The Resonate Podcast with Michelle Expert

Michelle Expert
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Your Gateway to Sales and Entrepreneurial Mastery. Join us as we delve into the minds of industry executives, thought leaders, and sales gurus to uncover the most powerful insights, strategies, and tactics for driving revenue growth and scaling businesses. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a budding sales professional, tune in to gain invaluable wisdom and actionable advice to propel your success to new heights."

  1. 13h ago

    ⁠From "Just Another Corporate Employee" to Building Africa's Next Uniform Empire | Khabonina Mnguni

    🎙️ What if the key to unlocking your true business potential isn't about playing safe in a corporate office, but taking a "Crazy Faith" leap into your family’s legacy? On this episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with Khabo, the powerhouse Co-Founder and CEO of Zibangwenya Supplies Uniforms(trading as ZS Uniforms). Sharing the raw, unvarnished reality of cashing out her 15-year pension to build a thriving uniform manufacturing and retail empire in Tembisa, Khabo breaks down what it actually takes to transition from a corporate employee to a full-time, impact-driven entrepreneur. Khabo completely dismantles the myth that you have to start with years of retail experience or massive funding to build a successful township business. Instead, she teaches you how to leverage corporate systems as a stepping stone, secure major corporate CSI sponsorships, implement trial hiring structures that protect your business, and stay anchored when financial stress and doubt threaten to knock you down. 💡 Some of what she gets into: * The "Crazy Faith" Gamble: Why Khabo walked away from a stable 15-year career at Eskom, cashed out her pension, and took a massive risk to renovate her grandparents' vacant retail complex to bring premium retail excellence to Tembisa. * The 1-to-2 Month "Trial Contract" Shield: Why giving short-term trial contracts is the ultimate protection for small businesses against bad hires, and why "firing fast" doesn't mean a candidate is bad—it just means they aren't the right fit for your team. * Unlocking Corporate CSI Budgets: Khabo's relentless approach to sending proposals daily, which took ZS Uniforms from raising sponsorships for 90 jerseys in 2023 to partnering with corporate giants like Standard Bank, and Investec to distribute uniforms to thousands of kids. * The Mindset of a "Pocket Rocket": Moving with relentless initiative (with or without a sponsor's immediate yes) and never despising small beginnings—even if your target is a thousand jerseys and you start with just five. ✨ She also talks about: * The ZS Foundation's Mission: How school uniforms go far beyond clothing, serving as a powerful tool to restore dignity and inject confidence in township and rural learners. * Harnessing Family Talent: Bringing her talented cousin, a fashion designer who used to sew matric dance dresses, into the business to elevate the manufacturing standards of township retail. * The Twin Sister Soundboard: Why Khabo's identical twin sister staying in corporate safety creates the perfect grounded balance and analytical sounding board for Khabo's big visionary dreams. * Getting Back Up on the Down Days: The emotional reality of crying when her pension ran out, and the spiritual framework she uses to sit with tough emotions before taking herself out of the equation and remembering the vision is bigger than her. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur struggling to leave the comfort of your 9-to-5, a business owner looking to secure corporate funding, or someone searching for the courage to step into your God-given calling, this episode is your blueprint. 🎧 A deeply inspiring, practical guide to building a business with purpose, mastering township retail operations, securing corporate partnerships, and keeping the faith through the scariest moments of your journey. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway (and whether you are currently in corporate dreaming of a business, or an entrepreneur figuring out your next scale!) 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/...

  2. Aug 10

    How I Quit My Job Using 4 Sales Secrets They Don’t Teach in School

    🎙️ What if the biggest reason you are losing high-ticket deals isn't your product, but the fact that you simply don’t know when to shut up? On this solo episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert pulls back the curtain on the raw, unvarnished reality of sales—the real kind, not the loud, fast-talking movie version. Sharing the exact hard-earned lessons she learned the expensive way, Michelle breaks down the highly overlooked sales skills that took her from employee to full-time entrepreneur. Michelle completely dismantles the toxic myth that great salespeople must have the "gift of the gab". Instead, she teaches you how to weaponise silence to close deals, hold your price with absolute conviction when a client says "it's too expensive", and tap into the goldmine of revenue quietly sitting in your un-responded DMs. 💡 Some of what she gets into: ✅ The "Shut Up and Close" Rule: Why the person asking the questions controls the room, and how to master the agonising silence that closes deals like magic. ✅ The 3-Step "Too Expensive" Sequence: Exactly how to manage your facial expression and voice when a prospect flinches at your price so you never look like an amateur. ✅ Why Discounting is Poison: How dropping your price out of fear breeds resentment, exhausts you, and teaches clients to respect your work less. ✅ The DM Goldmine: Why the fortune is in the 4th follow-up, and why sending "just checking in" is secretly acting as a guilt trip to your clients. ✅ Selling as Kingdom Service: A powerful mindset shift for faith-based builders on why charging properly for your value honour's the gift God gave you. ✨ She also talks about: • Three Powerful Questions to Steal: The exact prompts to make clients self-sell and hand you the roadmap to their "Yes". • The Ultimate 30-Day Follow-Up Cadence: A step-by-step timeline (from Day 2 to Day 30) to stay warmly and consistently on your prospect's radar. • The AI Advantage: How to easily use artificial intelligence to draft highly personalised, value-first messages that get replies. • Manipulation vs. True Sales: The simple diagnostic test to separate sleazy sales tactics from high-integrity service. • Confidence vs. Pressure: Why needing the "yes" less is the ultimate secret to getting more of them. If you are a business owner struggling to hit your targets, terrified of talking about your pricing, or leaving money on the table because you don't want to be "annoying," this episode is your blueprint. 🎧 A deeply practical, myth-busting guide to transforming your sales mindset, pricing with conviction, and serving your clients with absolute excellence. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway (and which of the four skills—listening, pricing, follow-up, or confidence—you struggle with the most!) 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/community

  3. Aug 3

    -Why Quitting Your Job Too Soon Could Kill Your Dream

    🎙️ What if the 20-year corporate career you are desperate to escape is actually the exact training ground you need to build a massive business empire? On this episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with Kay Williams, the founder of Creme Beauty Lounge, to talk about the gritty reality of scaling a beauty brand from a side hustle to a 12-store operation employing 90 people. Kay breaks down the brutal truth about location scouting, why affordable luxury doesn't mean cheap products, and exactly how to transition from employee to CEO without tanking your finances. K doesn't hold back. She tackles the glamorous myth of entrepreneurship, arguing instead that the discipline, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and analytical skills learned in a corporate job are the real secrets to surviving in business. She even shares the heavy reality of releasing a salary bill for 90 families and why pulling the plug on a failing store wasn't a failure it was a necessary strategic move to protect her growing empire. 💡 Some of what she gets into: ✅ Why "affordable luxury" and a walk-in, first-come-first-serve model are the ultimate strategies for capturing busy corporate clients. ✅ The strict financial disciplines you must adopt when you are responsible for paying 90 salaries every single month. ✅ Why you should never burn bridges when leaving corporate (and how she managed her side hustle alongside her day job until her boss advised her to choose one). ✅ How to analyze LSMs, anchor tenants, and foot traffic to avoid making extremely expensive real estate mistakes. ✅ The reality of funding a business: starting with family savings, leveraging Yoko Capital, and building a credit record. ✨ She also talks about: • Why creating airtight SOPs and compliance manuals is the only way to successfully prepare a business for national franchising. • How to manage high staff turnover by setting people free to grow elsewhere instead of holding onto grudges. • Her vision to build Creme Academies directly in townships to empower women and combat unemployment. • The deep spiritual conviction behind building a "Kingdom Business" and why tithing is a non-negotiable financial habit for her. • Her ultimate lesson for every entrepreneur: why you must "never stop giving". If you are a business owner trying to balance a side hustle with a demanding day job, struggling with cash flow, or dreaming of scaling your service business without losing your mind, this episode has a lot to sit with. 🎧 A genuinely practical, myth-busting guide to transitioning from corporate life to empire-building and leading with excellence. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway (and which of K's business insights you are going to apply this week!) 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/ (https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/)

  4. Jul 27

    Why You're Losing Sales (And Don't Even Know It)

    🎙️ What if the AI everyone is terrified of is actually the first employee your small business can finally afford? On this episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert gets real about the topic every entrepreneur is either dreading or ignoring: Artificial Intelligence. She breaks down the brutal truth about burnout, why doing everything yourself is costing you deals, and exactly how to use AI in 2026 without turning into a generic robot. Michelle doesn't hold back. She tackles the fear that AI will destroy the "human touch" that South African businesses are built on, arguing instead that the human touch isn't threatened by AI it is freed by it. She even does a live, on-screen demonstration of how she turns a gruelling two-hour proposal process into a 15-minute review job, proving that AI is not a luxury for the resourced, but leverage for the under-resourced. 💡 Some of what she gets into: ✅ Why speed, not price, is the real reason small businesses are losing deals ✅ The 5 specific tasks you MUST hand over to AI this week to buy back your time ✅ Why you should treat AI like a brilliant intern (and why it never sends anything without the boss reading it first) ✅ How to build a personalised bank of customer FAQs so you never send a tired WhatsApp reply again ✅ The exact prompt Michelle uses to draft a structured, winning sales training proposal in seconds ✨ She also talks about: • How to use simple voice notes to let AI write your content while keeping your unique voice • Why most sales die because we go quiet, and how AI follow-up sequences can change that • Doing comprehensive market research in an afternoon instead of paying for an expensive consultant's invoice • The spiritual conviction that using the best tools available is a form of stewardship and honouring the business God gave you • The ultimate warning: why letting AI make you generic will automate away the exact reason people chose you If you are a small business owner wearing ten different hats, struggling with burnout, or just want to buy back your evenings without losing your personal touch, this episode has a lot to sit with. 🎧 A genuinely practical, myth-busting guide to scaling your business with AI and leading with excellence. For this part, we've included the actual clip so you can see us putting it into practice. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/429KrTR7K5E 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway (and which of the 5 AI tasks you are going to try this week!) 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/ (https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/)

  5. Jul 20

    The 48-Hour Rule That Could Save Your Business (and Your Sanity) Stop Calling Your Team "Family" Here's Why It Backfires

    🎙️ What if treating your team like "family" is the exact thing destroying your business? On this episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with Ansa, founder of Wise HR Consulting, a South African HR consultancy helping businesses build stronger teams, healthier workplace cultures, and compliant people systems. They get into the brutal truth about leadership, the dangers of over-familiarity with staff, and how to balance genuine compassion with strict accountability. Ana doesn't hold back. She talks about how working her fingers to the bone for a toxic boss left her hospitalised with stomach ulcers, pushing her to finally start her own business at almost 50 years old. She opens up about the frustrating reality of the modern hiring process, the influx of AI-generated resumes, and why holding on to a top-performer who is a "rotten apple" is the fastest way to ruin a brilliant work culture. 💡 Some of what they get into: ✅ Why calling your staff "family" makes it impossible to handle discipline or report theft effectively ✅ The "48-Hour Rule" for processing intense emotions before making any major business decisions or disciplining staff ✅ Why you should hire for passion over head knowledge every single time ✅ The "rotten apple concept" and why leaders are terrified to fire toxic but high-earning sales staff ✅ How to balance genuine compassion for employee trauma with the daily performance demands of the business ✅ The entitlement trap: why fancy job titles often stop people from putting in the hard work ✅ The danger of people-pleasing as a leader and why you shouldn't care if your employees "like" you ✨ They also talk about: •    The secret "Michelle wants the best" subject-line trick to instantly weed out candidates who lack attention to detail •    Why ChatGPT is ruining the hiring process and why Ana prefers in-office practical aptitude tests over perfectly scripted CVs •    The mindset shift needed to scale your leadership and train your staff to run the business if you were gone tomorrow •    Why trusting your "gut feeling" is the most powerful spiritual sense you have for making the right hiring choices If you're building a team, managing staff, or just want to know how to be a better leader without losing your sanity, this conversation has a lot to sit with. 🎧 A genuinely honest talk about HR, setting boundaries, and leading with unshakeable confidence. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/ (https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/)

  6. Jul 13

    Why you need to be unforgettable

    Description 🎙️ What if you stopped letting failure define you and started asking "what if?" instead? On this episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with Dr. Phindile Msomi Group CEO of Hazila Group, founder of Acumute Consulting, and the woman behind the newly launched Impact and Legacy Collective. They get into what real leadership actually costs, what resilience looks like in practice, and why she believes purpose has to come before profit not the other way around. Dr. Phindi doesn't hold back. She talks about becoming a mother as a teenager, losing her husband shaped the way she thinks about business. She built a hydroponic farming company from the ground up and when COVID hit and wiped out her hospitality clients overnight, she pivoted to processing dried herbs just to keep going. She also opens up about why helping women in informal settlements build something of their own has become the whole point for her. 💡 Some of what they get into: ✅ Why just having a good idea means nothing it's the unglamorous, day-to-day execution that counts ✅ Why she sees a "pity party" as something she simply can't afford to throw ✅ Choosing curiosity over fear the "what if" mindset that keeps her moving ✅ Balancing the reality of daily survival with the sacrifices long-term growth demands ✅ Why getting your business formally registered early matters it's proof for investors down the line ✅ How something as simple as asking customers what they actually want can change everything ✅ Trusting faith and gut instinct when opportunities show up out of nowhere ✨ They also talk about:     •    Her "Eco-farm port" an affordable, solar-powered hydroponic system made from recycled plastic, designed to help African women get into agritech     •    Why she's more interested in building real, problem-solving community through the Impact and Legacy Collective than doing another surface-level networking event     •    Why hearing "no" from a funder isn't a verdict on your worth it's just telling you what to fix next     •    Her habit of staying endlessly curious and asking questions wherever she goes, because that's often where the next opportunity is hiding If you're building something a business, a career, a comeback this conversation has a lot to sit with. 🎧 A genuinely honest talk about resilience, leadership, and doing things on purpose. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/ (https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/) Here is the Milpark Education episode:https:// http://youtu.be/_Xm7h6IIrDk

  7. Jul 6

    The One Quality That Destroys Professional Paths Faster Than Anything Else

    🎙️ What happens when you stop waiting to be chosen and start betting on yourself, even when your world collapses? In this powerful episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with Tumi, the CEO of a Film Commission, author of Thrive, and founder of the Power Play movement, to talk about the true cost and reward of transformational leadership. Tumi shares her incredible journey from living in a shack in an informal settlement after her parents' business collapsed to becoming one of South Africa’s most respected executives. This conversation dives into the heart of self-mastery, explaining how leadership is truly shaped during times of uncertainty and why your biggest setbacks are actually "learning paths" for your future.💡 In this episode, we talk about: ✅ Why you must "choose yourself" when no one else will. ✅ The "Sleep It Off" Strategy: How radical rest leads to divine business breakthroughs. ✅ Why visibility without influence is worth zero in the marketplace. ✅ Moving beyond just a "seat at the table" to creating ownership and legacy. ✅ The life-changing habit of accounting for every single minute of your day. ✅ Why failures are not evidence of losing, but God preparing you for what’s ahead. ✅ Leading from the inside out and finding your own identity beyond gender biases. ✨ We also unpack: • The trauma and lessons of parental business collapse. • How to lead a team without falling into the "hero complex" or micromanagement. • Building a multi-faceted ecosystem so you aren't defined by a temporary title. • Why getting your hands dirty can sometimes ruin your "eagle's view" as a leader.If you’re an entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or someone trying to move beyond survival to a life of impact, this episode is a masterclass for you. 🎧 Tune in for a real and honest conversation about resilience, leadership, and the power of intentionality. 📌 Don’t forget to: 👍 Like 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway 🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/

  8. Jun 29

    Why you must be offensive...

    🎙️ What happens when you stop being afraid of offending people and start making bold business moves? In this powerful episode of The Resonate Podcast, Michelle Expert sits down with returning guest Buntu Masiwa (Slim), founder of Black Grind and a growing talent management agency, to talk about the real challenges of growing a business. Slim shares how he changed his coffee brand from Black Earth to Black Grind, stepped into a new business space, and landed a six-figure deal all while learning hard lessons about leadership, discipline, and faith. This conversation dives into the truth about business: sometimes you have to make hard decisions, set tough boundaries, and stop trying to please everyone. 💡 In this episode, we talk about:
✅ Why being too “nice” can hurt your business
✅ The difference between honesty and transparency
✅ The hard truth about managing money and staff
✅ Why leaders must follow the same rules they set
✅ The guilt of letting people go and trusting God through it
✅ Growing stronger for the weight of leadership
✅ How getting 1% better every day can change everything ✨ We also unpack:
• The pressure of firing friends
• Taking big opportunities even when you feel unready
• How faith and business work together
• Why God’s silence can sometimes be part of the process If you’re building a business, leading a team, or trying to grow while staying grounded in faith this episode is for you. 🎧 Tune in for a real and honest conversation about business, leadership, and growth. 📌 Don’t forget to:
👍 Like
💬 Comment your biggest takeaway
🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations 📲 Connect with Michelle Expert: 📸 Instagram: @michelle_expertreal 📘 Facebook: Michelle Expert 🐦 Twitter/X: @Michelle_Expert 🌐 Shop the Hub: resonatehub.shop 📩 Join the Resonate Community Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/resonatehub.co.za/

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Your Gateway to Sales and Entrepreneurial Mastery. Join us as we delve into the minds of industry executives, thought leaders, and sales gurus to uncover the most powerful insights, strategies, and tactics for driving revenue growth and scaling businesses. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a budding sales professional, tune in to gain invaluable wisdom and actionable advice to propel your success to new heights."

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