By Jaime Uranovsky
Mike Abel is a man who needs little introduction.
Indeed, M&C Saatchi Abel, of which Mike is co-founder and CEO, is one of South Africaโs top marketing and communications companies, and has garnered various accolades over the years including the Large Agency of the Year Award at the 2019 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards. Since 2020 signifies the companyโs tenth birthday, it was the perfect time for Mike to pen Willing & Abel: Lessons from a Decade in Crisis.
As Mike explains, โFor many years Iโve been doing a lot of talking, public speaking, mentoring and coachingโฆ in terms of imparting wisdom and insight and knowledge and case studies that Iโve garnered through my 30-year career, and you have a limited ability in terms of the number of people that you are able to reach. About 18 months ago I thought that the best way to share these things would be through writing a bookโ. The book, written in conversation with Tudor Caradoc-Davies, comprises 11 chapters, each of which addresses a different principle or teaching.
In Mikeโs own words, โI always wanted the book to be usefulโฆ a series of lessons learnt that people could apply to their own life, their own business, their own situation and take it on, so we always knew it was going to be a catalogue of stories and insightsโ. In this way, it is relevant to everyone, whether one is a learner just leaving school or a seasoned entrepreneur. He adds, โIt spans all industriesโฆItโs a book about life, about personal issues, about business struggles and about emigration. It covers my move to Australia and my move back to South Africa and my belief in this countryโ
While Mike acknowledges South Africaโs challenges and issues, he remains hopeful about the countryโs future: โWhat has changed is that there are active citizens in South Africa and Iโm reassured and encouraged by the growth in active citizenry in the way that the independent media has played an enormous role in liberating us from the state capture projectโฆ What we do have is a remarkable country with remarkable people and incredible assets โฆWe are world leaders in many industries in terms of the brilliant minds of this country and I think if we get behind the positive and fight the good fight, we can pull the country out of this messโ. Indeed, Mike believes that South Africaโs youth can become part of the solution by recognising the opportunity within the country and by contributing to it instead of leaving.
โThere is a wonderful saying that โwhere there is chaos, there is money to be madeโ, and what it means in my view is that chaos creates new opportunitiesโ. He references his own company which he started in โan overtraded market in a downturned economy at the peak where everyone was predicting it would be a disasterโ. In beating the odds Mike says, โWeโve focused on the opportunity, on innovating, on bringing great products to the market, and on talent. Iโve had one saying on my wall my entire career: โThe people who have the best people winโโ.
Mike credits much of his worldview to his upbringing and to his Jewish heritage. โI am very invested in the Jewish belief that, in life, you get because of what you give and not because of what you take, so I have always wanted to contribute to society since childhood daysโฆ our role is to make the world a better place and to contribute meaningfully and activelyโ.
Willing & Abel is available on Amazon, Takealot, Kindle and is retailing at both chain and independently owned bookstores.
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