Introduction

Welcome to Episode 23 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this powerful conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Travis Gale, a South African endurance athlete, speaker, and author of The Middle: How to Navigate the Space Between Your Start and Your Finish. Travis shares raw, insightful stories from the road; physical breakdowns, spiritual breakthroughs, and the ongoing dance between failure and fortitude. At 18, he cycled around the world to raise R1.7 million for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Now, Travis leads a purpose-driven business and works with leaders and teams to embrace resilience and reconnect with their "why."

Drawing from his book, The Middle, he introduces the idea that real transformation happens not at the start or finish, but in the messy middle. This is a conversation about endurance, purpose, and finding meaning in hard things.

⏱ Timestamped Overview

00:45 – Reflections on starting young, embracing the unknown, and the purpose behind the journey. 03:40 – Travis’s origin story: From church youth groups to riding around the world. 06:10  – How Travis got the opportunity to cycle around the world. 10:18 – Early struggles and preparation with his first cycle from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. 11:43 – Struggle with public speaking and the negative criticism from people. 16:00 – Choosing between internal and external voices, a big lesson learned from Trevor. 22:30 – Travis explains the emotional weight of “Day Five” and how he overcame it. 25:35 – Reconnecting with purpose at Kassi’s Stop and bouncing back on Day Six. 29:15 – Crossing Australia: flies, heat, straight roads, and milestone strategies. 37:47 – Travis explains how he travels and his belief that “you don’t need much.” 41:18 – Generosity of strangers in America, lessons in storytelling and resilience. 49:14 – Europe & the halfway point: language barriers, personal reflection, and finding flow. 55:53 – Connecting with Travis in his personal life and how he met his wife. 59:57 – Kilimanjaro failure and the beauty of learning the hard way. 01:03:53 – The end of the trip and his learnings after the finish line. 01:06:10 – Case study of Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival. 01:12:08 – Travis highlights his favorite quote and his perspective on it.

💬 Quote of the Episode

“It’s not about getting to the finish. It’s about who you become on the way there.” – Travis Gale 🧠 Related Campaign Example Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival: Travis references the Shackleton expedition as a powerful metaphor for endurance, leadership, and navigating the "middle" of any journey. The documentary re-creates explorer Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition, showcasing not only the physical extremes of survival but also the mental and emotional resilience needed to lead through chaos. Documentary Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxX6kBD8lU

👣 Relevant Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisgale/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travgale/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travis.gale.50 The Middle Website: https://themiddle.co.za/ The Middle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themiddlejourney/ The Middle Book: https://www.amazon.com/Middle-keep-going-pursuit-goals-ebook/dp/B08C4YWFK8?ref_=ast_author_mpb

🌐 Connect with Tim Africa

🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica 🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa

🎙️ The Incredible Machines Podcast – Episode 22: Thobani Ndlovu Leading Through Curiosity

Welcome to Episode 22 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Thobani Ndlovu, an architect, author, and TEDx Durban curator, for a deep conversation on creativity, personal growth, and building platforms for transformation. Thobani shares his unconventional journey into architecture, how feeding the homeless led to a discovery of his voice, and the behind-the-scenes reality of bringing TEDx to Durban.

Through themes of curiosity, community, and the courage to challenge personal limits, Thobani offers listeners a refreshing reminder: you don’t have to fit in a box; you can build your own.

Thobani Ndlovu is a South African architect, TEDx Durban curator, entrepreneur, and author of Leading Through the Mirror. A passionate advocate for personal leadership, he has built platforms that empower voices, inspire change, and encourage introspection. Thobani is also the co-founder of the nonprofit Legacy Creators and a speaker devoted to conversations that matter.

Through themes of curiosity, community, and the courage to challenge personal limits. ⏱ Timestamped Overview

00:00- Introduction 01:00 – The power of curiosity & starting TEDx Durban 03:00 – Growing up between Greytown and Pietermaritzburg 06:00 – Struggles fitting in at school and varsity 10:00 – Discovering architecture by accident 13:00 – The creative vs. practical tension in architectural work 18:00 – Sports, failure, and resilience as life lessons 21:00 – Close-knit family and growing up with a single mother 26:00 – Volunteering, feeding the homeless & discovering his voice 30:00 – Writing ‘Leading Through the Mirror’ and founding TEDx Durban 36:00 – Building TEDx Durban: challenges, breakthroughs, and purpose 41:00 – The behind-the-scenes work no one sees 44:00 – Trip to TEDx London & international inspiration 58:00 – Learning from failure & embracing public platforms 01:03:00 – Why curiosity matters more than comfort 💬 Quote of the Episode

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality." - Seneca 🧠 Related Campaign Example

Thobani admires how this cinematic campaign used cultural symbolism and national pride to unite South Africans around a shared identity. It sparked his early understanding of representation, legacy, and the power of sport as a narrative tool. Sasol Spingboks Ad: https://youtu.be/G_kThmkABac

👣 Relevant Links TEDx Durban Website: https://tedxdurban.org/ TEDx Durban Profile: https://www.ted.com/profiles/11198205 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thobanindlovu_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThobaniNdlovuPage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thobani-ndlovu-4a5563190/ Book: Leading Through the Mirror by Thobani Ndlovu 🌐 Connect with Tim Africa

🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica 🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa

Welcome to Episode 20 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Muhammad Seedat, an entrepreneur, media executive, and community leader. From selling chips in school to chairing the board of Hilaal TV, Muhammad’s story is one of hustle, resilience, and hard-earned wisdom. Being a Durban-born entrepreneur with a career spanning accounting, consulting, media, and sports administration. He opens up about building businesses, navigating cultural and personal challenges, and the importance of slowing down to think.

He is the co-founder and board chair of Hilaal TV, former CEO of the Dolphins cricket franchise, and a seasoned leader in the professional services sector. Known for his strategic thinking, integrity, and ability to drive change, Muhammad’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by both high-impact wins and deeply reflective moments.

This episode is a must-listen for an insight into entrepreneurship, leadership, and anyone in pursuit of a meaningful life. ⏱ Timestamped Overview

00:00- Introduction

01:00 – What Muhammad would tell his younger self 05:00 – Community, identity, and choosing to stay in Durban 10:00 – Selling sweets & tickets at school: early entrepreneurship 13:00 – Parental influence & entrepreneurial independence 16:00 – Sourcing stock and learning simple business logic 22:00 – Getting married at 19 and juggling work, study & business 30:00 – Moving to the UK: working as a financial analyst 35:00 – Living through the 2008 UK financial crash 58:00 – Secret second marriage: navigating the emotional toll 01:02:00 – Trauma, criticism, and finding inner strength 01:10:00 – Building Hilaal TV: how it started in crisis 01:32:00 – EO Learning Chair: planning, energy & diverse offerings

💬 Quote of the Episode

“Doing nothing is underrated. It gives you the space to think, and that’s when breakthroughs happen.” – Muhammad Seedat 🧠 Related Campaign Example Nando’s provocative billboard campaigns — Muhammad loves their use of cultural relevance and “brand bravery.” Nando's TV Commercials: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg-UXGhfC4Wk6PRAsZsqbp4Jis4xaJlhR&si=H-nHkqRU-O3FJ5l- 👣 Relevant Links Hilaal TV: https://hilaal.tv/ Entrepreneur’s Organization: https://eonetwork.org/ 🌐 Connect with Tim Africa

🔗 Website: https://www.tim.africa 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.africa 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timdotafrica 🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa