It’s fair to say I’ve been through a few changes of career over the years. First a vet, then into sales, marketing, advertising, communication, branding and packaging design, built an in-house design studio in South Africa’s premium retailer, and now opened ST‑AND.

So the usual question I get asked when people first hear of my background is “How did a VET end up…?”.  After all, at first glance it doesn’t seem like a logical career path… but it really was.

I’m a firm believer that your job description doesn’t define you, it describes you. It’s the physical manifestation of a particular set of skills, wrapped and packaged nicely together as a (hopefully motivating) job description. Those skills can be used equally effectively in different roles – which I’ll highlight as the story unfolds.

I’ve also spent my career focusing on things that one I’m good at, and two I really enjoy doing. I’ve never been adverse to change (in fact I’ve often described myself as a change junkie), I love learning, and I’ve had numerous opportunities to try something new.