been a superstar ...

The Twitter community have been amazing during the week and a half of the @nkosishaven food collection and @lindseykin85 Tweeted her way while she drove through the East of Joburg, all the way to Fourways and collected food. You are a superstar hun.

A very big thanks to the guys in Pretoria who opened their hearts to the legacy of Nkosi Johnson and has a food collection day.

The moments don't get sweeter than the warm gesture of thanks from Tiny Koen of Nkosi's Haven

My amazing friend from high school, @figs_home arrived with the sweetest gift I have received in a very long time

Everything that has been done to support me and #FollowSA for this charity drive has touched the depth of my soul, but when one of my oldest friends arrived (for the second week in a row) bearing the most precious gifts … well let’s just say it took a lot to hold back those tears. Thank you so much @figs_home for your unfailing support, your amazing networking ability and the sweetest gesture, with the icing in top.

A cookie with the logo of @indulgence_cafe. Thank you Mandy for so generously welcoming us into your gorgeous cafe to have Tweetups for the food drive.

Oh my graciousness ,,, there's our company logo!

Well isn't #FollowSA just the sweetest thing?

Now this is the greatest hostess of them all! @indulgence_cafe

@TinyKoen from @nkosishaven, me @jodenecoza and Mandy the awesome hostess of @indulgence_cafe

The sweetest moment of all ... @TinyKoen and @MrCellaneous packing the @nkosishaven truck with groceries from the generous Twitter community

Today truly was such a proud and sweet ‘project me’ day, filled with the realisation of what I have managed to achieve from my status on the social media platforms. I have always said the we give charity for our very own, personal reasons and today, while I stood back and watched the kindness of others who came to my Twitter call … I so proudly acknowledged that I have influence enough to give … and encourage others to give … and they arrive with such giving spirits.

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

It’s true what they say about pictures – project me day 702

Posted by jodene December 04, 2011 4 Comments »

I’ve been a little rough on Pat this weekend. It’s not his fault because I’m still dragging along with me some of my childhood issues of not getting much right. It’s so petty but it took me while to see how his message is filled with value and has nothing to do with criticism at all. You see, he keeps telling me to make sure I’ve recorded or kept a record of things as the week has exploded with priceless #FollowSA moments.

When I tell him of a complimentary Tweet his response is to record it. When I told him of the NKosi’s Haven food collection, he told me to record it. When I jumped up and down with elation that #FollowSA had finally achieved the milestone of cash sponsorship from 8ta … yes, he told me to record it. Of course I’m recording it and it took me a while to notice the compliment from a man who spends his life behind the camera and records people’s priceless moments. I can only imagine how he has know that someone would look back on a photo one day and remember that magical moment and he sees what I do and wants me to have the very same experience. His love and support of my blog and of #FollowSA is faultless and so I took heed of his message and have started a diary of every special moment that is #FollowSA.

I have the power to share my story in words and Pat has the power to share them in pictures, and the combination is a truly powerful experience that is milestones of the journey … #FollowSA

Thank you to Rony and Yanky of La Vie en Rose in Illovo, Johannesburg for your special hospitality, gorgeous venue and delicious food that set a new standard for #FollowSA

Greggie, I said it then and I will say it again … thank you so much for your unfailing belief in me and your support, even at a time in your life when you are faced with loss, sadness and uncertainty. Together we can achieve anything!

To the awesome Twits who shared #downdown2011 with each other and stayed nearly 2 hours longer than expected. There were nearly 90 of toasting the year out with a shot of Lovoka (@lovokasa) ... thanks @frankietwigs for the booze

Emmanuel Castis (@emmanuelcastis) thanks for your amazing support of #FollowSA. We made a fine team giving away prizes from #primatoys. Thanks for the #monopolysa and the #trivialpursuitsa prizes ... again from the awesome @frankietwigs

The girls fought it out for a bottle of Lovoka and @croft57 won it by winning a thumb war ... yes ... one, two, three, four , I declare a thumb war!

Almost too much lovin' there with @donowhite and his prize thanks to @lovejarsa

And this is what Pat was talking about ... what an awesome moment when @Aquaticcharne won the night at #fireandicema Melrose Arch Hotel. Thank you for your amazing generosity towards #FollowSA @antongillis and the Fire and Ice Hotel team

Thank you to @TranqBodyTreats who had everyone Tweeting away in the hope of winning your amazing voucher of R1000 worth of pampering. An additional special thanks to @Gabbibrondani for your amazing support of #FollowSA hun

To @Me_AngelicaLea for giving away your amazing book #sevensoulmates ... and no greater winner than @hustlergirl

Thank you to @whisperdscream and @mike_said_what for jumping in to be a a part of the awesome event that was #FollowSA, #downdown2011. To all the Twits who attended and made this end of year Twitter functions such a joy … you are the awesomeness. Again, thank you to the amazing sponsors and supports! These pictures tell only part of the incredible story and you can find the rest on the Facebook Lifeology page.

The week took a special turn when some awesome peeps like @liesldb asked about the event that #FollowSA was co-organising for Nkosi’s Haven. The very long and short of it is that time was running out to put together something awesome so we moved it to next year. A whole pile of Twits had another idea and in a few hours we had put together a food drive for Nkos’s Haven:

To the warmest, sweetest, most generous hostesses of @indulgence_cafe. Thank you for supporting this special cause as spoiling us Twits with such indulgent food! Heck some us ended staying nearly 6 hours!

I've made amazing friends along the way ... but then there are the friends that have spanned over 2 decades. Thanks Mands and Fi for all the years of friendship, love and support

To an amazing group of Twits who arrived with packets full and hands full of goods for @nkosishaven ... you are the awesomeness!

More piles of food with and Twits at the first of two weekends dedicated to collecting food for @nkosishaven

Tiny Koen of Nkosi's Haven and myself before the first car load filled with food drives away. A very proud #FollowSA moment

A very special thank you to @jaygibbs for featuring the story in Look Local Northcliff and helping spread the word to the residents and to @amandzing for attending the food drive and sharing the important story, in the North East Joburg, of @nkosishaven with so many readers out there.

And last but certainly not least …

To the incredible man in my life @patsloanephoto for your unfailing love, support and of course, patience. Thank you for believing in me and wiping a tear when I think I can't! #FollowSA is that much more alive with possibility thanks to every moment you spare to arrive and be resident photographer/irreplaceable support.

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

The things money can’t buy – project me day 677

Posted by jodene November 14, 2011 No Comments »

The last hours of the day are beginning to feel frustrating and I’m finally learning to put myself in a position of turning that around a whole lot faster than I used to.

The shadow of the day wasn’t much at all. There was some gross food and horrid chai tea, with a realisation that some relationships aren’t meant to be. The rest of it was filled with positive and moments that money just can’t buy. That’s important right now, because it’s coming to the time of the year that business owners dread … the long months ahead where our services won’t be needed. That’s why I’m grateful that there are a few burst of opportunities that are coming from all directions before Santa arrives. Thanks to the combination of supportive people, I’m remembering that money is created when you focus on all the things that money can’t buy … I love how smart the universe (remembering we are the universe) was when they thought up the concept of irony.

So my day starting with waking up next to the man that I love. Something shifted this weekend and I am grateful for the amount we communicate with each other, in complete honesty. I keeps bringing us closer and money can’t buy the love or the special messages I’m receiving from my friends who can see how our relationship has grown.

I got a Direct Message from Miss Earth SA on Twitter today. I get messages from a whole lot of people, but there was something so humbling and honoured about her praise for my work when she is doing such incredible work herself. Money can’t buy a moment of genuine acknowledgement when the journey has been a long road … I’m so sure Miss Earth SA can relate.

Greggie and I went for our business coaching with @Jax_Inspires and that moment when she said, “something’s different … something’s shifted!” … wow! Something has shifted and I can so feel it, but for someone so dear to me to notice, well money can’t buy the realisation that self reflection and self introspection can have such outward results.

There was some yada yada along the way but money can’t buy the moments when business partners are so insync and don’t need to verbalise much to make sure their business is safe and in good hands … our own!

I had a whopper of a week on Twitter last week and this Tweet goes out without me even know it. I’m in the process of being very conscious that I’m building an online image and persona and money just can’t buy that Tweet that I received at that unexpected moment going … “wow girl … you are an inspiration to us all!”

My plate is full, between the final #FollowSA event of the year, some exciting work for an entrepreneurial school, dashing between last minutes year end meetings and planning the social media strategies with my existing clients (okay so I’m getting money from clients but money still can’t buy the feeling that I’m getting money from clients). Then, through it all, Lifeology is having a charity event in honour of Nkosi Johnson, the little boy who changed the way that our country view and handles aids and orphans. 10 years after his passing, his legacy lives on and when my friends gather around a table and Greggie asks them, “What are you getting out of it?” and the response is … “we are supporting our friend, Jodene!”

Wow!!!

Money can’t but that and I’m so blessed and grateful to the amazing friends, Michele, Jacque and Kim who have opened their heart and given of their time to make this event, where charity and social media collide, a part of their agendas over the next few weeks!

And now I’m taking myself off to a bath with candles, incense, bubbles and the gift I promised myself once a week … time for me … something else that can never have a price tag.

What happened in your day that money just couldn’t buy?

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour

My kinda town, Joburg is … – project me day 664

Posted by jodene October 31, 2011 4 Comments »

It’s moments like these, when I reflect back on a week filled with proudly South African moments that I think most about my far away friends. I think of my blogging sisters around the world, Nikki, Traci, Dawn and so many others. I wonder what they think of when they ready about my love for my country and mostly, my home town.

My bio used to say ‘born and bred Jozi” girl until I was advised to change it. Sometimes I understand why and other times I regret not having that define me. I love being a Joburg girl that much and if ever there were a week I would wish my friends around the world could share with me, it would be this one just past.

I won’t kid, it wouldn’t have harmed having them around to help pack, unpack and calm the waters because moves are never fun and for some reason I felt very alone in anyone understanding what another move in my life meant to me.

Between all the box packing and unpacking, they would have shared three moments with me that epitomise why I adore Joburg the way I do.

One is culture, the other the passion and the third is the fun. They would have climbed into my world and visited the village of a Joburg boy who left a legacy that touched the world. They would have met my gorgeous friends, who are the heart of Jozi for me anyway, and shared in the makeover fun at one of Jozi’s hot spots. Lastly and to end a whirlwind tour of my home town, they would have been just in time for the highlight of Jozi’s theatre events that rings in the countdown to the end of the year.

Gail Johnson, Nkosi's mother in nearly every sense of the word, keeps his legacy alive.

I am beyond proud that Lifeology has been appointed as the social media strategists for such an incredible project. Over the next few months I will be sharing the story of Nkosi Johnson, who was an HIV positive little boy with a very big dream. He wondered what happened to all the other children and mothers with HIV. Not only did he wonder, he wanted his ‘mother’, who took care of him like her own after him biological mother passed away from aids, to help him help others. Gail and Nkosi fought the school system until they made impact and he was the first infected child to be accepted into school. This little boy, wasn’t little at all. He was might and his legacy continues on, with Gail at the forefront. It was a joy to visit the village last week and finally have the honour of meeting Gail and taking a walk though the second of many properties that all began as Nkosi’s Haven in Gail’s own home.
My friends would be so proud … it all started in Jozi!

My incredible friends who joined me in the fun of a Bobbi Brown experience

I can see my friends from across the world fitting right in with those who all began as Twits and have blossomed into genuine, special and dependable friends. Another proud moment for me the Bobbi Brown trust in their brand and my blog. Secretly, well, not so secret, I haven’t been connected to the direction of the blog of late. Unbelievably, I have never received more compliments, comments and thanks for blogging so honestly. It’s amazing that, while have cheeks rouged by one of the finest makeup products in the world, at Melrose Arch, which happens to be one of the hottest spots to hang out in Jozi and being surrounded by giggles and Twitter scandal that us girls love to share, that I could be reminded of just how purposeful I am right now. We all need that. We all need to be reminded of our efforts in even the smallest way and I haven’t been able to give it to myself … so I’m shamelessly clinging to other’s compliments and applying my perfectly pink Bobbi Brown lipstick often.
Wow, Nikki, Traci and Dawny … you would have loved that day!

And after that … I would have had anything to have them help me deal with the absolute chaos that was the move to the new house. For some reason we didn’t get the support we thought we would have and it took its toll. Every muscle in our bodies ached by Sunday midday and Pat and I fell fast asleep holding hands on couch (okay, I dropped that in because it was just too cute) … but by the middle of the day we had to scrub off the dirt that comes with moving, put on our best and paint on smiles … because it was panto time in Jozi.

The amazing, world class, cast of this year's pantomime, Cinderella at the Joburg Theatre

Greggie and his family introduced me to the yearly tradition of the pantomime, which only takes place in my home town, Joburg. The build up has been thrilling for me, thanks to the social media journey I have taken with both the Joburg Theatre and BankservAfrica, one of the companies who have sponsored the panto for the next two years.

My dearest friends, you would have been swept away by the breathtaking, magical production by Janice Honeyman. Greggie said something so important after the show, that had me laughing, crying and singing along. He pointed out how the panto is in the blood of everyone in Jozi and we knew when to interact with the cast, when to sing along and when to boo the very ugly sisters (the amazing talent of Tobie Cronje and Robert Whitehead).

I have met so many of the cast and beamed with pride at the joy they are going to bring to so many hearts, young and old … and then Carmen Pretorius sang and outshone some voices I have seen collect Grammy’s. Wow, just wow!

I wish I could share the whole story line with you, but it would take another 100o words and I would have to explain so much of that production, that is born from being South African.

I’ve had a crap day. I’m sure it’s because moves are naturally traumatic, but I feel that I haven’t had a moment to myself. I think it’s going to be like that for a while, but the whole day I’ve been doing one thing … thinking of a sparkling princess chariot flying across a stage and the tear I shed in pride of being a part of the tradition of panto!

Bongani Mthombeni AKA Prince Charming!

Michael Rubenstein from BankservAfrica. The brand that believes in the limitless power of the arts and all that is Joburg Theatre

Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Jaco van Renseburg, Malcolm Terrey, Stephen Jubber, Sibu Radebe and the rest of the cast and crew of Cinderella, I wish you a season filled with laughter, sing-a-longs and standing ovations.

If only my friends where here to see my town now!

With courage, consciousness & a sense of humour