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The Incredible Machines

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The Incredible Machines
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  • Making It Reality: Allon Raiz
    Welcome to Episode 27 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Allon Raiz, a pioneering entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of Raizcorp, Africa’s largest business incubator. From humble beginnings growing up in Durban to orchestrating business transformations across the continent, Allon shares the rollercoaster journey that shaped him into the powerhouse he is today. Allon Raiz’s academic journey is a story of resilience and reinvention. After struggling through school and just managing to get into university, he completed a four-year BCom and went on to achieve top honours in his class, an impressive turnaround from his earlier academic performance. Motivated to keep studying, Allon even began working on his master's degree and spent some time overseas. Unbeknownst to him, he continued his studies partly to avoid compulsory military service, only to eventually discover that the army draft had ended. This unexpected revelation marked yet another turning point in his unconventional path, shaping the determined and resourceful individual he would become. In a conversation brimming with candid stories and powerful insights, Allon unpacks the gritty realities of entrepreneurship, touching on everything from his early failures and mentor relationships to the emotional drivers behind ambition and the art of playing the “long game.” The episode dives deep into what makes an “incredible machine,” why true mentorship often comes with a dose of tough love, and the unexpected ways that small gestures can come full circle years later. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a business enthusiast, or just curious about what drives remarkable people to keep building, this episode is packed with gems—about resilience, self-awareness, and the value of betting on yourself, even when the odds are against you. Get ready for an honest, inspiring, and at times hilarious exploration of what it takes to walk into a room and leave it truly changed. ⏱ Timestamped Overview  00:39 Introduction: Don King booking story and why Allon is here. 08:41 Growing up in a women-led family business shaping his worldview. 10:55 From failed shoe voucher promo to PR breakthrough and momentum. 19:40 Owning failure and the power of mentorship over people over money. 20:40 Compelling economic right to exist before chasing funding. 27:27 Including family in entrepreneurship dinner table learning. 33:21 Father issues as a driver and reframing imposter syndrome. 39:50 Choosing the right mentor and embracing brutal candor. 48:05 Say yes to scary things, invitations, and stretch moments.  50:32 Beware the sirens resisting tempting detours. 58:08 Reverse mentorship and learning from Gen Z at work. 01:00:55 Turning a failed interview into a learning session. 01:04:51 The hitchhiker story: serendipity returning years later. 01:11:05 Patience's subtle influence and the long game. 01:17:00 Incubating crises and becoming a prosperator. 01:23:31 Notebooks as an idea engine: think it, write it, make it real. 💬 Quote of the Episode “If you think it, write it down and make it a reality.” – Allon Raiz   🧠 Related Campaign Example Allan Gray’s ad campaign — Allon selected this iconic advert about patience, potential, and long-term investing. The campaign highlights Allan Gray’s core message: that real returns come from discipline, foresight, and resisting short-term gratification. This perfectly mirrors Allon’s entrepreneurial philosophy of playing the long game, resisting “sirens” of distraction, and enduring the pain of early struggles to build lasting impact. The campaign is a reminder that in both investing and entrepreneurship, timing, patience, and belief in unseen potential are often the true differentiators of success. Allan Gray’s ad campaign: https://youtu.be/37_hvW68vP8?si=5VS5hzf5AvYVSDkg  👣 Relevant Links  LinkedIn: Allon Raiz - City of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | Professional Profile | LinkedIn  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AllonRaiz/   Facebook: Allon Raiz | Facebook  Raizcorp Website: Raizcorp – Accelerate your success  Raizcorp Instagram: Raizcorp (@raizcorp_) • Instagram photos and videos  Raizcorp LinkedIn: Raizcorp | LinkedIn  Raizcorp YouTube: Making strategy happen: an exclusive workshop with Allon Raiz  🌐 Connect with Tim Africa 🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica  🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa
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  • Sharing the Dream: Dr Angel Madlala
    Welcome to Episode 25 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Dr. Angel Madlala, a pioneering female radiologist from rural KwaZulu-Natal. From humble beginnings to founding multiple radiology practices, Dr. Angel’s story is one of vision, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. She shares how she overcame personal and financial challenges, her motivation to serve underserved communities, and her unique approach to medicine as both a healer and a business leader. Dr. Angel Madlala reflects on the power of mentorship, authenticity, and continuous learning, emphasizing the importance of empowering others and breaking barriers for women in medicine. This inspiring episode highlights her unwavering commitment to making healthcare accessible, the value of dreaming big, and the courage it takes to turn those dreams into reality. ⏱ Timestamped Overview 00:50 – Dr. Angel reflecting on her teenage aspirations 02:23 – Upbringing in KwaZulu-Natal, family dynamics, and the importance of education 04:55 – Transition to university, father’s passing and financial challenges 07:40 – Moving away from home, making friends, and building a support system 10:19 – Her love for study groups, collaboration, and teaching others 12:00 – Outlines her medical school, internship, community service, and interest in pediatrics 13:47 – Personal challenges with her daughter's birthday and when her career pivotted 15:08 – Her choice to pick radiology and the timeline of her specialization 17: 19 – Returning back to KwaZulu-Natal and her early practice on medical disciplines 18: 40 – Passion for rural healthcare and her entrepreneurial drive 19:55 – Starting her own practice and the importance of making radiology accessible 27:36 – Mentorship and her goal to own a hospital-based radiology department 30:00 – Four practices, her vision, and the services offered 36: 23– Challenges of rural healthcare entrepreneurship 40:22  – Being a female founder in medicine and the lessons learnt 44:39 – Inspiration from Nike’s “Dream Crazier” campaign 54:46 – Celebrate the successes, the importance of pausing, and feedback from her therapist. 💬 Quote of the Episode “I always say my life purpose is to help people; I’m just a natural helper.” – Dr. Angel Madlala 🧠 Related Campaign Example Nike “Dream Crazier” campaign — Dr. Angel Madlala resonated with her personal and professional journey, encouraging her to dream crazier. She recalled seeing the “Dream Crazier” commercial, which featured powerful visuals of women breaking barriers in sports and life, narrated by Serena Williams. The ad’s message was encouraging women to push boundaries, defy stereotypes, and pursue dreams that others might call impossible. She spoke about how the campaign’s bold call to “dream crazier” became a personal mantra, especially during times of self-doubt or when facing societal expectations about what women, particularly women of color in medicine, could achieve. Nike “Dream Crazier” campaign: https://youtu.be/zWfX5jeF6k4?si=h5OUaIBBRLzZonSo 👣 Relevant Links & Mentions LinkedIn: N.B. Angel Madlala - Head of Clinical Unit @Harry Gwala Regional Hospital . Diagnostic and Breast Radiologist. Managing Director and Teleradiologist @MD Teleradiology Solutions ( Private Practice) | LinkedIn Instagram: Dr. Angel mamMthalane Madlala (@dr_angie_m) • Instagram photos and videos MD Teleradiology Website: Radiology Services/Clinic in Rural and Semi-Urban Areas 🌐 Connect with Tim Africa 🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica 🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa
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  • Surviving and Thriving: Burgette Yarlett
    Welcome to Episode 25 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Burgette Yarlett, a speaker, mindset coach, and NLP practitioner, whose story is one of resilience, inner transformation, and unapologetic authenticity.  From beauty pageants to a near-fatal car crash, from self-doubt to self-mastery, Burgette shares the moments that broke her, healed her, and ultimately revealed her mission: to help others live in their truth.  A certified NLP trainer and the creator of the upcoming digital program “LIT: Live In Truth,” Burgette has transformed trauma into testimony and now equips others with the mindset tools to do the same. If you’ve ever felt stuck, unworthy, or uncertain, this episode will show you what’s possible when you decide to participate in your own rescue.  This is a must-listen for anyone interested in healing, transformation, and unleashing personal greatness.      ⏱ Timestamped Overview  00:33 – If you could go back to 16: “Your mindset is your superpower.”  01:10 – The power of thoughts, language, and co-creating your reality  03:32 – Childhood, moving between 8 schools, shaping identity  06:38 – The masks we wear and the people-pleasing trap  09:19 – Discovering NLP and how emotions get stored in the body  14:52 – Pageantry, early confidence, and accidental entry into Miss Umhlanga  17:00 – Winning titles, modelling photos, and the tragic accident  18:05 – Near-death trauma: surviving a devastating car crash  23:00 – Reconstructive surgery and waking up on life support  30:57 – Anchoring with NLP, self-image and owning her scars  32:00 – Thoughts create chemistry: the mind-body connection  39:00 – Journaling, questions, and narrowing the emotional gap  39:50 – Conscious vs unconscious programming and personal transformation  44:32 – Inner beauty and post-accident growth  45:36 – Miss SA semi-final breakdown: self-doubt and freezing on stage  48:50 – Youth empowerment and rewiring limiting beliefs early  54:04 – Self-sabotage, rock bottom, and discovering neuroplasticity  56:48 – NLP training and launching her coaching career  59:28 – Therapy vs transformation: what finally worked  01:04:47 – Campaign of the Episode: Nike’s “Find Your Greatness”  01:11:00 – Creating her product “LIT – Live in Truth”  01:17:54 – The 11:11 anchor, Dr Joe Dispenza, and energy  01:19:15 – Who are her Incredible Machines?        💬 Quote of the Episode  “There are no unresourceful people. Only unresourceful states of mind, and that can be changed.” – Burgette Yarlett  🧠 Related Campaign Example:   Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” campaign — This campaign redefined greatness by showing everyday people achieving extraordinary things. It aligns perfectly with Burgette’s belief that we all have the power to create a new reality from within.  Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” campaigns: https://youtu.be/WYP9AGtLvRg?si=qOd0L35UtcoJtM0a    👣 Relevant Links    LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/burgette-yarlett-29380958   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgette.yarlett/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burgette.yarlett.mindset.mastery/   Beyond Visible Belief LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/company/beyond-visible-belief  Beyond Visible Belief Website: https://www.beyondvisiblebelief.com/   Beyond Visible Belief YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjsh0RDac58KynVD0qfd01Q         🌐 Connect with Tim Africa  🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica  🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa 
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  • Freedom, Identity & Reinvention: Mpume Zwane Langa
    Welcome to Episode 24 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Mpume Zwane Langa, a transformation champion, former Unilever finance executive, TEDx speaker, and resilient entrepreneur who’s lived many lives in one. Mpume shares her story of growing up in Umlazi, raised by a strong single mother, selling sweets and homemade ice lollies by age five to pay for her bus coupon. Her journey spans banking, beauty pageants, modeling, motherhood, boardrooms, and homeschooling. She speaks candidly about resisting labels, finding her freedom, raising kids as mirrors, and designing life on her own terms. If you’ve ever questioned the systems around you or the roles you’ve inherited, this episode will inspire you to unlearn, reimagine, and start again. Mpume reminds us: we don’t live our own lives, we live the lives of those before us until we choose differently. ⏱ Timestamped Overview 00:52 – Introduction and what Mpume would tell her 16-year-old self during apartheid 01:22 – Growing up in KwaMashu and lessons from her powerful single mother. 04:24 – Getting her first job with one of SA’s first black IT entrepreneur 06:52 – Unexpected entry into a beauty pageant: modelling as a mindset shift 08:15 – Why Mpume refused to be a bank teller and negotiated her path 11:36 – Discovering her leadership style and values in corporate 13:07 – Selling sweets and inventing her own creamy ice lollies at age 6 17:28 – Lessons in early marketing: branding, innovation, and packaging 20:00 – Gender, labels, and choosing to live many lives 21:37 – Dealing with toxic management, racism, and rising through private banking 26:06 – Power of personal branding: how a car and suit built trust 28:16 – Authenticity, leaving corporate, and defining success 34:55 – Building workplace environments that support women 38:33 – The sacred mirror of parenting and what kids teach us 44:58 – Transition to entrepreneurship: from Unilever financial director to her own boss 49:41 – Homeschooling and redefining education on her terms 53:27 – Learning through travel: why she fell in love with Asia 56:44 – Childhood inspiration: Peter Stuyvesant ads and the power of escapism 01:01:30 – Curiosity, innovation, and evolving past failure 01:05:43 – Mpume’s personal mantra and love for life 01:09:38 – Who are Mpume’s Incredible Machines? Quote of the Episode “Life is beautiful. Reach deeper into it and remain curious.” – Mpume Zwane Langa Related Campaign Example Peter Stuyvesant’s Travel-Driven Cigarette Campaigns — Though controversial now, Mpume credits these radio spots for sparking her desire to explore the world and broaden her reality. The ad created a sense of limitless possibility and remains a nostalgic case study in storytelling and escapism. Peter Stuyvesant’s Travel-Driven Cigarette Campaigns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIp1FE41tpE 👣 Relevant Links LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/mpume-zwane-langa-798a2535 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpumezl/ 🌐 Connect with Tim Africa. 🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica 🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa
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  • The Middle: Travis Gale
    Introduction  Welcome to Episode 23 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this powerful conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Travis Gale, a South African endurance athlete, speaker, and author of The Middle: How to Navigate the Space Between Your Start and Your Finish. Travis shares raw, insightful stories from the road; physical breakdowns, spiritual breakthroughs, and the ongoing dance between failure and fortitude.    At 18, he cycled around the world to raise R1.7 million for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Now, Travis leads a purpose-driven business and works with leaders and teams to embrace resilience and reconnect with their "why."  Drawing from his book, The Middle, he introduces the idea that real transformation happens not at the start or finish, but in the messy middle. This is a conversation about endurance, purpose, and finding meaning in hard things.    ⏱ Timestamped Overview  00:45 – Reflections on starting young, embracing the unknown, and the purpose behind the journey.  03:40 – Travis’s origin story: From church youth groups to riding around the world.   06:10  – How Travis got the opportunity to cycle around the world.  10:18 – Early struggles and preparation with his first cycle from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.  11:43 – Struggle with public speaking and the negative criticism from people.  16:00 – Choosing between internal and external voices, a big lesson learned from Trevor.  22:30 – Travis explains the emotional weight of “Day Five” and how he overcame it.  25:35 – Reconnecting with purpose at Kassi’s Stop and bouncing back on Day Six.  29:15 – Crossing Australia: flies, heat, straight roads, and milestone strategies.  37:47 – Travis explains how he travels and his belief that “you don’t need much.”  41:18 – Generosity of strangers in America, lessons in storytelling and resilience.  49:14 – Europe & the halfway point: language barriers, personal reflection, and finding flow.   55:53 – Connecting with Travis in his personal life and how he met his wife.  59:57 – Kilimanjaro failure and the beauty of learning the hard way.   01:03:53 – The end of the trip and his learnings after the finish line.  01:06:10 – Case study of Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival.  01:12:08 – Travis highlights his favorite quote and his perspective on it.  💬 Quote of the Episode  “It’s not about getting to the finish. It’s about who you become on the way there.” – Travis Gale    🧠 Related Campaign Example   Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival: Travis references the Shackleton expedition as a powerful metaphor for endurance, leadership, and navigating the "middle" of any journey. The documentary re-creates explorer Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition, showcasing not only the physical extremes of survival but also the mental and emotional resilience needed to lead through chaos.    Documentary Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxX6kBD8lU        👣 Relevant Links    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisgale/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travgale/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travis.gale.50  The Middle Website: https://themiddle.co.za/  The Middle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themiddlejourney/  The Middle Book: https://www.amazon.com/Middle-keep-going-pursuit-goals-ebook/dp/B08C4YWFK8?ref_=ast_author_mpb      🌐 Connect with Tim Africa  🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica  🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa 
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This is an educational series where we interview people we consider Incredible Machines. The conversations will be facilitated in a way that allows us to establish what makes these people “incredible” so that we may learn and try their strategies and tactics where applicable.
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