Looking for fresh ideas?
Contact Us to find the perfect match for your next event!
What the world has begun to realise is that Elvis Blue resonates with a creative force that ebbs only from the most talented of artists. One simply has to listen to the hauntingly beautiful Things My Father Said or Lighthouse or Save Me, or any of his original compositions for that matter, to realise that you are in the company of greatness.
Balance this divine gift with great humility, a kind heart and the work ethic of Henry Ford and you begin to understand the soul within this artist.
The gifted musician’s journey started when he was a young boy, singing in school choirs, and busking in the streets of Joburg and Scotland. His one and only goal was to make and perform music.
After a stint overseas as a street musician, Elvis returned to South Africa where he decided to study contemporary music.
After appearing in numerous bands Elvis started a project where he sang under the name MONO. He released three albums under this time. When MONO’s record deal came to an end, Elvis decided that he would move to George where he would become a music teacher, write his own music, and live a quiet life.
After spending some time in George, Elvis was approached by a record company who wanted him to record an Afrikaans album. “The first album I did was under the name Jan Hoogendyk, my real name, and the album did really well. It won an ATKV Lier Toekening award. His second Afrikaans album, Ontskemer also under the name Jan Hoogendyk, was nominated for a 2010 SAMA Award.
While living in George he met the friend whose name he would adopt in 2008. “My wife works at an organisation that is a hospice and children’s home and I met this little boy there when I used to go and play my guitar for them.
He really wanted to be a keyboard player, and his name was Elvis Blaauw”, he says. When he passed away in 2009, as a tribute to this amazing young man, Jan Hoogendyk adopted his name and Elvis Blue was born.
In 2010, Elvis Blue won the title of Mnet Idol for that year – sharing half the profit with runner up Lloyd Cele.
Elvis Blue released the album that would change his life as a musician and consolidate all his years of hard work.
This album was simply titled Elvis Blue. On the album’s release in November 2010, it shot up the radio and sales charts and reached Gold status.
The first two singles Things My Father said and Lighthouse were massive hits, and with the third single, Save Me, is currently on playlists across the country.
The album went platinum in late 2011 – with sales in excess of 40 000 units.
Since the release of his album, Elvis has set himself apart as an exceptional performer of live music, using some of the best local musicians to round out his band on stage, insisting on delivering music with depth to audiences across the country.
Elvis is also a dedicated husband and father besides being a world class musician and a household name in South Arica.
Elvis was named an official global ambassador for the 46664 Bangle initiative, and through this opportunity he helps to educate people on the social justice ethos of Mr. Nelson Mandela.
The 46664 Bangle initiative is one of the 46664 Foundation’s key initiatives.
Elvis has also partnered with Bavarian Motorcycles as their BMW motorcycle brand ambassador for the year 2012.
In April 2012, Elvis’ credibility and talent was further acknowledged when he took home the SAMA (South African Music Award) for Best Adult Contemporary Album for the double disc special edition of his self-titled album, Elvis Blue.
The success Elvis Blue over the past few years enabled himself to invest in something very near and dear to his heart – The Elvis Blue Music Academy.
The Academy was started by Elvis to teach underprivileged children the joy of music. The organisation provides instruments and instruction in a safe, warm environment. “Music has the ability to heal,” Elvis says.
“This venture is living proof of that.” The Elvis Blue Music Academy operates in the Western Cape, George and is rolling out in Alexandra in Gauteng in the near future.
Elvis’ success is due to years of hard work, passion and commitment, and even though the path has been long and sometimes never ending, the real journey has only begun now.
There is a lingering feeling of awe when you meet this humble artist. True talent begets respect and admiration. And that’s exactly why Elvis Blue has our country at his feet.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Conn Bertish an iconic internationally awarded creative director, artist, big wave surfer, Fear Factor winner, husband and father of two young children, was handed the toughest brief he had ever seen.
Conn was diagnosed with a severe and extremely rare form of brain cancer.
So rare in fact, that the data available for the behaviour (and the reaction to certain treatments) of the cancer was depressingly hard to find.
Whilst the traditional cancer treatments (like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation) were prescribed, Conn Bertish – Motivational Speaker felt that there was something missing.
It was as if the most important part of the solution was left out of the brief.
Where was he in the solution?
Surely he could do more than just ‘be strong’?
He solved challenges for a living, so surely he could play a role here?
He could try to understand the problem and then creatively become a part of the solution.
After all, the challenge was happening in his body.
Conn’s Cancer Brief:
Conn Bertish knew how to work with tough briefs. He immediately set in motion the biggest creative project of his life.
He began the process of using his imagination to immerse himself into his bout with cancer.
He went straight to the first things he always relied on – his pen, his paper and his playful, problem solving attitude.
He began toying with cancer, studying the helpless people around him creating visual representations of what he was going through; documenting his experience with conceptual thinking and storytelling.
He used his imagination to create a drawn-series of pen-on-paper metaphors that helped him to visualize his tumour and the treatments with intent.
He then took this thinking into everyday life and the world around him.
It became a game; a daily routine.
Conn Bertish had found a playful, debunking way to interact with his cancer. See his cancer. Imagine beating his cancer.
All of a sudden, he had a role in his own survival.
Conn Bertish was able to imagine the effects that different treatments would have on the tumour cells.
Creative thinking helped Conn Bertish – Motivational Speaker to link his mind to his body in a way that augmented all of his treatments, his resilience and his immune system, ultimately increasing his chances of survival.
As somebody whose life was built around creativity and the power of conceptual thought, Conn was used to working with metaphors.
He knew the value in bringing in seemingly insurmountable problems into context.
It was in his nature to deal with the usually invisible.
After beating cancer in 2013, Conn has been urged by doctors, oncologists, neurologists and professors of science to share this way of thinking; to use his experience as a gateway for others to enter the world of his playful visual approach (dubbed Dojo Thinking).
The result is the Cancer Dojo. A digital platform and mobile application that will enable people to engage with their cancer in a new and powerful way. It is, in many medical opinions, way ahead of its time.
Its goal is to help people to unlock the powerful effects of Dojo Thinking; to alter the way in which they deal with their disease.
The app is a space where people can grow, learn and share skills and tools to boost their immune systems and actively participate in their unique bouts with cancer.
It’s a space where people can keep each other company and send each other help.
It’s a dojo, where creative people from all over the world will work alongside doctors and oncologists to find new ways to change the way we interact with the disease.
Cancer Donjo launched a Thundafund; crowd-funding campaign on the 20th of April 2015 and they need supporters, contributors and partners to help to bring this empowering platform to life.
Conn has also authored a book on ‘Cancer & Creativity’ which details his adventures, creative techniques and discoveries through cancer
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
It’s strange, how in a single brief moment in time, with only a few words spoken, one’s life can change so completely. Suddenly all you know, trust and rely upon, Yavi Madurai plummeted into the depths of the unknown.
This is precisely what happened to self- professed 33 year old, “control freak”, Yavi Madurai.
On the 14th of November 2003, at 15h02, her doctor uttered those words, “It’s breast cancer”. As life around her continued on as normal, the earth still spinning on its axis, people still going about their daily lives, hers came to a painful, grinding halt.
Hopes, dreams and wishes seemed far away now – especially those of becoming a mother.
What followed in the next two weeks, she can only describe as a “Brown Blur” – A surreal experience of living in the limbo between brown medical buildings, carrying brown envelopes containing test results.
Soon this muted hue seemed to seep into every aspect of her life, staining her days with sorrow. But a bright reprieve was to soon emerge from the depths of this monochromatic existence, coming in the form of another cancer patient.
Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment” story acted as a catalyst for Yavi, triggering a metamorphosis within her. And like the seasons bring about the change from caterpillar to butterfly, so the new Yavi was born.
Previously her life had been lived in the fast lane, ambitious, driven and always on the go. She never stopped to appreciate the beauty contained within the tiny moments between life.
But now, Yavi had been presented with the precious gift of choice. It was as if her cancer said, “hey listen, wake up, value it”.
She began to view the world through different lenses, counting her blessings for the things she had previously taken for granted.
She decided that her greatest weapon against cancer would be a positive attitude. Even through the physical and psychological devastation of a partial mastectomy and the aggressive courses of chemotherapy and radiation, her positivity was unwavering.
Yavi Madurai soon discovered the undeniable, yet inexplicable power of the mind-body-connection, as her new attitude began to have a marked effect on her recovery.
But perhaps Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment” greatest gift came from the “Moments in Time” project, which made her see her cancer as a gift from God. This knowledge allowed her to find profound meaning, in what was once a seemingly senseless struggle.
Cancer was no longer a burden under which she stumbled and faltered. Rather, it was a second chance at life.
And then, as if by some act of universal synchronicity, Yavi was granted her greatest wish, giving birth to a beautiful baby girl in October, breast cancer month.
This survivor had come full circle, from fighting for her life, to giving new life.
She believes that her cancer not only prepared her for the challenges of motherhood, but also gave her a priceless heirloom, a legacy that could be passed onto her daughter; the fundamental values she learnt, that so wholly transformed her life.
Today, Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment”
Branding solutions and Reputation Management
Brand positioning and reputation management go hand in hand and serve as the heart of the Marketing and or Communications strategy of any company which in effect is the foundation of that company. At BBT, we have a passion for brand management solutions and ensuring a company’s reputation is managed efficiently
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Nomonde White-Ndlovu is a seasoned Technology executive who currently heads up Risk, Governance & Compliance for Absa’s Groups Information Technology Office.
She has also been the joint-CIO for the organisation’s Infrastructure Services and Head of Technology for Absa Regional Operations (previously known as Barclays Africa Regional Management).
She began her career in Technology at UCS Solutions and later moved on to other multinational organisations such as British American Tobacco.
As the Chairperson of Wired4Women and in partnership with ITWeb and BCX, Nomonde is able to advocate for the upliftment and recognition of women at an industry level. In this role she is able to actively pursue gender parity and equality in the workplace.
Her MBA from GIBS (Gordon Institute of Business Science), a BA Law degree from Wits University and expedient courses from institutions such as MIT, Harvard and the London School of Economics and Political Science as a foundation, Nomonde is continuously growing her skill in the Technology industry, with a strong focus on business strategy, leadership, organizational design and efficiencies.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Facebook
Stuart Taylor – Corporate Comedian is probably best known to South Africans as the presenter of SABC 3’s hit travel show, ‘Going Nowhere Slowly’.
But when this Stellenbosch University science graduate is not in front of the camera with mud-powdered face and wind-styled hair, Taylor is enchanting local and international audiences with his headline, stand-up comedy and magic shows.
His award-winning formula of a meticulous fusion of comedy and magic earned him recognition as South Africa’s Comedy Magic Champion, a title he held for three years.
After ditching his microscope and lab coat, Taylor’s delightful potion of enigmatic entertainment has mesmerised audiences from theatres to boardrooms across South Africa.
His corporate repertoire includes most of South Africa’s blue chip multinationals with Shell SA, De Beers, Engen, Sun International, Red Bull and Ogilvy, among his endless list of tributes.
Stuart Taylor uncanny ability to cast spells of unbridled laughter on virtually any audience, earned him the adoration of critics and fans for his performances at the Pleasace Dome at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Berlin International Comedy Festival and his sold-out comedy-magic theatre productions throughout South Africa.
His theatre production ‘Learner Husband’ played to critical acclaim across the country from the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town to the Market Theatre in Johannesburg as well as a successful run at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and The Montecasino Main Theatre.
This show was built on the success of his previous 1-man show ‘Techni-Coloured’ whichhad scooped some amazing reviews and awards, winning the prestigious Overall Best Comedy award at the National Arts Festival (2008) and the Show Time award (2007) for the best solo performance.
Stuart Taylor can currently be found touring with his latest solo offering ‘Money’s Too Tight To Mention’ as well as ‘Learner Husband’
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Carmen Murray is the founder of Boo-Yah! a leading Modern Marketing Business that provides a number of initiatives to ensure businesses become Future Fit™.
She is a marketing activist and torchbearer for Diversity and Inclusion and was recently recognised by Meltwater as the top Women in Tech, Africa, 2019.
She received the most prestigious award, a Black Pixel, IAB Bookmarks 2019 for her best individual contribution to Digital, Africa 2019.
Murray has become a household name among business professionals and flying through the ranks as she applies robust approaches to help businesses become Future Fit™. Her strong background in Content, Digital, Mobile, Innovation and Data Analytics, allows her to identify emerging trends and conceptualise disruptive marketing strategies, deployed with precision.
The customer and their needs are always at the heart of her approach.
Carmen delivers thought-provoking keynotes to fuel creativity and inspire innovation. She has been a keynote speaker in over 40 countries and got to deliver over 250 masterclasses in 3 years to a combined audience of 11,000 business professionals.
Carmen Murray continues to be a popular panelist on both the local and international conference circuit. Murray can also be found on the Digital Airwaves with her charting Podcast in Marketing:
The Carmen Murray Show | #FutureFit Yourself. She interviews Activists, Storytellers, Celebrities, Newsmakers, and Business Experts across the globe.
She also collaborated with John Vlismas and started another podcast:
The IN with the TWO Outsiders.
Industry Contributions include MMA, IAB, DMA, MRMW, AMASA, BOGDM which includes GIBS, AAA School of Advertising, and an array of local and international business schools. She is also the exclusive representative of The Connected Marketer™ in Africa which includes courses on CX, UX, AI, Mobile to name a few. Carmen Murray also lectures at the University of Johannesburg. (UJ)
She served on the following councils:
Carmen started a quarterly Future Fit™ Networking event, powered by Boo-Yah! and joined forces with the University of Johannesburg, Department of Marketing and Management to create an annual #MarketingFit Event for Marketing Professionals of South Africa.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Facebook
Tshepo Mogale – Corporate Comedian started doing stand up comedy in 1999 in Cape Town. His first show was at a comedy competition at a venue called Hobnobs, where let’s just say he wasn’t welcome there anymore.
At about the same time that he started his comedy career was the same time that the Cape Comedy Collective was created, which was a collective of about 25 comics who some are very big around the country now.
So he performed all around Cape Town performing in classy and dingy venues with the home base being the Cape Comedy Club namely the Armchair Theatre in Observatory.
Tshepo Mogale then JOINED the CCC on a very successful Varsities tour in late 2000, which was a tour of all major universities in South Africa. The whole time as this was going on he was fully employed as a semi computer geek for an Internet company in Cape Town. While doing all of this he did television adverts for various brands including Smirnoff and also radio voice overs.
In 2000 Tshepo Mogale decided to MOVE to Joburg to broaden his comedy horizons and also to work in a financial services company. Tshepo Mogale immediately got onto the Joburg circuit and became a hit in the popular Joe Parker Comedy Express circuit. Performing in Joburg gave Tshepo Mogale a wider range of exposure, which resulted in him doing many stints on television doing stand up and various acting gigs, where Tshepo Mogale featured on the highly acclaimed Parker Comedy express dvd, which was released in 2001. All this was done while the brother was pushing a full time job.
Tshepo then started to more and more shows outside of Johannesburg in places like Durban, Bloemfontein, Vereeneging etc. which grew his exposure and popularity amongst the South African public. In 2002 Tshepo Mogale was invited to perform at the first all black comedy festival, the Smirnoff Comedy Blackout which featured some international acts from the U.S. While balancing his day job at a bank and doing stand up. Towards the end of 2002 Tshepo Mogale was again selected to perform at the biggest comedy event in South Africa the Laugh out Loud to an audience of more than 7000 people.
At this time Tshepo also partook in the Sprite Soul Comedy tour which took comedy to many South African small towns namely Kimberly, Bloemfontein, Pietersburg Nelspruit etc. This was also with a lot of CORPORATE EVENTS in between. Tshepo Mogale went to on to write some literature which got published in the popular Urban writers series. Tshepo Mogale then went on to open for Barry Hilton at some of his theatre shows and some of his CORPORATE EVENTS. Tshepo Mogale was invited to be one of the South African representative at the prestigious Smirnoff Comedy Festival which is the second biggest comedy event in the Southern hemisphere.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Penny Mallory is one of the UK’s top female motivational speakers, drawing her experience from her years in Motorsport as a Rally Driver, and as a Performance Coach within various sectors.
Penny is living proof that building Resilience and Mental Toughness are vital if you are to thrive in this world. Penny has worked inside and alongside many world class teams (including F1), and with individuals across many sectors, to improve team performance and results.
As the only woman in the world to compete in a World Rally Car for the Ford Rally Team, achieving the impossible comes naturally to Penny whose accolades include being a mountaineer, boxer, marathon runner and descendant of the first person to scale Mount Everest; she is the ultimate Executive Life Performance Coach. If you are ready for change, it’s time to talk.
Motorsport and TV fans know Penny Mallory as the first and only woman to drive a World Rally Car. Penny knows how to compete and beat the odds, but she also knows top performance requires even more than sacrifice and maximum commitment. It also takes heart, insight and the courage to keep going and the refusal to quit. She gets it, because she’s lived it.
As a leading authority in Mental Toughness, Penny Mallory has perfected the art of Psychologically-Powered Performance. Her interactive, challenging and transformational insight into how and why developing confidence, resilience, commitment and focus is critical in today’s business environment.
No secret sauce or overused buzzwords, her engagingly authentic but wildly entertaining keynotes and masterclasses are enjoyed by international audiences. From senior leadership to middle management, her experience working inside and alongside world class teams, including Formula One, enables her to inspire and influence meaningful change within organisations.
Penny Mallory expert understanding of how our thinking affects our behaviour is brought together in her Keynote ‘World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour’.
These aren’t hollow marketing words, her life attests to their human truth. As a child she saw alcoholism and mental illness destroy her family. Fleeing home at 14, homeless and fending for herself on the London streets, her life couldn’t have been more dangerous or bleak, yet an inner strength and self-belief enabled her to take control of her future. She made impossible possible and has since dedicated her life to helping others do the same.
It is these experiences that have made her keynotes acclaimed international favourites for many of the world’s most powerful and storied brands, including Coca-Cola, Grand Vision, Waitrose, Tesco, Telefonica, Klesch, Sony, Volkswagen, HPI, Jaguar, Proctor & Gamble, Airbus and many more.
Penny Mallory life is a continuing series of doing what conventional thinking says she simply can’t – from competing in three marathons on three consecutive days to hell runners and triathlons; finding the courage to enter the boxing ring twice and the physical resolve to conquer two of the world’s highest mountains. Little wonder that her interactive keynotes inspire taking action, and to believe you can because you can. With Penny in your corner, you can and will.
The author of ‘World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour’ and ‘Take Control of Your Life’, Penny is a descendent of George Mallory, widely believed to be the first man to conquer Mt. Everest. If you’re ready to change, determined to move forward, committed to unleashing your best and realising all that you dream,
Penny Mallory will partner in your success with coaching, keynotes and workshops igniting psychologically powered performance.
What makes a great Motivational Speaker? Penny believes it is one that challenges existing thinking and promotes new behaviour.
It is Penny’s wide range of experiences in sport, adventure and business that have made her keynotes acclaimed international favourites for many of the world’s most powerful and storied brands.
Penny Mallory knows from personal experience that top performance requires much more than sacrifice and maximum commitment. It also takes heart, insight and the courage to keep going and refusing to quit.
Years of being immersed in a world of intense competition and pressure, surrounded by World Class performers, Penny’s obsession with Elite Performance set in. She discovered, first hand, what it takes to be at the top of your game; to beat the best.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
