Mandy Russell is the business leader’s go-to Performance Coach. Offering fresh views of your current business and goals Mandy ensures your work-life balance is also achieved. Mandy is a respected coach, transforming the lives and businesses of leaders, owners and entrepreneurs, many of whom are already successful. Mandy’s vision is to empower business leaders to create a renewed view, knowing that the future for themselves and the country is in their own hands.
Alongside the personal transformation experience, Mandy is able to bring unique skills to the conflict resolution and change space; supporting business leaders to be effective whilst appreciating they are a whole person who may be dealing with challenges in both the business and personal aspects of their lives. Mandy combines expertise in customer service, financial management and an understanding of the human mind with excellent facilitation and training skills; providing a coaching experience that expands performance and quality of life.
Having started her own business from scratch – and consistently growing it over the past 12 years – Mandy walks the talk. Mandy values making large investments in her own development to ensure she remains cutting-edge and continues to offer new content to her clients. She loves her role as a business owner, but the biggest impact she makes is in the lives of the people she works with.
In Mandy’s words, here is how it all began
“When I look back on my journey, I realise how ill prepared I was for work and business as a Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the University of Natal (now called University of KZN, Durban). I started my first job as a graduate trainee with global company Unilever and, while I succeeded in attaining my Postgraduate Diploma in Management Accounting before moving to Cape Town, I soon found myself out of my depth when dealing with staff in my new position at the Health&Racquet Club where I worked as a Club General Manager with a team of 25 staff. My degree had not taught me anything about working effectively with people and inevitably a good or bad day at work often had to do with how I had dealt with people. I realized I needed to up-skill myself.
A conversation with a gym-member who worked in the Diplomatic Corps, opened a new avenue for me and so I participated in the first Landmark Forum in South Africa. Picture the scene: it’s 1997, shortly after the first democratic elections in South Africa and I’m in a room full of people of all races, creeds and colours, talking about Racism! Now understand that growing up in Apartheid South Africa, the first time I’d had classmates of colour, was at University! The discovery of what’s possible through human beings connecting, pulled at my core that weekend shortly before my 30th birthday, and I went on to train extensively in personal transformation. Soon I was leading seminars to over a 100 people a week, one of just two seminar leaders in Africa, within that global company. In addition, for 5 years I was the source of the cutting edge transformational education in South Africa, leading a team who all volunteered our time and expertise after our day jobs. Imagine the personal expansion gained by leading teams of people – often remotely, designing and leading internal meetings and trainings and extensive one-on-one coaching, while being accountable for the business growth locally. It has ensured responsibility, excellent interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to build trust. These skills greatly impacted performance over the concurrent seven years I ran Kodak’s motion picture agency in the movie industry; where daily interactions on projects were with competing industry players.
When my day job at Kodak came to an end, I seized an the opportunity to combine my passions into a business – productivity, business and transformation. I knew I wanted to design my life in a way that traditional employment didn’t offer. After 25 years as an employee I’ve created my business from scratch, whilst at the same time re-inventing every aspect of my life; from where I live, to what my typical day looks like, to whom I’m with and how I earn my money. It’s been quite a journey but one that lets you know that a) it’s possible, and b) I walk my talk.
I now live 400 kms from the city, in the tranquil countryside, providing a magical space for rest, rejuvenation and growth. I share my time between Cape Town and Prince Albert, living my life by design, and can work with you remotely via Skype, Zoom or Teams – or in person – via bespoke accelerated action half and full days.”
Mandy’s Mentors
In her commitment to ongoing development Mandy has been privileged to work with a number of globally acclaimed Mentors. These include US-based Ali Brown, Kendall Summerhawk and Heather Dominick, plus Circle of Excellence Mentors Landi Jac and Mike Handcock. On the Neuroscience side, Amanda Blake, Etienne van der Walt and Chrisna Swart as well as other faculty members via Coaches Rising.
Since 2019 Mandy has been working closely with her life partner Layton Smith to re-organise her business for expansion and growth. This work happened initially behind the scenes and then in 2022 collaborating as consultants in a year-long transformation project. Bringing the synergies of business and human capital development; clients get to experience 1 and 1 as 11 versus 2.
PASSION and PURPOSE
From day one of creating her business Mandy has had a commitment to grow the economies of Africa; believing it’s up to entrepreneurs to make things happen where governments fail to do so. Alongside that purpose is Mandy’s passion for creativity and the arts. As a supporter of many creative artists, through following and purchasing their works, Mandy gets to express her value of beauty in feeding her soul and appreciating the value artists bring to the world. Mediums include photography, painting, wood block printing, ceramics, calligraphy, textiles and more. In 2023 Mandy began a more active role with the Life Righting Collective and enjoys the opportunity to co-facilitate and mentor LRC’s structural development with her close friend and fellow Circle of Excellence member, Hani du Toit.
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