The Comeback Kids

  • Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Author:  Kevin Fine

Short Description

The Comeback Kids and “Misery loves company” so the saying goes – and in the age of Covid that seems to be the gravitational force that currently drives social and media conversations. Our attention is being continuously siloed toward the latest business failure, business rescue and somebody we know being adversely affected by the pandemic. […]

The Comeback Kids and “Misery loves company” so the saying goes – and in the age of Covid that seems to be the gravitational force that currently drives social and media conversations. Our attention is being continuously siloed toward the latest business failure, business rescue and somebody we know being adversely affected by the pandemic.

It’s alarming yes, it’s frightening in some instances and very sobering especially if you’re personally affected. But it does concern me that we aren’t as individuals, a society and in the media spending enough time ALSO celebrating the successes, inspirational stories and turn arounds during this time.

There are some minor public efforts to give kudos to individuals who’ve thrived during this time, or come up with a “cool idea” on a segment at the end of the news hour. Also some global news networks have been grabbing sound bytes from CEO’s to “share” a smidgen of their experience.

If you take a close look through history though, many organisations, countries, individuals and companies have literally risen like a Phoenix out of the ashes of adversity as The Comeback Kids.

More recently there are great business examples such as Slack, Whatsapp and Airbnb – all born just post the credit crunch fuelled by the housing bubble in 2008.

Looking further back in time to the Great Depression between 1929 and 1932, both Disney and Revlon made names for themselves, rolling out Mickey Mouse in “Steamboat Willie” and the world’s first  pigment-based red nail polish respectively. It’s very likely that out of Covid we will in the future be telling the story of the vaccine developers, the companies and individuals who became heroes in this time too.

The Comeback Kids

The point I’m making is that resilience, grit, innovation and super-charged thinking are all required when facing adversity. If we constantly focus on the negative, we will float around in this swirl of disaster thinking – or as the quacks call it – catastrophizing.

If we want to shift the narrative (I know it’s overused, but you get it) we must start to draw attention to the successes, the sparks of innovation, from the past and the present and realise that business and humanity as a whole have faced greater adversity than a pandemic.

Who are the “The Comeback Kids” that have turned their businesses or themselves around and reinvented and reinvigorated their business giving purpose and inspiration to their staff, suppliers and customers? Not just in the past but in the present…

Let’s talk about The Comeback Kids. Let’s celebrate the human spirit more vividly by making that the “headline” of our conversation and not the current mortality rate. Take Lekua Sehoana for example – the founder of drip footwear – retailing kicks in 5 major malls and online.

His twitter profile reads “Our Sneakers are what Township Dreams and Stories look like… Let’s explore and adapt the tools of this individual and other titans for our benefit, in business and in our personal lives.

Let’s write the script of the movie we want to star in. It’s a celebration movie of the human spirit, of rising from the ashes, and putting one’s name on the plaque that reads – I’m The Comeback Kids.

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to The Comeback Kids

Ryan Estis

To Lead Yourself First when Elizabeth Hurley was in college in Chicago, she worked as a waitress at my favorite pizza place in the world, Giordano’s, slinging deep-dish pizzas — and also taking great care of customers and making lots of conversation. Her ease in connecting with customers prompted many people to suggest that Elizabeth […]

  • Author: Ryan Estis
Candice Mama

“They say with trauma, the mind may forget but the body never forgets” and here this Candice Mama covers Releasing Trauma Through the Body with Chen Lizra This week on #CoffeeWithCandice I speak to Chen Lizra she is a phenomenal embodiment of empowered femininity, she is a Somatic intelligence coach, a Tedx speaker with nearly […]

  • Author: Candice Mama
WS Logo 512

I have found that running gives me time to think, running give me time to introspect and running helps me heal so WHY ARE WE RUNNING?. I have embarked on all these journeys over the past 12 years for probably two main reasons. I suppose the first is the selfish side. It’s something I love […]

  • Author: David Grier
WS Logo 512

I’ve always been a fan of the multitude of skills that Leonardo da Vinci brought to the world to REACH PERFECTION. A painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect (thanks Wikipedia), his art – in whichever format it was created – is well-known across the planet, throughout history. Stories shared through time explain his commitment to […]

  • Author: Don Packett
Lizette Volkwyn Human Lie Detector

Be Unique, be YOU, nobody can be YOU…and so we hear these quotes daily, but what does it really mean to Embrace your Authenticity? Many years ago I attended a conference and the theme was Be different and show up as YOU. For me, at that point in my life, it was a no-brainer of […]

  • Author: Lizette Volkwyn
Adam Markel

How to make change work for you, As human beings, we don’t look at change and think, “Hmmm I want more of that.” Given my own relationship to and with change, I challenged myself to figure out why this is true. Why do we avoid change? Why does change create stress, fear and uncertainty? The […]

  • Author: Adam Markel
WS Logo 512

Looking for top South African Keynote Speakers or Keynote Speakers Inspiring you…or a Public speakers bureau to find Inspiring Speakers in Gauteng Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town? Going Beyond motivation and corporate team building needs and offering far more than inspirational stories or motivational quotes? Inspiration requires more than professional communications skills and effective presentations skills. […]

  • Author: WeSpeak Global
WS Logo 512

In the traditional sales world, Engaging and Interactive Meeting, a professional salesperson would prepare for, and focus on, commanding the room, the conversation and the sales process, and you would be prepared to maximise the chances of success at whichever stage of the sale you are because that’s how you win deals for an Interactive […]

  • Author: Shelley Walters

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME