Spruijt: I live in Randpark Ridge and work in Bryanston. When it comes to playing, I do that wherever I am - what's the point if we take it all too seriously?
Spruijt: On a personal level, I have overcome many health challenges and am still here to tell the tale. On the work front - I love starting in a new position, that way I can develop my own processes and procedures. I worked for a dual-listed gold mining company about a million years ago and I feel I was instrumental in moving the share price up.
Spruijt: In one word... Interesting. I have done everything from telesales, to corporate governance. Having worked in both agency and corporate environments has given me great insight into 'how the other side' thinks.
Spruijt: My husband, my kiddies, family and friends - OK I know they aren't 'things', but they are my favourites. I LOVE blockwords, dancing (on tables or wherever), Candy Crush and gardening.
Spruijt: I love that no two days are the same. One day I will be writing a thought leadership piece on how technology is changing governments across the continent, and the next I will be meeting a journalist for coffee. PR provides the opportunity to learn constantly, take on challenges, and interact with a very diverse range of people.
Spruijt: We have lost the human touch - it's much easier to send an email than pick up the phone (yes, I too am guilty), yet when we give ourselves the opportunity to interact with people on a personal level, we grow, they grow and it is beneficial all round.
Spruijt: I like to start my day early, so I am in office between 6:30am and 7am. I make a coffee and sit outside for about 10 minutes, to get my head into the day and plan my to-do list. Meetings, research, writing, and reporting are a major part of my day. I leave the office at about 4.30pm to fetch my babies, and if there is something pressing, I will log on again at home.
Spruijt: Wit, creativity, holistic thinking, and the ability to build and maintain relationships.
Spruijt: I think anyone who is able to build a successful PR agency has made it. The number of agencies makes it quite a difficult industry to break into.
Spruijt: SAP Africa, Edge Growth and Merchant Capital are my clients. SAP Africa recently ran Africa Code Week, an initiative that saw 20,000 children across the continent trained in code. Edge Growth are enterprise and supplier development specialists who bridge the gap between SMEs and corporates in terms of supply chain and transformation. Merchant Capital provides capital to the retail sector.
Spruijt: Return on Investment: not a common PR term, but what it shows me is that clients are no longer happy with securing coverage only, they are looking for an investment that will in fact show them returns. It is up to the client to let us as PR professionals know what the return is though, is it purely the number of times they appear in the media, the tone of the pieces, or increasing their social media audiences?
Spruijt: Whilst driving - I let my mind wander - some may say that's dangerous... and as a mom of young children, it's pretty much the only place I am alone.
Spruijt: I can roll my stomach so that it looks like waves - not the most attractive...
Spruijt: Neither really - technology is great, when it works - then I am a technophile (terrible word BTW), when it doesn't or I can't figure something out quickly enough - technophobe.
Spruijt: Candy Crush and photos of my kiddies.
Spruijt: Stay inquisitive, don't take rejections personally, pick up the phone.
You can read more about Spruijt by clicking here and more about marcusbrewster by clicking here.
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
