Matt Brown Show

Weed. In September this year, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the country’s highest court, on Tuesday morning ruled that the personal use of cannabis is not a criminal offence. In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that the ban on private possession and consumption, and cultivation of the plant for own use is unconstitutional. It found that the country’s cannabis ban infringed on section 14 of the South African constitution which gives all citizens the right to privacy. This has far reaching implications for ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs alike. The decriminalised global weed industry is forecast to run into the billions of dollars, but what are your rights in this space and immediate opportunities for entrepreneurs? To get the answer I reached out Julian Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke AKA the Dagga couple and Paul-Michael Keichel from Schindlers Attorneys. We discuss the 8 year legal battle of Julian and Myrtle with the South African government, their personal case instrumental in the lead up to

Blind spots. We all have a blind spot and it’s shaped exactly like us. In Africa, blind spots are everywhere, yet for some reason we do not see what often lies right in front of us. Enter the Kasinomic revolution. The KasiNomic Revolution is a murmur in the streets, a grassroots economic rising which has grown organically despite government and business regulation, and which is the future of African economic activity. It is a giant of an economy that dwarfs that of the formal economy in size, yet for many entrepreneurs who play in the formal economy space, we are not aware that it even exists and even less is known about how to capitalise on it. GG Alcock is an international best-selling author, whose books cast a light on the Kasi sector and its inner workings for the first time. If you haven’t heard of Kasinomics before, don’t worry because neither had I, so prepare to have your mind blown. Support the show

Blockchain. Blockchain is as significant now as the Internet was 25 years ago. As a technology, the blockchain promises to break old business models and to do that there will always be persuasive reasons not to take the risk. But if you only do what worked in the past, you will one day wake up and find that you’ve been passed by. For entrepreneurs, the blockchain space is arguably the biggest opportunity for business and value creation since the advent of the Internet. While the narrative is dominated with speculation over crypto asset price movements and use cases for utility – blockchain and crypto is certainly not going anywhere. In the studio today, I’m joined by Farzam Ehsani, the founder and CEO of Valr.com a crypto asset trading platform that has recently launched and which is backed by Bittrex one of the largest blockchain trading platforms in the world. We discuss current state of crypto and blockchain technology and they can be used to create an alternative monetary and political system that’s inclu

Artificial intelligence. AI is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity and in the context of AI, it seems that our technology is on the path to exceeding our humanity. Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise both in business and in the world in general. But where are exactly when it comes to AI and how beneficial is it really to your business in the long run? Sure, it can take over those time-consuming and mundane tasks that are bogging your employees down, but at what cost? With AI spending expected to reach $46 billion by 2020, according to an IDC report, there’s no sign of the technology slowing down. As the saying goes, take the next 10,000 startups and just add AI. Today I’m joined by my good friend Nick Argyros, the founder of a startup called Got Bot, that uses AI to enable Social Commerce and optimize Customer Experience at scale for clients around the world. Got Bot has been voted as one of the Top 10 startups on the continent by StartUpBootCamp has raised millions in ve

Influence. You don’t have to be a person of influence to be influential. As entrepreneurs we are very much in the business of influence: influence of customers, our people and ultimately influence over ourselves in the choices we make every day. The nature of influence has changed in recent years, with the birthing of a global movement towards the sustainable enterprise and a growing appetite of corporates and impact investors to work with social entrepreneurs to solve global challenges like education, poverty, hunger, clean water and gender inequality. Today, you can become a billionaire and make a difference at the same time. They are no longer mutually exclusive. On this episode, I chat to three power house women Ezyln Barends, Mmabatho Mokiti and Natasha Katapodis about the world of social entrepreneurship, impact investing and gender inequality and how we as a community of entrepreneurs can do more in the space of social upliftment and economic transformation through our businesses. Support the show

Change. The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. If we truly want to change the world, we have to change our thinking. It is said that we should have an open mind when it comes to the subject of change, butt the trouble with having an open mind, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Identity politics has long permeated and influenced our society and culture and it is a very sensitive subject because at its most basic level, identity politics is the tendency for people of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, social background, etc. to form exclusive political and social alliances. So why are we talking about this on the Matt Brown Show? Well, my view is that we need to unite workplaces, not divide them. Company cultures that are deeply united aren’t just better at being productive, they’re better at retaining talent - and, critically, they’re better at mentoring talent. I reached out to my good friend Brent Tollman, probably one of the smartest people

Pride. You know no entrepreneur is an island. We all need help on our respective journeys, but all too often pride seemingly gets in the way and we don’t step up to the plate and ask for help when we need it. To help bring the value of what can transpire when we do ask for help, I reached out to Craig Collins, the CEO of Cradle Technologies, a startup who has recently been selected by the Grindstone and Knife Capital Accelerator as one of the top 12 tech startups on the African continent and Howard Mann, the President of Business Brickyard in New York – for context Craig has achieved product market fit for his warehouse management system and is looking to scale his enterprise in the United States. Howard is a player coach who specialises in helping entrepreneurs generate more sales and grow their businesses. You’re about to hear a live three-way coaching session between Howard, Craig and myself designed to help Craig scale his business in the states next year. I’d like to leave you with this. Be strong enough

Communication. Since the advent of social media the way that we communicate has fundamentally changed both in society and in the context of business. When Mike Stopforth co-founded Cerebra communications, he challenged what communications could represent for brands across Africa. Over the course of 14 years, Cerebra became an award-winning social media communications agency that were the first to re-imagine what a social enterprise could be. This caught the attention of WPP, one of the world’s largest advertising conglomerates who acquired Cerebra for an untold sum. In this episode, Mike and I explore how social media communications has changed the face of business, how entrepreneurs can scale their businesses through strategic partnerships and what he learnt in the process of selling Cerebra to WPP. Support the show

Uncertainty. When it comes to business, there is nothing certain but the uncertain. You see, feeling unsure and lost is a part of starting a business, and it’s virtually impossible to avoid feelings of doubt and fear as an entrepreneur. You see here’s the thing about uncertainty: you will not win the fight againstuncertainty by becoming certain, instead your certainty will come as a result of you embracing your uncertainty. Ian Furh is the living embodiment of this reality. When he opened the first beauty salon, Sorbet, he knew nothing about the beauty industry and after investing 19million into the venture [itstill hadn’t turned a profit]. Fast forward to today, however, and Sorbet employs over 3000 staff, has over 200 stores (which delivers a staggering 350 000 individual beauty treatments a month). The story of Sorbet is one largely about dealing with uncertainty as an entrepreneur; and what can be achieved when you understand that your tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding. Support t

Imperfection. One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection doesn’t exist. Ironically though, we live in society where social media platforms like Instagram has created an entire sub culture that is seemingly designed to support the idea of perfection being attainable and even worse valuable. But here’s the thing. There’s no need to be perfect to inspire others. Instead you should inspire people by how you deal with your imperfections. The truth of the matter is that there is a ton of value to be found in imperfection and this has been proven in the birthing of a global QSR brand called Rocomamas right here in SA. Despite all category norms and conventions, Brian Altriche, founded Rocomamas on an imperfect product – a burger patty which is by design imperfect and yet it has found a place in the hearts and minds of consumers all around the world… and in only 5 years. In this episode of the Matt Brown Show, I chat to Brian about his journey building Rocomamas into a QSR brand and

New York. New York is always a good idea – especially if you want perspective on your own business. My agency Digital Kungfu, recently landed a client in New York called Forward Lane a heavily funded fintech startup that is making waves in the AI and financial intelligence space here in the states. The great thing about New York is that is puts your own hustle into perspective – you see, you could be forgiven to think that building a business in Africa is completely different to building a business in a developed economy like New York but you’d be wrong. I spent the past week in New York connecting with startups at the Barclays Techstars program and spent time interviewing and connecting with the heads of investment banks, venture capitalists and fintech investors. What was striking was that we all face the same challenges. Growth, scale, funding, product market fit, innovation, customer experiences and disruption are equally important in developed economies like New York as they are in South Africa and anywh

Cartoonists. They say that cartoonism is simply organized gossip but in South Africa, a simple cartoon represents far more than trivial gossip – for Jonathan Shapiro AKA Zapiro his cartoons have become nationwide talking points for over 25 years. He has been published over 27 times, was the first cartoonist to win a category prize in the CNN African Journalist of the year Awards, has held solo cartoon exhibitions in New York, London and Frankfurt and many in South Africa and through his running commentary on local political developments he became personal friends with Nelson Mandela and archbishop Desmond Tutu. Not surprisingly, his work has ruffled the feathers of certain corrupt politicians in South Africa and on this episode of the Matt Brown Show we explore his very personal account of taking on the political establishment through his work and the sometimes very dire consequences thereof. We also dissect the little know inner workings of his creative process and how he has managed to find the courage to c

Pizza. They say you can’t buy happiness but you can buy pizza and in my world that’s kind of the same thing. When John Nicolakakis took over the reins of Roman’s Pizza from his father, he had only one goal: To create the biggest pizza brand in South Africa. Billions a year in system-wide sales into this journey, and the company’s aggressive expansion plans have never wavered. In fact, if ever there was a poster child for the mantra ‘go big or go home’, Nicolakakis would be it. John came onto the Matt Brown Show to share his story about building Romans Pizza into a network of over 250 stores in three countries and we also has a bit of fun in the studio by throwing him into a blind folded pizza tasting test and he shows us a new way of taking out the trash in the studio with a base ball bat. The Injustice League just doesn’t get old for me. Support the show

Dreams. Dreams are not what you see in your sleep, dreams are things which do not let you sleep. But having a dream and then achieving a dream are very different things. They say that every artist needs their own religion because to do anything noteworthy today really does require a massive amount of guts, determination and perseverance. Here’s the thing about dreams. They don’t work unless you do. Chris Jaftha is an actor, TV presenter, dancer, singer and well known voice over artist and someone who has achieved many of his own dreams and the public, the media and major brands have noticed. He has been voted by People Magazine as South Africa’s most eligible bachelor, has been featured in a dozen different TV shows and has recently hosted “the longest date” a new reality show that combines the best of Fear Factor and the Bachelor – I caught up with Chris to find out what he has learnt in the process of becoming one of Africa’s most inspiring young talents in media. And remember, the biggest adventure you can

Perseverance. Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding on the 20th. But imagine not getting a lucky break day after day for 7 years straight. How would that make you feel? Would you quit, or would you persevere? Many entrepreneurs would and do give up for one simple reason: Rejection sucks. But here’s the thing about rejection: When you are rejected it doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough or worthy enough, it just means that you need to get up and try again. This is the single biggest quality I have noticed in highly successful people I have interviewed on this show. Our guest today is none other than Danny K who is the embodiment of perseverance. He is a four-time South African Music Awards winner, singer song writer, actor and philanthropist. He has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, has been a brand advocate for Nelson Mandela’s foundation and collaborated with some of the world’s most well-known music artists. But despite his celebrity status, his story is in fact also one of many rejections,

Legacy. As entrepreneurs it’s important to think about your legacy because in reality you are writing your every single day. But for many of us it takes strength, courage and wisdom to build a legacy. You see, your legacy isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life in truth it’s about what you inspire others to do because of what you accomplish. Our guest today is non-other than Maps Maponyane, one of Africa’s most influential young black entrepreneurs. Maps is a multi-talented business brain; movie producer and celebrity and we discuss what he has learnt in the process of building multiple successful businesses which has left a truly inspiring legacy of his own. Surprisingly, Maps won Cosmopolitan Magazine's "Sexiest South African Man" in 2013 but hasn’t won that award ever since. To make up for that, he decided to smash a unicorn with a baseball bat in the studio. Support the show

Journalism. Journalism is in fact history on the run and the courage of journalism has to be respected because journalism is the protection between people and any totalitarian rule. The story of South Africa’s possible state capture by Zuma and the Gupta’s is very well known but what you may not know is how one small team of journalists were largely responsible for shining a light on the on happenings inside the presidency, which ultimately lead to the avoidance of state capture. Alec Hogg is one of those journalists. In this episode of the Matt Brown Show, we explore how the world of misinformation, fake news and social media can influence the business community of South Africa and affect the economic fabric of an entire country. As entrepreneurs, it is vital to understand that information and knowledge are two currencies that will never go out of style. Support the show

Branding. A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is, but it is what consumers tell each other it is. But to build a brand today is harder than you think. In the face of information overload and a hyper competitive attention economy how do you get to grips with building your brand and reputation as an entrepreneur? To get the answer I reached out to arguably one of the best branding consultants in the world, Andy Rice. Andy himself is a huge personal brand and over the past three decades has consulted to every major brand in Africa, has been a judge at the international Cannes Advertising Awards and has been a radio personality for as long as I can remember. He also highly opinionated and calls a spade a spade so I hope you enjoy this episode as much we did in the studio. Support the show

Some say that startups go to corporates to die. But is that the full story? I reached out to arguably two of the biggest players in Africa’s startup ecosystem to get their views on exactly where we are at in terms of our startup ecosystem and it’s development and we explore how corporates are dating the world of startups to solve some of their biggest innovation and disruption challenges. Our panelists are non-other than Zach George, the co-founder and MD of Startupbootcamp Africa and Stuart Van Der Veen, the head of Disruption and Innovation for Nedbank Corporate Investment Banking. They also smash the shit out of our Rainbow Dash mascot in the studio with a baseball bat. Support the show

Death. This is a subject that is very rarely spoken about yet is more relevant than we think when it comes to entrepreneurship. Allow me to explain. Businesses die around the world every day and for the entrepreneur the fear of losing something they have put their heart and soul into building can be familiar to that of losing a loved one. I can attest to this as over the years, I’ve founded nine businesses and six of those didn’t survive. Uncertainty is just something we have to deal as entrepreneurs, and it is easy to think we fear the unknown, but what we really are afraid of is the known coming to an end and so in life and in business death isn’t cool. But there is so much power in thinking and talking about death and for many reasons, but arguably one of the most important is that it forces you to come to terms with why you are an entrepreneur and what you hope to leave behind as a legacy and in a very authentic way. I reached out to Robin Wheeler, the author of Death is Ultimate Orgasm to discuss the ver