Who are we, truly?
Who is anyone, when you strip away the titles, the roles, and the carefully crafted personas? Beyond the polished veneer of professional achievements and personal interests, lies a more profound question: Are we merely the sum of our experiences, or is there something more?
I am a Business Analyst, Product Manager, and Business Development professional with over 8 years of experience in the banking, finance, and payments industry and currently in the Cybersecurity realm.
I’m also a DnD geek, have a Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu, sang in front of 50 000 people at an event in South Africa called the Rand Easter Show and survived two major events that should have killed me.
However, to define ourselves by these roles alone or amass the full extent of our experiences in an attempt to explain the essence of who we really are is a futile exercise and I believe, one that is mostly based in vanity or an attempt to disguise insecurity.
We should rather discuss the things we love.
I love people, working together with them, supporting their efforts to reach their milestones and goals and even “sitting in the mud” with them when things don’t go as planned (to borrow from Simon Sinek).
Nietzsche once posed that we are not beings in the traditional sense but rather ‘becomings’—constantly evolving, shaped by the ceaseless flux of experiences, thoughts, and relationships. Each interaction, every book read, and every challenge faced is like a brushstroke on the canvas of our consciousness, contributing to the ever-changing portrait of our identity.
Modern psychology, a great love of mine, suggests that our consciousness is not a static entity but a dynamic interplay of our perceptions, memories, and emotions. In this light, my passion for creating customer-centric solutions that enhance user experience and drive business success is not just a career choice; it is an expression of my desire to connect with others, to understand their needs, and to craft something meaningful from that understanding. It is an extension of my consciousness, a way in which I engage with the world and leave my mark upon it.
I love to collaborate with stakeholders across various disciplines, not only to deliver innovative products, but to weave together diverse perspectives into a cohesive whole. This act of creation, of bringing ideas to life through Scrum, Agile, and Design Led Thinking methodologies, mirrors the very process by which we construct our reality. We are not passive recipients of life, but active participants in shaping it, both for ourselves and for others.
Yet, beyond the professional sphere, I have many love affairs: I love reading, audiobooks, podcasts, all forms of music, and diving into the history and nuances of the artists and infulences. My love of cigars contrasts my interests in physical exercise and longevity through healthier living.
In all, I am a lover of human connection, and the human condition.
These interests are not just hobbies—they are integral threads in the tapestry of my identity.
They are the experiences that colour my consciousness, that provide texture and depth to the story of who I am. In a world that often prioritises doing over being, these pursuits remind me of the importance of savouring life, of appreciating the nuances that make existence rich and varied.
As much as I love the past, I am also enamoured of new beginnings… here is to this one!
So, who am I?
The essence of who I am exists in the convergence of all that I have experienced, the books I have read, the flavours I have tasted, emotions that I have felt, and all of my thoughts waking and in slumber.
Add to this maelstrom of experience all of the conversations that have stirred my soul and the challenges that have tested my resolve.
Mix in a touch of the things that I have made and built built, the strategies I have devised, and the relationships I have nurtured in my working capacity as well as in my day to day dealings with people, and you are closer to understanding me, at least as well as I think I understand me.
I am, in essence, a work in progress—a constantly evolving amalgamation of experiences, thoughts, and emotions and relationships.
In this evolution lies the beauty of human existence, what a topic!
Let’s connect, not just to exchange ideas, but to enrich each other’s journey of becoming, and to explore the endless possibilities that life has to offer.
PS. I DON’T SPAM