In The Spotlight

Liezl interviews Debbie, a resilient individual who has faced numerous health challenges throughout her life. From battling infertility to being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, Debbie shares her inspiring journey of courage and determination. Despite the setbacks, she has found solace and strength in various activities, such as running and bodybuilding. However, her health took a turn for the worse, leading her to give up running and face the reality of her condition. Through it all, Debbie's faith and sense of humour have helped her navigate the ups and downs, reminding listeners of the power of resilience and finding purpose in the face of adversity. KEY TAKEAWAYS Debbie has shown resilience and a determination to live life to the fullest, participating in activities such as running, race walking, and bodybuilding. Debbie has found strength and inspiration through sharing their story and connecting with others who have faced similar challenges. There is great importance in finding purpose and meaning in difficult situations, using pain as a catalyst for personal growth and empathy towards others. Life is always unpredictable and the need to adapt and make the most of each day, even in the face of adversity, is crucial in finding inner peace. BEST MOMENTS "I suffered multiple miscarriages. It was very hard. I became very bitter at times, very, very broken, a lot of despair, a really dark place." "I was very private that way, especially back then. And no, in the beginning, nobody knew for years, right the way up to actually my miscarriage, which was short, like three years into it already, nobody knew” "I just sat down and I wrote a long letter to everybody to explain what we'd been through, to explain what I was going through at that time." "I had my own plot twist again. And after running a race, suddenly became quite ill the week after." VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.ivins2 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie.ivins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Liezl welcomes Theodore Brun, a former lawyer turned author, who embarked on an incredible journey of self-discovery and adventure. Theodore shares his story of leaving his high-paying job and comfortable life to cycle from Hong Kong back to his home in Norfolk, England. Along the way, he faced challenges, met fascinating people, and found the courage to pursue his passion for writing. Theodore discusses the transformative power of the journey, the importance of following one's true calling, and the process of becoming a successful author. KEY TAKEAWAYS The importance of following your passion and designing your life based on what you love to do. The significance of taking small steps towards your goals and not getting overwhelmed by the larger vision. The power of perseverance and being persistent in pursuing your dreams, even in the face of failure or challenges. The value of embracing adventure and being open to the unknown as it can lead to personal growth and self-discovery. The role of self-confidence and belief in oneself in pursuing a new path or career, and the importance of finding joy and fulfilment in what you do. BEST MOMENTS "I was in a relationship with this beautiful journalist who could speak a million languages. And we were living in one of the most romantic districts in Paris, the Ile Saint-Louis." "I just remember working out the days because it was the last weekend of the Oktoberfest. And I was like, I've got to make it, I've got to make it to that." "I had this this kind of joy in my heart that I haven't felt for a long time. Something was just birthed in that moment." "I think that's a really good point actually, because it about passion. There's a few different threads in terms of what might guide you forward in life, there's purpose, there's your identity, there's your passion." VALUABLE RESOURCES Theodore Brun - https://www.theodorebrun.com/ Blog of his journey: http://www.asfaraseastisfromwest.com/ 4 min video of his trip: https://www.theodorebrun.com/single-post/2017/08/14/my-epic-journey-10000-miles-on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Liezl catches up with her friend Will Hawkins, the frontman of the LA-based band Nine Mile Station. They discuss the exciting recent developments in Will's music career, including the release of their first full-length album and a headline performance at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles. Will reflects on the challenges and rewards of pursuing his passion for music, and how the quiet time during COVID allowed him to fully embrace his role as an artist. They also touch on the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive people and finding happiness in the simple things. KEY TAKEAWAYS There is value to be found in pacing oneself and not burning out in the pursuit of success. Will compares the journey to a marathon rather than a sprint, highlighting the need to prioritise self-care and energy management. Will reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, which provided him with a period of quiet and reflection. During this time, he was able to fully immerse himself in his art and produce some of his best work. He values the importance of having the space and freedom to be creative without distractions. Will values the importance of surrounding oneself with people who genuinely support and celebrate one's successes, as well as the need to set boundaries with those who do not. Will's definition of success has shifted over time. While he once measured success by financial achievements and external accomplishments, he now prioritises happiness, fulfillment, and the ability to pursue his passions. He recognises the value of a simple life and the importance of finding joy in the present moment. BEST MOMENTS "I miss who I was at that time. I wish that I had… it kind of shows me what we could have… if we lived in a different kind of culture where we didn't have to spend 8 to 12 hours a day creating revenue for ourselves to be able to do these passion projects.""I've realised what I do truly need to be happy… I don't need a whole lot of money to do that… if I can make a record every two years, tour every year, and just generate enough to make sure I feed and clothe and house myself and have a nice dinner once in a while, I'm completely content with that." "There's a reason why Nero sent the philosophers off to live in exile, you know, because they see the truth… and when we have time enough to be able to spend on ourselves and not be distracted by bills and deadlines, we do see what life is really about and we see what our goals should be or could be.""If they can't share in those successes, if they can't share in those wins, then those aren't people I really want to have around me… I need a team that can love me in a way that I know I need to be loved."VALUABLE RESOURCES Nine Mile Station - https://www.ninemilestationmusic.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Liezl talks to Hannes Van Den Berg, a survivor of a tick bite, who contracted tick bite fever in the aftermath of being targeted by the creature. Hannes describes the effects of the fever, as well as what he has learned through the experience, and how it has changed his life since then. KEY TAKEAWAYS The attack happened during the COVID pandemic, and so naturally, the focus of all health officials was turned towards combatting the virus. This meant that other forms of health care were unconsciously sidelined, meaning the danger to Hannes was even greater. The results of the tick bite meant that Hannes' legs were amputated below the knee, as well as the distal phalanges of his fingers. Living with prosthetics ever since has been the ultimate challenge. Occupational therapy has since been doing all it can to teach Hannes to live with his new condition. It requires an entirely new way of living, retraining in every aspect of life - even the simplest of tasks such as walking and writing are all new. The first six months after the drastic change in life is the most important. It's about figuring out how you contribute to society in your new condition. BEST MOMENTS 'I was getting seizures. I was passing out' 'There are so many things to be thankful for' 'I was numb, there was so much to comprehend' 'It's like having to learn to walk again' EPISODE RESOURCES Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hannes.v.berg.5 VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Dr Johan Beukes is one of the most well-known leadership coaches in South Africa and the founder and director at Dr Johan Beukes Leadership Coaching. Johan specialises in high-performance leaders, helping and guiding them to become the best they can be. He joins Liezl to discuss leadership, the importance of factoring social and emotional well-being in life decisions and his proven formula for coaching and inspiring high performance. KEY TAKEAWAYS From a young age, Johan felt that he wanted to make a positive difference in the world, at first he wasn’t sure how he was going to achieve this but now he feels like coaching was his calling, to help others. Leaders frequently make emotionally fuelled decisions without considering the wider ramifications for others, or themselves or recognising their own bias. People can easily become fixated on just one element or part of their lives, making them unbalanced and mentally unwell. Those who go through Johan’s processes can at least say they did what was possible to broaden their consciousness and awareness and live as regret-free as they are able in life. Johan helps people align their head and heart, helping with both decision-making and acceptance of those decisions too. People need to be inspired and one of Johan’s key aims is to inspire people, to motivate them to create the life they have always wanted to live. Interpersonal leadership is an art and a science, you need to be able to lead teams effectively to perform well as a leader. A lot of Johan’s steps can sound very simple but they are things that are frequently not prioritised, such as celebrating wins and contemplating things that you and your team have achieved. BEST MOMENTS 'I have a deep sense that it's work that has been given to me’ ‘There is a necessity to make decisions to help your mental health’ ‘Sit for a moment and think, what is the impact of this decision socially’ ‘One of the most important things is what do I want to do, what would I love to do’ ‘I take leaders beyond performance where you actually get into a flow state, into a zone’ EPISODE RESOURCES www.johanbeukes.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-johan-beukes/ https://www.instagram.com/jabeukes/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/jabeukes1/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Zephnè Weston was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder as a result of placing too much stress on herself in order to achieve more and reach higher levels of success. Since recovering, Zephnè has been doing all she can to raise awareness of this condition and preach the message that our health and wellbeing should always come first before any concerns about career milestones. This week, Zephnè joins Liezl to talk about her story and why self-love and self-acceptance are more valuable than anything else in life. KEY TAKEAWAYS The experiences of our youth can shape the levels of drive and ambition we have as an adult. The pains of youth can directly influence the pleasures of maturity. Workaholism is often carried a badge of honour. As an attribute, we hold it up as an example of our worth, believing that it is somehow connected with our value. At the first sign of disorder with our bodies, we must seek advice and guidance from a professional. Even minor symptoms can be the signifier of a more deep-rooted issue. If you struggle with anxiety, which many people do, then we must recognise that it isn't why we were put on this earth. We are not meant to live in an anxious way. BEST MOMENTS 'I've always been a free-spirited child' 'My body could not deal with what was going on' 'I wanted to do more. I wanted to see more' 'FND is real!' EPISODE RESOURCES FNDhope.org.uk Sadag.org www.zephne.com https://www.facebook.com/zephne https://www.instagram.com/zephne/ https://www.instagram.com/zephne.lifestyle VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Today, Liezl is joined by Rob Moore, the king of podcasts and the reason Liezl started a podcast. Rob is an entrepreneur, property investor and educator, he is the author of 18 books, of which five are UK best-sellers, including Money and Opportunity. His podcast is the ‘Disruptors' which has almost 1000 episodes as well as 300 episodes of the podcast ‘Money’. He also holds three world records for public speaking and is the co-founder of Progressive Success, Progressive Property, Progressive Podcast Agency and the founder of the Rob Moore Foundation. KEY TAKEAWAYS I started working in my family pub re-stocking the shelves, emptying the slot machines and pool tables and counting the money and he used to pay me £1 a week for doing that. I loved doing that more than going to school. I always wanted to by like my dad, he always had a lot of cash in his pocket and he’d buy and sell a lot of things: pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants. I didn’t know what the word entrepreneur was until I was 26 but he was, and is, one. At nearly 26 I was sat in my dad’s pub, £50,000 in debt, with no prospects, quite negative and bitter. At 1am my dad had a nervous breakdown out of nowhere. The police turned up, put him in the back of a van and took him to the mental ward of the local hospital where he was sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar. He still struggles with his mental health to this day. For a week or two afterwards I beat myself up about that and blamed myself. Then I went to a property meeting as people had told me I should get into it for years and I’d been making excuses. This time I was desperate, maybe even open-minded. I hated it but I started to warm to it and I met a guy and within two months we were working together and within a year we’d set up Progressive Property and that business has now done more than £150 million with 360 properties and 1,250 tenants in our property portfolio. Up until the age of 26 I was jealous of anyone that was successful, or I was envious or scathing and gossip-y because secretly I wanted to be successful like my dad had tried to raise me to be. But I’d sold my life out. Once I got into business and started my first company I started studying entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson who were the most successful people at the time. I was definitely inspired by the fact they built something from scratch and build something vast and meaningful. I hope the one word they use to remember me when I’m gone was “disruptive”. Not that I built a $1 million unicorn, but that I challenged people to think in an independent and free way, and to call themselves out on their own excuses, justifications and bullshit, and woke them up to find a path that’s right for them that they can contribute meaningfully and get paid handsomely. BEST MOMENTS ‘I always wanted my dad to be proud of me. My most proud achievement was buying mum and dad their house and every few years I buy them a new car. I don’t feel like I need to prove myself to him anymore.’‘I’ve kept going when things got hard. I’ve smashed through one massive recession, one massive lockdown and not only survived but got bigger.’‘A lot of the baggage from my younger years as a fat kid who lost a lot of weight never went away, and that need to be appreciated, respected, admired, noticed, listened to, seen never went away. I’m 43 now (30 years later), I don’t know if it’s gone away, I think it’s still there driving me forward.’ ‘I think you can be inspired by anyone. I like to try and see something in everyone that I could learn from or admire. I don’t put anyone on pedestals anymore because the further you look up to them the further down you put yourself down compared to them.’ EPISODE RESOURCES https://robmoore.com/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

This week, Liezl is joined by the newly-crowned Mrs Globe South Africa 2022 - Zanele Sibiya! Zanele joins Liezl to talk about her wonderfully inspiring story, the origins of her fascinating name, how the world of pageantry has changed and evolved in the past decades and how the empowerment of women and the telling of their stories are leading to true global change. Mrs. Globe is one of the most recognized and celebrated international pageants for Mrs. in the world. With a 25 year history and over 80 countries participating, it celebrates, empowers and uplift women from all cultures and walks of life. This was the first year that Mrs Globe was licensed in South Africa. KEY TAKEAWAYS Pageantry has always played a huge part of South African culture and brought people together in ways that inspired and ignited a sense of community. Inclusion in the world of pageantry is evolving now, to include not just a small section of womanhood, but a broader selection of powerful women, all of whom have stories of their own. When life pushes you down, the only way to come back is to pick yourself up and move. Not only are you demonstrating strength to yourself, you're also setting an example to those who look up to you. Women have always been held back from fulfilling their true potential in all corners of society. With the changing of attitudes now comes a real opportunity for us to plant ourselves in the spaces we didn't inhabit before. This is a time in which we can change the world forever. BEST MOMENTS 'I am grateful for the evolvement of women' 'A woman is a woman, whether you have a child or not, we all have a story to tell' 'They need to know that even in the darkest time you need to get up and move' 'Understanding who you are is very important' EPISODE RESOURCES Mrs Globe South Africa - https://mrssouthafricaglobe.com Mrs Globe - https://www.mrsglobe.com/mrs-globe https://www.instagram.com/zanele_xenn/https://www.facebook.com/zanele.x.radebe VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold, embracing the scars and increasing the value. That is what B Loved embodies, restoring people and empowering the broken, vulnerable, and abandoned to understand their value. Today on In The Spotlight, Liezel is joined by B Loved Founder Louis McLaren and his fellow Director Yolandi Venter. KEY TAKEAWAYS The B Loved Foundation has been in operation since 2008 as a B4i Project initiative, with the aim to encourage businesses to be part of the restoration of our society. The Foundation started out as a trust and later grew and established itself as a preferred BEE Socio-Economic Development (SED) initiative. The Foundation’s mission is to instil confidence in companies by giving them peace of mind that their funding actually reaches the people it was intended for. Beneficiaries are carefully selected and supported by directors Yolandi Venter, Octavia Ephraim and Louis McLaren, who jointly take responsibility to ensure that the Foundation lives up to its purpose of making a proper difference in the journey of transformation. Although the legislation in South Africa originated as a black economic empowerment programme, the legislation allows 25% of all donations to be used for any race. This means that the foundation can help people from all backgrounds. The B Loved Foundation has four main programmes which they focus on. The Regain Programme, The Youth Development Programme, The Community Aid Programme and Nurture SA. The Regain Programme focuses on women and girls, with the beneficiaries being women who were trafficked as children and have experienced severe trauma over several years. It is a holistic approach to the process required to ensure independence and social integration of these victims. The youth development programme provides care and support to vulnerable youth in need, ranging from orphans to terminally ill children as well as young adults. The programme includes, but is not limited to, temporary and permanent residential care and community-based social services. The programme assists these children to experience a better quality of life by providing them with healthcare services, childhood development programmes and by facilitating specialised therapies for these children. The community aid programme mainly focuses on projects that involve the empowerment of communities and have previously included activities such as day care programmes, access to after school programmes, access to online resources, basic care, entrepreneurship opportunities and offering a place of belonging for those that need it. Nurture SA enables feeding schemes that provide much-needed food parcels to South Africans that are left devastated by economic challenges. Funds are administered and supplied to pre-qualified communities. The most basic needs of food security for those whose livelihoods are threatened are met through this programme. BEST MOMENTS‘It’s not just about raising funds, it’s about serving people’‘Once a beneficiary is on board we’ve stuck with them and given them funding to do what they do best’ ‘The more you give the more you receive’ EPISODE RESOURCESB Loved Foundation https://www.b4i.co.za/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLovedFoundation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/BLovedFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/BLovedFoundation DONATIONS By debit/credit card: https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/Blovedfoundation Please state as reference: ‘In the Spotlight’ or ‘LiezlCvR/MGSA2022’ Bank deposit for socio-Economic Development Contribution: Account Name: B Loved Foundation NPC Cheque Account Number: 4096431689 BIC Code (SWIFT): ABSAZAJJ Branch: ABSA BB HILLCREST Branch code: 632005 Bank: ABSA Please state as reference: ‘In the Spotlight’ or ‘LiezlCvR/MGSA2022’ Please forward proof of payments into the account to yolandi@b-loved.org.za or info@b-loved.org.za ABOUT THE GUESTS Louis is the CEO of the B4i Project and has been a B-BBEE advisor and strategist for 15 years. He obtained his master’s degree in “Strategic foresight and the development of black entrepreneurs in South Africa” from Regent University (Virginia, USA) in 2016. His thesis, which formed the basis for developing the B4i Empowerment Model, received a top academic award from the University and he was subsequently inducted into the “Who’s Who of students in the USA” in 2017. Louis founded the Foundation (initially registered as a Trust) in 2008 and with his vision and passion for upliftment has enabled the Foundation to distribute millions to disadvantaged communities, women and children.Yolandi is an executive member of the B4i Project and Managing Director of B-BBEE Specialist company B4i Consult. She is registered as a B-BBEE Professional with the Association of B-BBEE Professionals. Apart from her B-BBEE and law experience, she has a heart devoted to the upliftment of the most vulnerable and sits on the board of numerous Non-Profit Companies, where she is responsible for Corporate Governance and Fund Distribution. She has 10 years’ experience in the fight against human trafficking and has developed the R3egain Programme as part of her passion for the restoration of young women. Her vision is to expand the Foundation to not only have a national but an international footprint. ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast. CONTACT METHODFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/

Joining Liezl this week is the business partner of a former guest: we’ve had Jakes Maritz on the podcast but this episode we have Carl Cronje, the other co-founder and owner of Expat Explore. Carl is a true entrepreneur with at least five businesses to his name and on the show today he’ll be talking about why he has this entrepreneurial spirit and where it’s going to take him next. KEY TAKEAWAYS From 200 passengers in 2005, to over 17,000 passengers per annum in 2019, today Expat Explore offers over 100 tour packages to destinations across Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Expat Explore Travel began in 2005 when Carl and his friend Jakes decided to take the plunge and start weekend trips to Paris. Working as the first tour leaders of Expat Explore, they took turns to take groups to Paris and later Amsterdam over weekends and create itineraries to suit the avid traveller’s needs and wallet. To launch the business, Carl and Jakes had £800 as a marketing budget and used all of it to throw a launch party with the intent of making sure people had a good time, reflecting what their business is all about. Carl and Jakes quickly realised that once people had been with them to one place, they wanted to have the same experience again but somewhere new. This is why their list of tour packages is so wide and covers so many different places. Carl is also the co-founder of CreateFo, a team of professionals working around the world, including South Africa, the UK, Switzerland and Ukraine. Using their unique skills to create, build and deliver top-quality digital solutions with a dynamic approach to projects. PlugPlug is launching very soon and will firstly be a social media platform for the travel industry. Secondly, it is a booking engine for travel-related products. PlugPlug is one of the only social media platforms that reimburses content makers for bookings made via their content. Their mission is to reward content makers for their content and value they add to the platform. BEST MOMENTS‘We didn’t realise it back then that our lives would be melded together’ ‘The focus was simple, keep on creating more tours’ ‘For the first time in 20 years I did something I told myself I’d never do again, study’ ABOUT THE GUESTWhen Carl and Jakes’s paths crossed again in the UK in the early 2000s, their mutual friends already saw a business partnership coming. Carl was the entertainer, a true tour leader and entrepreneur at heart, and Jakes had the MBA background and organisational skills to give the necessary structure to what was then only an idea at the back of their minds. Expat Explore Travel began (rather impulsively) in 2005 when they decided to take the plunge and start weekend trips to Paris. Working as the first tour leaders of Expat Explore, they took turns to take groups to Paris and later Amsterdam over weekends and create itineraries to suit the avid traveller’s needs and wallet. Since then Carl and Jakes’ dream of a travel company that would provide guided tours designed by travel experts came true; they have established Expat Explore as a trusted travel operator in Europe.Carl, who is based between London and Switzerland, loves being innovative and has many new ideas and plans up his sleeve. He is a lifelong entrepreneur and inventor of travel products and travel tech solutions with a non-stop passion for exploring the world and discovering its cultures, attractions and opportunities.GUEST RESOURCES Carl on LinkedInexpatexplore.comAlpenrose Hotel and GardensCreatefo.comgrouptourshop.comABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast. CONTACT METHODFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/

George Arbuthnott is deputy editor of the Insight team at The Sunday Times. His investigations helped to shape the Modern Slavery Bill, expose a global doping scandal in athletics and revealed that Boris Johnson failed to declare conflicts of interest over his friendship with an ex-model. George has won or been shortlisted for more than 30 awards. Join Liezl as she talks to George about his incredible work as a journalist and how he ended up writing ‘the book the Prime Minister doesn’t want you to read’.KEY TAKEAWAYS George had a journalistic instinct even from his days at school. He wrote match reports for his school's sports teams but they weren't entirely factual, he made them controversial to make people laugh. When at university he also set up a publication which poked fun at the establishment. While studying his masters degree, George had a scholarship with the Mail on Sunday which allowed him to spend some of his holiday time there learning and doing some writing. He ended up doing work on children who had been failed by social services which got published, this led to George being taken on as a trainee after his degree. George has written and investigated some of the most horrific and interesting stories including a student being killed by a polar bear, the international murder of Anni Dewani and was part of the investigation into the FIFA corruption scandal and how Qatar bribed their way to hosting the 2022 World Cup. In 2015 George joined the Insight Team at the Sunday Times on a scholarship set up in the memory of Marie Colvin, a famous foreign correspondent killed in Syria. His special interest in corruption and human rights abuses led him to conduct a two-year investigation that brought to light human trafficking in the United Kingdom and won him Campaign of the Year at the British Journalism Awards. This also lead to Prime Minister Theresa May introducing changes to the Modern Slavery Act. In 2016 George was listed by Forbes in their '30 under 30' in their media category. George and Jonathan Calvert's book ‘Failures of State’ recounts the extraordinary political decisions taken at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government during the global pandemic. You can find a link to the book in the show notes below. The original article on the pandemic that they wrote for the Times in April 2020 was their most read online article ever, more than doubling the previous record. BEST MOMENTS‘I didn’t know what investigative journalism was, but it was the one course where you could do print and broadcast journalism’‘Once you looked into it you could see the whole system was riddled with corruption’ ‘They marketed it as ‘the book the Prime Minister doesn’t want you to read’VALUABLE RESOURCESGeorge on TwitterGeorge on LinkedInFailures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with CoronavirusGeorge Arbuthnott's work at the TimesABOUT THE GUESTGeorge Arbuthnott is a British investigative journalist at The Sunday Times. His work helped to shape the Modern Slavery Bill, expose a global doping scandal in athletics, and revealed several controversies involving the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. For this, Arbuthnott has won young journalist of the year at the 2012 Press Awards, two British Journalism Awards in 2015,and being shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2015 for a piece on the modern slave trade. In 2016, he was shortlisted for the European Press Prize with 'The Fifa Scandal', and in 2019, he was a finalist at the British Journalism Awards for an investigation carried out alongside Sunday Times journalists Jonathan Calvert and Gabrial Pogrund. He is the co-author of one of the first social histories of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Failures of State.”ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOST Liezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years on has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast. CONTACT METHODFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/

I’m Liezl Colditz van Rooyen and welcome to my podcast. Born and raised in South Africa, at age 23 I followed my dream to see the world and twenty years on I have now travelled quite a bit, though there is still so much of the world to see and experience. I got to see so much of the beauty of this planet and for that I will forever be grateful. But I also got to know so many people from different parts of the world and from all walks of life. They all taught me so much. It changed my perspective on many things in life and on what we value as success and importance. I started to become fascinated and developed a passion for the stories and journeys of ordinary people, why and how they got to where they are today, the determination they had to show to get there, and be successful or achieve a dream, most of the time against the odds. I also got to see the grace of people who value a simple life and count their blessings every day though they might not have much. They taught me gratefulness and humility. I came to realise that we are all human, that we are all unique. We might come from different countries, backgrounds, look and dress differently or speak different languages, but in essence we all want the same basic things in life: to be happy, safe, healthy and loved. We live in an amazing world, yes there is sadness and pain but also so much beauty. You just need to see it - it is around you every day. I also realised that the definition of success is not in material and external things but that it lies within you, in who you are, how you treat others and who you become on your life journey. Your most important task in this life is to be happy and live your life to the fullest. You have desires and passions that are unique and true only to you, however small it might seem, but nothing is ever small or unimportant if it is a passion of yours. If you are the best you, you will be the best for everyone around you. I decided to start this podcast as my small contribution to create a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed my path have done. I would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, you can be, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. I hope you will enjoy the journey with me.VALUABLE RESOURCES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthespotlightwithliezlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthespotlightwithliezlFacebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lcolditzvanrooyen/Instagram personal: https://www.instagram.com/liezl_colditzvanrooyen/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-rooyen-liezl/ ABOUT THE PODCAST In the Spotlight was born as a platform to share, broadcast and promote the interesting, wonderful and inspiring things that some of the people who crossed Liezl’s path have done. She would love to shine the spotlight on them and share their journeys with you to hopefully inspire you to be the best you, you can be, not to give up and to follow your passion or dream. And in that way, help to make a little difference and share some of the beauty of this world. ABOUT THE HOSTLiezl Colditz van RooyenBorn and raised in South Africa, Liezl followed her dream to see the world at age 23 and twenty years and has now travelled to 50 countries and worked and lived in the UK, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. She is a mum of two boys, a chartered management accountant working in large energy projects, a musician, runner, a world citizen but proudly South African and now a podcaster. The incredible people she has met, the amazing places she has seen and the magic of life she has experienced, inspired her to start this podcast.