2 APRIL 2019
ISSUE01
QUARTERLY
BRANDS WE LOVE Sho Madjozi X Edgars Collection
EDGARS TEAM SPIRIT Design Innovation Challenge
Send your comments or queries to: EdgarsBuzz@Edcon.co.za
EDGARS ON-TREND How To OwnThe Look: Dark Nature
Message from CE: Mike Elliott
COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP You heard me share the Peter Druker quote at our October conference – “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and add that I believe culture creates a competitive advantage that is very difficult to replicate. In August, Grant shared our company values and at the conference; we shared and discussed what we believe the values mean for Edgars. On reflecting on these discussions, and what they mean to me, I could not help but think back to a personal “proud dad” story I have told many times. The story relates to my son who at the age of 10 started surfing and inspired me to brush off the cobwebs and start surfing with him again. Two years into his journey (at the age of 12) the two of us headed up to a well-known surf spot on the West Coast called Elands Bay. When we arrived and drove into the parking lot, my son got out of the car and walked to the front – below is a picture of what he saw.
Through the process, all my son asked was that I stayed close by as we headed out and waited for the lull. Once committed, there was absolutely nothing I could do for him. We would both have to put our heads down, commit and paddle as hard as we could. Once committed we would be on our own. Nevertheless, we managed to stay close together and made it out. Not only did we get out but my son also overcame the conditions and coped incredibly. He caught as many waves as anybody else that day. By the time the conditions got better and cleaner the next day, he was full of confidence, and again, had a number of fantastic waves. Below is a picture of one of those.
The surf was huge, and there was only a handful of surfers in the water. Most were hanging around not prepared to venture into the surf. I sat in the car and watched him contemplating the surf for a good 10 minutes. I remember thinking there is no way he can go out; this has been a long six-hour drive for nothing. When he eventually came back to the car, he looked at me and said – “Dad, how are we going to get out?” Not “what do you think?” Just simply and with total certainty, what was our plan to get this done! For those who have never surfed – you may not appreciate the size, the power, the challenge, the courage and confidence required to even venture into the water in conditions like this: cold 14°C water; you needed to paddle out over rocks and through kelp that could tangle your leash and hold you down. We decided the traditional place to paddle out was still best but that we needed to get as far onto the rocks as possible without being washed off and then be patient and pick our moment when there was a lull in the waves.
The reason I share this story is that it talks to the commitment we all need to show at this point in our Edgars journey, and most importantly to the power of collaboration and partnership. My son was clear that he would only be able to take on these waves if we did this together. Having a clear plan gave him the confidence and a roadmap of what to do. Over the last year, while we have been working on our recapitalisation of the business, we have finalised a well-built and clear plan that gives us the opportunity to return Edgars to profitability, once and for all. In order to do this, we must show unwavering commitment to this plan and everything we do must be done better together – it’s all about the “collabs”! I encourage you to trust and believe in each other as we chart our way forward and execute our plans with urgency and precision. As we push towards making this the year we turn a corner, remember the Rubik’s Cube – we all have a role to play and we are stronger together! Best Regards
Mike 1