For founders thinking about selling, Dana offers one message: exit intentionally. In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, the Cape Town–based M&A adviser explains why most sellers should have three advisers—commercial corporate finance, legal, and tax—to navigate complexity and capture value. He breaks down how buyers actually value companies: discounted cash flow, net present value, returns on capital, and strategic synergies, not just multiples. Dana also shares when lifestyle businesses may be worth keeping, how management buyouts can be structured through vendor finance and bank support, and how to select advisers with aligned fee structures that reward premium outcomes. This episode is a grounded M&A playbook for entrepreneurs, blending strategic process, valuation insight, and practical advice to prepare now and exit on your terms. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Richard Rayne, entrepreneurship has always been tied to education and growth. As the founder of iLearn Corporate Education, he has spent 24 years helping South African corporates close skills gaps through accredited training, bridging compliance needs while empowering first-time entrants into the workforce. He also launched MyMastery, a local masterclass-style platform born during Covid, to make thought leadership more accessible. In this Ignite 2025 conversation, Richard shares personal and professional reflections: how DJing became creative therapy during divorce, how EO has been a safe space for vulnerability since he joined in 2012, and why Ignite’s 5% talks matter for authentic peer learning. Looking forward, he highlights the rise of hybrid learning models powered by AI personalization, where technology acts as an enabler—not a replacement—for human connection and accredited growth. This episode blends culture, creativity, and cutting-edge education—a must-listen for founders passionate about learning and impact. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Zafir Kurji, Ignite 2025 was more than a conference—it was a mirror. As a next-generation leader in his family’s IT business (Apple solutions, ArchiCAD, facilities management, and digital printing presses), Zafir confronted imposter syndrome, learning to balance gratitude for privilege with confidence in his own capability. In this candid conversation, he shares how gratitude, journaling, and celebrating wins are becoming family traditions, and how Ignite’s biohacking sessions inspired him to embrace cold showers and ice baths as tools for resilience. Most importantly, Zafir explains why clarity of identity, values, and purpose is now his compass for both business and life. With plans to return with his forum to Ignite Cape Town, Zafir closes with deep gratitude for EO Durban and EO South Africa—calling the experience raw, real, and transformational. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Gaynor (current EO Cape Town president) and Julia “Jules” Bedford (former president) explore how vulnerability and authenticity have transformed their leadership journeys. From shifting away from “armoured” leadership to modelling openness in teams, they show why authenticity is not a weakness but a strength. They share candid insights on imposter syndrome, the importance of mentorship, and the power of community in giving women the confidence to step into leadership. Gaynor reflects on her presidency and the need to “make your own shoes,” while Julia discusses her 50% women board and why representation matters. Both leaders emphasise that leadership often chooses you, and invite women in EO to own their space while saying yes—even when it feels uncomfortable. If you’re considering Ignite Cape Town next June, their advice is simple: come for the learning, stay for the party, and avoid the FOMO. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

Randolf Jorberg is a nomad at heart—and a builder of communities wherever he goes. German-born and based in South Africa for nearly two decades, Randolf has created ventures from a German Reddit-like site to Beerhouse, all driven by a single mission: platforms for connection. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Randolf reflects on his EO journey (Johannesburg, global bridge, nomadic forums), the reality of digital nomad life (80% uplifting, 20% lonely), and why he continues to choose movement as a way to reset and learn. He also introduces his latest project: creating circles of belonging accessible beyond revenue thresholds, inspired by EO forums. At Ignite, he came to reconnect with his tribe, explore the possibility of returning to South Africa, and invite peers to join EO’s new diversity tribe for neurodivergent founders. This episode explores the themes of belonging, resilience, and intentional living—a candid look at building community in every corner of the world. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Rylin Subrayan, payroll and HR software is just the platform—the real mission is empowering people. In this Ignite 2025 episode, he shares how his company hires for potential, entrusts young talent with rapid responsibility, and rewards performance regardless of age—helping 21-year-olds earn top wages while building confidence and life skills. Rylin explains how daily wellness and learning practices—from morning movement to shared hikes—fuel resilience and interpersonal growth. His purpose is rooted in personal experience: after facing limited opportunities due to a cannabis-related criminal record in his 20s, he’s committed to creating a culture of empathy, second chances, and paying it forward. Reflecting on Ignite, Rylin highlights the keynote of a child soldier’s 2,700 km journey, a story that reframed complaints and deepened his gratitude. His message? Attend Ignite Cape Town—for the speakers, the human stories, and the global friendships. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

Clair knows that when it comes to selling a company, multiples are just the starting point. As a former tech founder turned M&A advisor, she explains why value is ultimately about cash flows plus synergies—and how founders can build strategic cases that earn a premium. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Clair shares her career journey from due diligence to corporate finance in London, shaped by scarcity and serendipity. She unpacks the buyer’s perspective—forecasts, discounted cash flow, return on capital—and gives frank advice to lifestyle businesses: sometimes keeping the company, or structuring a management buyout, creates better outcomes. Clair also offers practical guidance on choosing advisors you trust and aligning incentives through retainers and success fees. This is a masterclass in building, valuing, and selling with intention, designed for founders who want to maximize outcomes when the time comes. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

Rebecca Cameron traded a law career for entrepreneurship—and found her stride building Sales Mate, a fractional sales firm helping founders scale B2B outbound without the hiring risk. Just two years in, Sales Mate has grown into a ten-person team embedded inside client businesses, combining strategy with execution. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Rebecca reflects on her entrepreneurial path: bootstrapping during Covid, embracing focus over fragmentation, and sharpening financial discipline through EO Accelerator forums. She credits mentors for small but pivotal nudges, including the push to make her first hire, and shares how she now experiments with AI workflows—using ChatGPT to transform spoken ideas into action. Her advice for future Ignite attendees? Surrender to the experience, be present, and thank your circle. A candid look at focus, growth, and gratitude from an emerging leader building her own way. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Nokuthula “Nox” Magwaza, growth isn’t just business—it’s life itself. As the founder of Bloom Marketing, Bloom Infinite Digital, and Bloom Inside Out, she has spent over two decades helping brands land with cultural relevance while championing women’s advancement and authentic storytelling. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Knox shares why gratitude is her operating system, how vulnerability unlocks true growth, and why she believes EO is fertile soil for scaling both business and impact. She revisits lessons from her early career at Unilever, explains the seeds-and-soil metaphor that guides her leadership, and highlights how Bloom differentiates itself through purpose-led, human-centered creativity. Her message to fellow leaders: you are a seed—keep blooming. This episode blends purpose, gratitude, and advocacy, showing how to scale while staying rooted in community and authenticity. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

Mpho Lengane, founder of Barker’s Media, has built a reputation for producing some of South Africa’s top-rated television dramas and reality shows. But for her, the real product isn’t just ratings—it’s national conversation. By putting rural, township, and urban perspectives on the same screen, she sparks dialogue that resonates across communities. In this Ignite 2025 episode, Mpho opens up about the setbacks that shaped her—being fired three times in 2021, formalizing her business in 2022, and discovering that self-awareness and humility fuel real growth. She shares a pivotal boardroom lesson from Ocean Basket on the meaning of service, explains how she approaches sales and closing as creative disciplines, and calls for more interconnectedness across EO forums and events. This is a candid look at ego, resilience, and service—and why putting the client first is the surest path to building lasting impact. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa. Would you like me to also start compiling these into a master series index (Ep 1–17 so far) with titles, so you have one reference sheet for publishing and scheduling?   ChatGPT said:   Here’s Episode 18 for Nokuthula “Knox” Magwaza — title, YouTube show notes, and Podbean description. Episode Title (≤100 chars) Episode 18: Keep Blooming — Purpose, Gratitude & Women’s Advancement with Nox Magwaza YouTube Show Notes (with chapters) In this Ignite 2025 episode, Nokuthula “Knox” Magwaza, founder of Bloom Marketing, Bloom Infinite Digital, and Bloom Inside Out, shares her journey of purpose, gratitude, and women’s advocacy. With 20+ years in marketing and a mission to build human-centered connections between brands and people, Knox explains why gratitude is her daily operating system and how vulnerability fuels authentic growth. She traces her seeds metaphor back to Newcastle, recalls lessons from her time at Unilever, and reflects on the gap between European-led agencies and South Africa’s predominantly black consumer base. Knox also reveals why Bloom differentiates itself by putting women’s advancement at the core, and how AI-era storytelling can stay authentic and community-changing. Her Ignite message is simple yet powerful: EO is fertile soil for growth—keep blooming, because growth is the evidence of life. 🔑 Key Themes Vulnerability & progress over perfection Gratitude as a leadership operating system Seeds & soil: choosing nurturing environments Human-centered, purpose-led branding Inclusive creativity reflecting SA consumers Women’s advancement as a differentiator EO community as fertile soil for growth & impact Storytelling in the AI era that stays human 📍 Timestamps / Chapters 0:00 – Intro & Knox introduces herself 0:09 – Bloom Marketing, Bloom Infinite & Bloom Inside Out 1:05 – Ignite highlights: vulnerability & redefining success 2:18 – Gratitude in practice: service & developing talent 3:32 – Seeds metaphor & choosing the right soil 4:54 – Lessons from Unilever & inclusive creativity 5:30 – Purpose at the heart & women’s advocacy 6:01 – Human-centered stories in the AI era 6:12 – Message to future Ignite attendees 7:51 – Closing: you are a seed, keep blooming 🌐 Visit EO DurbanWebsite: https://www.eodurban.co.zaPodbean: https://eodurban.podbean.com/ 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa at EO Ignite 2025 — capturing the voices shaping tomorrow’s entrepreneurial landscape. Podbean Description (medium length) For Nokuthula “Knox” Magwaza, growth isn’t just business—it’s life itself. As the founder of Bloom Marketing, Bloom Infinite Digital, and Bloom Inside Out, she has spent over two decades helping brands land with cultural relevance while championing women’s advancement and authentic storytelling. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Knox shares why gratitude is her operating system, how vulnerability unlocks true growth, and why she believes EO is ferti

Alice Chang believes that small flocks can drive big change. As part of Hatch Africa, she explains how providing dual-purpose chickens and feeds helps smallholder farmers across Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire improve family nutrition, raise incomes, and create real choices—from education and healthcare to reinvestment. Alice’s path spans the US, Shanghai, and Bain & Company before moving to Uganda to scale solar access. That experience led her to agriculture, where an income-first approach ensures sustainable impact. In this Ignite 2025 conversation, she also shares how EO practices like lifeline exercises and one word check-ins strengthen teams, and why resilience and connection are essential to leading in tough markets. This episode blends management rigor with purpose-driven impact—a roadmap for scaling social enterprises at continental scale. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Samer Shaaban, Ignite 2025 is about more than attending his first EO regional event—it’s about connection, rejuvenation, and growth. A veteran of Jeddah’s real estate sector with over 20 years of experience, Samer reflects on his EO journey so far, from early forum experiences to embracing the Power Within theme of Durban. He also introduces his path as an angel investor, focusing on fintech, SaaS, and gaming startups that can scale. His criteria? Character, humility, and coachability in the founders he backs. Alongside his business ventures, Samer shares how endurance routines like running and Ironman races serve as his personal reset, and why he’s exploring a podcast-as-mentoring model to pass on lessons and help founders avoid common mistakes. This episode blends entrepreneurship, endurance, and investing, offering both practical filters and personal insights for growth-minded leaders. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

Steve Stavs believes the future of health is about prevention, not treatment. In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, he introduces Medicine 4.0: proactive, personalized, and performance-oriented health. Steve explains why clinical “normal” isn’t always optimal, why VO2 max is a true predictor of longevity, and how wearables can guide smarter training and recovery. He also highlights the mental side of performance, introducing the concept of a “mental quotient” for entrepreneurs aiming to sustain creativity and resilience under pressure. With practical hacks—from circadian rhythm hygiene to high-quality sleep—Steve gives leaders a science-based playbook for staying sharp, healthy, and future-ready. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa

For Shabbir Barbhaya, Ignite 2025 is both a first EO regional experience and a chance to connect across borders. A veteran real estate developer from Jeddah, he reflects on building trust in forums, finding renewal through endurance sports, and embracing EO’s theme of The Power Within. Shabbir also shares his growing role as an angel investor, backing ventures in fintech, SaaS, and gaming, with scalability and founder character as his guiding filters. He explains how mentoring fuels his purpose, and why he’s considering a lightweight podcast as a natural extension of his coaching. This conversation blends entrepreneurship, endurance, and impact in a candid, relatable way. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa

For Trevor Gowing, one bold pitch became the foundation for a company. As co-founder of Decode Development, he shares how a collaboration with Sea Monster led to winning the Lemonade Day US project, building a kids’ app and mentor/admin platforms, and resigning to launch the business. What clinched it? Visible commitment and skin in the game. In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Trevor also introduces Decode’s model: bespoke software for purpose-driven companies, balancing off-the-shelf solutions with custom builds, and supporting clients through fractional CTO advisory and embedded engineering teams. He opens up about the challenge of marketing their successes and how they’re now turning everyday workflows into podcasts, clips, and SEO-friendly content. This is a story of risk, resilience, and building from purpose—a roadmap for entrepreneurs turning big bets into sustainable growth. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Louisa Garland, belief has always been the starting point—and sometimes the lifeline. Founder of Imperial Armour, she reflects on 25 years of building a company that protects lives with body armour and UN demining gear, all from a base in Durban. Louisa shares how her toughest season in 2018 nearly closed the doors, and how support from her children—and her own faith—helped her find stillness and resilience. The very next day, she received her largest-ever order. In this EO Ignite 2025 debut, Louisa also opens up about her first EO conference, the community connections she’s most excited about, and the power of practicing daily affirmations when leadership feels heavy. This conversation blends purpose, impact, and perseverance—a reminder that breakthroughs are always possible when belief leads the way. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za 🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Gary Sundelowitz, founder of Clarity, the future of marketing is experience design (XD)—and the measure of success is the “goosebump moment.” In this EO Ignite 2025 episode, Gary traces his journey from pure digital into XD, sharing client stories from Sony, Vodacom, Cell C, and Eduvas, where every touchpoint—digital or physical—is designed to deliver measurable impact. Gary also makes the case for founder-led content: short, authentic clips from the CEO outperform polished brand posts. He explains how to build consistency by tying content creation into daily workflow and how a lean, partner-powered model allows small teams to scale nationally. Alongside his business insights, he reflects on his first EO conference, joining a new forum, and why community relationships fuel both creativity and growth. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

In this Ignite 2025 episode, Erika Kempkon, founder of Youth at Work, explains how her organization is building real pathways for South Africa’s youth. As a YES implementation partner, they connect young people to 12-month work placements across industries like manufacturing, automotive, finance, solar, and tech—while tracking retention, completion, and post-program absorption into jobs, entrepreneurship, or further study. Backed by a bespoke CRM and AI intake system, Youth at Work achieves ~92% retention and monitors not just youth outcomes but also the business growth of host companies. Erika also shares the multiplier effect of education, the entrepreneurial energy in South Africa’s informal economy, and her personal journey as a teacher, mother, and woman founder driving over R500m of impact into youth and communities. If you’re passionate about employment, entrepreneurship, or purpose-driven leadership, this conversation will leave you with both perspective and practical takeaways. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

In this EO Ignite 2025 conversation, Bhavya Kalsi (business and personal branding coach) shares why identity must come before brand. Drawing from her TED-style talk “Unbecoming,” Bhavya explains how authentic branding isn’t about performing but about anchoring in your truth. She unpacks why attention is the new currency, how to design lean and flexible business operations, and why founder-led marketing is the engine behind solopreneur growth. Bhavya also reflects on her EO journey—from founding member in Uganda to regional community builder—and previews her upcoming show Be Unleashed, spotlighting women entrepreneurs. Her take on harmony over “balance” and the realities of being a mother-founder make this an honest, practical conversation for anyone navigating identity, growth, and scale. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.

For Kushal Sanhraska, Ignite 2025 marked more than his first EO global event—it was a chance to step into leadership, deepen connections, and bring fresh rituals back to his team. As a family business leader in Kenya’s construction and finishes sector, Kushal shares how simple practices like “one word” and “yesterday’s best” have transformed culture by embedding gratitude and presence into daily work. He also reflects on his path from science geek to business operator, his passion for podcasts and learning, and his ongoing health journey as he prepares for fatherhood. With plans to moderate, lead GSEA Kenya, and attend EO events across the globe, Kushal brings an honest look at what it means to balance business, family, health, and growth in today’s entrepreneurial landscape. 🔗 EO Durban: www.eodurban.co.za🎙️ Produced by TIM Africa.