The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast

In this episode of The Entrepreneurs Narrative, we sit down with Yolanda Mabuto, a powerhouse in the energy sector who went from the Cape Flats to sitting on BRICS boards and judging for the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Programme. She shares the exact approach she uses to turn casual introductions into career-defining opportunities, and why most entrepreneurs are networking completely wrong.Learn how to introduce yourself to a CEO (we do a live role play), what to do when you feel like you have nothing to offer, and the one networking mistake that closes every door.GET YOUR FREE WEB REVIEW HERE 👇👇👇https://website-audit.jckfrut.co/We're offering a free website review to help you identify where your business can improve online. Click the link to claim your free review and start growing your business in the right direction!Chapters0:00 - Trailer1:26 - Intro3:32 - Meet Yolanda Mabuto 7:03 - From Humble Beginnings to the Global Stage21:23 - How to Network Without Being Transactional (Relationships over Transactions)28:25 - Practical Tips: Ice-Breakers & Follow-Up Tips35:02 - Role Play: Introducing Yourself to a CEO 41:26 - What to Do When You Feel Like You Have Nothing to Offer47:04 - How to Convert Connections Into Business 49:45 - The Biggest Networking Mistake Entrepreneurs Make54:18 - Final Thoughts

When we launched our product, we made a lot of marketing mistakes.In Episode 8 of The Entrepreneur’s Narrative Podcast, we talk openly about the lessons we learned while trying to promote a new product: advertising on Meta (Facebook & Instagram), figuring out our target audience, and dealing with scope creep.If you're an entrepreneur experimenting with marketing, this episode might help you avoid some of the mistakes we made.Follow us here:Instagram: www.instagram.com/jckfrut_LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jckfrut-web-designPinterest: www.pinterest.com/JCKFRUTOur Website: https://jckfrut.co/Topics in this episode include: Product launch mistakes, Meta and Facebook advertising in South Africa, Finding your niche and target audience, Scope creep and managing product development, Lessons from marketing experiments, South African entrepreneur, startup marketing South Africa, Facebook ads South Africa, Meta ads South Africa, entrepreneur podcast South Africa, Cape Town startup, scope creep, digital marketing South Africa, finding your niche, target audience marketing, Instagram ads South Africa, startup podcast, entrepreneur mistakes, how to market a product, small business marketing South Africa

In the 7th episode of The Entrepreneur’s Narrative, Michelle and Ato get honest about what the last year of building a business has really looked like. The pressure, the slow months, the fear of failure, and the quiet moments founders don’t post online.We unpack why struggle is such a normal part of entrepreneurship, yet so rarely spoken about. From personal experiences running a growing web design studio, to real examples like Plantmade, Ami Colé, Apple, Amazon, and OpenAI, this conversation looks at what success actually hides: losses, anxiety and hard trade-offs. Chapters0:00 - Trailer1:52 - Reflecting on the year and its struggles13:21 - Do business failures feel like personal failures19:25 - Plantmade’s Story27:01 - Ami Cole’s Story33:36 - Why is failure so hard to admit?41:37 - How to be more transparent about it?48:19 - Despite everything, we are having fun!

The Entrepreneur's Narrative | Episode 6Welcome back to The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast!In this Episode, we are joined by Arthur Mexico, an entrepreneur who leads his organisation (Access Network Africa) to be more social impact focused than profit oriented. We sat down with him to discuss sustainability concerns, entrepreneurship as a skill and the biggest misconceptions surrounding funding a social enterprise. Arthur's Socials:Instagram: @arthur_mexicoLinkedin: Arthur MexicoFacebook: Access Network AfricaWebsite: accessnetworkafrica.com

The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast | Episode 5Confidence is essential to business. In this episode, Michelle & Ato sit down to discuss how they built their's over time, the price of lacking confidence and ways you can build confidence in your skills & abilities. Follow us here:Instagram: www.instagram.com/jckfrut_LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jckfrut-web-designPinterest: www.pinterest.com/JCKFRUTOur Website: https://jckfrut.co/

The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast | Episode 4Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Narrative! In our fourth episode, it's just us again! We decided to sit down on our anniversary and have a chat about our marriage, the challenges of doing business with your spouse and share some exciting news about a new product we have been working on!FRIENDS, BUY YOUR OWN INVITATION HERE! https://wedding.jckfrut.co/

The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast | Episode 3Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Narrative! In our third episode, we chat with Jamie Thurston Wyngaard, an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator with a diverse academic background and a passion for leveraging technology to create impactful solutions for communities in need. As the Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Loop, with his team, Jamie has transformed mobility & payments in Africa through pioneering innovations like Chat-to-Pay and Tap-to-Phone services. We sat down with him to hear more about his story, experiences and where he hopes Loop is heading to in the future.Follow Jamie's Socials:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamiethurstonwyngaard/?hl=enLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiethurstonwyngaard/

The Entrepreneur's Narrative | Episode 2Welcome to The Entrepreneur’s Narrative! In our second episode, we chat with Thandeka Dladla, a talented jazz artist who treats her music career like building a business. Join us as we explore how she has approached her music career, sharing her insights on growth, creativity, and resilience. If you’re passionate about music or entrepreneurship, this conversation is for you! Listen in to hear Thandeka’s inspiring story. Thandeka's Socials:IG: https://www.instagram.com/thandeka_dladla/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thandekadladlamusic/

The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast | Episode 1Welcome to The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast!This is the first episode of The Entrepreneur's Narrative Podcast. A relatable space for entrepreneurs and founders of growing businesses to connect with the realities of entrepreneurship.In this episode, we dive deep into the many faces of business growth.Growth can look different for every business, and it's not always about bigger numbers or higher profits. We talk about how growth can be a positive or negative force, depending on your goals and circumstances.You'll hear why it's crucial to define growth on your own terms and how focusing only on financials might miss the bigger picture. Whether you're expanding your team, improving your processes, or simply navigating change, this conversation will help you think about growth in a way that makes sense for your business.