Interview With Trevor Mumba, Street Hustler Turned Corporate Genius.

March 24, 2011 - PRLog -- I had a telephone interview with Trevor about a week ago. I was hoping to meet with him in person. Unfortunately he had a string of meetings he was attending and I was in the city, Cape Town the mother-city only for a few hours. I hope to introduce myself properly in my next publication where I will also be talking about why I chose to write about this guy. I have done some articles on Trevor in the past and it has been very interesting to check up on him time after time and monitor his progress as a businessman and growth as a person.

Our telephonic chat lasted about twenty minutes and as always, a conversation with "young caesar” leaves you with a new perspective on his life and the lives of people that surround him.

Do not make a mistake to think Trevor is a saint. He is as human as they come. The difference between Trevor and a lot of people I have met in my life is the confidence, fun, style, passion that he approaches life with.

I had specific questions that I gathered from people closest to him. People he shares his joys, pains and goals with but people who never seem to fully understand this sometimes sophisticated, unpredictable guy. I have known Trevor for a while now myself, but there is always something fascinating about him. He has a personality that you either fall in love with at first contact or you resent at first sight. Let’s see what people who think they know him wanted to know about Trevor.

JOHAN PITZER (TM’s Assistant Manager): Who is the one person who made you who you are today, and how?

TM: That’s a hard one Johan. Who Iam so far has been made possible by a lot of people who are very special to me. There has been a number of people whose love and support has contributed a lot to making me the man that Iam today. These people built me brick by brick. Some sacrificed a lot of time and patience to see me make it and my appreciation will never be enough. My grandmother is a legend. It’s amazing how an uneducated woman educated a lost troublesome child and turned him into a responsible hard working man. My family, the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m grateful. Robert Green, for looking out for me. He treated me like his young brother, still does. Chantal Claassen, my adopted young sister, I love you. The boys and girls at Rovert Inc., you are the best. You guys are my new family. My girlfriend for understanding my hustle.

NICOLE FORTUNE (TM’s Personal Assistant):  When do you plan on retiring? How do you plan on spending your retirement?

TM: Nicole, my goal has always been to retire at the age of 35. As you have noticed though, Iam quite attached to what I do and I keep asking myself how easy it is going to be for me to stay away from businesses I have built with my own hands. I guess, the best way to do this will be to train people well enough to trust them to care for my business as much I do. I have an addiction for new challenges. Therefore, I foresee a situation where I will retire from one business to start another one.
Once I retire, I will travel extensively. I want to see places. I want to learn how to say hi in as many languages as possible. I want to build race courses and race cars. I want to write poetry and design clothes. I want to collect cars. I want to build orphanages. I want to be president.

PITSI MANGKA (TM’s Assistant Manager): If you believe you were born for a purpose, what is that purpose? And have you, or are you fulfilling it?

TM: I was born to serve a purpose, no doubt about it. Proof is the life I have and the chain of events that’s have happened in my life so far. It can’t be an accident. I believe this is my purpose: To make a little boy or girl believe in a thousand tomorrows, no matter the situation they might be in because they saw someone else defy the facts. When every step I take, I do it with that in mind. Iam fulfilling that purpose daily. To know even one life has been changed for the better because I never gave up, that is fulfilling.

MICHAEL FOLEY(Training Manager at Rovert): What keeps you thriving towards your achievements? Considering what you have been through and what you have accomplished.

TM: I just refuse to be an ordinary kind of guy Mike. Life dealt me a sad card but I chose to change the outcome. I chose to win and I choose every morning when I wake up what I want for myself and the people around me. Giving other people a reason to believe sends me to bed smiling every night. Im grateful for my achievements so far but there is still plenty more battles to be won. I love to win. I love the emotion that comes with glory. I love the smile on every face whose life I touch on the battlefield of life. That’s what keeps me pushing for more Mike.

MARY CHALIRA (Training Manager at Rovert): Its very rare for a young Zambian guy who has been on the streets to have never smoked or taken alcohol before. How did you miss out?

TM: Oh Mary, why are you so funny?  It’s not a must to smoke or drink alcohol. I understand your question though. I get it quite a lot. I guess it goes back to the choices we make in life. Though I was a hustler on the streets, I knew my destiny was much bigger than that. I had to make choices that I would be proud of in future. I chose to abstain from smoking and drinking. No qualms with people who drink and smoke. Most of my friends smoke.  My reasons are personal.

NTHABISENG MMUSI (Training Manager at Rovert):  Your business strategies and techniques are very street and different. You think out of the box, at the same time you are always willing to take risks and do what others have shied away from doing. People who go to college always go by the books. How possible is it to groom them and what worked for you?

TM: I apply my personality to my business. That’s the best strategy you can ever use. We are all intelligent in our own ways and I’m just never afraid to try out new things. Nothing is set in stone. College is good but some theories are out-dated by the time you graduate. These theories are usually thoughts and opinions of other people anyway. That means you can create your own to fit your business model. Business should be fun and sometimes education puts too much emphasis on professionalism that it takes away that element. I try to be as professional  as possible but not too overly corporate. Plus I’m young.

It’s an advantage to have some tertiary education. It’s so much easier for college and varsity graduates to be groomed into effective business leaders than for a less educated person but again, it’s all about how ambitious you are and ambition cannot be taught.  

The conversations above were Q’s and A’s between Trevor and some of his colleagues.

Trevor Mumba is CEO and Member of Rovert Inc. Rovert Inc's biggest client currently is Virgin Mobile. In the next few months, Rovert is moving into Zambia and Malawi as part of their expansion program. Rovert Inc is affiliated with Real Promotions, an organization of young and energetic entrepreneurs thats taking Southern Africa by storm. For more information on Rovert Inc's partnership with Real Promotions, follow the link at the bottom of the page.

Like I said I above, I will be posting a publication on why I have chosen Trevor Mumba as an assignment in my life and work. I believe this is one person who is human enough to believe in creating possibilities not just for himself but millions of people down the line.

Till next time.

Dwele

http://www.realpromotions.co.za/partners.html