Week 11 - Diary from The Go-To Guy

Hey there, fellow Potchefstroomers! What a whirlwind of a week it’s been at The Go-To Guy HQ. We’ve been busy with interviews, visits, new developments, and a whole bunch of reshuffling in the team—so let’s dive right in!

Meet the Team (and the Ones We’re Missing)

- Quintin is our technological wizard, making sure our websites, apps, and integrations run smoothly.

-  Amanda handles all things events, from writing stories to managing our regional event calendar.

- Pieter and Micayla form Dream Team 1. They’re the faces behind our Stroom Stories interviews and video broadcasts around town. You’ve probably seen Pieter in videos galore, telling all the amazing stories Potchefstroom has to offer.

- Dream Team 2- Charlene, Karen, and Yolandi - runs our Potch Gazette stories, profiles, and ads, tackling everything from school news to must-visit spots in town.

- We’re missing Johané, our awesome journalist who’s on maternity leave, and Tracy-Lee, our finance guru. Tracy-Lee is on extended leave to care for her little girl Katryn, who’s deaf. We’re keeping everyone updated on Katryn’s journey—especially her new earpieces and how she’s adapting.

- Our fearless leader/investor is Jan Joubert, also called Frans (depending on who you ask!). He’s currently off making us all jealous by traveling in Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands.

StroomStories and Studio Adventures

Our Stroom Stories studio guests this week :

• Monday 10 March - Esmi’s Grooming, giving us the scoop on caring for our furry friends

• Tuesday 11 March - Elevation Ultimate Frisbee Club, who made us want to grab a Frisbee

  and join in!

• Wednesday 12 March -A spiritual talk session with Bennie Jonker, chatting about faith in big decisions

• Thursday 13 March - Jannie Klaasens, a legend in rugby circles .

Meanwhile, *Dream Team 1* headed out to visit:

- *Build-it*

- *Pick n Pay at Canal Crossing*

- *PAWS* (our local animal shelter)

- *Plumbers Dept* in honor of World Plumbing Day

- *Daly Ford*, showcasing Ford Ranger deals

- *Flo-Tek*, one of our earliest clients, revealing their new Kress power tool range

Advertising, Sponsorships &… Being Fired?!

We kicked off our *refreshed advertising packages* for businesses—down to three simple, easy-to-understand core options. We’re excited to see how our clients respond!

We also continued our sponsorship of the *Potchefstroom Rugby Club*—we’re platinum sponsors again this year, carrying on from the partnership we started in 2024.

In less sparkly news, we got *fired by a client* who felt our service didn’t meet their needs (ouch!). We refunded their monthly fee and sent over all the results of our work. It stings, but we’ll keep pushing forward!

Another client asked us to tweak our creative campaign for a better product fit, so we’re making those adjustments this week.

New Projects & A Few Switch-Ups

1. One Call Service

 We launched a teaser for our upcoming *One Call* service, designed to simplify finding home contractors and quality suppliers around Potch. Keep an eye out for the full rollout soon!

2. Online Store Adventures

We’re taking baby steps into launching our *online store*. First up:

 - Quirky “Insect Hotels” for your garden

 - “Ketties” (slingshots) that every South African knows

 - Canvas prints with our own custom artwork

 - Vinyl records and reading books

 We’ll be adding more products over the next few months—so stay tuned!

3.Hiring a Socialite & Sales Person

We’re on the hunt for a *socialite* to cover Potchefstroom’s many social events and help us expand our coverage. We’re also still searching for a *sales person* to represent The Go-To Guy out in the field. Applications, anyone?

4.Digital Guy Launch  

   We’re preparing to launch our affiliated *Digital Guy* company, focused on website design, chatbots, AI-driven tools, online services—you name it. Give us a couple of months, and we’ll be rocking the digital world!

5. Farewell Mini, Hello New Ideas

We had plans to brand an old Mini for The Go-To Guy, but we’ve decided to cancel that project. Time for a new, eye-catching ride—watch this space.

6. Dream Team 2 Restructuring & Potch Gazette Changes

The Dream Team 2 ladies (Charlene, Karen, Yolandi) shuffled their responsibilities to cover their Potch Gazette areas better. We also *removed the buy-and-sell section* to keep the Gazette’s quality high. We might bring it back someday if the community calls for it.

Heartwarming Stories & Community Support

Koos the Parrot continues his rehabilitation journey. Poor Koos came to us plucking his own feathers (likely from stress or abuse), but he’s healing and looking better each day.

Katryn, Tracy-Lee’s baby girl, is adjusting to life with her new earpieces. She’s still discovering when (and when not) to babble away, and we’re all cheering her on!

We received a generous book donation from Mariette—big thanks to her! We plan to distribute these books for various community causes, spreading knowledge and fun across Potch.

Until Next Week…

So that’s the roundup for The Go-To Guy this week: a few ups, a few downs, and a whole lot of excitement for what’s ahead. We’re grateful for our growing community, the support from everyone in Potchefstroom, and all the stories we get to share—whether in our Stroom Stories studio, out on the town, or in the pages of the Potch Gazette.

If you spot us around town, don’t hesitate to say hi. Who knows—maybe you’ll end up on one of our broadcasts!

Until next time, Potchefstroom—stay curious, stay kind, and keep sharing those incredible stories with us.

Warm wishes from The Go-To Guy Team