VaultLife has its international launch 5 April 2014 so when we asked Bryan Pinehro and Donovan Black to pack for Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Nigeria they were none the wiser.

We explained to them that we could not send in the USA sales team. The quote had come back and the American medical aid and emergency evacuation insurances were too expensive. In addition the USA embassy had issued a cautionary to any USA citizen wanting to travel to these three countries.

They looked at us. We continued. .

We told them we would have to send in South African citizens who could take the heat i.e. Bryan and Donovan!

They nodded thoughtfully in our boardroom at 9am on 1 April 2014

Once in the various countries they would have to travel alone. They would be given a large amount of foreign currency that they could use at their discretion to get themselves out of difficult situations on the road. As Ebola, ecoli, yellow fever, malaria and blackwater fever are rife in these countries they needed to have a full set of inoculations before leaving.

They nodded thoughtfully.

They are asked to phone their parents to bring their passports so that we could start the visa applications.

Bryan spoke first. “Mike, I have committed to making 100 calls a day to recruit new VaultLife members. Please ensure that the phone I’m given has international roaming so that I don’t miss my targets while overseas”

Neither of them flinched although their eyes told a different story.

I value loyalty above anything else but I was blown away. These guys had what it takes. They have the passion and they have the vision. Doing business in Nigeria was do-able because they believed in their mission and in their product offering. Wow. Now there are brand ambassadors. The excitement of VaultLife overtook their fear of Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Rwanda. They knew they could tell the story and sell the dream.

At 11:45am they returned to the boardroom and began the visa application process. They filled in page one. They filled in page two. They turned to page three which only had two words ie April Fool.

We all laughed till years ran down our checks but I knew I had witnessed something special. Well done Bryan Pinhero and Donovan Black.

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“The lion is the pride of Africa, it imparts inspiration and a sense of awe. It is a touchstone that exists outside of ourselves; something that we can aspire to, something extraordinary that empowers confidence and supernatural belief. Africa without the lion would be just another place…”

My statement taken from the Protecting African Lions Ambassador’s page.

I have taken a special interest in the lion conservation projects facilitated by PAL founded by South African artist Conor Mccreedy. This is because I work too hard, my phone never stops ringing and my email box is always full.

Being part of a laudable venture like PAL takes my out of myself, out of my context and places me where I can stand alone (with my wife Candice) and make a difference. Men in particular have a need to be part of a bigger story; it is good for us and helps us maintain a sense of balance and perspective.

The official launch of PAL will take place at Soho House in New York on 27 September 2013 and I’m proud to be one of the brand ambassadors.

For more information you can visit the Protecting African Lions website . You too can support the cause by purchasing your own PAL bracelet – see below.

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Candice and I come from two very different families.
To expect them to bond together without any glue is unreasonable so we set about providing the much-needed glue i.e. a five day wedding extravaganza for the immediate family members.

We also included my six groomsmen and Candice’s six bridesmaids because that’s where we spend our time, either with our families or with our close friends.

We chose Prynnsberg Estate in Clocolan – a 14 bedroom sandstone mansion built in 1881 by the diamond mining magnate Charles Newberry.

In the LIVEOUTLOUD tradition the event had to be larger than life. We arranged clay pigeon shooting, bicycle polo, croquet and archery. Each evening had a different theme e.g. a masked Venetian ball in the old chapel and an Arabian evening on the terrace. At each event everybody was required to dress up. This was important to get people to relax but also made for awesome photos!

Meals were also a critical time for people to get to know one another. Every meal was in a different venue; this forced people to sit in different places and in different combinations. The main lounge was equipped with an espresso machine that ran 24 hours a day; folk were able to chat and discus the mansions interesting collection of fine South African coffee table books going back almost 100 years.

The extended period also allowed interaction of a more serious nature. Candice and I spent time with the pastor who married us. This allowed us to reflect on some of the more serious issues of a lifetime commitment. The night before the big day my dad and I spent in the mountain cave just hanging out and chatting about ‘stuff’.

The entire stay was documented by two photographers and one videographer. Ok, so my family LOVES photos but that aside – the photos provided us with a fun way to interact on FaceBook after the wedding – thus we were able to keep the conversations going long after the event was over.

Our wedding format drew a line in the sand and helped all involved to understand that family life after the wedding will never be the same again – new faces, new viewpoints, new values, new sensitivities and a new family dynamic. Every person is an equal member of the new family, from the grannies in their 80’s to my baby brother who is only 6 – and let’s not forget the family pets where who also present!

It was not all fun and games – during the stay we charged the two families and our friends that they were equal custodians of our marriage commitment; that they also had a responsibility to make this thing work, no easy task in this modern era.

The wedding format was a great success and achieved more than we could ever have hoped for. It is my wish that more families will take a more serious look at the mechanisms needed to join families together in a life long commitment that is part of this thing called marriage.

The five day event was featured on the South African TV Channel Top Billing  SABC3 – Top Billing. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiv9ibzJHHs

Here are some of the wedding photos

The post MARRY OUT LOUD – Eilertsen and Otto appeared first on Mike Eilertsen.

SMS “Donate FOOD” to 48949. Each sms costs R10 which will go towards feeding our rescued puppies and dogs and developing our new shelter facilities.

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