Best JOBJACK Podcasts (2025)

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#072 52 Big Questions for Business Leaders — Book Launch in Cape Town 37:42

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5h ago37:42

37:42

This episode is a live recording from the Cape Town launch of my new book, 52 Big Questions for Business Leaders. This was hosted by my good friend John Bradshaw at Exclusive Books in Cavendish. In the discussion we explore the genesis of the book, we unpack some of the most provocative questions, we tackle what it means to lead in uncertainty, and…

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#071 Why we need new leaders — Charlotte Otter 42:52

25d ago42:52

42:52

In this episode of The One-Eyed Man, I sit down with Charlotte Otter. Charlotte is the author of the brand new book We Need New Leaders, host of the Speech Bubbles podcast, and a powerhouse in executive communications. Her book is a bold and visionary work that helps leaders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds master reputation management…

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From Self-Driven to People-Driven: The Leadership Transition No One Talks About (Charl de Villiers) 30:03

2M ago30:03

30:03

Most leaders rise through the ranks by being self-driven. Few talk about the real challenge that comes next: learning to lead through others, not just yourself. Charl de Villiers learnt this early, and mastered it. As CEO of Libstar, one of South Africa’s largest food manufacturers behind brands like Lancewood and Cape Herb & Spice, Charl transform…

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Inside KFC Africa: Building People, Leading Boldly, and Failing Forward (Akhona Qengqe) 30:57

3M ago30:57

30:57

How do you scale a leadership philosophy across 40,000+ people when your secret weapon is asking "What if we failed?" In this episode, Christiaan sits down with Akona Qengqe, General Manager of KFC Africa and the brand's first Black female GM for the continent. From running 1,468 restaurants across sub-Saharan Africa to creating the groundbreaking …

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Why Pineapple Insurance Is Winning (And What Leaders Can Learn From Their CEO, Marnus van Heerden) 35:04

4M ago35:04

35:04

Most CEOs talk about building culture. Marnus van Heerden is actually doing it. As Co-Founder and CEO of Pineapple, South Africa's fastest-growing InsurTech, Marnus has scaled from startup to 140+ employees and R400+ million in funding. But here's what makes this conversation different: He did it by leading with love, demanding radical responsibili…

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#070 Marketing is Business — Dale Hefer 40:02

4M ago40:02

40:02

My guest on this episode is Dale Hefer, CEO of the IMC (the Integrated Marketing Collective) Conference. Dale is a former SA Businesswoman of the Year (awarded during her time running her ad agency Chillibush, which she sold in 2014). She is a best-selling author and a still life artist whose prints sell around the world. Dale launched the Nedbank …

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How McDonald’s SA Scales People-first Leadership (Greg Solomon) 40:14

4M ago40:14

40:14

What does it take to lead 15,000 people without losing your values? In this episode of Build the People, Greg Solomon reflects on his 28-year journey with McDonald’s South Africa, from starting as a project manager to becoming CEO and growing the brand into a national icon. We dive into: Why leadership starts with leading yourself How to build trus…

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Culture Over Convenience: The Bootlegger Leadership Story (Ricky Ruthenberg) 34:38

5M ago34:38

34:38

How do you build a brand that customers love, and a culture your people stay loyal to? In this episode, Christiaan van den Berg sits down with Ricky Ruthenberg, CEO of Bootlegger Coffee Company, to explore the leadership lessons behind one of South Africa’s most recognisable coffee brands. From growing up in Cape Town's restaurant scene to helping …

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Culture, Discipline & Risk-Taking: Inside Old School’s Growth with Daneel Steinmann 32:52

6M ago32:52

32:52

How do you build a people-first company without losing sight of performance and purpose? In this episode, Christiaan van den Berg sits down with Daneel Steinmann, Founder and CEO of Old School, to explore what it takes to lead with conviction, take bold risks, and develop high-output teams. From bootstrapping a fan-led jersey brand into a licensed …

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Owning My Flaws with Alan Knott-Craig: Growing as a South African Leader 30:04

6M ago30:04

30:04

What will I gain from owning my flaws as a leader? In this eye-opening episode, JOBJACK Co-founder, Christiaan van den Berg, dives into the leadership journey of South African entrepreneurial icon, Alan Knott-Craig. From scaling Mxit to 50 million registered users and connecting over 74,000 township homes with fibertime™, Alan shares how leveraging…

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The People Leadership Strategy Behind Freedom of Movement’s Growth (Léan Boezaart) 31:22

7M ago31:22

31:22

What makes a team unstoppable in driving business success? In this episode, Christiaan van den Berg (JOBJACK Co-founder & Co-CEO) joins Léan Boezaart (Freedom of Movement Co-founder & CEO) to unpack the leadership secrets behind a thriving, values-led team. From trust and authenticity to smart hiring, they share the lessons that turned Freedom of M…

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#069 Twelve principles of start-up growth and momentum — Professor Greg Fisher 44:15

7M ago44:15

44:15

My guest on this week’s show is Prof Greg Fisher. Greg is the Larry and Barbara Sharpf Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa and, more recently, the author of a fantastic book titled The Principles of Entreprene…

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#068 Digital transformation at scale — Dhesen Ramsamy (OML + SingularityU Part 3 of 3) 31:52

11M ago31:52

31:52

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact. My guest on the final episode of the series is Dhesen Ram…

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#067 From startup to SMEgo — Nobesuthu Ndlovu (OML + SingularityU Part 2 of 3) 31:35

11M ago31:35

31:35

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact. My guest on part 2 of the series is Nobesuthu Ndlovu, the…

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#066 Corporate-backed venture success stories (Kena and JOBJACK) — Vuyo Mpako (OML + SingularityU Part 1 of 3) 31:49

11M ago31:49

31:49

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact. My guest on this first Vuyo is a growth-focused CEO with …

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#065 A bold strategy for a digital first telco — Nicola van Ast 36:33

1y ago36:33

36:33

My guest for this episode is Nicola van Ast, CMO at Melon Mobile, and co-founder of Growthink Group (where - full disclosure - she is my wonderful wife Anna's business partner). Nicola is one of the brains behind Melon's bold, cheeky and by all accounts extremely effective takeover of other trusted and loved SA brand's billboards - including Lyft, …

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#064 Why creativity still counts and the problem with purpose — Dean Oelschig 48:53

1+ y ago48:53

48:53

My guest on this week’s show is Dean Oelschig. I met Dean on Twitter in the early days of social media, where we’d share notes on advertising, rugby, and just about any other topic both cared about, and which we inevitably argued about. We still argue about everything. Dean is a pure ad man and the founder of Halo Advertising. Halo has built an exc…

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#063 Firing up the gig economy one person at a time — Aasiyah Adams 41:47

2y ago41:47

41:47

Aasiyah Adams is the inspirational founder of Abaguquli4IR and called herself the Gig Economy Driver. What does that mean? Well, few people are more passionate about equipping the unemployed, small and informal business owners and traders, and aspirant entrepreneurs with a platform to accelerate or incubate their businesses or ideas for business. S…

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#062 Is customer loyalty a mirage? — Michael Renzon 52:31

2y ago52:31

52:31

Do you truly understand your customers? How seamlessly and effectively are you integrating customer feedback into your operations and strategy? Are you measuring success in CX? My guest on this week’s show is Michael Renzon. Mike is the CEO & co-Founder of inQuba which is a Customer Journey Management SaaS platform. Mike has built multiple successf…

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#061 Tripping towards healing: A deep dive into psychedelic therapy — Brad Kallenbach 1:08:53

2y ago1:08:53

1:08:53

It's hard to know where to start on this one. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has been such a revolution in my personal health journey that it's really difficult for me not to sound like a zealot when discussing the topic. Could psychedelics be the revolution the mental health industry so desperately needs? Maybe. Are there dangers to be cautious of? …

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#060 Unlocking the eSports goldmine — Barry Louzada 48:09

2y ago48:09

48:09

Do the names League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota, Fortnite, and Call of Duty mean anything to you? If not, you could be missing out on something massive. The global esports market was valued at $1.39 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $3.96 billion in 2023. The global esports audience is expected to reach over 500 million in 2023. Esport…

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#059 Could an app be the solution to mental healthcare? — Alon Lits 47:25

2+ y ago47:25

47:25

Today we are talking about mental health. If you follow me or if we follow each other online, you will have noticed that this is a topic that I care deeply about and have spoken about increasingly over the last couple of months and years, and it has been a feature of my entrepreneurial journey. It's been a feature of my life, really. But I've reali…

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#058 The world according to Zarp — Simon Dingle 41:09

2+ y ago41:09

41:09

2022 was a significant year in the world of crypto, the collapse of FTX being a watershed moment. But what does this mean for Bitcoin and crypto in general? Has anything changed? Could it be that all the negative press and naysaying is actually good for decentralised finance? I ask Simon Dingle, arguably SA's leading expert on crypto, these questio…

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#057 Putting the intelligence back in AI — Daniel Hulme 40:32

3y ago40:32

40:32

What do we really mean when we call things artificially intelligent? Is AI significant progress or a significant threat? And when does SkyNet some online? My guest is Daniel Hulme. Daniel was a guest lecturer on my Master's program back in 2019 and by some distance, the most impactful certainly for me. The reason is that he covered in his talk the …

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#056 Creating content for influence and impact — Erik Kruger 54:37

3+ y ago54:37

54:37

Erik Kruger is a prolific author, public speaker, podcaster, YouTuber, video creator, the guy is everywhere. And that's very intimidating to people like me who are in his industry, it also makes it virtually impossible to introduce. So I'll introduce him like this instead, Erik Kruger is also my friend, he is a person that I've come to know over th…

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#055 Building an innovation city in the mother City — Kieno Kammies 32:40

3+ y ago32:40

32:40

What are the conditions that need to be created to develop innovative thinking, innovative products, and innovative organisations? Is it about a type of space, or a type of structure, or a type of culture? Or is it a combination of all of those things? My guest on the One-Eyed Man podcast today is Kieno Kammies, a well-known media personality and b…

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#054 Can technology take the pain out of recruitment? — Francois de Wet 44:38

3+ y ago44:38

44:38

Do you remember your first formal job interview? I do. It's not great memory. I did a horrendous job of representing myself and my enthusiasm for the position I was applying for. That's understandable if you consider the typical job interview setup. There's a young, uninitiated, nervous person being faced with a panel of influential decision-makers…

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#053 A better weigh to build a grocer — Dom and Sam Moleta 54:33

4y ago54:33

54:33

And we’re back! This is the One-Eyed Man, my name is Mike Stopforth, and today we’re jumping head first into the second half of our #originalbytradition series brought to you by the Glenlivet. We took a short pause to extract and share some highlights from the first five episodes, and of course to give away some premium Glenlivet prizes, so if you …

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#052 How to capture the soul of a nation — Nick Dreyer 49:00

4y ago49:00

49:00

If you’re anything like me then many of your proudest moments as a South African are closely associated with sport. Whether it’s underdog victories or feats of individual brilliance that inspire us and give us hope, it’s hard to ignore how sport is inextricably woven into the fabric of the tapestry that tells the story of the proverbial new South A…

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#051 Unpacking innovation in media and broadcasting — Relebogile Mabotja 46:52

4y ago46:52

46:52

My next guest in our Original By Tradition series brought to you The Glenlivet can only be described as superhuman. Imagine running two successful production businesses, maintaining roles on various industry boards and panels as a lobbyist and commentator, public speaking, mentoring and training up and coming talent, producing and appearing in a wi…

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#050 What's at the heart of cause-based marketing? — Michael Baretta 41:07

4y ago41:07

41:07

"The only social responsibility of business is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. So long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in open and free competition without deception, or fraud." - the words of famed economist Milton Friedman from his seminal essay on the topic of soci…

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#049 How to build the world's biggest coffee brand — Neo Moleko & Brad Symons 48:31

4y ago48:31

48:31

In this second episode in our #originalbytradition entrepreneurship series, brought to you by The Glenlivet, I talk to Neo Moleko and Brad Symons from Manaka Coffee. What would make a couple of old school friends start a new coffee brand when the likes of Seattle, Vida and even Starbucks exist as competition already? Well, these two will tell you i…

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#048 Lessons learned launching a tech start-up in lockdown — Mike Sharman 58:06

4y ago58:06

58:06

I am thrilled to tell you that we're partnering with the Glenlivet to bring you a series of conversations with innovative entrepreneurs over the next 10 episodes. The whiskey connoisseurs amongst you will know the Glenlivet as an award winning sought after collection of Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies, just like that collection, this series of…

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#047 Small business as the bedrock of economic growth — Lesley Waterkeyn and Dawn Nathan-Jones 40:47

4y ago40:47

40:47

Lesley Waterkeyn and Dawn Nathan-Jones (you may recognise Dawn as one of the investors from Shark Tank SA) have a vision for economic growth by inspiring and supporting entrepreneurs to start and grow successful and impactful small businesses. They provide resources in the form of training, coaching and business tools through Over The Rainbow (www.…

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#046 Is it naïve to be optimistic about South Africa? — Dr Graeme Codrington 1:00:06

4y ago1:00:06

1:00:06

In the wake of a series of protests, riots and lootings across South Africa and especially in KZN, many of us are trying to make sense of what we saw and experience. Those of us fortunate enough not to be caught in the middle of the unrest juggled misinformation, panic, a limp government response, and the visible and visceral impact on thousands of…

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#045 It's ok to not be ok — Bridget McNulty 44:50

4y ago44:50

44:50

We're back from a brief hiatus, in the midst of a trying time for South Africa and South Africans. Well, a more trying time - it feels like being and believing has been an uphill battle for years now. In this episode talk to Bridget McNulty about grief. About loss. About how we think about loss, respond to loss, and live with it rather than get ove…

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#044 Does your business need a "fixer"? — Chris Loker 36:41

4+ y ago36:41

36:41

Chris Loker is the founder of https://Moksha.biz, a company that had its genesis as a wellness business encompassing a yoga studio, clothing line, retreats, international teaching, teacher training and workshop, and has evolved in time to an advocate and provider of the concept of “Leadership Yoga”. Leadership yoga has been advocated by Rosabeth Mo…

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#043 Why big tech projects fail, and how to make sure yours doesn't — Wayne Zwiers and Vutlhari Rikhotso 37:30

4+ y ago37:30

37:30

Wayne Zwiers and Vutlhari Rikhotso are the CEO and CTO of Basalt - a leading South African fintech solutions builder (https://www.basalt.co/). Having spent decades watching clients and their agencies fumble over complex digital integrations and transformations, I'm always intrigued by service providers who seem to do things differently. I've known …

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#042 The secret to e-commerce success in South Africa — Ryan Bacher 37:20

4+ y ago37:20

37:20

Ryan Bacher is the co-founder and MD of https://NetFlorist.co.za one of South Africa's earliest and now leading online businesses. Starting off as an online florist and enjoying significant success in the early days of e-commerce in SA, NetFlorist has continued to grow and innovate, and diversify its offering to adapt to changing consumer needs. Ry…

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#041 Pursuing the goal of leadership perfection (Leading on the Field Part 4) — Kataino Tembo 36:22

4+ y ago36:22

36:22

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com). Kaitano Tembo is the current Head Coach of PSL club SuperSport United. He took up the position in 2018 after ten years in the club's leadership ranks, following a career that sa…

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#040 Building a winning team (Leading on the field part 3) — Desiree Ellis 34:26

4+ y ago34:26

34:26

Thanks to sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com), and software development geniuses Platform45 (https://www.platform45.com/) for their continued support of the One-Eyed Man podcast. Desiree Ellis is the coach of the South Africa women's national football team, Banyana Banyana. She was awarded Confederation of African F…

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#039 Playing against yourself (Leading on the field part 2) — Ashleigh Buhai 37:35

4+ y ago37:35

37:35

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com). At the tender age of 18, golf prodigy Ashleigh Buhai turned pro after breaking almost every amateur record in South Africa. She was the youngest player (14) to receive full Afri…

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#038 Pushing the boundaries of sports leadership (Leading on the field part 1) — Enoch Nkwe 57:45

4+ y ago57:45

57:45

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com). Enoch Nkwe is the assistant coach of the South African national cricket team, the Proteas. A former professional cricketer himself, Enoch's promising career was cut short by inj…

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#037 WhatsApp and the real price of free social networks — Nerushka Bowan 45:22

4+ y ago45:22

45:22

A big thank you to Platform45 (https://platform45.com) for making this episode possible. Should we be jumping the WhatsApp ship? In this episode I talk to Nerushka Bowan about the recent panic over - and exodus from - WhatsApp. Nerushka is an emerging technology law specialist and legal technology innovator, and has been one of the more balanced an…

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#036 A counter-intuitive approach to innovation in media and news — Styli Charalambous 54:30

4+ y ago54:30

54:30

A big thank you to Platform45 (https://platform45.com) for making this episode possible. Styli Charalambous — Daily Maverick | CEO/Publisher The thinking behind the launch of print weekly DM168 In this episode I talk to Styli Charalambous, the visionary CEO and Publisher of Daily Maverick. In the midst of a particularly unpredictable time for media…

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#035 Rethinking organisational design and effectiveness through CEOship — Rowan Belchers 50:03

5y ago50:03

50:03

Rowan Belchers — Lockstep | Founder Dismantling and demystifying some widely held misconceptions about CEOs In this episode I talk to specialist CEO advisor Rowan Belchers about what being a CEO really means, why the role is more important than ever in determining organisational success, and how modern CEOs are having to revise their views on leade…

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#034 Inclusive service cultures are the key to impactful leadership — Ian Fuhr 42:35

5y ago42:35

42:35

Ian Fuhr — Hatch Institute | Founder How race relations and diversity are fueling business growth and prosperity In this episode I talk to Ian Fuhr, known to many as the dynamic founder of the Sorbet group, about his new project the Hatch Institute and its work in helping entrepreneurs build more inclusive, progressive and impactful businesses. Ian…

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#033 Master Oogway's timeless lessons for leadership — Charlie Quirk 54:28

5y ago54:28

54:28

Charlie Quirk — Google | Consultant Director of Strategy Why Kung Fu Panda should be in every leader's resource bank "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it. In this episode I talk to one of my favourite internet friends, Charlie Quirk, about our mutual passion for cinema, the lessons we can all learn from the Hollywood, and p…

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#032 Perseverance is the ultimate start-up capital — Robert Mtshali 42:55

5y ago42:55

42:55

Robert Mtshali — MobiWashSA | Founder Discussing perseverance and passion with Alexandra's Robin Hood "In this episode I talk to the self-proclaimed Robin Hood of Alexandra township, Robert Mtshali (and who am I to argue?). Robert is a serial entrepreneur who reached out to me on Twitter because he believed his story would resonate with you, and wo…

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#031 BONUS Breaking up is hard to do 18:39

5y ago18:39

18:39

I just ended a 13 year relationship... with Facebook. Now, before you laugh (ok, you can laugh), this was a bigger deal for me than I'd like to admit. For over a decade I ran a social media business that relied heavily on the existence of Facebook - and its impact on companies and customers - to grow and thrive. Much of my reputation and self worth…