Lifetime Achievement: Cathy Steyn
Most of us will never know what it means to work for one company our entire life. As generational mind shifts have taken place over the Millenium, younger employees are more inclined to move from one job to the other. The majority of the working generation is known as the Job-Hopping Generation, and although it brings a wide variety of experience to the table, it does not always give employers the loyalty they expect from employees. Cathy Steyn has been working for HOMEMAKERS for 27 Years. We sat down and had a chat with her to find out what it takes to stay with a company for so long and what essentially makes them family.
If you speak to Cathy today, you won’t believe that she is 77 years old. She has built a business for herself within HOMEMAKERS and she runs her clients as if they were her own.
Where it Started
Loyalty to her clients (and now friends after years of dealings) is her best characteristic and she loves looking after them. In fact, she is an expert in what works for their brand, and she often recommend options to them. They, in return trust Cathy and of course her solutions and suggestions are often just what they need to bring in those extra leads.
Some of Cathy’s long-standing clients, which vary between 20 and 27 years of business partnership, includes: Manhattan Projects, Africa Thatch, Best Gutters, Mildo, Alumint, Van Carp Engineering, Superior Walling, Mr Gutter, Duramaster, East Rand Solar, Secur-A-Pool and Gutter People.
Cathy’s career started at HOMEMAKERS on the 1st of March 1994 as a sales consultant. “Sales and people were always my passion throughout my life with big achievements in my career”.
Cathy continues, “HOMEMAKERS has always been my happy place, my family away from home. A place where your dreams were formed and achieved, where your heart was. Fellow staff members became part of your family sharing the good, the bad and the sad. HOMEMAKERS made sales exciting and lots of fun with various competitions! I won my first competition for achieving my yearly sales target during my first year working at HOMEMAKERS. It was a trip for two to Mauritius. And then as a team achieving our yearly targets we respectively went to Mauritius, Thailand, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and various trips to Cape Town and many more exciting places”.
New Beginnings, Old Memories
Cathy says that back in the day the printed books, then called HOMEMAKERS Fair, had bumper editions and clients couldn’t always all fit into an issue. They had to wait for next month’s issue. During this time the HOMEMAKERS Expos started. It proved to be a new challenge for Cathy where she also sold stands for expo for 20 years.
Sales has always been a passion for Cathy. “The sales team is passionate to achieve and that is a great driving force. We are challenged to be part of our client’s business growth and to see their success is very satisfying!”
Cathy has found inspiration in her everyday experiences and interactions. “God has always been my biggest inspiration. For if God be for you who can be against you? My other inspiration has always been Henk Louw, the HOMEMAKERS founder, his achievements and go-getter mentality is inspirational”.
Career Advice
We asked Cathy what advice she has for younger generations enetering the work force. She says that whatever you do in life, do it with passion, dignity and truth. “Love your job, it’s going to be a big part of who you are in your life. Try making your clients dreams for their business come true with good advice and always have their best interest at heart. Grow with your clients and grow their trust in you. Trust is important and you earn it”.
Being with the company for 27 fabulous years and building a client base that shares her valuable years and memories is something that really stands out for Cathy. “The love and compassion that I received from the company and fellow staff members during my illness. Their encouragement, love and care will always be remembered”.
Today Cathy remains one of HOMEMAKERS’ best Sales Executives. She is not scared to take on challenges and sell new products. She grew up in a print era and now lives in a digital one, and has mastered all these platforms and stands back for nothing.
Cathy Steyn is a legend at HOMEMAKERS.
“We love you Tannie Cath!” – HOMEMAKERS team.
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