This is quite a sensitive topic and I have heard so many people over the last few months, either asking me or someone else this question, that I feel an urgent need to address it.

 

Yes, we have all done it but it is now becoming what people expect as the norm, and as entrepreneurs, their right to other entrepreneurs knowledge and experience, without compensation for their expertise.

 

I think us, as entrepreneurs that have put ourselves in the public domain as an authority on our topic/s have heard this more times than we can remember.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for the recognition and find it flattering that someone thinks my knowledge is of a high enough standard that they would like to get some instruction from me.

Over the last eight years or so, I have probably been asked for a coffee/brain pick close to a hundred times. Some I have had time to see and been happy to guide, others have just been blatant entitlement demands.

However, my life has got to a point where it is no longer an option. As I have got busier, and considering I work alone as an entrepreneur, impossible to fork out time, willy-nilly. I do not, like many entrepreneurs, have a backup partner to pay the bills.

I do on occasion collaborate with a business associate, and then it is a mutually beneficial project that is a fee-based arrangement.

Here are a few ways to politely say ‘NO’. Keep in mind that ‘NO’ is an entire sentence as well, but let’s be nice.

Ask them what it is exactly that they require and then refer them to a relevant source or if it is the service or product you offer, direct them to that information on your website etc.

Let them understand:

‘My workload is currently full as the services I offer are exactly what you are requesting and I consult for an hourly fee if you would like to book a time at a later date’. (I used this one recently and was shocked that it worked)

OR

‘My workload is full, so making a coffee date is not practical these days. Are you interested in becoming a client or do you just have a quick question?’

OR

‘I’m not available for lunch but you should consider getting onto the _______ (course etc.) It’s comprehensive, and created to assist people in your exact position.’

OR

‘I don’t have time to grab coffee unless it is an official business meeting. And my hourly consultation fee, if you are interested, is _____.’

OR

(Jokingly) Ask: When last did you walk into a store and scoop up an armful of clothing and walk out without paying….. (Wait for the ‘never’ response) Right….my hourly consultation fee is____.’

OR

When asked if I could mentor them:

‘I do pro bono work and my quota is currently full’. Most people are not even aware of the volunteer work I do, and may, therefore, assume that as an entrepreneur, I have more free time than a regular 9-5 worker. In some instances you may feel the need to mention those, I don’t!  I also facilitate soft skills courses for other companies, hardly anyone is aware of that.

If someone wants to pick your brain, ask them to pick a time and method of payment. If you want people to value your time, put a value on it!

I do appreciate you asking to feed my coffee addiction but unfortunately, I am unable to make it a social meeting unless it is a weekend and you are my friend.

FYI: If we do get to that business coffee meeting (for a consultation fee) the coffee is still on you, unless of course, you sign up as a client. 😉

Regards

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Presenting on….’Own Your Challenges’

On 18 February, 2019, in Health and Wellness, Training, by Cindy Pivacic

Lifestyle Skills Management which include:


Own Your Challenges’

There are potentially numerous issues that could create setbacks in a person’s personal life which can also carry over to their work life.

It can be detrimental to their well-being, if not addressed.

By addressing a setback and collaborating with management and employees, a positive change can be made, which will lead to behavioural change, and safeguard against loss of revenue and absenteeism.

                >Becoming resilient.
                >How to motivate themselves.
                >When and why to terminate a troublesome project.
                >Explore alternative options of accountability.
                >How to cope with failing.

            Take back your Balance & Bounce!

Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. – Arnold Glasgow-

Own Your Challenges!

On 11 February, 2019, in Health and Wellness, Training, by Cindy Pivacic

Plodding along in the hope that everything will turn out just fine, is not an option.

If you are faced with challenges, whether physical or emotional, will affect your mental state and jeopardise your ability to function normally.

Facing your challenges or fears is the only way to make practical choices in order to change your circumstances. The question is; how do you do that?

Not everyone has a personality type to cope with challenges on their own so acquiring the valuable and experienced counselling/guidance is paramount to get you through tough times.

If you have been through a traumatic event or face issues at work, or even in  your personal life, the best way to approach it is head-on and as soon as humanly possible.

Over and above my health issues, many years ago I was on holiday and my then husband had my 18 month son in a backpack carrier and decided to get a view of a mountain from a closer viewpoint. He stood up on a low wall overlooking a sheer drop. I freaked, lost the plot and screeched for him to get off the wall. Prior to that I had no issue with heights, little realising how that one incident would affect me for over thirty years.

Once I decided to own and face my fear of heights, I firstly went on a 1,5km Zipline Tour in Ballito, KZN. After a leisurely nature walk to the top of the cliff I was introduced to the “1st in the world” – all new “Parazip” proceeding to slide on a 400m cable from the top of the mountain.  That was around 2014.

I then decided, in 2018 that zip-lining was for sissies, so on World AIDS Day, I proceeded to tandem paraglide off Signal Hill. What a blast and I can honestly say I would do it again.

My life, my choices!

Don’t be ashamed of what you’ve been through or what you’re dealing with.

What are your challenges and what are you doing to defeat them?

There are ways to overcome each and every obstacle; you just need the right tools!

About Cindy: In 2004, Cindy was diagnosed with HIV & AIDS. By 2008 she was subjected to Cancer (stage 3b) and TB Meningitis. Cindy had two Strokes and Shingles, four times in one year. And a hefty bout of Pneumonia… all that in a space of four years. In March 2018 Cindy had a massive heart attack leading to a double bypass.

It would be very remiss of me if I let this slide, especially after Liezel van der Westhuizen, a speaker colleague, friend, and Mastermind Associate could get so excited on my behalf.

 

I received an animated phone call saying:

 

‘Do you know that you are ranked Fourth (4th) on the list of famous motivational speakers in South Africa’?

 

Needless to say, I hopped straight on to the internet to check it out, lo and behold; there I am on a list of 80 of my peers, who would have thought!

 

I have no doubt it has a lot to do with the amount of visibility, through marketing, SEO’s and general PR that I have done since going public with my HIV status in 2011. (Diagnosed 2004).

 

It is however very rewarding to know that your message of HIV awareness is recognised, onwards and upwards.

 

Thanks again @Liezelv #GiraffeLiezel #Giraffeinthecity, much appreciated for sharing this with me, we as speakers should celebrate each other as candidly as you did as we all have an important messages to share.

 

Check out the list.

http://eventsource.co.za/list-of-famous-motivational-speakers-in-south-africa/

Beware of leaving your bookings until the last minute.

Let’s get started!

It happens every year and leaves many companies disappointed and scrambling (me too as I try to accommodate everyone) for a World AIDS Day speaker.

Ideas needed? Some combination topics to consider:

  • The HIV and AIDS Pandemic
  • HIV Statistics – SA vs World
  • How HIV is transmitted
  • Living positively with HIV
  • Counselling, Testing & Treatment
  • Managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace

There IS still a huge problem.

Infections Worldwide         THREE every minute

Deaths Worldwide             TWO every minute

Let’s unpack the problem together!

 

 

Not only did my website go live on this day in 2011 but it also meant I publicly disclosed my HIV status for the first time.
 
So much has happened since then, good and bad but mostly fantastic!
 
Many thanks to everyone who stood by me during this ongoing process of living, it has been an interesting journey.
 
I have met, befriended and counselled many an HIV positive individual and some near misses (turned out negative)
 
Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to speak to many people on World AIDS Day, and have enjoyed hosting a number of training events to boot.
 
Long live the infected!
 
www.cindypivacic.co.za
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RX Radio interview with Qaqamba Aug 2017

On 29 August, 2017, in Media, Speaking Engagements, by Cindy Pivacic

What a fantastic initiative is this!

RX Radio is a radio station– run by and for children – at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

The initiative aims to create a platform for communication between hospitalised children, their families, and the health services by providing patients with the skills and support to produce and broadcast radio programmes across the hospital.

In addition, they are a project initiated under the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Facility Board.

https://soundcloud.com/cindy_pivacic/cindys-interveiw-on-qaqambas-inspiration-corner-12-august-2017

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 South African companies should engage Brand Ambassadors to be their spokesperson, not only for their brand but as part of our strategy to curb the pandemic of HIV & AIDS?

Brand Ambassador

Introduction

 

Today’s competition among brands for a particular niche is really tough and challenging. If this is not addressed properly, you will find yourself in the midst of brand giants that will bury your brand’s popularity.

 

You need to find ways to deal with this and develop unique ways to stand out in the crowd.

 

A popular solution is through the use of a brand persona. Susan Gunelius said, “Your brand is like a person with its own distinct personality”

 

So is it a must that your corporate brand ambassador is a celebrity? Definitely not!

 

Your choice can be someone that embodies your brand but he/she must possess the following:

 

7 Must Have Characteristics of a Corporate Brand Ambassador:

 

1.Knowledgeable and Innovative in marketing brands

Knowledgeable – Becoming a brand ambassador means that a person is automatically a marketing representative of the company.

 

2.Professional speaker

 

Ensure that your brand ambassadors are proactively initiating conversation with others in promoting your brand’s product; be it goods or services.

 

3.Leader

 

The main purpose of a brand ambassador is to embody the values, the character and the overall image inherent to the brand.

 

4.Credible

 

Credibility of your ambassador is very important. A known and respected authority person adds value to your brand versus extremely expensive advertising campaigns.

 

5.Relationship Builder

 

Speaking for your brand is one thing, building a solid relationship is another, and the latter is more important.

 

6.Team Player

 

Indeed, brand ambassadors should be high-caliber people. But more than this, they should see themselves as part of the team.

 

7.Tech-Adequate

 

Your ambassadors should also be updated on the latest trends that people recognize. Today, people are very much inclined to the use of social media.

 

Conclusion

 

Selecting the right brand ambassador (brand persona) is an essential part of your marketing strategy. You need to maximize this wonderful opportunity in building up your brand. Pick the right person with the right skills. Have you considered a brand ambassador? Does your brand ambassador exhibit the core values of your company? Remember your ambassador personifies your corporate brand; choose the best image you want to display.

(Extracts only) Reference: Venchito Tampon

 

Final Word                                                                                                                                  

by Cindy Pivacic

 

This option should be the way forward for all companies as it not only promotes their product with a relationship building persona but will contribute to the fact that the company is fully engaged in the welfare of the country.

 

As a person living with HIV for 11 years and engaged in Sales & Marketing for 30+ years, am in a unique position to be heard and have an excellent online presence to boot.  With the added value that I am a Speaker and Trainer providing services to various corporate and public events thereby making an impact on the lives of others, is a considerable bonus to any company considering this option.

 

South Africa had 750 THOUSAND NEW infections in 2 years which means the workforce is harshly affected!

 

My question to you is:

What is your company willing to do to become involved in the curbing of infections and improvement of life, enabling progress in South Africa? 

 Contact me if you wish to discuss opportunities

cindy@cindypivacic.co.za

Tel: 021 839 4529

Cell: 0737396044

 

 

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Without a doubt it is time to create awareness around the wellness of South Africa as we should all take responsibility for our communities.

 

This time of the year I generally make contact with various forms of media with the hope that they will get involved creating mega hype around the 1st December thereby getting the message of prevention/awareness etc. to the masses.

 

World AIDS Day is looming and getting the ball rolling early is paramount to success, should you be interested in collaborating, get busy……

 

I have attached my Media/Info Kit which has a number of links to sites that will provide further insight into what I am about as well as a Synopsis of my book ‘The Deadly Seducer’.

 

If you are open to this and require any further information, please feel free to contact me.

cindy@cindypivacic.co.za

021 839 4529

073 73 96 044

Download (PDF, 608KB)

Download (PDF, 280KB)

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