To be honest, I don’t know Halsted Designs that well – but I immediately loved their fun, quirky prints! I guess when living overseas, that African nostalgia pulls at one’s heart strings too!

TITLE: Fleur heyns Co-founder Halsted Design

1. ) How did your business/blog/website come about? How was this idea born and what lead you to do what you’re doing now? 

I had been on the board of Ardmore Ceramic Art when an Italian friend approached me to ask whether we could set up an African Design business focusing on the export market. Ardmore had already started to develop other products outside its Ceramic Art range so I decided to bring these two initiatives together under one roof and Halsted Design was born.

 At Halsted we want to become Africa’s leading homeware & accessory brand that will be recognised globally for:

• incredibly beautiful & fun products
• responsible manufacturing & positive contributor to skills and economic development in Africa
• shortening the path for artists and products to a wide global audience who have a desire for beautiful products with a story

2.) Tell us about your morning routine. Any specific rituals / productivity aspects etc 

 I get up around 5am and read Vedanta philosophy (ancient Indian philosophy that helps you develop objectivity and develop the intellect), followed by a very quick stretch, getting the kids ready for school and on a lucky day walking up Table Mountain with my husband .

3.) What inspires you? 

 People with incredible potential and determination to develop themselves and therefore make real contributions to the world

 4.) Biggest lesson you’ve learnt?

 To gain it, you have to lose it.

5.) Biggest failure so far?

*At a relative scale: toss up between not becoming captain of Oxford Blues Hockey team & failing driving license exam the first time round. 

 *At an absolute level building a retail stockbroking business in Russia 6 months before the global 2008 crisis.

6.) Biggest Success so far?

 Having found a path to being permanently “happy”, now I just need to keep following it…

 7.) Your work space? Clean & Minimal or Eclectic and colourful – what would we find on your desk?

 Combination of colourful & organised chaos with a ambition to be resource efficient and minimal – clearly not happening

 8.) Top 3 entrepreneurial tips?

 Have a confident big plan and focus on execution

 Surround yourself by smart people who challenge you

 Never take “no” for an answer, break or change the limits

9.) Who are you currently listening to? 

 Swamiji Parthasarathy

 10.) Your best marketing tool? 

 Still need to discover that

 11.) Dream Big Right? What’s next for you?

 There is nothing next, I am doing it right now by participating in building incredible companies.

For more info:

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