You never really know what someone has been through until you step into their shoes.
In an effort to share the nitty gritty of defunct projects, stumbling blocks and all things failure in their journey of life, influential figures and entrepreneurs were invited to pour their hearts out at Poiyah Media’s ‘F*ck-Up Nights’ on Wednesday evening.
Packed to the brim, local pub The Garden Inn put the spotlight on speakers Paulina The Iron Lady, Michael Chikwiliwa, Daniel Haufiku, Shiwomeho Kalla (better known as Shiwa The Baker) and Gazza, who spoke about their endeavours to success.
Confident in his stride, Chikwiliwa, who titled his talk ‘Seeds of Change’, said his childhood was magical, but things took a turn for the worse when he walked through the gates of the University of Cape Town (UCT). “I was so proud when I was accepted at UCT. However, my joy was short-lived,” the businessman confessed.
“I started flunking my subjects. By the end of second year, I was kicked out of university.” Despite this setback, Chikwiliwa opted to return to the university to convince his lecturers to take him back.
“It didn’t happen,” he said. “I developed ulcers in my stomach. You need to imagine this – my family was in Swakopmund phoning me and I used to lie to them. I’ll never forget this one day when there was a message. It was a phone call from Namibia.”
On the other end of the line was his father. “He said ‘Michael, I know the truth”. According to him, UCT sent letters to his family and they found out everything. “I cried with my dad that day.”
Despite times being tough, he was happy to have his family around him and eventually learnt about people likening themselves to seeds.
“Miles Monroe said this is a world of possibilities. I learnt key principles: What does a seed need? Soil, sunlight and rain. Likewise in business, if you don’t set the correct environment, it’s never going to happen.” Putting emphasis on confidence and feeding your mind with information as key aspects in moving forward, Chikwiliwa certainly rose from the ground up.
And then there was Haufiku, better known as DK, who co-owns DK Freight Services. The entrepreneur said his background worked against him, seeing as there was a period when he was kicked out of his home. Thanks to self-confidence and a determination to win, he started a freight business which deals in cargo, though documentation and registration were points he blatantly ignored.
“I always thought about the money and not my documents,” he said. Although he moved forward, reckless spending became a problem. “When I made good money, I bought a car and added speakers, rims and all those stuff,” he shared. “I was trying to be cool.” But once that plunged his finances into a troubling state, he sold his car, bought trucks instead and pushed his business. However, employing family members was another one of his mistakes. “I will never suggest you do this. They disrespect your business.”
Advising entrepreneurs never to get too comfortable when starting their business, Haufiku believes complacent behaviour hurt his bottom line. But every day has been a lesson and he continues to strive for success.
Shiwa The Baker, whose background is nothing short of impressive, said her company was built from the ashes of a failed partnership. “We were two passionate individuals. We came, we saw, we conquered and then we crashed.” The first mistake, she stated, was entering a partnership without research as well as not clearly defining the relationship.
“Things like who should manage our social media and who would play the role of finance manager led to a lot of room for conflict. Finding middle ground was tough. We didn’t know how to communicate in a manner that maintained integrity,” she said. “As we speak, the dissolution of the partnership is incomplete. I found myself constantly anxious and discouraged. Ending a business partnership is painful and extremely expensive.”
However, her solo business is taking off and she has already made headlines for designing restaurant Wing It’s birthday cake last year, which was the size of a door.
To conclude the event, Gazza listed his faults which are often hidden from the public. “Sometimes I do good, sometimes I f*ck up. But I embrace my f*ck-ups. I always make sure my end result is good.”
His flaws, he mentioned, are being short-tempered and a perfectionist. “I get agitated when things don’t go right. But I learnt the hard way – just walk away.”
Providing the example of a case of attempted murder in the past, Gazza clarified the issue. “I almost lost my house and my car,” he said. “It was my first big f*ck-up in the industry. If you’re building a brand, walk away from the negative stuff.”
In his past, Gazza said, trust has also been an issue, therefore he only sticks around those who emit good vibes. “When you connect with someone’s energy, that particular individual is giving their energy to you. I shy away from negative energy.” Previously, a former manager left and started a label, causing conflict within the business.
“He sold shares of my label without me knowing and left with artists I have been investing in for years.” The kwaito star has certainly learnt from this experience to always keep the right people around him.
Lastly, there was being black.
“Black people like to see other black people struggling. The moment you show an ounce of success, you start to see how negative they are.”
And here’s some exclusive news: Gazza is planning on launching a ‘Pumumu’ clothing line at the Kasi Vibe Festival.
The evening was hosted by Courage the Comedian who did a great job holding the fort. The next event will take place on 30 April at Pelican Café in Hochland Park with Top Cheri, Tjuna Kaupirura, Simon Penda Samuel and David Regto on the line-up.
