Have you heard? You’re probably asking yourself ‘what?’ Have you heard, is South Africa’s first specialist word-of-mouth agency, which came into inception in November 2008 by co-founders Ryan McFadyen and Jason Stewart. Ryan’s passion for marketing grew stronger when he first enrolled in the University of Stellenbosch. This qualification was followed by an Honours degree from the University of Cape Town. Ryan’s first break started with Adidas, from there he was able to build himself as a brand and fulfil various marketing roles for world renowned entities such as Johnson & Johnson and Vital Health Foods.

Ryan started his first business at the tender age of 25, even though this business wasn’t successful, the venture instilled in him the thinking of a “Pilot Mind”. The “Pilot Mind” as Ryan calls it is an experimental phase whereby an individual prepares themselves for failure in whatever endeavour they’ll be starting. This does not necessarily mean that everything you try to do will fail but this is more of a belief that one should always learn on their past mistakes and how to move on forward beyond that challenge. He draws his inspiration from individuals such as Steve Jobs, whom have constantly failed but ultimately came out tops purely because of their innovative thinking, in depth understanding of the task at hand, good knowledge of why they’re doing what they’re doing and lastly good business approach.

Ryan’s approach to the business world has made him a force to be reckoned with, today his company handles accounts for listed companies such as Vodacom and Tiger Brands just to name a few. He sincerely believes that social media is an essential and powerful marketing tool that isn’t currently being taken full advantage of by business people. Businesses often use social media incorrectly. Instead of creating their own innovative platform for interaction with their client base, this medium almost becomes more dormant than your typical website. Businesses need to engage more with their clients and find out what exactly it is that their clients are after. In the next coming years he envisions his company as a market leader, driven to find ground breaking and innovative solutions when it comes to building a brand’s products. Ryan believes that the youth of today lives in a free world whereby almost everything has already been done for them.

It’s only up to the youth today to identify what they’re most passionate about and enhance their skills in every way possible. He says it’s very important for the youth to have a more in depth look into what they’re most passionate about, they should strive to create rather than to follow. They should also work on changing the industry and always remain current with growth. The only way to become a leader is by offering ideal and innovative solutions well suited to your customer’s needs.