The road to our destiny
By Louis Eksteen
Kim and I are sitting down for breakfast at a fabulous foody retreat hotel in the Drakensberg during one of the legendary UpperCase Media management conferences/jols. During the session the day before we were introduced to this new thing, a kind of chat app with place for only 140 characters at a time. Little did we know…
The previous evening we had a pajama party. Now the renowned chef of Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse (and previously Granny Mouse) fame brings us a breakfast of champions.
With delight, Richard Poynton announces: “Today we serve a truly special breakfast: Poached eggs and twisted toast.”
Kim leans over to me and says: “Now that’s a great name for our future agency”.
This was about six years before the creation of Twisted Toast. We still had to pay a few dues before our due date.
Kim and I had often spoken about launching our own business. A yearning to be in control of our own destiny gnawed at us for a decade or more. Ownership became our goal. When we saw the traditional magazine business facing the inevitable rise of the machines, it was time to jump and go.
The Toast came into being through 2009 and 2010 and after leaving our corporate comfort zones, we started officially on 1 April 2011.
We needed a space to work and my lounge served us well. Kim took the transition in her stride, while I lay on my couch for two weeks “to adjust”.
Our first client, Chartered Wealth Solutions, are with us still. We owe Kim Potgieter, John Campbell and Barclay Hoar a debt of gratitude. It was also the start of building expertise in the financial services sector, where our clients now include Galileo Capital and, through SmartRand, ABSA.
In the beginning we spent quite a bit of time creating our own digital brand platforms and it paid off with being found online for a long-lasting engagement at RS Components, which led to our current contract with Barloworld Equipment. We love those big yellow machines!
A chance meeting with an old school friend got us into the high value game sector, which has taken us far and wide, memorably to the heart of the Kalahari in July last year. We are priviledged to work in this important agricultural field.
Our game work led to a wonderful business relationship with Atterbury. We continue to be amazed at the fantastic work they do through Atterbury Trust, truly a shining example of what can be achieved through charity that works.
These days we are also glad to be doing some work in the affordable private education category. Barnstone Education is an amazing group making a significent difference where it counts the most: Ensuring our country’s children receive the education they deserve.
The Toast has been a fascinating ride so far and we have many plans up our sleeves.
Thank you Kim, David, Erik, Antoni, Sharlene, Angela, Quinton, Melinda, Kevin, Pieter and so many more. Next time I see you, we’ll be six years young… and counting.
