Jenny completed her IB Diploma at WIS in 2010. An IBDP class of 13 students. She studied Accounting at the University of Cape Town and returned to work as an accountant at Ernst & Young in Windhoek where she was the Chairperson of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee of EY.
This is her story now:
She lives with her partner Martin in Bali, Indonesia.
We Started a Business! @chaiofthetigerbali
Read the below to find out how we got here.
In May 2021 we decided to embark on a sort of gap year/sabbatical/mini retirement in search of new perspectives and self growth. Thereafter the plan was to emigrate to a first world country and continue pursuing our professional careers.
Taking the time off? Some thought we were crazy, some were inspired, and some have marvelled at what we have done, unable to believe they were capable of the same.
Things changed however.
Martin had the idea to start a business in July 2021 and we figured this was the best way to gain new perspectives and grow.
Once we evaluated the risks and rewards of starting a cafe, we had to come up with the name, the concept, the recipes, find staff, register the business, design and renovate a property, manage our finances and most difficult of all, learn to deal with uncertainty.
We had to figure out how to manage our new business relationship in parallel with our personal relationship, dividing responsibility and communicating more effectively.
Our first child together, Chai of the Tiger was brought to life with a gestation period of only 3 months.
Many people have been surprised by this speed, existing business owners, aspiring ones, friends and family.
AGAIN: Some thought we were crazy, some were inspired, and some have marvelled in what we have done, unable to believe they were capable of something similar themselves.
However, we are lucky to say that no-one actually discouraged us, and that we have each-other’s support in it all.
We are by no means saying we know what we are doing, nor that it was easy, but we are learning a whole lot, and even more rapidly than when things seemed more “certain”.
We may or may not still emigrate, but we are figuring out our values.
Tim Ferris used the following quote in the "4-hour work week" (one of our mini-retirement reads).
“Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.” ― Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
