We live in a world where winning is everything.

We see it at the Oscars, on shows like Idols and America’s Got Talent. We had front row seats to it during the World Cup. Only one team could hold that selfsame World Cup up to the spotlight of  adulation and success.

This got me thinking. Do we place too much emphasis on winning? Is success the only thing? Do we also see our own lives – our careers, our relationships – as successes or failures? If so, how are we judging ourselves?

In the last two years, I’ve entered a few short story competitions.  Some I’ve done well in, making it into the top five; others just never made it. Did I want to win? For sure. Coming second or fifth is not a great feeling.

Disappointment is a stone in your throat. It’s the same hard feeling that sits in your chest for days.

But the experience forced me to think about my motivation for entering. Why did I want the gold star? Did I think that an editor or judge’s praise would fill up all the empty places inside me? Did I think a win would miraculously boost my self-confidence? Make me more talented than I was yesterday?

Finally I saw that success is something bestowed on you – like an Oscar, a record contract or a Fifa trophy   – for something you’ve done and, let’s be honest here, something you’ve done well.

But it is not the same as achievement.

I realised that I didn’t come second because I’d done a second-rate job on my stories. I lived in those stories. I loved them. I crafted them and worked hard at them.

I’d achieved what I sent out to do: to write a good story, one I was proud of.

Achievement is something a lot more internal and personal.  To me, achievement is knowing you’ve done the best you can. It is knowing that you’ve put your heart into something and you’ve given it your best shot.

Make no mistake. An acknowlegdement of our success is great. It serves as an affirmation, it validates your hard work. It’s a nice-to-have, but it’s not essential to inner fufilment.

Achievement I think, in its own way, is almost as rewarding as outward success and accolades. Almost, I say, because there’s a reason  why people love winning. It’s heady. It’s intoxicating. It’s what we all want, isn’t it?

No one likes to come second. But I think failure tastes a whole lot better than fear. It’s better to have tried than be held back. I’m glad I’ve entered those competitions.  It’s taught me to balance praise and criticism. I know it’s important to to keep an open mind and to continue to learn.

You know what? It’s enough to do your best.

Marketing guru, Seth Godin has intrigued us with another blog; in which he writes about “self marketing might be the most important kind.” "What story do you tell yourself about yourself?"

“Do you have an elevator pitch that reminds you that you're a struggling fraud, certain to be caught and destined to fail? Are you marketing a perspective and an attitude of generosity? When you talk to yourself, what do you say? Is anyone listening?” Kezi did an exercise whereby every  team member had to read the blog and write a 30 second elevator pitch marketing themselves to the team, they had to sell their skills and attributes to the team / clients.

To read this blog-please visit

www.sethgodin.com

Keri-Ann Clark

Pitch to client: If you trust me with your brand, I will live, eat and breathe it.  I will come up with interesting ideas and angles that are on strategy and will bring results.  You will hear from me constantly as I pushback, ideate or simply share yay’s.  I work fast, act fast and become part of your team.  I put results on the table.

Pitch to team: I will troubleshoot, ideate and strategise. I will not think for you or tolerate lazy, lizard brain.  I will help you refine your work, add value and celebrate your yay’s.  I will quickly tell you when you have dropped the ball and how to get it up in the air again.  And even through you may be in a puddle by the time I am done, I will always have your back.

Candice Dunn

Who is Kezi: Kezi Communications is a fast paced deadline driven environment.  Our daily, weekly, monthly objective is to service our clients in a way that no other communications company can. We pay attention to the finest detail and think out of the box.  Our ideas are creative, wild and exciting – just when our client’s think the job cannot be done.  There is no such thing as ‘cannot do’.

Why me – AM for GIBB and BN.  If everyone was the same and thought the same way, how boring would we be … Clients like GIBB and BN wouldn’t require the skills of a PR company and I wouldn’t exist at Kezi … So what value do I bring to the table?  I am organised by nature making sure that everything has its place and ensuring that client deadlines are being met. I am a loyal person to both my clients, friends and family.

Your need for an AM who can handle breaking news deadlines is just what I want and can handle.  Previous working environments taught me to organise and prioritise for superior time management skills I wouldn’t have succeeded without mastering these skills.  Considering the demand of deadlines within Kezi, I see multitasking skills as especially important in a PR/communications career.  May track record is above average in client retention and service delivery which has led to as much as a 67 percent increase in generation of sales from the year I took over at previous employment.  In summary, I believe I have their required skills and experience you seed to be a true Kezian, as well as a positive attitude toward constructive criticism and personal learning’s.

Margie Macintosh

Do you know how companies get articles or editorial into newspapers and magazines that are not paid for advertising?

Well that falls under PR – and that is what I do.  I take information from my client, whether it is corporate or project related, turn it into a story or article, and submit to the relevant focused targeted media whether it be newspapers, magazines or on-line, where I know it will be used/featured absolutely free and gratis to the client.  This is particularly unique strength of mine, as I achieve success where others fail.  I can see the potential, pick out the correct angle, choose the correct media, and submit to the correct people, thus achieving better results than most.  I represent a company who pride themselves on being “can do – just did” kind of people.  We offer full service marketing, communication and digital PR.  Can we set a meeting up for next week so that I can show you proof of my results and some examples so that you can clearly see what I can offer you.  There is so much more to PR and I need time to explain.

Maryke Willis

This is not a rhyme, but more of a riddle.  About a young woman, who knows her fidget from her fiddle.  Writer by day, poet by night.  She is pedantic about spelling and wrestles until its right.  She likes learning from the ants, but also likes to dream.  As an only child, she prefers the term “team”.  She sometimes frowns, and sometimes she worries.  But don’t be alarmed – she is just in a hurry.  Random, reader and little offbeat.  She is your girl if you want something neat.  Sensitive, she knows, but to the needs of others.  She is who she is – she wears not covers.  If she were an animal just for one day, she would be a butterfly – a worm that has come a long way. Now for the answer, I know you’ll get it right.  Who is this girl, writer by day and poet by night?  Nothing rhymes with her surname or with her name.  But Maryke Willis, in a nutshell, is the answer to this jest’ game.

Jessica-Anne Wheeler

I am a publicist.  Just not the ordinary kind.  I don’t do half measures, I don’t do failure.  Don’t take this as a sign of being unshakably stubborn – it’s just my relentless pursuit of doing things differently, quicker, smarter and with more punch.  It’s not just about getting media coverage – my job and my skills means I wear more than one hat in any given day – publicist, negotiator, writer, strategist, developer, researcher, marketer, designer but above all … it’s my curiosity that sets me a part.  I want to know everything.  I like to know how things work, how your part fits in my puzzle and how to get the job done better.  I need to know how trends fit into my industry, how to exploit opportunities and how to set clients, and myself, apart from the infamous ‘grey fuzzy’ stuff that gets lost in one of the most competitive industries in the world.  I bore easily, I am demotivated by red tape, predictability and short-sightedness, but I thrive on a challenge that stretches my ability, forces me to learn and allows me to wake up every morning not knowing how the day will turn out.

LJ Swart

It might seem a bit arrogant but I am a very confident PR consultant that’s been successful on various levels in the industry, never shying away from a challenge I come up with solutions that ensures I have my client’s backs. Various, diverse levels of expertise that goes hand in hand with my PR qualifications gives my client’s peace of mind. A supplier that is available 24 hours of the day and that fixes a problem regardless of what the challenge poses, is a very brief way of summing me up.

Ceri Jane Oakes

Since I started working in 1978, I have been involved in many aspects of business which began with data capture and then followed computer software development, computer training, secretary to an MD, Socks Brand Manager, assisted on sock designs, Barbie Licensing Manager, qualifications in aromatherapy and reflexology, managed a music related magazine, owned my own weight management franchise and also qualified as a Body Stress Practitioner.

This was all achieved over a period of 32 years – might I just add that I am now 18 165 days old! 

So I can help you with computers, typing – over 100 words a minute and 99% accuracy, training, secretarial duties, marketing and design, effective running of a company, body and foot massages, teach you to eat properly and help you get rid of your stress.

Aurelle Franks

I love being challenged- I love proving to myself that I can do things. These types of accomplishments drive me, no matter how small. One challenge I am still yet to experience is getting my Masters degree (it’s on my List of things to do before I die) so I’ll find the time mentally in December to begin this and start 2011 off with a bang. I work best under pressure- burning the mid-night oil; heart palpitations and panic help me get things done properly. At the tender age of 23 my life is my work and my work is my life-  I will always go the extra mile to keep people happy- and I hate conflict (but can stand my ground if I need to- so beware).  I love learning new things, growing and becoming better at everything I do.  To live is to learn and just like everyone on earth- I do not know everything but every day is an opportunity to discover, make mistakes and above all learn from them.

Mbali Mokoena

Purpose driven, ambitious, reliable, and honest and a hard worker are just a few words that describe who I am.  I am a young woman with dreams of pursuing my career in Public Relations, I love taking on new challenges and I am not afraid of change.  My work is good but better when I am under pressure.    You need me so why not hire me?

Within 24 hours of the public announcement that there was a tiger loose somewhere near Delmas, said tiger had a Twitter profile and a publicist.  Aside from kicking myself for not seeing the perfect opportunity to snap up this prime client myself, I did find time to ‘follow’ and then engage in several hilarious (and bizarre) conversations with the escaped feline.

Just a regular Tuesday night really.  Watching dodgy reality TV and talking to a tiger. On twitter.  Negotiating appearance fees (in fillet steak), weighing up the pros and cons of securing Tiger VS established MC, giving valuable tips (don’t eat anyone) and diving every conceivable ‘cat’ joke around. 

If the thought of this doesn’t make you remotely excited about the awesomeness that is our industry and the bizarre, left-of-centre opportunities that exist... then you really should be thinking of handing in your resignation and taking up that desk job.

PR rules.  So does Panjo (I promised his publicist I would add a punt wherever possible).Picture attached of the now infamous Panjo. 

Now look, I am very much a 21st Century kind of girl, ever-ready with my Blackberry and always ontop of my...tweets. But once Adam (bless his soul) starts talking to me about, "Jeremy Clarkson said this about that car" and "Did you see the mags on that thing?", I do get a very glossy expression in my eyes and develop ADD almost instantaneously. Before you judge me too harshly for being a ninny that doesn't know the difference between her GTi and GHD, consider the fact that I am a girl. Cars don't make me tick, they are, simply put, what I use to get from point A to the mall. So yes, sugar and spice and all things nice - that's what little girls are made of. And Subarus and Porches dragged by the power of 400 horses...THAT's what grown men are made of. Where am I going with this? To the mall, of course.

When Margie sent me an email a while back (followed by a formal request, which required a definite response from me) to accompany her and LJ (a guy) to the Ford factory for a tour of their plant, I thought it was a joke. A cruel joke orchestrated by the universe to punish me for all those times I went through the motions of well-placed "That's fantastic" and "I didn't know that, wow!" that slipped automatically from my mouth to tell Adam that I'm listening and interested. I thought to myself, why on earth would I want to do something like that? And so the "would" turned into "did" like the pumpkin turned into a carriage and I was pleasantly surprised, because I had a good time. In fact, I had a great time.

I've never given much thought to the how's and why's of cars. I mean, "How are cars made?" is the same to me as, "Who invented time?". I dunno, "Who cares?" seems like an appropriate response to me. But when we arrived at the Ford offices and they treated us like royalty, I dropped my guard and made a concerted effort to listen and pay attention. And it wasn't long before I got very interested and enthusiastic and almost broke into song. Just kidding (about the last bit, that is). But really, I had an awesome time.

Then we climed onto little trailers, pulled by a tractor-like vehicle in the front, popped in our headsets to make sure we could hear our very competent and gracious tourguide Riëtte (a real lady with a pashmina wrapped around her shoulders), put on our safety goggles and off we went for our tour of the actual plant. I was like a little kid in a sweetshop, I kid you not. My mouth was agape as we drove past literally hundreds of robots drilling and zapping and welding and spraying and and and...And then there's the people working on the car. They all looked happy and smiling as they worked, each person playing a part in building a car. Your car. MY car. Ensuring that every part is in its place and every coat of paint is perfectly applied. I secretly waved to some of them as we drove past - they were doing an important job.

Upon our return to the conference room, we were treated to a fabulous lunch and had some more chats and laughs about cars. I repeat myself, ABOUT CARS. I really had a fantastic day and will certainly have more respect for my own car in the future. We left with smiles, knowledge, Ford branded pens and lots to talk about. Thank you, Ford, for a wonderful experience! And thank you Hertz for inviting us.

...When I got home that evening, I couldn't wait to tell Adam about my day. His response, "That's cool, babe. What did you get me?". Groan. "You can have my pen while I have some of my own medicine," I thought to myself.