THREE days ago I had the opportunity to listen to the most inspiring talk by one of the most humble but straight-talking business leaders this country has to offer, National Foods managing director Mr Jeremy Brook. The man simply had a lot to share with the contestants of My Own Boss

2012 during the Champions Night.
During his presentation, “The Greatest Opportunity”, he caught my attention when he said, for one to achieve success they need to “begin with the end in mind”.

Yes, it’s true, Stephen Covey’s habit number two focusing on personal leadership is what has shaped National Foods into what is probably the country’s number one food processor.
The bottom line is the most important aspect of any viable business and everything else is secondary.

As Zimbabwe or a Zimbabwean, what is our bottom line? When Jeremy shared these words, it dawned on me that this same principle need not only be applied to effective leadership but can be adopted as a principle guiding our daily lives, including how we shop.
I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, this should be Zimbabwe’s ultimate solution to buying Zimbabwe and thus should influence our bottom line”.

As a nation of consumers we need to be guided in our daily activities by our personal habits.
If each one of us makes it a habit to actively look out for Zimbabwean products we will discover that there is actually an increasing number of local products on our shop shelves.

We have not yet reached the Promised Land but we are getting there. I am certain that the bottom line for every Zimbabwean is to see their favourite local products dominating shop floors.
Anyway, allow me to return to the context in which Jeremy made his presentation lest I distort it.

Jeremy’s intention was really to share the vast opportunities presented to My Own Boss 2012 contestants by Zimbabwe’s economic environment.
Jeremy encouraged the contestants to take ownership of their thought patterns to enhance their entrepreneurial genius.
He also said that success was a key result of logic built on the back of ambition, passion and clarity of thought.

While this may sound simple, the question is how many of us can really achieve this considering that we have allowed a docile mind to control our thought patterns.
I have always been a firm believer that it is only a  negative mindset that makes one believe that the country’s economic climate makes it difficult for local business to thrive and Jeremy’s presentation was testimony to that.

I recall sometime last year, Bishop Tudor Bismark, the founder of Jabula New Life Ministries, saying that “this is the best time to operate business in Zimbabwe when a lot of corrective measures have to be applied for our economy to tick”.
Following these words, I cancelled my plans to go to the Netherlands and focused on the work at hand.

We need to take time as Zimbabweans to think about the kind of economy that we desire for our country and work towards achieving it.
Companies such as National Foods are an epitome of success built of the backdrop of effective leadership.
As Buy Zimbabwe, we have always said that we will work with the champions of this country to show the endless possibilities that this country has and National

Foods is one such example.

At a time that competitors are drowning in the sorrow of a recovering economy the people at National Foods are busy discussing and implementing Steve Covey’s habits of highly effective people during each of their planning meetings.
National Foods head of marketing Anthony Kinnaird, who has always been a friend of Buy Zimbabwe, has often said to us that the food processing company is built on a strong work ethic.

As the head marketer, Jeremy then came in to strengthen that notion. National Foods has taken the market head on and continues to grow in leaps and bounds and, yes, for the record, its products are competitively priced.
Like any other company National Foods was struggling prior to 2009 but since the introduction of the multi-currency system, the company has transformed into one of the leanest organisations in the country.
For National Foods it’s really about the delivery of results, hence a strong focus on the scorecard. It comes as no surprise that National Foods is turning over 2 percent of GDP.

While several companies are struggling with their operations, Buy Zimbabwe partner National Foods has been on a massive expansion drive which has seen it open depots in Shamva, Binga and Chivhu since April this year. Just recently, they concluded a successful “Mnandi Nandi promotion” which proved that there is a strong affinity for its products on the market following thousands of entries.
What saddens me is that as Zimbabweans, the voices that appeal loudest to us are those coming from the belly of negativity.
We hear very little when someone speaks as confidently as Jeremy about his company.

The DVDs of our Champions Nights which began in July will be available shortly and this could be an opportunity for anyone who is serious about personal development to listen in.
The presentations by Champions such as Jeremy, Nigel Chanakira, Philip Chiyangwa, Chamu Chiwanza, Devine Ndhlukula, John Bere, Shingi Munyeza, Oswell Binha, Nyevero Hlupo, Pastor Ruth, Dawson Mareya, Tawanda Nyambirai and Albert Mandizha will certainly blow anyone’s mind away.
Till next week . . . God Bless.

Robert Garai Muganda is the General Manager — Media and Communications at Buy Zimbabwe. He can be contacted on: mobile: 0772 714 233. Email: robert@buyzimbabwe.org.zw. Facebook: buy zimbabwe campaign