LOCAL author, Sylvanie Beukes has just published a financial book, ‘New Money Masters.’ The Namibian’s Chamwe Kaira asked him about what motivated him to write the book.
Chamwe Kaira (CK): What and where did you study?
Sylvanie Beukes (SB): I studied at the University of Namibia, for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources majoring in Economics.
CK: Why did you write the book ‘New Money Masters,’?
SB: The inspiration of the book came as I was going through a challenging time with my businesses. It was at my most desperate hour that I took my notes of all the business deals that I have done and began searching for clues that would help me understand why we were not succeeding as fast as we thought we would. I began the problem analysis with myself, looking at the professional skills and capacity that I lacked to build a successful enterprise. I also looked at the industries that I was passionate about. I was trying to find obstacles that had rendered my attempts fruitless. I was looked at the type of investors I had met, the business partners and associates I encountered. I was trying to trace my steps to what went wrong.
In essence, I wrote the book to improve myself but any attempt at improving myself is effort wasted if I did not share it with people around me. After all, a business network like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. My reasoning was that if I can share my story with the next person, it would empower that person and ultimately also benefit me because I would one day end up doing business with them. We can all avoid the ‘get rich quick’ thinking that has infiltrated our business network and is eating at the very fabric that makes us competitive.
CK: How do you hope to inspire Namibians when it comes to financial matters?
SB: The most important gift that I would like to give to those who read my book, is the sort of thinking that is able to tell what is real and what is fake in business. I have learnt that the alluring factor of fast money through quick tenders and money making schemes have made many people fall victim for the ‘something for nothing’ culture. What I offer is the gift of enterprise, hard work and initiative. I want to move people to develop their potential and add value their lives because at the end of the day, the only true authority that money listens to is value.
I also want my book to inspire people to move away from corruption and other financial crimes that will cause them to fail in business. It is easier to make money than to steal money. With stealing money, the first step may be easier but covering your steps after that becomes a life long burden.
CK: How do you think your book will inspire Namibians?
SB: The most dangerous society you can live in, is a society full of people that are powerful but have not been introduced to their potential. They should dare to take on the path less travelled. They should learn to develop their potential and by that, gain the confidence to tackle any goal. They should not be afraid to fail but be willing to learn from past mistakes and build an experience through the relentless pursuit for a positive goal.
CK: What are some of the challenges that you faced while you were writing the book?
SB: The first challenge probably was the confidence to take it to the market. That inner belief that what you have written will have an impact on somebody’s life. And whether the professionals or captains of industry would agree with some of my ideas or at least point out the limitations of some of my proposed strategies.
Some of the minor challenges were getting the book up to publishing standards with regards to English grammar and writing style. This was because I was a first time author and nervous. The various editors I had for the book eventually helped in improving the content and making it more relevant to the market. The book can still be improved with a revised edition that incorporates the comments and suggestions that people have made.
CK: What are you future plans?
SB: My future plans are to grow as an entrepreneur in my chosen fields and further my outreach to people through motivational seminars and books.
CK: Who inspires you and what is your motto in life?
SB: I am inspired by human potential. The unlimited power that is hidden in everybody. If we are able to create in the minds of people the confidence to tap into this ability, then we will have a legitimate chance of building a world that celebrates the best of what mankind can offer.
CK: How is your book faring, are people buying the book?
SB: The book is selling at a rate of about six to 10 copies a day. So far I have sold 250 copies of the 1 000 printed. Even before I commissioned the printing of the book, I ran an SMS order line where people could order the book. I received an overwhelming response and it was only after the positive response that I decided to commission the printing.
