PURPOSE: TRANSFORM 100,000 HEALTHY LIVES
What makes a guy at the top of his industry, earning good money give it up and move to zero income?
After 13 rewarding years in corporate Digital Media commercially heading up many SA brands such as News24.com, TimesLIVE, SowetanLIVE and recently Group Head of Digital at Avusa with businesses such as CareerJunction, Inet Bridge, Mapit, Exclusive Books in my portfolio. At age 34 I was appointed to the executive of a 5,000 person company but having just turned 36 I am forced to close this chapter. (Connect with me on Linkedin)
Sleekgeek came into my life and disrupted it in the most profound way possible. It was a blinding surprise. A wonderous gift. A passion project I think about every waking second. I love my community.
Powerful enough for me to comfortably go to zero income for. Because I believe this is required by the universe.
A new purpose. Meaning.
I believe your purpose can change over time. I have discovered my latest one. It feeds the desire I have always had inside me to help people improve their lives.
I recently set myself a goal to inspire 100,000 South Africans to live a healthy lifestyle in my free time.
This would not be feasible part time. This mission requires all my energy and focus to achieve.
I believe that unlocking social networks and creating a community “pyramid scheme of health” can achieve this goal. If you can inspire 100, you can 1000 and 10,000 and so on …. It’s a matter of creating a framework that scales.
I aim to combine my Digital experience with the health and fitness industry to achieve this. As yet I do not even have a plan 😀 …or whether it is a far fetched notion which honestly feels scary and beautiful at the same time.
(READ ABOUT THE SLEEKGEEK STORY HERE)
WAR ON UNHEALTHY LIVING
I am officially sounding the battle cry for the Sleekgeek REVOLUTION and am declaring WAR on unhealthy living. Any person or business who has this interest at heart is a friend of the Sleekgeek community.
Nobody can deny this is a crucial cause. Healthy body weight, cutting destructive habits such as smoking and exercising regularly reduces countless health risks.
Who would believe that it would take a bathroom scale, R10 for advertising and a committed woman to fire up a company that would take SA by storm and become a market leader in the weight loss industry. That woman was Mary Holroyd in February 1975 the year before my birth. And so the Weigh-Less Empire began.
I plan to use digital means to create mine.
COMMITTING
I have been frustrated because the Sleekgeek concept is under-developed and raw. I have countless ideas on how to achieve better results but my problem was time and capacity. We have achieved much so far with a fraction of my time. I now want to see what can happen with dedicated focus.
Investors talk about being the Chicken or the Pig in the scenario of a plate of bacon and eggs. The chicken who laid the egg is an interested party but the pig who is on the plate is committed. After being the Chicken for a period and nurturing this as a passion project I realised I need to be the pig to succeed.
I made a massive decision. I decided to dedicate my life’s savings of R483k to feed myself for as long as possible so that I can spend my time growing this community and working towards my big hairy objective. This is my 36th birthday present to myself. I have never been happier about a decision. What should scare the shit out of me actually is making me deliriously excited about the future and potential opportunities.
I have written the cash off and have zero expectation of revenue at this point. If it becomes a business that can pay my bills that is first prize because then I can carry on the Revolution and everyone wins. The key is to keep pure and not sell out. All decisions must drive the objective and put my community first over commercial matters. I am confident I can do that and only align with partners who support our values.
I am certain I will have one of the most rewarding years of my life helping as many people as I can by using my contacts and skills. That alone will be worth it on a personal level. I cannot say that anything I have done before in my life leaves a legacy. I feel that with this project I may be onto something that truly makes an impact on other people’s lives.
My personal goals for the next 12 months “fun-employment” are:
1. Help transform 100,000 people to a healthier balanced life.
2. Build the healthiest lifestyle I can
3. Learn as much as I can about health and fitness
4. Give myself the luxury of time to engage with as many interesting people and conversations as possible
5. Stop, smell the roses and open myself to the world with the luxury of time.
It is for the same reason that we ask people who want to enter our 8-Week Challenges to pay R500 into the prize pot because you need to commit and have some skin in the game. You have to have something to lose if you give up.
A BEAUTIFUL CRAZY SURPRISE
This journey was never planned and Sleekgeek has picked me. Sometimes the universe does that 😉
If anyone told me 8 months ago that I would transform my life via healthy living and by posting semi naked photos of myself on Twitter and ranting on daily about health inspire a movement I would have laughed.
If you then told me that using that personal story would inspire 1000’s and build a quickly growing social community in Facebook and Twitter and have a couple of 100 already on board for the Summer Body Challenge coming up in September… I would have said “RUBBISH!!!!” 😀
In a brief discussion with someone from Wellness Warehouse this week there was casual chat of me becoming an ambassador. Seriously??? Gobsmacked… the very same guy who less than a year ago was a fat, chain-smoking, unfulfilled person who had to be removed from the couch with a crowbar and took eating out to a national sport level.
Oddly none of this was planned. It has just progressed.
I love to share and this journey has put my ability to share to powerful effect.
LIKE RICHARD BRANSON SAYS “WE ALL HAVE OUR STUFF”
It is strange but though I have had much career success moving up the ranks it is only since I lost my belly that I truly have the self belief and confidence to follow this dream with NO FEAR. Everyone has their demons. For many it lies in their health and self image. With many people we see every day we are not even aware of these issues that hold them back from reaching total fulfillment.
Which is why the Sleekgeek community is in fact a profound experiment of changing people’s lives and futures. Beyond the superficial of self appearances lie deep issues in people’s lives around self esteem, worth, confidence and belief.
CHANGE YOUR FUTURE
Most importantly I have changed my future. Think of our “Life graph”. I was on a path to a constantly degenerating quality of life with a future of diabetes, lung cancer, lethargy and self loathing ahead. Diabetes and lung cancer have been prevalent in my family. Now with some simple actions and dedication I am on a path to a vital energetic life. It is sad what sedentary creatures we have become chained to desks and surrounded by convenient and mostly poor sources of nutrition. We have created a world in which living strong is not the norm. It is a self determined choice one has to make. I have learned the benefits are profound.
The truth is my story is not that as powerful as some of the stories I am seeing in our community. The difference is that I was prepared to put it out there. many people will not do this. But their stories inspire others and they are not even aware of this. I am making it part of my mission to tell these stories of strength, bravery and determination.
COMMUNITY MOJO
We are a beautiful community who does not judge and who does not preach. We are there to support those that want us. We are a community from the bottom up and born of the choice and free will of its members. There is no top down approach.
Sleekgeek is in the business of Mojo… If your Mojo is not 100% and that is related to your health or fitness then Sleekgeek is for you.
Making these changes in your life can be a real challenge and requires support. I am here to tell you that you are are not alone. Sleekgeek is a social COMMUNITY of support and motivation to support your healthy lifestyle goals.
The 8-week incentive Challenges are just one aspect of what we are are. It is merely an activation to wake people up to the fact that life is more fun when you are healthy and mobile. First and foremost we are a community that everyone is free to join.
We are about a lifestyle, being vital, full of energy and optimising your life.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE
If you want to make something sustainable you have to enjoy it. As much as this applies to life it applies to what physical activity you do and what nutritional plan you follow. It is KEY to identify this for yourself since nothing that is a chore or a deprivation can ever be sustainable.
We recognise that everyone is different. This is why out of principle we will give guidance and direction but never advocate since every person is unique.
The social communities job is to support each others goals. We practice social learning and the community shares its experiences and provides social proof.
STICK TO THE PLAN
There is discussion about which strategies for nutrition are best etc and they can become religious discussions. I believe everyone is different and will respond to different eating styles. You need to discover this for yourself with trial and error since it is a process BUT I TRULY BELIEVE that the real key is sticking to your plan… I believe if you stick to your plan you will mostly succeed. That is why we are here. To give you that motivatio, support and activation to celebrate your victories and to pep talk you when you are feeling defeated.
The real Sleekgeek magic happens in our closed Facebook group that you need to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/sleekgeek/
That is where our people share, learn and support one another.
REAL STORIES and RESULTS
You can click here to see an archive of the results that we getting. I am humbled every day by the powerful stories that are constantly taking place in our community. They bring meaning to my day.
Cam and Steve.
Cameron Olivier (Twitter @cameronOlivier) is a front end Web designer at Fin24.com. He has lost close to 20kgs with the Sleekgeek community. He is a different man. He is now helping his lifelong friend Steve Nortier on his journey. Steve is now walking at nights and recently posted this on the Sleekgeek group.
Steve recently posted this inspirational message on the Sleekgeek Facebook group
Rory and Claire
Our community is very diverse and even people who you may already assume to be fit and healthy find value in the Sleekgeek experience.Supporting one another they produced some fantastic results in the recent Winter Warrior Challenge.
Mark Seabrook
Mark said he had no time to get in shape. 15kgs later and winning the 12 Week Men’s fat loss category we have a fitter dad and husband.Proof that there are NO EXCUSES.
Ravi and Dax
New men about town! In 8 Weeks talent manager at Quirk lost 18kgs. He has lost 40 in total over the past 18 months… and Dax of @relaxwithDax twitter fame lost 13kgs and increased his fitness via boxing.
Rauri Richardson
A business owner finding work life balance and productivity gains.
Eric Chowles
Eric is a student and my intrepid right hand man.
Osnat Gropper
From 120 to 78kgs and going strong!
Smiley Mariam
Robin Pretorius
Final year sound engineering student down 10kg in the 8 week Winter Warrior
Tarrin Hagin
Tarrin is one of our new Judges and will also be organising events for Sleekgeek. Watch this space :D. Read about Tarrin’s journey in her Judge’s Profile
Sleekgeek has gotten under my skin in such a way that I cannot ignore. This has little to do with my personal transformation and EVERYTHING to do with the beautiful community we are building. They are my reason.
NON STOP POSITIVE MESSAGING
Daily receive TONS of emails, messages, whatsapps, Twitter Direct messages, Facebook inboxes I receive continually on a daily basis. People send me photos of the food they eat and updates on their workouts. Somehow this ex-fat guy became the head coach. And I love it. Every message is another high in my day. The Sleekgeek experience is ALL POSITIVE. We have no politics. We have dreams.
GROWING FROM STRONG TO STRONGER
Stats are looking strong with about 1000 Facebook users in our community, about 1,400 on Twitter and a few 100 people involved with challenges. The newsletter will soon roll out too. The website since launch in Mid May has had 23, 000 views. New strategies are about to roll out for the Summer Body Challenge and these stats will climb very quickly.
But hey without even asking we were featured in Heat Magazine’s “hotlist” at #2 with David Beckham #5 …. score! 😀
Then we were once again without asking featured by the editor of Mybroadband.co.za, one of SA’s top 10 websites in his article “5 great tech projects in South Africa” Check it out.
So Sleekgeek has been featured on the women’s end of the market and the geek market. A fantastic broad appeal.
JOIN THE REVOLUTION
- If you are a business I am always looking for more merchandise/goods/services to incentivise my challengers.
- If you want to give me cash to drive the Sleekgeek dream I won’t say no either : )
- Happy to talk to any party with similar goals who is interested in the marketplace I am creating
- Contact me anytime on 084 333 13 13 or mail elan [at] sleekgeek.co.za
MY hope is that you make the choice to live a vibrant energetic life. Our community proves that ANYONE can do it if you make the choice.
I never thought I could live a healthy lifestyle.
I was wrong. Gladly.
Eat clean, train dirty.
Elan.
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