Author: Kim Potgieter

I am an optimistic person. It’s just in my nature – always has been. In fact, optimism is probably one of my highest values. I am just way more comfortable in a positive environment surrounded by positive people. My world has spun out of control in the last few weeks. Instead of the constructive, upbeat vibe that I thrive in, I have been surrounded by absolute mayhem and uncertainty. There has been so much destruction, upheaval, anger, and even death as the riots ravished our beautiful country. My standard go-to reaction in any difficult situation is to look for positives. In...

This past week I met with three different prospective clients, and the same theme repeated in each meeting. They all have businesses that are going through a rocky patch at the moment and their remaining assets are invested in property. The Covid pandemic has had such a massive impact on all of us, and while we are trying to stay safe and healthy, it is hard when your business is also at risk. Dave and Donna are in their early seventies and ran their own business until a few years ago. They lived an extravagant lifestyle, put all their profits back into the business and bought...

Lyndsay, our writer at Chartered, recently wrote a beautiful blog introducing me to a new concept called languishing. This term was first published in The New York Times to describe the collective state of being that many of us are experiencing right now. It’s a sense of sluggishness; it feels like stagnation, you’re just not functioning at optimal capacity. A languished life looks foggy, like a blurry windscreen or a photograph that’s not quite focussed. I first put this word down to anguish or just the inability to experience life fully. But I quickly realised it’s not that at all. We...

An unexpected event is often a catalyst for change. Something like Covid-19. Or something like a death, illness, a sudden retrenchment or retirement. I have seen my fair share of life-changing transitions working in the retirement sector and have always loved the wisdom, resilience and zest for life that I see in my clients daily. I have noticed a shift in my clients during the last couple of years. My clients were getting younger and more and more midlifers were coming to see me. They wanted change, not because they were retiring or had to change, not because their money situation has...

Your midpoint is a significant milestone – it means that you have lived half your life. Of course I celebrated in style, but I also paused and took time-out to plan my life ahead. I wanted to make sure that my second half is more meaningful and unforgettable than the last. I wanted to design this chapter on purpose, with purpose, and I wanted the security of knowing that my money would make this happen. As I was planning my own transition, younger and younger clients were coming to me in workshops, talks and life planning meetings and I was hearing the same things. They wanted more...

Being in nature is my happy space, and I fully immersed myself in the experience, taking time to be completely present in every moment, relaxed and absorbed the energy and beauty of nature. When we returned to Johannesburg, I was fully rejuvenated and prepared to tackle 2021 with energy and enthusiasm. I was excited to start the virtual retreat that I booked with my life coach, Kate Emmerson before I left. I was ready to realign and to set quiet time aside to listen to my inner voice, to hear my essence and be focused to reclaim the gifts I needed for the new year. I gifted myself four...

Before you do any of that, I want you to stop. This may be the first time in my life that I’m asking you not to budget for gift shopping. Why not exchange time this year instead of gifts? Start by giving yourself this moment in time. Take one moment today, and one moment every day from here on, and give back to yourself first. We’ve all had to play the part of hero this year. You have been brave, you have supported and loved your friends, family and colleagues, and you’ve made a plan to see this year through. Many of us have lost much: our loved ones, our income, our security and...

But this year has almost been absurd in its irony. I embraced the opportunity when Josh, my middle child decided to study in Cape Town. “Being away from home will do him good,” I thought. And it should do. We should encourage our children to leave the safety of their homes to explore life and find their own feet. But at the first sign of trouble, when Corona19 hit our shores, I brought him back home. I wanted to protect him and keep him safe. Gabi, my youngest, really missed her friends during lockdown. She’s just like me. We crave social interaction and togetherness. “Meet your friends...

Let me tell you, that none of this would be possible without the special women in my home supporting me and cheering me on – thank you Patience, Gabi and Florence. The idea for Finance 4 Females came to me after Olwethu Leshabana interviewed me on her Instagram channel (@olwe2lesh.) It was the first time that I really experienced and saw for myself how powerful Instagram can be. But I also realised that this was not a project I wanted to do by myself. It is no secret that technology and social media channels are not my strong point, and I wanted the channel to be authentic and...