Event highlights (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Old Mutual

Trainee Marketing Consultant course

• Sales training and client admin
• Market research and analytics
• Agency marketing
• Broker marketing
• Corporate marketing (and farmer's market)
• Developing markets
• Investment marketing

Electronic Agency

• Individual Life website
• Gateway (broker extranet)

Ally overseas (1996)

1996 travel

• 1996 trip to London, Scotland, Lake District and Europe tour
• Paradise Island

1997 travel

• London
• SW England
• Ireland
• Holland
• Greece
• Israel
• Jordan
• Egypt
• Turkey
• India
• Thailand

Cape Town

• Doing up Willow Road
• Wedding and Franschhoek

Hiking

• Fish River
• Otter Trail twice (with Rory, then with Ally, Colleen & Michael)
• Hardcore hiking club
• Hoar Hut
• Jungle hike (Northern Thailand)
• Mount Olympos
• Vicos Gorge (Greece)

Stephen Covey

I read Stephen Covey's books during my Old Mutual years and it had an immense impact. He introduced me to the importance of values and principles and the idea of creating a personal mission statement. He also taught the importance of "sharpening the saw" and planning the week by scheduling important tasks (fitting the rock in the jar before adding the sand.)

Some favourite quotes

• If you want to change something without, change within. If you want a happy relationship, BE a person who generates positive energy. Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.
• All of us think we see the world as it is; we see the world as we are.
• Our paradigms, correct or incorrect, are the sources of our attitudes and behaviors, and ultimately our relationships with others.
• Interdependence is the paradigm of “we”—we can do it; we can combine our talents and abilities to create something greater together. Despite independence being the avowed goal of many people and social movements, interdependence is a far more effective and advanced concept.
• I live my life by True North principles – the Laws of Life. I connect with the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of the heart.
• Our behavior is governed by principles. Living in harmony with them brings positive consequences; violating them brings negative consequences.
• There are fundamental laws of life (Truths) that operate with unerring consistency – and you are better off to the degree to which you learn to live according to them.
• Everyone has values; even criminal gangs have values. Values govern people’s behaviour but principles govern the consequences of those behaviors.
• Principles are universal —that is, they transcend culture and geography. They’re also timeless, they never change—principles such as fairness, kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, service, contribution.
• Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconcious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.
• If you’re proactive, you don’t have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own.
• There are some things over which we have no real control and others that we can do something about. Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence.
• Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.
• Between stimulus and response, you have the freedom to choose your response based on self awareness, your imagination, your conscience and your independent will.
• Begin with the end in mind is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.
• Always start every endeavour with a clear sense of purpose.
• To be successful we must live from our imaginations, not from our memories.
• Put first things first.
• Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.
• The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
• Examples of Quadrant 2 tasks  (important and non urgent tasks) :  Preparation, planning activities, prevention, relationships, new opportunities, creativity, true recreation, personal development, empowerment
• Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things.
• If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.
• Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven’t paid the price to decide what is really important to them.
• A personal mission statement becomes the DNA for every other decision we make.
• An empowering mission statement deals with all the significant roles in your life.  It represents a lifetime balance of personal, family, work, community – whatever roles you feel are yours to fill.
• Think win-win.
• A Win-Win outcome requires trust. When you work for a Win-Win outcome, you seek mutual benefit.
• Listen first to understand, then speak to be understood.
• Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They’re either speaking or preparing to speak.
• Synergy is celebrating differences, teamwork, open-mindedness, and finding new and better ways together.  Synergy means you can literally produce something with another person that neither of you could have produced
• Habit 7 is taking the time to sharpen the saw. By renewing the four dimensions of your nature –    physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional, you can work more quickly and effortlessly. To do this, we must be proactive. This is a Quadrant II (important, not urgent) activity that must be acted on. It’s at the center of our Circle of Influence, so we must do it for ourselves.
• To maintain the P/PC Balance, the balance between the golden egg (production) and the health and welfare of the goose (production capability) is often a difficult judgment call. But I suggest it is the very essence of effectiveness.
• Begin each day with the blueprint of my deepest values firmly in mind, then when challenges come, make decisions based on those values.
• By planning ahead one week at a time rather than each day, you gain a better perspective of what is urgent and what is important.
• Fit in the big rocks first and the smaller stones will fit between the spaces.
• The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
• Quotes on Wisdom Trove

Ally´s graduation

Well done, dear Ally.

Progress (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Psion and start of Compass

• Psion To Do and database
• Collecting quotes (buy small collection)
• Creating My Compass (Paradise Island on trip home)
• Organising
• Ally not wanting me in London: Reflection and assurance

Synthesis

• TMC area projects (e.g. area reports, farmer's market)
• New rep report
• E-commerce strategy for Individual Life

Knowledge and skill

• Principles of web design (especially through Mark and early consultancy firm) and "Use it" by Jacob Nielsen
• Principles of web copy (Arthur Clarke)

Personal development

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Principles, Vision, Mission statements)
• Systems thinking (Senge)

Spiritual

• Motion meditation in room
• Mantra
• 7 Secrets of Spiritual Success
• Vision of Power Glory

Start of the blog

• Keep travel journal on PSION
• Start collecting memories in Udaipur

Special connections (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Wedding speeches

• Speech at Jo's wedding
• Ivor wedding speech

Pets

• Feta, Meg

Friends

• Ally
• Russell
• Rory
• Ivor
• Joanna
• Peter Holiday
• Nicola
• The Saunders
• Eleda (Ally's big personality friend)

Housemates

• Russell
• Shirley
• Oliver
• Peter Holiday
• Candice

Old Mutual

• Pippa
• Daniel
• Steven
• David Bombal
• Helen & Claire
• Pieter
• Bertie
• Danie
• Riel
• Steven
• Peter Hamp Adams
• Dave Hudson
• Julie

Electronic Agency

• Garry
• Aldie
• Lukie
• Dionne
• Ganine
• Authur Clarke
• Dennis
• Dorian (paddle skiing)

Travels

• Ben (Cairo)
• Israeli guy
• Singing Yank
• Caroline (Pink Palace)
• Kate & Kiwi

Gratitude (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 2000)

Moved into e-commerce right at the start (1998)

• A lasting passion
• Life long love of the power of links
• Moved away from Individual Life, out of Peter Hamp Adams control

1997 travels

• The financial abundance to be able to do this

Impetus to move to UK in 2000

• Spending working time in London in 1988 was a big influence
• Financial agony influenced the decision
• My experience with e-commerce allowed it

Priceless moments (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Willow Road life

• Willow Road braais
• Volleyball beach on Clifton
• Cane duel with Russell
• Sleep on balcony in Willow Road
• House sitting in Pinelands
• 1994 World Cup rugby win
• Skinny dip at the Houenought Hotel!
• Xmas at Willow Road

Ally

• Weekends away (Montague, Mykonos, Citrusdal)
• Restaurants (La Petite Ferme, cheese platter with fig)
• Wedding day
• Honeymoon feeling in the river
• Travel: Ireland, Turkey, India, Thailand
• Erotic emails anticipating reunion

Sport

• Tennis at Old Mutual with Dutch friend
• Tennis with Russel; Mike at UCT tennis courts
• Paintball

Beach

• Paddle-skiing with Donavan
• Clifton that summer
• Volleyball on Clifton after work - sunset
• Wild dolphins and a whale at Llandadno

Trips, camping and hikes

• Buckaneers Backpackers
• Fish River Canyon hike
• Otter Trail (x 2)
• "What the World Needs Now" in Bains Kloof
• Hardcore Hiking Club
• Swellendam first day
• Hike to Hoar Hut
• Tittiesbaai
• Camping with Ivor

1996 travels

• Italy (Capri, Sistine Chapel, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice)
• Scotland (Eileen Donan castle, Isle of Sky)
• Lake District
• Hugging an ancient rock
• Ally reading Beatrix Potter in car

1997 travels

• Sitting in pubs in Ireland - Irish coffee, writing our journals, listening to music
• Irish Castle nookie
• Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
• Greece (Vicos Gorge, Olympos, Meteora, Corfu)
• Olympos (boat trip, yoghurt, beach, old ruin, volleyball)
• Meteora (Greece)
• Caroline (Corfu)
• Israel (Jerusalem, sleeping on roof)
• Jordan (Dead Sea, Petra)
• Steam bath in Istanbul
• Turkey (Butterfly Valley & Olympus, Island swim, cruising in Fetiye)
• India (especially Udaipur, Jaiselmeer)
• Lake Palace (Udaipur)
• Indian bird park
• Ally's amazing travel journals
• Finding out my finances were far better than I thought (London)

London life 1997 & early 1998

• Reunion with Ally
• Museums & tourist attractions (e.g. London Tower)
• Plays (Jesus Christ superstar, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera)
• Porchester Turkish Baths
• Working for The Ministry of Agriculture
• Book store visits at Mall

Movies 

Challenges (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Passing away

• Dad takes his life
• Putting Meg down

Health

• Sore neck
• Sore wrists

Depression

• 1998 return - depression caused by finances, trying to keep it together at Old Mutual
• Peter Hamp Adams negative performance review which Daniel counters

Work anxiety

• Technology presentation
• Steering Committee meetings
• Dread when water system goes in morning
• ILPA stress (especially results)
• Wake up in panic on balcony (Peter Hamp-Adams)
• Peter Hamp Adams negative review
• Gateway delays

Finances

1996, early 1997 (before travels)

• Rand plummets, obsession re getting money out of South Africa (despite forex restrictions)
• Going with Bruce, then Safren doubts (clouding excitement of travels, Ivor camping)

1997 travels

• A real sense of scarcity - rands not worth much, always decreasing in value
• Oliver falling out (took money out for me)
• Asian financial crisis
• Thailand (check index in Bangkok, the need to sell, on the island, fear Jo is doing much better) 
• London (ahead of India)
• London after travels (constant obsession, IBM underperforming)

Cape Town 1998 & 1999

• Jo's call changes my destiny (decide to leave Syfrets)
• Sell Syfrets funds as market rises - sleepless walks
• Intuition screams no to Investec but go anyway
• Going with Investec, then JSE & rand plummets, and they sell and invest in Thebe etc.
• Funds under R5 million. Charged 2%
• Investec not invest my money overseas before rand plummets
• Head in sand, avoid newspaper, constant ill ease
• Depression ahead of Ally coming home - trying to keep it together at Old Mutual
• Obsession while hiking
• Decision to move all overseas in early 2000

Reflections on finances

• Reflections re finances on Evernote

My first personal digital assistants (PDA's)

I have always loved technology and gadgets. In the 1990's, long before iPhones, I organised my life with a Psion that I absolutely adored. First with a Psion 3 and then a Psion Revo.  The Psion was an invaluable aid at Old Mutual and later, I used it to help organise my trip when I did tour-leading in the Middle East in 2001.

Later, in 2005, when working at Volvo I used a Compaq iPac. 

Psion 3a

Psion Revo

Compaq iPac

Insights (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

The Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)

• Abundance mentality
• Start with end in mind
• The power of principles (laws)
• Mission statement (became Compass)
• Summary

A Vision of Power and Glory (John Kehoe)

• The Great Mystery
• The power of the now
• The power of belief
• Summary

The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success (Deepak Chopra)

• Non judgement
• The power of stillness
• Introduction to consciousness and pure potentiality
• Summary

Non fiction books read (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Spiritual

• The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success (Deepak Chopra)
• A Vision of Power and Glory (John Kehoe)
  
  

Personal development

• The Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)
• First Things First (Stephen Covey)
• The Fifth Discipline (Peter Senge)

Fiction books read (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

•  The Beach  (Alex Garland)
• High Fidelity, (Nick Hornby)
• My Uncle Oswald (Roald Dahl)
• A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer)
• Along Came a Spider (James Patterson)
• Red Dragon (Thomas Harris)
• Hannibal (Thomas Harris)
• American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis) 
  
  

Spiritual moments (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Being

• Motion meditation in room

Spiritual

• The desert in India on the dunes
• Butterfly Valley
• Steam Bath (Istanbul)
• Cliffs of Moher
• Monsoon Palace and the swifts at sunset
• Sunset on the Turkish castle on the Mediterranean
• Jaisselmer walls (India)
• The Monastery (Petra) - looking out from the roof
• Jerusalem
• Taj Mahal
• Reading and summarising "A Vision of Power and Glory"
• Peace in the plane flying to India

Emotional releases

• Schindler's List
• Shawshank Redemption
• Dad in hotel room with Ally
• Jenny Mallet at funeral

Wisdom

• Mantra on PSION
• 7 Secrets of Spiritual Success
• Vision of Power Glory

Camping at Palmiet River

This is a very special photo. It's from one of our camping trips to Palmiet River. Don't we all look so young! It's one of the only photos I have that has Peter Holliday (top right) in it (he passed away tragically about 8 years ago). It also has Eleda (bottom right) who we have now lost touch with - but have wonderful memories of her exuberant personality. That's Julian Rusconi in the top middle. I wonder what's happened to Steve (top left).

My first laptop

I bought a very portable but expensive laptop when I joined Old Mutual. It allowed me to work on reports when I visited the branches. I didn't use it that much, though, and it was stolen from my desk at work a year or so later.

Affirmation (Old Mutual years: 1994 - 1999)

Speeches

• My wedding speech
• Ivor wedding speech
• Jo wedding speech

Old Mutual

• New rep project
• Farmers market
• Reports early on
• Pieter "You write so well."
• You're like Steven
• Pass ILPA

Ally's 21st

Needless to say, the theme of the party was "Pirates".
.

Graduation at University of Cape Town

My graduation from University of Cape Town

 Graduating with a Business Science specialising in Marketing.

Cards Ally made me