ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke … diverse people unite

“Take what you do seriously, not yourself.” That is one of the mantras we live by at CN&CO. Doing our very best for our partners while keeping perspective, balancing our health, family and friends – and having a lot of fun! – is how we like to roll.

As 2017 rushes to a close, I continue to be amazed, proud and delighted at what the CN&CO team achieves daily. One highlight for me is how our company has diversified – consciously – who we work with and for. We have become increasingly clear on where we can add maximum, sustainable and measured value. Our clients all have a strong values alignment with us, but are diverse in their size, industry, listed versus private and what they need from us. In the words of our country’s coat of arms (and the topic of my brief time on the TED stage in Vancouver earlier this year) ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke – diverse people unite. Or, in diversity, strength. CN&CO thrives on leveraging diversity and achieving another of our favourite mantras – 1+1 must always equal more than 2. In fact, I like to say we must get at least 22! Using our brand and people skills, we find innovative, cost-effective ways for our partners to get and keep clients. And since we believe so strongly in what our clients offer society, we are delighted as their businesses grow.

When a group of mad/bold/fabulous/talented/special (take your pick!) people and I started CN&CO four years ago, we had no clear path or strategy. And we still don’t. Happily so. What we do know is that we don’t want to grow a huge agency. We want to remain of a size where we can serve our clients brilliantly, live our lives to the fullest and contribute to making the world a better place. We also know that we like to work in a lifestyle business where trust, focus on outputs, respect for different ways of working and a high degree of autonomy within our company are valued. Expecting and delivering the best of each other and those around us, is strategy enough for us.

On behalf of everyone at CN&CO, a big thanks to all of you who entrust us with your brands. I hope you enjoy reading more about what 2017 was about and what 2018 has in store for us – I certainly did. Please feel free to join us at CN&CO HQ – we have loads of different spaces where you can work, read, chill out, or even play your ukulele. (Yes, that’s actually happened.) Of course, there is always something to drink and plenty of good company!

Best wishes for the remainder of the year. Be well. Carpe diem. Hamba kahle. Khotso!
Carel