Posts

New job opportunity!

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A recent work application I completed today, has me seeking out all the environment, eco-tourism, and sustainability related material I've written (or assisted with in any other way) over the 26 years of my media and marketing career thus far. I gained extensive experience in eco-tourism and matters of sustainability while working as the marketing coordinator for The Lab Lifestyle Group, and as the public relations consultant for Arebbusch Travel Lodge in Windhoek. I also wrote across the board for travel industry clients while freelancing for the agency called Great Expectations – a key account I was assigned to was, in fact, the challenging work of African Risk Capacity. Here are also a few of the article links I've found to share: Focus on sustainable travel https://saasawubona.com/2024/04/17/a-look-at-whats-newly-in-vogue-in-travel/ Focus on green building https://sabuildingreview.co.za/construction-news/impact-of-the-global-green-focus-on-the-development-of-building-and-co

Reinforcing a/the brand

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 Wow, it's been a while since I've had a chance to blog for my own boutique agency. Times are always tough when you essentially work for yourself  – but always incredibly rewarding. Plus: no two days are ever the same. I trust that my main gig will return with a vengeance once its key individuals have decided what move the team should ideally make next, and in the interim I will continue doing all the reading they provide, researching my own interests within the sphere (which is green energy-related), and possibly even beginning on the 3rd big paper (research and writing) on their behalf. Over and above this, I will obviously continue to service my smaller clients to the best of my ability; bring in new work wherever it rears its head; and even apply for a few new contracts that could prove interesting and lucrative going forward. As they say in the classics, gotta keep on trucking! ;-) Oh, yes, and here are the latest and greatest pieces we've had published on client behal

Recent client coverage

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For BossJansen Executive Search: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2023-02-24-jeremy-bossenger-the-case-for-smaller-more-diverse-boards/ For Executive Placements: https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/marketing/154183/the-cmo-career-choice For Gravitas Tax: https://www.womenontop.co.za/personal-finance/how-your-financial-plan-may-be-affected-by-divorce/ For AxessHealth: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/159/238584.html And with that, it's a wrap on June, people! Happy school holidays. x Vanessa

ITS NOT ABOUT THE SCALE, BUT...

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I bought a new scale online, which was delivered with my groceries today. After completing a 59min trampoline session (the first half wearing ankle weights), I weighed myself and found I'd lost 2kgs! Wow. I'm really chuffed because I've been careful this holiday season, avoiding everything in the biscuit, cake, pudding line – even on Christmas day. What's interesting is how PMS can make you feel headache-y and heavy, off-colour and generally not like your usual self; and you aren't actually any bigger than before.  Anyhow, this has set me on a new and positive track. I'm aim to lose 3kgs over the next 3 months (very doable, I think); and then the last 2.5 over April and May. This means, by June (the start of winter in the southern hemisphere), I should be at * goal weight* . Waist circumference 03-Jan-2023: 82cm/32inches  

WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGE

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Weight gain happens slowly but surely when you're very busy. I exercise daily (sometimes twice a day), do intermittent fasting most evenings from 7pm to 10am, and am not a big eater. But I love my wine, and probably need to cut back on that if I want to lose the weight I've gained over the past year or so: 7.5kg. The types of exercise that I do include: weight training (varied); HIIT (light weights, many reps), rebounding (cardio that doesn't hurt my knees), and splashing around in the pool/races most days with my son. In the working year (my son's school term and when I'm not on leave from mid Dec to early Jan), I have coffee on waking up, coffee and a salad/something high protein around 10:30, run, drink water, fetch my son, do a rebounder session, and swim with my son in between work demands (predominantly writing/public relations tasks for a wide range of different clients and agencies). I have the second meal of the day in the early evening, say 6pm, which tend

NEW EXPECTATIONS

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Seven years ago today, Connor was two months away from being born.  December 29, 2022 is a date that has me poised on the precipice – more or less – of the new year to come.  Perhaps, this will be our last local staycation. If I aim moderately high, we will be able to holiday in Greece before the end of next year; or at least pay off debt to the extent that an overseas holiday becomes increasingly doable in 2024. Many folks are in the same boat post pandemic. But the claustrophobia of not being able to GET OUT of your country of origin is looming large for anyone who travelled a fair amount before 2020. Is it possible to save, pay off debt, AND travel in the next two years? I think it is and this means working hard; taking on clients that pay on time while offering valuable work; and thinking beyond the basic bills and debit orders of a household. Here's to going large in 2023/2024! ;-)

TIME TO BLOG

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One of the incredible things about being on leave, is that there's time to blog – and also write social media posts on behalf of my own business, TextBOX Conceptual; rather than what I do (and find very rewarding, let me add) between 9 Jan and 19 December every year: which is writing on behalf of my clients.  The other thing that I get to do 1, 2, 3 times a day, if I choose, is to exercise – my preferred pastime! Today, thus far, I've done a 30min HIIT session and have swum about in the aqua pool with my son for at least 50min – which included a really awesome massage between the shoulder blades, c/o of incoming hot-water jets. Perhaps I'll chill for the rest of today. But before I get more heavily into my own holiday writing/exercising/chilling regime, here are two recent SEO pieces of ours written on behalf of Executive Placements: https://web.asu.edu/jmike/5-ways-ace-your-first-professional-job-search https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/piperde/2022/12/19/four-international-tr