Shashi Naidoo

Patrick is a social entrepreneur. Believing in the principle of ‘doing good is good business’ he has invested in and is part of a number of successful social enterprises in South Africa including The Indalo Project; Streetwires Artist Collective; Kwalapa Organic Wholefoods Centre; Billboard Information Services & African Manga. He talks & consults regularly on social entrepreneurship and has won a number local and international awards.

My Definition Of Success | Success is waking up in the morning with a smile your my face. It tells you, you’re content with who  you are and what you’ve accomplished in life. It means you’re in good health, you’re body’s not complaining. And, most importantly it suggests that you’re looking forward to the day ahead, the work you’re going to be doing, the people you’ll be spending the day with and the life you’re presently living.

Has the meaning changed for me over time? | Not really, just become more distilled.

I Am Driven By | Curiosity and the beauty of the creative process. If there’s a button, I want to press it, this sometimes gets me into trouble.

My Highlights | I’m proud to have inspired other people to get out there and test their limits, realise their ideas, make the leap and start something new. In most of what I’ve done I truly believe I could have done it better, but then, what a boring journey it would be if we got it right all of the time.

The Difference Between Good And Great | Paying attention. today ! Whether you’re on a date or in a business meeting, those who can sustain focus will be the ones who spot the opportunity.

A Key Talent | My passion for what I do. Passion is not something that one can learn, but it is something that you can allow yourself to express and nurture. How to grow it and make it part of your life?
Look for it first, not the kind of ‘lust’ that expires, but the kind of stuff that’ll keep you coming back for more, now and for, well at least the next year or so.
Then, figure out how you can make it part of your work, your play and the person you’re with… or would like to be with.
Then, read Joseph Conrads book ‘Victory’, to quote Jack London, “I am glad that I am alive, if, for no other reason, because of the joy of reading this book.”
If that’s too much, what about a couple of cheesy ‘Tony Robins’ videos – he may be American and have more teeth than the average croc, but, he’s top of his game when it comes to understanding how to be inspired about life.
Then, seek out and surround yourself with people who have a similar passion to your own and, most importantly, don’t hold back, share your ideas and inspirations with them, they’ll do likewise.
A marriage, a church, an entrepreneurial hub, they all bring together like-passioned people for one pure and simple reason, that we’re social animals and when the going gets tough, having those who ‘get you’ can make all the difference.

Principles I Live By | The 20th century economist E.F. Schumaker has written a seminal book, ‘Small is Beautiful’ – Capitalism as if Humans Mattered. It encapsulates the principles & value that I live and work by. Primarily that humans are more important than the work they do and that as humans, we’re part of a much greater holistic system which is more important than we are as individuals. No ‘one’ person is indispensable, so, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously.

Dealing With Doubt | When I was 20 years old, I became ill with a rare form of cancer. Statistical recovery rate for Non-Hodgkins lymphoblastic b-cell lymphoma is 10%. A year of chemo/radiotherapy and a bone-marrow transplant I was in full remission. Three days after the transplant, things weren’t going so well, the doctors went quiet and the priest came to visit. Not a good sign. I believe that it was my pure stubbornness to stay alive that got me through. Fear & negativity cannot be part of your mind-space when your back is up against the wall. While I wouldn’t wish this particular condition on anyone, it was an extraordinary gift. The process, the journey, the extreme pain all came together to teach me how powerful the mind is in influencing the body’s ability to fight.

Advice On Building Wealth | Don’t focus on the money, focus on creating something that solves a problem or addresses a need. Address the problem or need effectively and the money will be there.
How do you find, motivate and keep great people working with you to reach your goals?
Find: Through friends & extended networks, occasionally through formal employment platforms.
Motivate & keep: By hiring people who are passionate about what they’re doing & ensuring that they are the right ‘fit’ for the position – in essence the ‘hire’ is the critical part in building work environments that inspire.

I Am Inspired By | The social economist E F Schumaker, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck and Doctor Francois Bonnicci of The Bertha Foundation.

The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | A tree that grows off the nutrition provided by the shredded remains that were once my body and which is added back to the soil to give life again in another form.