Telana Simpson

Izimvo would like to introduce the woman trading a matchstick for offices: Telana Simpson.

Trading a single matchstick for offices. That is the ambitious goal of Telana Simpson who started her adventure in June 2006. Documenting her progress on onematchstick.co.za, Telana has made 9 trades including an ordinary green pen, a fluffy toy frog, R3000 cash and a party for 150 people with DJ Al.

Telana’s ninth trade was the party for 375 funky Springleap T-shirts which she plans to trade with 375 people. What will the 11 trade be? Be sure to follow matchstick-girl’s progress to find out.

Website: http://onematchstick.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Telana
Location: Johannesburg

Telana was kind enough to answer the following questions:

Personal

Q: How would you like to be introduced at a social event?

A: Hi, meet Telana. If you felt the need to say more, then “she helps people have no regrets in life, and is also known as the matchstick girl.”

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I love roller-blading, especially fast, but I have never mastered how to stop quickly on my blades, so I tend to be a menace and have to use walls to stop myself, if there isn’t enough space to gradually slow down.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Anything in nature, and if it’s active even better. Like scuba diving, swimming, walking in a rain forest or the bushveld, climbing a mountain or even a tree. If I cant get away, just sitting on my roof helps.

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South African would you want it to be?

A: My ideal home is small, but spacious. And it has a roof that’s fairly easy to climb onto that has a spectacular view over rooftops and trees. It’s here in Jozi, and there will need to be a swimming pool too!

This question has been proudly sponsored by Private Property – Looking for the ideal home in Johannesburg’s Northern suburbs? How about this newly built magnificent Gary Louw masterpiece for the truly discerning buyer.

One Matchstick

The first trade for a green pen

Q: You set out in June 2006 with the goal of trading a matchstick for an office. What was the impetus for the idea and what about the project has surprised you the most?

A: A friend in London had started blogging, so introduced me to blogs. She mentioned in one of her posts about Kyle Macdonald in Canada who was busy trying to trade a red paperclip into a house. I read his blog, and it was like the floodgates of possibility and creativity opened for me, and I knew that I just had to try this out too. So I started trading my matchstick. Kyle has since then got to his house.

My drive to keep going is the absolute curiosity about if I can do this, and also it challenges me to be creative and keep coming up with ways to move forward. I am also learning so much through the process, from stamp collecting to all about motorbike helmuts to refining my negotiation skills. Not the mention the people I am meeting J

What has surprised me the most? Two things so far. One was when I decided to take cash for the Holiday. I was interested to see what would happen when I put “R3000″ cash up to trade, and it turned out to the most difficult trade so far. I got over 100 offers, but all at the value of R3000. So having money as an item to trade took out the element of perceived value, and it took me ages to find something that was- in my opinion- a step up in value. I was so glad to meet Claire and trade the cash with her for the hot air balloon flight!

The other surprising moment was a trade I did recently which involved 1 Springleap T-shirt for 60 books which will be influencing 750 children! Lewis offered to deliver 60 Jumpstart handbooks in exchange for a T-shirt, and Chris of the Bookshelf project wanted the books. I found an anonymous Angel to donate the cash which made this trade happen, and now Chris is distributing the books at his Bookshelf Centres in informal settlements. And to think it all started with a single matchstick!

Q: Your current trade is 375 Springleap T-Shirts which you traded for a party with DJ Al. Tell us about the trade and why you selected it over the other offers you received?

A: I had been getting quite a few people saying to me that they’d love to take part in my story, and help me, but the value of the item I was at was too high for them. When Eric and Eran of Springleap contacted me, it took me a few days to see how I could use their offer of T-shirts for the party. I decided to trade with them because they really wanted the party, and also what they offered me gave me the opportunity to trade each T-shirt on with a whole bunch of people- 375 to be exact. I could offer more people the chance to take part and also make 2 trades happen in one go. Plus I just love Springleap T-shirts, and the guys there rock!

Q: How important has social media been in promoting the project and which social media services have you found to be the most effective?

A: Social media has been important, but I have found that meeting people in person has just taken my reach and support to another level. And it’s just so much more fun to meet people in person. Social media is playing a key part in helping me to meet new people though, people I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to meet. For example, I met Eric and Eran of Springleap over twitter before I met them in person. And social media is a great way to get to know my new and old friends even more, and keep up to date with their busy lives in this busy world.

I use my blog to track my story and share what I am learning and who I am meeting through it, and hear from others through their comments. I use twitter for quick updates on how my trades are going, and I use facebook to organise events. I also use youtube and flicker for videos and photos. I’d say these services have been the most effective

Q: What is the best way for our readers to support the project?

A: The best way for readers to support my project is to be active in it- be active spectators. Take part: chat to me, make comments, share posts about it on facebook, and even better- make me offers to trade with me. If you feel that whatever you have to offer is a fair exchange for the current item I am offering, then let me know what you are thinking. That way we can see if there is a possibility. I hear every now again someone say they have something to offer me when I get to bigger values- It would be a great help to know about these possibilities, (even if the person wants to keep it hush hush for now) so that I can work towards it. If I know what that person can offer, and what they’d like for it, it helps me make decisions on what to do now to get there.

Q: How long do you think it will take you to reach your goal of trading for offices?

A: Funny, I’m getting asked this quite often now. I haven’t the foggiest idea! Maybe a few more months, maybe a few more years. I believe it will all depend on how creative and active I am and those that participate become- the more offers I get, the more choice I have, the quicker I can make trades, the quicker I can get to my offices.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: I have been affected by crime, but not to the extend of some people in this country, or in this world as a matter of fact. My run-ins with those who do crime have been bigger in my travels in Europe actually, than here in South Africa, and that was when some of my beliefs were not as strong as they are now. I believe that I am not naive about our problems, but I do tend to be idealistic and look for the possibilities and opportunities around me, while still remaining street-smart. I strongly believe that what you focus on grows, where you put your attention, you give that more energy. So I am not anti-crime, I am pro-education. I’m not fighting poverty, I am developing minds. I choose not to live in fear of my fellow South Africans, but to love them and look for their gifts and encourage their expression of those gifts and their dreams. This is a tricky philosophy to live out in our world, but I do my best.

Q: If you were hired as the president’s personal coach, what approach would you take?

A: I am assuming that the President hired me himself as his personal coach. If he didn’t buy into the process, I wouldn’t coach him. So assuming he did buy into the process, I would approach it like I would any other client. I would be the objective sounding board by asking a lot of questions to help the President find his own answers, apply his own resources and reach his full potential and highest intentions.

Q: To which three local attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: There would be three experiences I would suggest: to explore our wild life and scenery, with a trip to Pilanesburg Game Reserve or the Kruger National Park; to have tea in a shack in an informal settlement with my friend Margaret or Phillip; and to have dinner at Moyo’s Melrose Arch. With these three experiences, I believe that visitor would have tasted a small sample of the diversity of our country.

Q: South Africa’s greatest export is?

A: It’s people. It is sad that so many people feel a need to leave, and with that we loose skills and knowledge and our greatest asset- our people.

Life in Johannesburg

Q: What do you enjoy most about living in Johannesburg?

A: The people and their pace. The “You make Joburg Great” campaign for me sums up this point very well. Lots of my friends and family live here in Jozi, so I enjoy spending time with them, and also the buzz of the opportunities of this city.

Q: Favorite venue for a picnic with a group of friends?

A: The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens.

Q: Given an unlimited budget, what attraction would you build in Johannesburg?

A: I would build a training facility like none ever experienced before. It would have a lot of technology and different styles of training facilities. And it would be an experience that would be a mix of Disneyland and the most peaceful retreat you can imagine. Full of paradox and a feast for our senses, and an experience of child-like wonder at everything we can learn and explore and share. You’d leave having experienced abundance in action, and having new understandings that would transform positively how you see the world. And each visit would be unique.

General

Q: Why a matchstick?

A: I love candles, so there is always a box of matches somewhere around my room. And when I decided to try out this bartering idea, I liked the idea of a matchstick because it’s just a sliver of wood with a sulphur head. As it just sits there on my desk, it has a lot of latent potential. It’s only when you apply some energy to it, when you apply the action of sticking it against the match box, that it lights up, and with that one action you then have the choice to light a candle, or a bonfire!

Q: What book would you make required reading for all matric pupils?

A: After a lot of thought I would say a book about some of the most useful Neuro-Semantic principles and techniques. I’ve been racking my brain through all the books I know of, and would suggest “Movie Mind” by Dr Michael Hall or “Users Manual for the Brain“ by Dr Michael Hall and Bob Bodenhammer. (I think there might be a gap here for a book- so I just might write it!)

Q: If you could invite any three South Africans to a dinner party, who would you invite and what album would you play in the background?

A: I’d invite Madiba, to witness a man with exceptional leadership skills and presence (his high SQ and EQ- or Spiritual Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence fascinate me), Mark Shuttleworth, so I could ask what it was like in space and explore some of his business know-how, and Kevin Richardson, the animal behaviourist who works with some of the most dangerous animals we know. Three intriguing men who represent different areas of interest to me.

I’d probably start the evening with playing Goldfish “Perceptions of Pacha“ in the background, and then later some Hedkhandi (Served chilled, vol 1) or a Café del Mar.

Q: Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

A: In the arms of my future life partner.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo and what would you like to ask them?

A: Ohh, there’s quite a few people. If Madiba, Mark or Kevin can’t make my dinner party, then one of them. Also, it would be great to hear someone like Natalie du Toit, Allon Raiz or Steuart Pennington’s (founder of SA The Good News) thoughts on what they would say is the leverage point – the difference that would make all the difference- in our country today.

We’d like to thank Telana for taking the time to answer our questions and wish her every success for the future. We look forward to following her trades with great interest. Keen to support Telana, why not buy on of her designer Springleap T’s. All there details are here.

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