Meet Buntu Hlotywa

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Buntu Hlotywa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Buntu, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I believe everyone has two jobs, the one that earns you money and the one that’s the main reason why you’re here to begin with and that’s the one that brings you happiness, joy and contentment. For me personally, my strand of resilience stems from knowing that I have a mission to accomplish, a reason for being, an unspoken obligation to society and humanity at large and until I see through I have to keep pushing barriers, I have to make sure that I achieve every necessary step that’s in alignment with the bigger picture. Most of my resilience comes from my mother Bongiwe Hlotywa, as she was the first person to align and pave the way for me in business and I’ve gladly taken the baton and her teachings along with seeing her in action first hand and I’ve applied all of that to all my entrepreneurial activities.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I completed my qualification in Mechatronics Engineering but later realized that’s not where my passion was. Entrepreneurship has always been an embedded part of my upbringing. What excites me about entrepreneurship is the freedom and flexibility it creates and the fact that it allows one to be an independent contributor to the economy. What excites me even further is the impact entrepreneurship allows you to have, a great friend of mine always reminds me “people might not remember you personally, but they will always remember the good deeds you did, the way you made them feel and the impact you have on them” and I always take that into account with all my ventures and try to create a positive impact. Printables is an online custom printing store, where we print majorly on pillows and phone covers. Printables is more than just a company, it’s an entrepreneurial effort to raise the collective consciousness, to embrace love and those closest to us. Entrepreneurship is more than running a business, surging profits, reducing operating costs and increasing share value, it’s also about fulfilling a purpose and recognizing the responsibility one has and living up to it.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’d like to acknowledge that I haven’t reached the level I’m aiming for yet, but looking back I would say determination, consistency and discipline played a key factor in accelerating my journey and propelling me forward as an entrepreneur. There were a lot of hurdles, challenges and gruesome competition along the way but for me personally I’m aware that there’s a silver lining or a brighter side to every hurdle or challenge and each one of these is a learning curve that plays an essential part along one’s journey. Being an entrepreneur means being in it for the long term and what I would advice is that it’s better to do something that’s in alignment with your calling or your purpose. The best way is to find your “what” and remember your “why” , what it is that brings you a sense of purpose, having a solid plan, sticking to it, perfecting your execution and reminding yourself throughout your journey why you started to begin with.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Feeling overwhelmed is synonymous in the business world, especially when busy schedules, huge decisions, capital and corporate strategies need to be addressed and all of those can create agitation and will most definitely need a clear, cool and calm mind in order to be established. Staying grounded is essential for me and every other entrepreneur in order to stay level headed in overwhelming situations, it allows a swift moment of relief that enables me to operate at a much focused level. With that in mind I think it’s safe to say, having the intentional ability to stay grounded in overwhelming situations always works wonders and I keep that at the back of my mind at all times. The art of intentional breathing can also be effective in overwhelming situations, we all breath, might as well breath consciously. With those in mind I always manage to keep myself in check in overwhelming situations so I can remain sharp, clear and level headed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/buntuhlotywa
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlotywabuntu

Image Credits

Buntu Hlotywa