The Garden is now six years old with it being on this platform for three years now and I often get asked how I’ve managed to spread the wellness message consistently over the last six years. A lot of the times it is assumed I’m always on a high and positive note while many think I speak from a point of just wanting to motivate for clout without much depth. Today I want to speak to someone who has a dream, a vision. Someone whose current circumstance deems it almost impossible to realise their dream. I want to say to you the circumstances of your birth or even your present will not determine your destiny, you have within you the ability to fetch your dreams. Below I share with my journey on how I managed to move from behind the desk and step into my dream.
My first paying job was a receptionist at a Business Consultancy firm in Kimberley. I didn’t apply for the position per say-through word of mouth I learnt the owner was looking and he learnt I was looking-and so we decided to help each other out. Thanks to my big Sis who was the link up. In this company I didn’t last in the front desk because my boss received great reviews about me from his clients, he picked up I was being under utilised on that desk and gave me an office where I headed the division of feasibility studies. By the time I resigned I had knowledge of the entire service chain of the company, you could put me in any office and I’d deliver. My second job was Administrator at a Nursery School (I was poached by one of my former bosses happy clients, he made a better offer and with my former bosses blessings I jumped at it. My third job was also via recommendation from a colleague of the previous business. This time I was Personal Assistant to the Managing Director in a Media and Communications Company.
I then left Kimberley for Johannesburg where I squatted with childhood friends. It wasn’t as easy as I’d anticipated. I ended up being desperate to a point I became a hostess on a Travel Coach. I didn’t last as a hostess because my boss one day met me during his visits at the office and felt I’d be more suitable for the call centre environment and that’s how I became a call centre agent. After struggling for a while I got to be receptionist at a publishing company in Randburg where I was unfortunately retrenched still enjoying this role during the first wave of South Africa’s economic recession. I then got a new opportunity at a Financial Brochure company as Personal Assistant to the General Manager. I later headed the medical aid division which eventually saw me specialise in wellness and head the maternity programs for various medical aid schemes amongst other things.
Prior to all these I had volunteered at Schools for teaching especially foundation phase. I have also been a reading coach and almost became a waitress at a Night Club in Pretoria😅 I eventually became tired of chasing the paper in various sectors. I wanted to start living my dreams but I hardly passed my auditions to the final phase. 🤦🏽♀️ I had a few promising experiences e.g. the Coca Cola Pop Stars and My Top Billing Presenter search otherwise the rest had no call backs💔.
Remember I started having my dream at age 14, so it’s not like I didn’t know what I wanted, I was just not getting it. I then left everything in frustration and squatted with my high school friend and her house mate while I figured out my next move and it was when I decided to approach a Radio Station for an opportunity as Broadcaster. I put together a proposal of my slot and submitted and got the part. This would be the beginning of my journey professionally as Broadcaster and the birth of The Garden, this was 2013. (I was not being paid for this, at least not in cash). Later through the help of an agent I went for auditions and landed my first News Anchor job at African News Network (ANN7) – First salary being paid for my dream. I then landed an expat role in the same field in Accra, Ghana where I expanded my responsibility scope and carried The Garden along with me amongst other things. Over the years I have managed to carve a career path for myself and I’ll be damned if I retreat now to surrender….I have just scratched the surface!
I share with you my story so that you may realise the substance within every article I share with you on The Garden. It is not just a thumb sucking motivation to sound politically correct, I have been through different seasons in life, I have had to learn to encourage myself. I have discovered the value of wellness in spirit, soul and body which I continue to develop as I go along the way and I have decided to create this sacred space- The Garden so that I could share with those who might need the encouragement and most importantly to let you know that it is possible to heal, to be whole and to be saved. I hope my story inspires you and propels you to make that move and fetch your dreams.
By Lerato Charlotte Letsoso| Email: leratokayise@gmail.com
