Dear Reader I am Bavisha Mistry and it is my pleasure to introduce myself to you. My CV lists all my achievements, career history, qualifications and basic details that pretty much every database in South Africa, perhaps even the world, has. As great (and a little scary) as that may be, it lacks personalisation and the ability to truly tell you about me and what makes me tick. My Story I was born in a small town (one set of robots that were knocked down pretty much every weekend) on the south coast of Durban, KZN where I spent 23 wonderfully happy years of my life. I grew up with two sisters, one older and one younger. Being an imaginative child whose dreams were always colourful, quirky and cheerful, I quickly learned not to use the bathroom in my dreams…it was a setup! I grew up in quite a conventional home, and my folks were often concerned when I strayed from the norm and declared my out-of-the-box ideas. I come from a line of doctors, accountants and bookkeepers, so when I announced I wanted to study language and communications, I was faced with shock and horror! And you know conventional parents, the first thing they ask is, “How are you going to make money for yourself?” I fell in love with books and language from a very early age. However, it was only in grade 10, after I read “To kill a mockingbird”, that I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a copywriter and editor. You would often find me at the local library buried in literature, returning home with a stack of books tucked under my arm (I used my sister’s library card to take out double the amount of books for a two-week period). Later in tertiary education, I knew I wanted to write compelling copy on digital platforms. Who am I? I am…a collaborative, influential, and creative spirit with a passion for words (you can call me a verbivore, word nerd, logophile, and lexophile), grammar, tense, punctuation, homonyms, parts of speech, antonyms, synonyms, unique words and phrases etc. I am that one friend who writes full sentences in text messages and will correct your posts on social media (I see you grimacing!). It is so ingrained in me that I even spot spelling or grammar mistakes on billboards, flyers, signs, newspapers, websites etc. and it makes me cringe. I suppose I am a grammar and spelling Nazi! I love…writing and editing for a living with a keen appreciation for all things punny and tongue-in-cheek, reading books, cooking, and eating food, as well as a pug lover, architecture, design, outdoor adventures, travel, and spending time with people who are dear to me. I love that language isn’t as conventional as it used to be especially with the advent of social platforms. I also love baking and I find that baking fuels my creative writing (they go hand-in-hand). Early Sunday morning is my time to get creative in the kitchen. But baking not only ignites my creativity, it has taught me other skills such as project management and time management which are important skills in a corporate environment that is deadline-driven and demanding. As a leader...I prefer to delegate the desired results, not methods. I prefer to empower others by giving them the power to make decisions which allows for trust in the relationship. I encourage thinking and brainstorming. I believe in people and their potential which leads them to believe in themselves too. I exhibit passion in all that I do and make sure to give credit when it’s due. Receiving challenges boosts my creativity as it allows me to think beyond the box. I do not…look at things as they are, but what they can be. I have always been a person who doesn’t allow my circumstances to limit my goals (think Joy Mangano – the lady who patented the self-wringing Miracle Mop and over 100 other household items). I am a go-getter and self-starter. My can-do-attitude and positivity knows no bounds and is infectious. I can…juggle many tasks at the same time. I am fairly fluent in Yoda speak, and I can win you over with one cupcake. Yes, just one. I am that good. But, you will probably want more and more. I can work very well under pressure, able to meet tight deadlines without breaking a sweat, and have excellent communication skills with people on every level. I believe…in the Oxford comma and the inherent good nature in people (you may need to dig a little with some, but it’s there). I believe that a positive attitude can see you through many things in life. I am always learning and finding ways to improve. Frequently found… reading hard-copy novels and books (I am old school like that as you don’t get the bibliosmia of a good book on a Kindle), as well as websites like Grammarly, Grammer Girl, HipDict, Grammarist and online dictionaries. Language flip switches…when I read “Am” when a person means “I am” and when people confuse “their”, “they’re”, “there”, “your”, “you’re”, “his”, “he’s”. #Cringe #NailsOnAChalkboard Bonus Creative thinker, Strategist, Listener (a skill lost in recent times), Exceptional baker