#BehindtheSelfie with... Mishka Patel
1. Where do you live, work and play?
Cape Town. I was born in Stellenbosch, and currently, live in Somerset West.
2. What’s your claim to fame?
I participated in Miss SA the year that Rolene Strauss won the crown, and was a presenter on Afrikaans lifestyle show, Pasella.
3. Describe your career so far.
Exhilarating and nerve-wracking at times, but it’s nothing less than an honour and privilege to be able to do what I love every day.
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
Food. Sushi. My cats. My job. The gym. Nature. Hiking. The beach. Sleep, haha!
5. What do you love about your industry?
That it allows me to be authentically me.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
Well no, that definitely doesn’t exist. It’s different every day. But that’s the beauty of it!
7. What are the tools of your trade?
In order to survive in my TV and speaking industry, being prepared is very important.
8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
Liezel van der Westhuizen, Zoë Brown, Katlego Maboe – there’s so many I can think of!
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
It will change from person to person, but I think personally, it’s the mentality of the people in it. I always believe there’s a place in this world for us all to shine.
There’s no need to be competitive (I’m not talking about a healthy competition) or to get rude with your peers, what’s meant for you will always be for you.I wish more of us would support one another in a genuine way, instead of trying to only boost ourselves.
10. What are you working on right now?
I’m now a news and traffic reporter for Good Hope FM.
Additionally, I use my NLP life coach qualification to guide clients to reach their ideals and steer them in the right direction for overall life success.
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
Oh wow, wasn’t it “on fleek” at some point? “Yaaas Queen?” Oh my word, no, let me stop. It might be because I’m answering these questions on very little sleep, but I’m a blank right now!
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
No specific times or places, they come when they’re supposed to come I think. When it’s meant to be!
13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?
I literally am the only person in the world who doesn’t have a party trick, but my talent is I can sing.
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
Technophile!
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
A lot of photos of my cats!
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
It’s honestly not as easy as you think it is and it’s not as glamorous as it looks.
But if it’s something you truly want to do, go for it. If you never try, you’ll never know.
Simple as that. Follow Patel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
