The Incredible Machines

Welcome to Episode 53 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Clinton Shum, the founder of Xpect Performance, a golf fitness specialist, entrepreneur and host of his own podcast called, Xpect Performance. 

Clinton shares how courage became his guiding word for the year and explains why intentional action matters more than perfect planning. He reflects on growing a business, opening a second studio, becoming a father and learning to make decisions despite uncertainty. The three also explore the hero’s journey, lessons from The Lion King, and the importance of staying present. Clinton openly speaks about experiencing depression and using exercise, gratitude and meaningful conversations as tools for resilience. 

From podcasting to psychology, philosophy and human connection, Clinton demonstrates why performance is about far more than physical strength. It's about understanding what you expect of yourself and ensuring that your behaviour reflects those expectations. 

This episode is for anyone navigating uncertainty, building something meaningful or learning how to become the hero of their own story. 
 
 
 
⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:39 – Introduction to Clinton Shum and the Yearly Compass Exercise 
08:23 – Difficult Experiences Build Discipline and Create an Identity Shift. 
12:27 – Burden of Potential and Becoming the Hero of your Own Story. 
20:25 – Lessons from The Lion King, Psychology and Changing Human Behaviour. 
28:52 – Voluntary Adversity and Preparing for Life’s Challenges. 
33:15 – Travelling Overseas to Develop his Golf Fitness Expertise. 
38:09 – Fatherhood, Depression and Rebuilding Certainty. 
50:13 – Gratitude, Hope, and Accepting a Lack of Control. 
1:00:07 – Clinton’s Advice to his Sixteen-Year-Old Self. 
1:04:34 – Why Clinton Started a Podcast and How Creativity Renewed his Purpose. 
1:15:21 – Podcast Lessons about Experience, Action and the Traces we Leave on Others. 
1:28:13 – Creating an Emotional Connection with a Brand. 
1:35:28 – Building a Niche in Golf Fitness and Expanding Xpect Performance. 
1:40:14 – The meaning behind Xpect Performance. 
1:46:36 – Coaching and Supporting Clients through Difficult Periods. 
1:51:30 – The poem that shaped Clinton’s View and Asking More from Life. 
1:58:08 – Living Intentionally and Rejecting Business as a Measure of Productivity. 
 
 
 
💬 Quote of the Episode 

“I bargained with Life for a penny, 
And Life would pay no more, 
However I begged at evening 
When I counted my scanty store. 

For Life is a just employer, 
He gives you what you ask, 
But once you have set the wages, 
Why, you must bear the task. 

I worked for a menial’s hire, 
Only to learn, dismayed, 
That any wage I had asked of Life, 
Life would have willingly paid.” 

— Jessie B. Rittenhouse  
(one of Clinton Shum’s favourite quotes) 
 
 
 
🧠 Related Campaign Example  
City Lodge Television Advert Campaign: Clinton selected the City Lodge campaign because its humour created an immediate emotional connection with the brand. The advertisements exaggerated the idea of feeling at home by showing hotel guests behaving with the same comfort and familiarity they would display inside their own homes. The comedy made the advertisements memorable while consistently reinforcing the City Lodge promise that guests would be made to feel at home. 

City Lodge Television Advert Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwUvewBwqFM 

  
 

👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 

Clinton Shum’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clinton-shum-1a6a9461/  
Clinton Shum’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clinton.shum/  
Clinton Shum’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/clintonshum/  

Xpect Performance Website: https://xpectperformance.com/  
Xpect Performance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/xpect_performance/100083539536027/ 
Xpect Performance Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/xpect_performance_/  

Xpect Performance Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xpectperformance/  
Xpect Performance Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xpectperformancepod/  
Xpect Performance Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@xpectperformance9247  
Xpect Performance Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4x5ccQWsRffcC9KI0Etnn0  
 
Yearly Review Compass: https://yearcompass.com/  
 
Ice Bath Website: Comment for details
 

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Welcome to Episode 52 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Samantha Edwards, a marketing and advertising professional whose life and career have taken her from Port Elizabeth to London, back to South Africa and through two cancer diagnoses. 

Samantha shares how her stable childhood, early working years, time in the UK, agency life, marriage to Scott and motherhood shaped the person she is today. She speaks openly about the fear of diagnosis, the shock of cancer returning, the emotional weight of waiting for answers, and the support that carried her through surgery and chemotherapy. 

From the kindness of Leonie, who asked to scrub in during surgery despite barely knowing Samantha, to the unwavering presence of her mother, Samantha’s story is a reminder that resilience is rarely a solo act. It is built through family, friendship, medical care, breath by breath thinking and the decision to stay present when the future refuses to be predictable. 

This episode is a must listen for anyone navigating uncertainty, supporting a loved one through illness, or trying to understand how life, work and purpose shift after adversity. 
 

⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:48 – Introduction to Samantha Edwards 
02:40 – Growing up in Port Elizabeth and discovering advertising. 
05:03 – Studying, working and gaining early production experience. 
06:09 – Moving to London and working in production. 
08:10 – Eight years in the UK, public relations and European travel. 
12:05 – A failed engagement and the decision to return to South Africa. 
16:35 – Samantha’s mother as her incredible machine. 
20:11 – Support and facing the uncertainty of cancer. 
25:08 – Moving to Durban and joining the agency world. 
28:03 – Fear of flying, control and how cancer shifted perspective. 
35:03 – Running Two Oceans after her second surgery. 
40:50 – Marriage, motherhood and life before diagnosis. 
44:18 – Hearing the word cancer and preparing for surgery. 
47:08 – Surgery, fear and the kindness of Leonie. 
53:57 – Waiting for biopsy results and receiving a stage three diagnosis. 
58:02 – Choosing to step away from work during treatment. 
01:03:31 – Her mother’s support through surgery and chemo. 
01:08:30 – Finding the right oncologist and feeling heard. 
01:13:28 – The shock of Samantha’s second cancer diagnosis. 
01:17:33 – Scanxiety, waiting and the fear of not knowing. 
01:27:10 – Returning to normal life after cancer. 
01:41:26 – This too shall pass and finding perspective. 
01:45:11 – Samantha offers support to anyone recently diagnosed. 

💬 Quote of the Episode 

“You can’t control the future. You can only control what’s going on right now.” – Samantha Edwards 
 

🧠 Related Campaign Example  
BMW Beat the Bends Campaign: Samantha chose BMW’s Beat the Bends as her related campaign example. The ad stands out for its sharp conceptual thinking and its clever response to Mercedes Benz on Chapman's Peak. Samantha highlights how the idea communicates confidence without needing to directly state superiority, making it a memorable example of South African creative advertising. 

BMW Beat the Bends Campaign: https://youtu.be/cwPrlsJYwKY?si=2C9FGziNl6Azdxz8 
 

👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 

Samantha Edwards’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samedwards81/  
Samantha Edwards’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samantha.hewitson  
Samantha Edwards’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthedwards/  
Samantha Edwards’ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@samanthedwards  
 

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Welcome to Episode 51 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Pieter “PG” Geldenhuys, an author, business coach, leadership facilitator, storytelling expert, and the mind behind Boks to Business.  

From growing up in Stellenbosch and Strand, to travelling through Austria, London, Israel, South America and beyond. He reflects on his early love of reading and writing, and the way his parents’ travel business became an early classroom for leadership, systems and service.   

PG also unpacks the power of storytelling, from the hero’s journey and Joseph Campbell to Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, the Springboks and Rassie Erasmus. And explores how Covid forced hard decisions in tourism, why entrepreneurs need to understand whether they are acting as founders or investors, and how risk, creativity, urgency and imposter syndrome all play a role in entrepreneurial life. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, coach, writer, sports fan or someone trying to build something meaningful, this conversation offers a practical and deeply human reminder: the real work is to keep showing up. This episode is packed with sharp business insight, personal reflection, humour, rugby wisdom and powerful lessons on systems, storytelling and resilience.   
 
 
 
⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:48 – Introduction to Pieter Geldenhuys 
03:41 – Stephen King, Covid and Learning to Write 
10:26 – Tourism, Storytelling and Selling KwaZulu-Natal 
13:10 – University, Failure and Learning from the Right People 
18:46 – Starting a Tourism Business 
25:19 – EO, Writing, Training and Reinvention 
33:16 – EO, Information and Making Hard Decisions 
35:19 – Full Immersion Leadership 
41:13 – Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Storytelling 
49:05 – Barney’s Army and Knowing When to Stop a Story 
53:02 – Podcasts, Politics and the New Media Landscape 
59:47 – Acts of Service, Fathers and Sons 
01:03:12 – Writing About His Father and Generational Wisdom 
01:14:39 – Boks to Business and Springbok Leadership Lessons 
01:19:57 – The Springboks as a Masterclass in Storytelling 
01:25:53 – The 2027 World Cup and the Next Hero’s Journey 
01:35:10 – Showing Up When It’s Hard 
 
 
 
💬 Quote of the Episode 

“The real work is not to show up when it’s easy. The real work is to show up when it’s hard.” – Pieter Geldenhuys 
 
 
 
🧠 Related Campaign Example  
Bell’s “The Reader” Campaign: Pieter chose this advert because it captures effort, recognition and acts of service in a deeply human way. The story follows a father learning to read so that he can read the book his son has written, ending with the iconic line, “Give that man a Bell’s.” For PG, the advert speaks to love shown through effort, the relationship between fathers and sons, and the universal desire to be recognised by the people who matter most.  

The campaign was created for Bell’s Whisky by King James in South Africa, directed by Greg Gray of Velocity Films, and published in 2014. It remains one of South Africa’s most emotionally memorable adverts because it makes the story the hero, focusing on perseverance, pride and quiet recognition. 

Bell’s “The Reader” Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy7fxLwfOnQ  

 
👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 

Pieter Geldenhuys’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgtops/    
Pieter Geldenhuys’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pg_geldenhuys/   
 
PG Tops Website: https://www.pgtops.com/   
PG Tops LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pgtops/   
PG Tops Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pgtopscoach   
PG Tops YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChZATps_T8VAGwPTKlVjA1g   
 
Stephen King Book On Writing: https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html   
Joseph Campbell Book The Hero with a Thousand Faces: https://www.jcf.org/product-page/copy-of-on-bliss-ebook   
Scott Galloway Article on The Fourth Great Unlock: https://www.profgalloway.com/the-four/     
Save the Cat: https://savethecat.com/   
Entrepreneurs’ Organization: https://www.eonetwork.org/   
 
 
 
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🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa   
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa   
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Welcome to Episode 50 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Sbonelo Mbatha, an entrepreneur, author of The Petrol Attendant, founder of Petro Connect, and one of South Africa's most reputable voices in the fuel retail industry. 

Born and raised in rural KwaZulu Natal, his journey is an incredible story of resilience, faith, and relentless action. From growing up without electricity to becoming the owner of multiple petrol stations and building a multi-million-rand business empire, his story challenges the standard thinking about success, opportunity, and creating wealth. 

Sbonelo shares how he went from being a university graduate struggling to find work to becoming a petrol attendant, a role he still regards as one of the most important titles he has ever held. Through the conversation, he reveals lessons on funding businesses with other people's money, race and transformation in South Africa, and the devastating impact of the 2021 riots that destroyed much of what he had spent years building. 

Today Sbonelo is helping create the next generation of fuel retail entrepreneurs by sharing the lessons, systems, and opportunities that transformed his own life. This episode is a must listen for business owners, leaders, and anyone who has ever wondered whether they've got what it takes to build something incredible from humble beginnings. 
 

⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:48 – Introduction to Sbonelo Mbatha 
02:53 – Growing up in KZN and Rural South Coast Life. 
10:18 – Discovering Accounting as a Career Path. 
15:14 – The Raven Story 
21:42 – Becoming a Petrol Attendant 
26:07 – Why Petrol Attendant Matters 
29:34 – The Reality of Petrol Stations 
35:19 – Full Immersion Leadership 
39:07 – Faking It Until You Make It 
48:19 – White Privilege and Trust 
59:21 – Lessons from the Forecourt 
01:08:16 – Other People's Money 
01:16:08 – Becoming a Millionaire Overnight 
01:29:49 – Leading Through Crisis 
01:34:06 – Building PetroConnect 
01:46:46 – Why Sit Here Until We Die? 
 
 
 
💬 Quote of the Episode 

“Every time you took a step forward, the path became clearer. The key is don't stop walking. The path will always get clearer as you walk.” – Sbonelo Mbatha 
 
 
 
🧠 Related Campaign Example  
Nike, Just Do It Campaign: Sbonelo selected Nike's iconic "Just Do It" campaign as one of his favourite advertising campaigns because it perfectly reflects his philosophy on entrepreneurship and life. Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, complete certainty, or guaranteed outcomes, Sbonelo believes success comes from taking action and trusting that clarity will emerge through movement. 

Nike, Just Do It Campaign: Nike - Just Do It (1988) - Very first commercial 

 
 
 
👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 

Sbonelo Mbatha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbonelo-mbatha-7836a947/  
Sbonelo Mbatha’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbonelombatha  
Sbonelo Mbatha’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sbonelo-Mbatha/61550190262169/ 
Sbonelo Mbatha’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@sbonelombatha  

Petro Connect Website: https://petroconnect.co/  
Petro Connect Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetroCONNECTAfrica/  
Petro Connect YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyhJZl6FYujpQEMEgpOlhOA  
 
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Welcome to Episode 49 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this deeply moving and uplifting conversation, Jon Oliff sits down with Jessica Hare, founder of Ditch the Lump and co-founder of Smart Meeting Rooms South Africa. 

Jessica shares the life experiences that shaped her faith, resilience and heart for people. She reflects on her early years as a teacher, her time in missions and community development, the burnout that forced her to slow down, and the relationships that helped her rebuild. From growing up in Durban and dreaming of adventure, to travelling through America, Hawaii and India. 

The conversation moves into Jessica’s breast cancer journey: finding a lump, advocating for herself when she knew something was wrong, receiving her diagnosis in February 2024, undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and further surgery, and learning how to navigate motherhood, marriage and identity through it all. 

Jessica speaks honestly about fear, vulnerability, humour, faith, femininity, the power of female friendship, and the deep loneliness many people experience during treatment. She also shares the story behind Ditch the Lump, a growing platform and walking community created to remind people going through cancer that they are not alone. 

This episode is for anyone walking through uncertainty, supporting a loved one through illness, rebuilding after burnout, or learning what it means to show up with courage. 
 

⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:45 – South Africa, Hawaii and the Feeling of Home 
02:35 – Advice to Her 16-Year-Old Self 
06:19 – Her Brother’s Cancer Diagnosis 
09:08 – Cancer’s Impact on the Family 
12:59 – Studying English, Media and Journalism at UCT 
14:24 – Losing a Close Friend and Choosing Missions 
18:17 – The Incredible Machines Campaign and Meeting Jessica 
23:24 – Faith, Friendship and Following Christ 
26:06 – Burnout and Compassion Fatigue 
35:10 – Finding a Lump 
38:08 – Receiving Her Cancer Diagnosis 
45:36 – Explaining Cancer to Young Kids 
49:06 – Identity, Vulnerability and Becoming a Patient 
53:06 – The Women Who Got Her Through Chemo 
57:59 – Starting Ditch the Lump 
01:06:11 – Starting Smart Meeting Rooms South Africa 
01:11:25 – Brené Brown, Courage and Being Seen 
01:15:48 – Motherhood, Marriage and Gratitude 
 
 
 
💬 Quote of the Episode 

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brené Brown, one of Jessica Hare’s favourite quotes. 
 

🧠 Related Campaign Example  
Always #LikeAGirl Campaign: Jessica chose this campaign because of the way it reframes the phrase “like a girl” from an insult into something powerful, capable and strong. The campaign resonated with her emotionally because it challenged the idea that femininity should be associated with weakness, and instead celebrated girls and women as strong, brave and fully themselves. 

The campaign originally launched as a digital-first film in 2014 before being adapted into a 2015 Super Bowl commercial. It went on to become one of the most recognised purpose-led campaigns of its time, winning the 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial and major Cannes Lions recognition, including the PR Grand Prix. 

Always #LikeAGirl Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joRjb5WOmbM  

👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 
 
Jessica Hare’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-hare-0767047b   
Jessica Hare’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica.wolf.hare  
 
Ditch the Lump Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditch.the.lump/  
Ditch the Lump Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ditch-the-lump-podcast/id1896809493  
 
Smart Meeting Rooms South Africa Website: https://smartmeetingrooms-kzn.com/   
Smart Meeting Rooms UK Website: https://smartmeetingrooms.co.uk   

Bethany Hamilton: https://bethanyhamilton.com/   
Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/   
Always #LikeAGirl Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs   
 
Run the Berg: https://runtheberg.co.za/   

 
 

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