The Creativ & Kin Podcast

Hi everyone! I'm back with another Power Pod - a term coined by my friend and mentor, Tam Braun. Thank you Tam, I love it!! So today, we're discussing authenticity and how that translates into creativity and entrepreneurship.

I always love seeing what google thinks about these big, and sometimes vague terms we often use so loosely:

Being authentic means coming from a real place within. It is when our actions and words are in line with our beliefs and values. It is being ourselves, not an imitation of what we think we should be or have been told we should be. There is no "should" in authentic. But wait a minute. So authentic doesn't translate to good, morally right and all the happy shiny people??

The short answer is no. Authentic just means you are being true to yourself. So that could mean you are showing up - flaws & all; anxieties in tow and all your vulnerability gaping at the sides... So basically, it sounds like being authentic can be revealing but also very very freeing at the same time. An here's the real reason I'm talking to you about authenticity at all: it can also be extremely valuable for your business.

Most leading companies globally are focusing on developing "authentic leaders" within their ranks. Executive courses at Harvard Business School in authentic leadership development are oversubscribed and expanding every year. As the Harvard Business Review declared in January 2015 already, "Authenticity has emerged as the gold standard for leadership."

The essence of authentic leadership is emotional intelligence, or EQ. People with high IQs and low EQs can hardly be called authentic leaders. In contrast to IQ, which basically does not change in one's adult lifetime, EQ can be developed. The first and most important step on this journey is gaining self-awareness.

Authentic people are said to be deep thinkers who generate thought power from within, and transpose it outward to add value to the lives of others. So if I just very quickly and basically summarise this, here we see it starts with: intention (the reason why you're doing it) > deep thought (putting it through some filters and processes) > mindful action (how it will affect others) = (inward thought, outward focus)

So keeping all of this is mind, If we start with HOW to be authentic, we'll have to explore what authenticity means for small businesses and the people behind the brands:

•It means showing up for your business in a consistent way

•Showing the messy; behind the scenes; real bits of your business and your life mixed in here and there - this makes you or your brand relatable

•Being responsive to your audience or community, answering their questions and always striving to add value

•Being real and honest, as in being able to apologise when things go wrong or make things right when mistakes creep in

So here, authenticity for a business would mean staying true to the brand and it's values to benefit the brand and business as a whole, but always ending in good and honest service to the customer.

Now, let's take a look at WHY being authentic is important for you or your brand:

(I'm going to list them slowly, so feel free to pause if you want to write something down):

1- It elevates your business above the competition

2- It builds your identity and image into something influential

3- It gives substance to your business, services and products

4- It enables people to relate to your business (as mentioned before)

5- It helps people understand how what you offer is of benefit to them

6- It tells people that what you offer is of high quality

7- It marks you out as a reliable, t...

We're picking up where we left off last week on Mentorship. And who better to explore this topic with, than the person who's been mentoring, guiding and supporting me for the past few months. It's Tam Braun of the boutique branding, styling and design studio called Tapestry and who also runs a mentoring programme called The Business Besties. We'll take you through what the mentoring process looks like for us as creative entrepreneurs and how you can gain the most value from it.

Tam shares how her love for branding and design evolved into a passion for working with women in business, come alongside them, keep them accountable on their goals and help them to take the next step in their business. confidence

Important things to consider: is the mentor you are wanting to work with, genuinely interested in your business; is there active listening; are your values aligned?

What is it that you are wanting help with? All of these questions and points will determine who you choose as your mentor.

Share with us what stood out to you in this episode and please tag us @tapestry_ct and @creativ.and.kin, or leave us a stellar review so others can continue to find inspiration here!

Find us at the following links:

Tam (Tapestry):

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tapestry_ct

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/tapestrylove

Email: [email protected]

Barbara (creativ & kin):

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativ.and.kin

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/creativ.and.kin

Email: [email protected]

As always, stay connected and keep creating! xx

Help! I feel so alone and I need guidance!!!

So entrepreneurship can be a really lonely road, but it doesn't have to be. Don't get me wrong; you might get loads of support from your your family and friends, but there's gonna be lots of times where you feel like they have no idea or understanding of what you're doing. They might not be speaking your language, or they might not be as interested in your work as you feel they should be. That's ok. It's normal. It might be time for you to reach out to a mentor, or just schedule in some time with a friend for accountability.

In this episode, we take a quick look at what mentorship is, how and when to choose a mentor or mentorship program and what it could mean for your business or brand. Please get into contact with me via DM's or email: [email protected] if you have any questions or need help in choosing a mentor.

Share with us what stood out to you in this episode and please tag us @creativ.and.kin, or leave us a stellar review so others can continue to find inspiration here!

Find us at the following links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativ.and.kin

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/creativ.and.kin

As always, stay connected and keep creating! xx

This episode is a ground-breaking one: we are welcoming our first male guest onto the show and I had to make sure it would be worth your time!! Today we welcome Nick Dreyer, co-founder and CEO of Veldskoen shoes, the iconic South African product that literally took the world by storm. Together, they have put "vellies" on the feet of Ashton Kutcher and Prince Harry, and this promises to be a truly motivating and highly informative episode, so grab your pen and paper!

Please share with us what stood out to you in this episode and please tag us @veldskoenshoes and @creativ.and.kin, or leave us a stellar review so others can continue to find inspiration here!

As always, stay connected and keep creating xx

Ok so today we are making all your sweet cake dreams come true to bring you the story behind Sweet Lion Heart. I'm chatting to Nikki Albertyn, the owner of this well-known and ultra popular online bake shop, to find out what led her to creating what can only be described as works of art.

We cover her path into baking, starting her business, what the growth of Lionheart looked like and the process of hiring entailed for them. What an amazing story to be inspired by - we are capable of steady growth and building sustainable businesses!!

As always, share with us what stood out to you in this episode and please tag us @sweet.lionheart and @creativ.and.kin, or leave us a stellar review so others can continue to find inspiration here!

As always, stay connected and keep creating xx

Let's take a look at the reasons why you might be struggling to write good copy or content for your business. We'll explore a few ways to overcome this in a really powerful way and also take a good look at different types or styles of writing and when to use them.

Creative writing is woven into your brand or business from the initial idea all the way through to the lasting impression as experienced by the customer. This is why storytelling is so important and doing it well should be one of the things you work on continuously.

Share with me what stood out to you in this episode and please tag me @creativ.and.kin, or leave a review so others can continue to find inspiration here!

As always, stay connected and keep creating xx

In this episode, we chat about being brave, just getting started and taking those first steps in order to keep yourself accountable. One of the strongest push-factors for many of us is motherhood and we discuss this a fair bit as well.

The intertwining of creativity and business for most creatives is a tough one - Ndumi shares how she used lessons from her past as well as lots of research and adjustments to guide her in the setup of her brand and business.

We also discuss diversity and representation in children's toys in South Africa: how far we've come and where we need to do better still. We hope you enjoy a glance into this very vibrant local brand!

Let us know what inspired you most in this episode! Share it and tag us @imibongo_kamakhulu and @creativ.and.kin - we'd love to share it!

As always, stay connected and keep creating xx

Jen is an inspiring soul who combines poetry and floral design to make art that inspires and empowers others. In this episode, we discuss her journey into floral artistry and her experiences growing up on a farm and growing her own flowers as a child.

We chat about finding your purpose, stepping into it and then possibly making a living out of it. Jen gives advice to artists and makers in better translating emotions into words for their audience or creative community, as well as creating a context for their work or products. We then further discuss 'pivoting' your brand or business during these strange times and how this growth and change can be especially messy but really good.

Listen to the end for a live reading by Jen of one of her beautiful poems!

Please share with us what has left you most inspired during this episode and tag us @nectar_and_bloom and @creativ.and.kin - we'd love to share it.

(If you want to read the full story of Jen's journey from a writing career back to flowers, scroll down on her Instagram page to her posts of 15-23 February 2020. I'm sure it'll leave you feeling inspired!)

As always, stay connected and keep creating xx

In this episode we'll be tackling: 10 Ways to Push through and Stay focused when times are tough (in your business or your creativity)

1 - Take it one day at a time. Every day has new opportunities and could bring a brand new perspective. You know me - I try and look at the step in front of me in stead of looking at the whole stair case. I often have to remind myself of that quote - if I get overwhelmed with the big picture, I just ask myself: what's next? So, what's next??

2 - Make a daily list with attainable goals or tasks - What I mean by this is that is doesn't help anyone to have a massive long list the size of the Nile to get you motivated. If it seems impossible, it's most likely going to be demotivating. So spread out the tasks in your week and tick them off for extra satisfaction when you're done.

3 - Possibly one of the things on your list above should be clearing your dedicated work space or general area. I know I always have this my list, but I can't work constructively in a cluttered space. I like to do 20min bursts of clearing, so it doesn't end up taking up my whole morning or day. So I set a quick alarm on my phone, tidy and pack away as much as I can and then when it's workable, I leave the rest of the deep clean for later if I've finished my more important tasks.

4 - Now that we've spoken about cleaning, we need to plan for rest too. Use your weekends mainly for rest and inspiration. But: when the muse comes to visit and inspiration strikes, make a quick note of your thoughts on your phone's notepad and revisit it later when you have time to plan it out.

5 - Plan ahead: if your are creating content for social media, it's always a good idea to have something prepared , as opposed to furiously trying to type out a post. Remember that if you want to serve your audience or your community well, you should be focusing on what would bring them value - be it inspiration, motivation or personal growth. Remember that quality is always better than quantity here. Being consistent doesn't necessarily translate to daily.

6 - And then if it all gets a bit too much, or your mind feels jumbled and confused - Air it out, and even better: garden it out! Go for that walk, do some mindless weeding, as in pulling weeds from the ground (I did it again this morning and here I am writing suggestions for you!) It's not a waste of time, your mind needs breathing space too! When you focus your mind on things that don't need much executive function, it often gets the down time to sort through the things you've been meaning to think through. Amazing huh?!

7 - Map out dedicated work time and switch your phone and mind to silent - don't answer distracting emails or phone calls during your creating or admin time. Just power through your list and answer those messages in batch form later. This has been a game changer for me recently - when I'm in flow as they say, I can use that block of time way more constructively. And please note that this work is never done in complete silence or super-focus, I have gotten used to have comics or rather educational shows as my background music. I have no problem with an extra screen offering me some help here and there during the day.

8 - KEEP GOING FOR IT - Stop waiting for someone to ask you or to invite you. Ask them. Send an email or pop a DM. You've got nothing to lose. The worst that could happen? They say no. So you move on to the next opportunity. I say create your own opportunities. You know what? I bet you'd never be able to guess who of my guests on the podcast asked for an interview, as opposed to those whom I invited. I'll just leave you with that thought.

9 - So now that you're back in your zone of genius, how about a little mood board or a mind map to keep you ins...

In this episode, we chat a bit about the journey that brought Bianca to writing a children's book - a book that is very significant in exploring identity, self-worth and diversity.

We talk through what the process of publishing looked like, the need for more local children's literature and the message she wants to spread with this beautiful book. Listen to the end for a reading from both the English and Afrikaans copy, specially by Bianca!

Please let us know what inspired you most in this episode! Share it and tag us @bianca.flanders, @pumkinfindsherqueen13 and @creativ.and.kin - we'd love to share it!

Also, if you love this podcast - please leave a review!!

As always, stay connected and keep creating,

Barbara xx