I had no intention of being an author. I was supposed to be Marketing Manager, I was working towards it.
A challenge can give you a NEW name; you think I’m crazy, right? It’s quite amazing how life can throw you off one good path, so you can go onto an even better one. You can’t say God doesn’t have a sense of humour.
I worked hard in university, with this dream in mind. I graduated with my Marketing diploma in hand ready to take over Corporate South Africa, but boy was I wrong! A ray of hope appeared as I interned at Nike South Africa in the midst of the 2010 World Cup. I was in my element, but something was missing.
The opportunity lasted only a year, but it made me fall in love with Marketing. Pity the doors closed for me for the next years to follow. I sailed between sales related jobs and I was unfulfilled. In 2011 I was underemployed and frustrated. I sent out hundreds of job applications, but the harder I tried, the more my dream slipped away. I was despondent and couldn’t help asking myself if had I made the wrong career choice, or if was I another failure. A statistic?
Before I knew it I was unemployed and I moved back home. So much for being a graduate! But I tell you what; sometimes you need to be thrown off a good path to find a better one.
I started writing, I wasn’t sure where the story was going, but it was definitely flowing. I recalled a memory; at the age of 10 when I would sit in front of the computer for hours. My parents thought it was fascinating, the ideas floated in this young child’s mind! Sad reality is despite my hard work, the story got lost in cyberspace, but woke up a sleeping giant.
Zinhle came to be. Zinhle (the main character of the book) is a on a journey to womanhood. I spent a lot of time with this character and eventually, Love coloured glasses came to be. I could spend hours dissecting each character, to attempt to convince you why you should read this book, but I won’t, I need to leave a bit of suspense. Be prepared to be romanced and thrilled.
What I can say is that this particular story is something anyone could relate to and gives an insight into the fabric of society in the ever infamous Johannesburg. It was very difficult for me not to get lost in the character, because it is difficult to not get caught up in a created reality, when creating a story.
But how could my book be part of my marketing career?
An opportunity presented itself. I approached book publishers, but they rejected my manuscript, saying it didn’t suit their requirements. Somehow I knew that my fictional story would resonate with SOMEONE out there, and I refused to quit. So I self-published, with the help of a smart entrepreneur by the name of Tiisetso Maloma. Google him, you will be happy you did. I can now proudly say my work is available on Amazon.com, Kalahari.com and other online stores in Kindle and hardcopy form.
That’s how I maintained the marketing edge – by selling e-books.
In closing I would like to point out that if I didn’t hit a pothole in my career, I would never self-published a book, which is a sobering thought. It makes you think about the challenges you face in your life and the blessings they may bring you. You may not know what you want or where you want to go, but destiny has a way of guiding you in the right direction and the rest is up to you.
Look at that challenge and see what you could get from it. As a result of a challenge I can proudly call myself an author.
Which challenge gave YOU a new name?
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