Page 18 - Carrer Channel Magazine 1

MILLENNIAL LIFESTYLE

Q: As a Millennial entrepreneur, Do you find social media to be both
influential and a crucial part of your business and lifestyle?

A: For Wootware, social media is crucial. Our customers live online, and
that's where we connect with them. Personally? I keep it pretty low-
key. I'm not trying to be an influencer; I'm running a business. I've seen
too many entrepreneurs become full-time content creators and part-
time business owners. That's backwards.

Q: It also appears you travel a lot, which means you’re
often working remotely. When did you first realize
that remote work wasn’t just a perk, but a lifestyle
you could design?

A: This was something that I had concern about at first,
thinking that my physical presence was necessary at
the office every day, in order for things to run
smoothly. Around 2022, I realized I could manage
Wootware from anywhere as long as I had solid
systems and an incredible team with the right
Q: What's been the biggest challenge of working incentives in place. The business was thriving with our
remotely while running a business? Somerset West office handling operations, and I
thought, why not test this? I started with longer trips
A: The hardest part is that our company isn’t to Asia, then those took up more of my time each year.
‘remote first,’ and we’re dealing with physical The key realization was that being physically present
products. We have a physical warehouse, wasn't the same as being engaged. I could be more
inventory, and a team that comes to the office valuable to my team by stepping back and working ON
daily in Somerset West. Managing that from the business rather than IN it, regardless of my
abroad means trusting your team completely and timezone. It also forced me to delegate the tasks that
accepting that you can't be in every I’d otherwise fill my time with, but that weren’t critical
conversation. The challenge isn't the logistics. for me to personally handle.
It's the psychological shift from being the person
who knows everything to being the person who Q: That’s incredible. With your work and travel
ensures the right people know what they need to constantly intertwining, how do you manage to keep
know. your sanity and a sense of work/life balance?

A: I don't believe in perfect balance. It's more like a
sound mixer where sometimes work needs to be
louder, sometimes life does. The key is being
intentional. When I'm flying to Cape Town, that's work
mode. When I'm abroad and it's 10 PM, unless
something's actually on fire, it can wait. Having great
people in Somerset West means I don't have to be "on"
24/7. The business runs on South African time; I just
tune in when needed.

www.CareerChannelsMag.com PAGE 18