Based on a true story .

1he Fun Side of Being Serious 2.0

·o ·io|ai or ·o Home
by Yashivan Govenoer
with Shaun Ryan
Fublisheo by ReaoHill Fublishing CC
www.publishbooks.co.za
Froouceo by Jonathan Williams
Copyright © Yashivan Govenoer 2010
www.yashivan.com
ISBN: 9¯8-0-o20-522!2-¯
Typesetting by Mousehano
www.mousehano.co.za
Set in Baskerville, Fupcat, Loveo by the King, Dakota Hanowriting, Iutura
Cover images: nasa.gov | Lauren Marais | Luowig Stalla
Cover oesign by Mousehano
In association with:
ACCA ,South Alrica,
The International Hotel School
FFS Insurance Company LTD
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without the explicit ano written permission ol the author ano copyright owner.
contribution to oiscussion but ooes not necessarily share the views expresseo, which are those ol the
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Ior every young inoivioual who oreams ol a bigger luture ano
unoerstanos that you have to start somewhere.
Ano lor our parents because they gave us a luture to oream about¦
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Aucklano, New Zealano, sitting on a couch in my city apartment: His
speech is powerlul ano authoritative ano somehow, even sitting in lront
ol my television set across an ocean in a oillerent country, I leel inspireo.
The victory celebration ol Barack Obama as America`s presioent elect
on the 5th ol November 2008 markeo a change in attituoe ano approach
with breathtaking speeches ano a natural charisma, Obama speaks to my
generation ano pushes through the point that we can make a oillerence,
that we can succeeo at reaching our goals. We just neeo to commit to an
ioea, work haro ano, most importantly, oream it happening.
My generation¦ Wow, what a concept young, vibrant ano lull ol
hope. Iour years oown the roao, in 2012, a lot has changeo¦ My travels
have taken me hall way arouno the worlo, my business has grown,
my mentors have evolveo, I have lost ano gaineo lrienoships, but most
importantly I louno my passion in youth business.
Ior me, Obama speaks to more than just the American nation. He
speaks to the youth arouno the worlo. Through his speeches ano
journey to the leaoership ol the White House, he tells me that insteao
ol sitting back ano waiting, we must show initiative, builo on an ioea or
goal ano play an active role in mouloing our lutures.
As a South Alrican, my homelano is the perlect case in point. We have
thousanos ol talenteo ano skilleo young people leaving school ano
tertiary institutions each year who pretty much sit ano wait. We wait
lor private companies or the government to hano us jobs, success ano
aoventure. Too many ol us pack our bags, blame the country or the
economy ano heao oll overseas when these things are not oelivereo
instantly. This country, the poster chilo ol mooern oemocracy, is
portrayeo as a lano ol uncertainty lor my generation when it is nothing
ol the sort.
Whether you are or aren`t South Alrican, inoiviouals ol the worlo
shoulo be looking lorwaro to a luture ol not only huge potential ano
like South Alrica has to oller. South Alrica`s political changes in 199!
createo an opportunity lor the country to show the worlo that, in spite
ol so much hurt ano pain, it can recover ano stano tall amongst its
peers as a global pioneer ano Alrica`s ambassaoor. There was always
the past ano that alone is a tough enough job lor any government to
hanole. It is too much to oemano that the government proouce more
lor the youth at a time when the oemocracy is still an inlant itsell. South
Alrica is just an example, a small piece ol the bigger puzzle that is
the globe, it`s the worlo that we neeo to now also locus on. With the
growth ol technology the worlo has become smaller ano so closely
interconnecteo. Inoiviouals lrom arouno the worlo neeo to create their
pressure there is on the government to oeliver.
My story is not one ol race, violence or any other horrible South
Alrican stereotype. My story is about oeveloping sustainability with
the right tools in hano ano a positive attituoe. With the Worlo Wioe
me, I soloiereo lorwaro into the unknown ano learneo that young
inoiviouals ,no matter what their backgrounos are, can succeeo on
their own. I starteo my own business ano hao a blast ooing something
totally oillerent ano unexpecteo ol a young South Alrican. I broke
stereotypes in every way imaginable ano starteo something lresh ano
ioealistic along the way.
The Iun Sioe ol Being Serious 2.0` starts with a South Alrican looking
lor a lile ambition ano enos with the realization that all you neeo to be
is yoursell, or in this case, as much ol a South Alrican as you can be¦
In the juicy mioole bits there are some mao, big city coming-ol-age
project calleo FirstStep.me. Irom learning about lile to oealing with
success ano accepting lailure, there`s a little bit lor everyone, whatever
your oream may be. This is a story lor my generation, lor every young
inoivioual who believes in the luture, who wants to achieve something
in lile ano think out ol the box at the same time. It is not about a million
oollar Internet buy-out. It`s about knowing that, with haro work ano a
little bit ol luck, young inoiviouals can make it in lile. It`s about the lun
sioe ol being serious¦
Yashivan Govenoer
January 2012
Holzkirchen, Germany kick starting his next aoventure.
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A First8tep Ouide in Online Business 16
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The Fun 8ide of Being 8erious 49
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lnterviews 228
Websites 261