Herman Mashaba’s story is a well written anecdote about a
man who wanted to be more and worked hard to make his dreams a reality!
Coming from a small village in Gauteng, born in the time
when being black was a crime – Herman Mashaba defied the odds, set his own
goals and worked hard to reach them.
Do you have faith in your dreams? Do you have faith in your
capabilities? How far will you go to reach the standard of success you've set for
yourself?
Those were the burning questions I walked away with after
reading Herman Mashaba’s autobiography Black Like You, co-written with Isabella
Morris.
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| Pic sourced from: http://blacklikeyou.co.za/ |
He is one of South Africa’s inspirational success stories. If
there is someone who could have used any excuse under the sun to avoid working
hard and settle for a life of mediocrity, Herman Mashaba is that man.
He lost his father when he was very young, his mother struggled
to raise him and his siblings on her domestic-worker salary. He dropped out of
Varsity, and once his company was up and running; his factory burnt down. And
those are just a few of the examples. Don’t forget that he was a black man
during apartheid.
This book tells a story of not only a man who overcame the
struggles but one who had to find the discipline in himself to reach the
success-standard he had set for himself.
He went through his phases of being an ungovernable
teenager, a false-status hungry young man and a play-boy. But upon realising
that he needed to find focus, he chose to leave that life, get married young
and go against all odds to reach his dreams. With a supportive partner and out of
this world dreams he made things happen.
Herman Mashaba speaks candidly about the challenges he faced,
in his business and personal life. Are your dreams so crazy you’d buy a car,
knowing that you’ve never driven one in your life, EVER! I think car dealerships
started asking for driver’s licences because of the craziness that Mashaba
displayed. He saved for a car and taught himself how to drive from the
dealership to his home. You can just imagine what a disaster that must have
been.
He got into the hair business by first selling hair products
for a company, and when he realised the amount of money he was making for that
company – he sought to make all that money for himself.
He has since moved into other ventures. He knows when to let go and also to move with the
times. Known for boldly stating he is a capitalist, once you've read this book
you fully understand why.
Lessons:
·
Know your strengths and milk them for all you
got!
·
Don’t be scared of partnerships – the strengths
of others will help you on your journey
·
Know your market and give them what they need
·
You will have challenges – be prepared to get up
·
Surround yourself with strong and supportive
people
·
Don’t QUIT!
Take Home Quotes:
“While certain things were beyond my control while I was
growing up, there were areas where I could take control – and I did”
“I realised early on that a smile managed to creep into the
hardest of hearts, while a grumble or a frown rewarded you with rejection”
“…I had no intention of allowing anyone to strip me of my
dignity. Working for a white man meant having to call him Bass, and to call his
son Kleinbaas. I had no intention of calling anyone baas”
“…by marrying Connie, I hoped that my life would calm down
and that I would no longer be caught up in such a fast, unstable lifestyle”
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