EP 15: Theo Baloyi: On building the Mega Sneaker brand that is Bathu, quitting a lucrative career at PWC, and his commitment to uplift the township he comes from.
Description
In this episode, I sit with none other than Theo Baloyi, the founder and owner of Bathu, a sneaker brand that is proudly African. We talk about his experience growing up in one of South Africa's most impoverished townships, Alexandra, and how that experience has shaped his outlook on life and his commitment to give back.
We talk about him achieving his dream of working for PWC, and working for the firm in the middle East, only to quit it when the bigger mission of building Bathu called.
We delve into the journey of building Bathu from the boot of his car, to growing 32 brick and mortar stores, an online store, and more than 300 staff members. We discuss the discipline it takes to build something that is truly bigger than yourself, and how to stay grounded and not let success get to your head.
Theo Baloyi has had several accolades over the years including gracing the cover of GQ South Africa, Forbes 30 under 30, and more recently making it to Africa's Business Heroes Top 10.
This conversation was so rich and good for me. I hope you take time to listen to it and extract as much as you can for yourself.
Bathu Website: https://www.bathu.co.za/
Theo Baloyi's Instagram: https://instagram.com/theo_baloyi?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
United States
