Matt Brown Show

It was 2007. The recession has not yet hit and markets were booming. Autotrader sold 108,000 copies of their print magazine but magazine sales started to decline. This sparked a journey of the re-invention of Autotrader from a print only play into digital and tech business - against the advice of highly paid consultants. Today Autotrader makes R185 million from digital revenue. In this episode we unpack the story of this pivot and what George Mienie, the CEO of Autotrader learnt in the process. Power episode. Support the show

This episode is proudly sponsored by IT Web. Cyber security effects businesses of all sizes. Whether you are major corporate or you are running a small enterprise the ability of your business and it's IT infrastructure to protect you from cyber attacks is becoming more and more important in the digitally connected business ecosystem that we find ourselves living in today. Perhaps the biggest consideration to be made in the cyber security space, is the fact that the problem of cyber security isn't one that get's solved, it never goes away because of the evolution of technology and the ever growing demands of remote working and connected employees. On this episode, I chat to Nick Dawson, he is the global Director of Knoxx strategy & Business development for Samsung electronics in Korea - and we explore why cyber security matters for businesses and executives, how to detect and prevent cyber security threats, how to protect your company data and and much, much more. So without further adieu en

Cryptocurrencies, The Blockchain/Bitcoin & The Future of Money. This subject is arguably one of the hottest subjects in the media right now and for good reason. It promises so much – the least of which is the decentralization of the monetary system and the potential financial inclusion of the poor.This event is the first live podcast driven media event of its kind and after I released the tickets it sold out the first-time in less than 12 hours. Then after releasing the next batch of tickets it sold in less than 4 hours and when I released the final set of tickets it sold out without me telling anyone – they demand for answers from the south African public was simply insatiable. So, you are about to hear what went down at my first “live” podcast event when I interviewed South Africa’s experts (if there is such a thing) on the current developments within the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. Your guests are Simon Dingle from Phantom Design, a genius in his own right but also very outspoken and hilarious

This subject is arguably one of the hottest subjects in the media right now and for good reason. It promises so much – the least of which is the decentralization of the monetary system and the potential financial inclusion of the poor.The Back StoryThis event is the first live podcast driven media event of its kind and after I released the tickets it sold out the first-time in less than 12 hours. Then after releasing the next batch of tickets it sold in less than 4 hours and when I released the final set of tickets it sold out without me telling anyone – they demand for answers from the south African public was simply insatiable. So, you are about to hear what went down at my first “live” podcast event when I interviewed South Africa’s experts (if there is such a thing) on the current developments within the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. Your "Expert" PanelYour guests are Simon Dingle from Phantom Design, a genius in his own right but also very outspoken and hilariously funny in the process o

Mindsets. An entrepreneur’s mindset – essentially a set of working assumptions about your intelligence, talent or abilities is critically important to understand when it comes to decision making in business. You could call it decision making theory – or the reasoning behind doing something in your business or not. Often there is far more success to be found when you do decide to do something as opposed to deciding not to do something. So, let me give you some context. In this episode, I chat Anish Shivasani the founder and CEO of Giraffe about their journey disrupting the recruitment industry. Now many of you will know that they won the global Seedstars program – not just south Africa which eventually lead them to finding investment with the US based investment fund Omidyar – which was formed by the entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar, who founded the eBay auction site which is today worth an estimated US$9 billion. But here’s the funny thing. They almost didn’t enter the Seedstars completion at all – but their minds

Storytelling. It’s one of the biggest buzzwords in business—storytelling—and it’s how savvy companies are satisfying the public’s never-ending hunger for content. With compelling characters, relatable plots and, most important, authenticity, innovative story tellers are connecting with consumers, colleagues and investors on an emotional level – something which will always distinguish your business from that of a competitors. I chat to Mike Sharman about how entrepreneurs can craft a great story for the businesses and its products and services. Support the show

Tom Asacker is the author of five critically acclaimed books: The Business of Belief, Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding, groundbreaking books that describe new practices and ideas for success in times of uncertainty and change, and Sandbox Wisdom, a heartwarming story about a CEO’s search for meaning and success in the world of business. In this episode, we discuss how entrepreneurs can build great businesses but at the same time stay true themselves and ultimately, their happiness. Support the show

Can entrepreneurs save South Africa's economy? That was the question I had to have answered when I interviewed Gil Oved, the co-CEO of the Creative Council and Romeo Kumalo, the former CEO of Vodacom and the current CEO of Washrika Holdings. In this episode we uncover how entrepreneurs can save South Africa's economy and a whole lot more. Power episode. Support the show

Mark Sham comes back onto the Matt Brown Show for the second time to discuss the subject of change and how entrepreneurs can work with change both within yourself and within your business. Change is not an easy thing to deal with as an entrepreneur so in this episode we discuss and share insights and learnings from our own experiences in business about dealing with change in our own lives. This is a power episode! Support the show

Elevation’s report ‘Unicorns, Gazelles & Leapfrogs: Fast-tracking the South African startup ecosystem' is being released today. It covers 6 months of research and 30 executive interviews by Jason Levin and proposes some options for catapulting South Africa's ecosystem forward. In this episode, I'm doing a "live" podcast from the event so the format of the show will be a little different than usual. This is such an important subject to cover, so I'm proud to be the first to bring it to you. Support the show

For a long time Matt has said that anyone can be an entrepreneur... but it's not for everyone. Today, Howard Sackstein is the CEO of Saicom but in his previous life he was a high powered lawyer working for the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) during South Africa's 1994 elections. In this episode, Matt explores what he learnt during his time working for the IEC, and how that experience ignited the possibilities of entrepreneurship for him. This is a first hand account of how to become an entrepreneur and how to become fulfilled in the process. Support the show

As an entrepreneur, being able to influence people in order to get what you want has it's merits. But how do you go about working out what someone is thinking in a boardroom for example? Matt Brown speaks to Gilan Gork, who is South Africa's leading Mentalist, and a master at reading and influencing people using non-verbal and psychological principles. In this episode of the Matt Brown Show, we explore how entrepreneurs can influence people to get what they want in business. He also pulls a picture out of Matt's mind live on the show! Support the show

One of the great mysteries of entrepreneurship is why businesses fail. Some people start one successful business after another while others fail to succeed.The worst part about a failing business is that the entrepreneur is unaware of it happening until it is often too late. It makes sense because if the entrepreneur really knew what he was doing wrong, he might have been able to save the business. Some entrepreneurs live in a land of denial while others are unaware of their mistakes.I chat to Prudence Spratt, the CEO of Spratt Consulting about how to grow a business. Great episode! Support the show

Starting a business is hard and raising capital for your business can mean the difference between success and failure. In this episode I chat to Benji Coetzee, she is the founder of Empty Trips, a startup that is disrupting an $8 trillion logistics industry. In this episode we explore her personal journey of attempting to raise capital for her startup. Dope episode! Support the show

If you can't sell yourself as an entrepreneur you are dead in the water. The most important aspect of selling anything is the ability to sell a great story. I chat to Brent Tollman, an entrepreneur and international media strategist, about how to craft a great story for your business, it's products and it's people. Support the show

Howard Mann is a business turnaround specialist. After 17 years of successfully enabling business owners with the means to unlock new value in their businesses, he has developed a unique perspective on how entrepreneurs can survive the struggle of running a business. Power episode. Support the show

I chat to Ross Drakes about the realities of cashflow in a business, regardless of its size. Ross shares his tactics and tips for managing the financial aspects of a business in a modern business environment and we explore in detail the realities of running a business as an entrepreneur. Support the show

I chat to an "inside man" within the financial services industry about what the future of the banking industry might look like. We discuss how disruptive technologies are forcing industrial age business models to adapt to a digitally enabled economy and why startups are uniquely positioned to disrupt established traditional markets. Power episode. Support the show

I chat to Craig Mullett, about how entrepreneurs should approach getting funding for their business. He is an angel investor and an expert and company valuations and mergers and acquisitions. Support the show

I chat to Brad Shorkend about how the role of leadership and consciousness is changing in the business world. We explore the dynamics between accountability, responsibility and authority, the impact of 15 minute meetings and the importance of empathy as a leader. Support the show