Staying forever young and curious by following Bruce, my radio hero; and pointers to some great reading

Do you remember Bruce Millar? I’ve been a secret admirer for decades. Got to thinking about him again this week.

I matriculated in 1976, two years after Bruce’s hit song, I Won’t Give Up, had topped the local charts for six weeks. It deserved to. Right for the times, it is one of those three-and-a-half minuters with a tune so catchy it’s wedged into the memory banks of my generation. With words that helped me through the hell of basic training and over the regulation teenage heartbreaks.

Bruce was also a giant in the theatre of the mind. In the era before television, his was one of the most recognizable voices on the old Springbok Radio. Always as the dashing young hero. Television pushed that kind of entertainment into the shadows. But for me, one of the privileges of various spells at the SABC was meeting this authentic star of my youth. The same Bruce Millar who became almost part of SAFM’s furniture.

He was the same in real life as he came across on air. Although chronologically advanced (he’ll be 68 in December), his voice never aged. Guess that’s because, inside, he never has. In his broadcasting, Bruce retained the curiosity of his youth. A character trait I’ve done my best to mimic. Without apology. Even though it’s a lot easier just saying so.

There was a reminder of this from by an old friend I bumped into this week. His entrepreneurial efforts have been handsomely rewarded. As a frustrated would-be journalist – of whom there are more than you’d imagine in executive suites – he’d always retained a keen interest in my sector. Inevitably, we got talking about the future of media. And Biznewz.biz.

In true Bruce Millar-style I enthused how in just three weeks, the site’s reach had grown to the place it took me five years at Moneyweb. Explaining that this is because of social media, the phenomenon that’s revolutionised the word-of-mouth factor critical in publishing. You can produce the very best content., But if nobody gets to see it, you’ll always struggle. But get viral marketing momentum and a virtuous circle feeds itself. Freeing you to focus upon on the only thing that ensures sustainability: top quality, original content.

But wait, he cautioned. What’s the business model? The same friend who shook his head when discovering my salary was lower than his secretary’s, doesn’t get that part. For him, every business is there to make as much profit as possible. It’s part of his DNA. A core truth of the free enterprise model. Otherwise, he might have added, what’s the point?

Tap dancing to work perhaps?

Until next week.

What you might have missed: The ten best read articles on biznewz.biz in the past week:

Julius Malema’s EFF is well named. Its policies are designed to FIGHT economic freedom. – Easily our top read story of the week; 35 retweets and 317 “likes” on Facebook. If you missed it, this interview with Tom Palmer is the one stroy you just have to read.

Unintended consequences of the war on copper cable theft; enormous job losses are possible. – Another story that captured the community’s imagination. Not just because copper cable theft is so wasteful. South Africans have lost patience with the pilferers.

Piet Viljoen’s Value Investing 101. Beating the market with a margin of safety and ignoring stories. –  The founder of Re: CM gave an excellent keynote at his company’s annual conference last week. Here is the edited version of his talk.

Peachy listed property prospect offering guaranteed double digit yield has size on its side – My interview with the CEO was combative. Even so, this is a share to accumulate

Blue Label shares take hit on results – sanity will prevail; it’s one of the JSE’s most exciting prospects – Stock below 2007 prices and exciting tech business delivering on early promise.

So you think the Rand can only weaken? Think again.– Andrew Newell of Cannon Asset Managers with a timely reminder that nothing is a one-way bet. Especially the ZAR.

Quo Vadis SA mining industry? Overfull feeding trough has opened doors to Malema – Clive Simpkins has a legion of fans. He challenges us to look differently at this turbulent sector.

I cried at work this week. Do I look like I care? – Biznewz’s young blogger Jes Edgson pulled the crowds again through sharing her vulnerability. Sharing deeply personal insights.

Need insurance, safe haven, so invest in gold? Consider the rational approach – An excellent article that is sure to make even the most devout gold bug think differently about bullion.

Time for a Spring Clean after a slobby winter? – Biznewz’s newest blogger Celynn Erasmus attracted lots of interest. She makes good health understandable and easy to achieve.

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