Wade Howard

Wade Howard is the director and senior photographer at OD Media (Pty) Ltd. His creativity and curiosity were born on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, where as a youth he enjoyed a lifestyle surrounded by friends and places like forests, sugarcane fields, local streets, and the beach.

Those early years were shaped by independence and trust. “My parents were incredible as we were only
expected home once it was getting dark and they even let us camp on our own down at the local beach
when we were about 12 years old,” Wade says. “We lived at the beach during the holidays and even ate
mussels cooked on an open fire so that we didn’t have to go home to have lunch.”

That carefree start laid the foundation for his grounded approach to both life and business. His earliest jobs were no less formative. “My first job was either washing car windscreens at the local garage whilst people put in petrol or it was being a caddy at the local golf course,” he recalls with a laugh.After completing National Service, Wade explored a few local jobs before qualifying as an electrician at Sappi Saiccor. “I then worked in the United Kingdom for over two years where the love for photography started,” he explains.

“Travelling around the world with my wife, I wanted to document beautiful places, so I attended a local college in the UK and learnt the basics of photography as well as learnt from a magazine called the Practical Photographer.” When Wade returned to South Africa, he knew one thing for certain, he wasn’t going to pursue being an electrician. A friend suggested he take a stall at the Essenwood Market in Durban, a decision that would change his career path. “I did that every Saturday for seven years. I interacted with people as they walked past and picked up photography work from family portraits to weddings and to corporate work. People would laugh at that way of marketing today, but probably nothing beats talking face to face with a potential client,” he explained.

BUILDING A BUSINESS
After a decade of working for himself, Wade joined forces with another talented photographer, Mike van Heerden, to start a company. Today, Wade works alongside his business partner, Matthew Swart. “My why is to lead and grow the company and to make sure that it remains one of the best in Durban,” he says with conviction. “My role is to make sure that we maintain our core values, which are to always deliver on our promises, never over promise just to get the job, and to always be honest nd work in a Godly way.”

“There have been many proud moments throughout our journey such as mentoring young photographers
and seeing them go out on their own and become very successful in their own journey,” he reflects. “I
think the fact that we are still in business after 15 years is probably the proudest moment, especially
in these uncertain times.”Much of Wade’s business philosophy stems from the advice and mentorship he received from his first business partner. He says, “Mike taught me that business is business and it mustn’t get mixed up with your personal life. Sometimes you must make hard decisions and to make them as a businessman and not in a personal capacity.”

“He showed me when pitching in large or small meetings you have to be honest and make it clear on what you can deliver and never to agree to something for the sake of landing the contract.”No business journey is without obstacles, and for Wade, the most difficult period was Covid. “We had about 25% of our annual turnover cancelled within one week as well as then having to face the reality that all our customers were at home and that we could not do any work.”

Despite the uncertainty, OD Media found ways to adapt. “We all stayed at home and did some small
jobs online as well as a few videos promoting safety and centred around Covid,” he explains. “We survived by taking out a loan as well as the government aid so that we could pay our staff some form of a salary each month. We also started doing live streams that generated income and still does to this day.”

Leadership, Wade believes, is as much about empathy as it is about vision. “It is difficult to keep everyone motivated all the time as a lot of anyone’s motivation is related to their personal life and especially family life,” he admits. “I try to connect with the staff and regularly discuss any issues that they may have, it is entirely up to them how much they want to share, and I think just sharing helps.”

He adds, “On the work side it can be very challenging when work is scarce. The only way is to share ideas and try come up with plans to turn things around and once everyone gets on board it helps lift the morale. Sharing small victories during these times can be helpful.”

FAITH, INSPIRATION
For Wade, inspiration comes from faith and the natural world. “My inspiration daily comes from God and especially being out in His creation,” he says. “I still get it wrong and still have challenges but it gets better all the time.”Wade sees great promise in the province he calls home. He says, “KZN has a lot to offer and can
become a major contributor to South Africa and the continent. In addition, KZN is the most resilient
province, and we can accomplish anything if we can harness its amazing spirit. And if the leaders can make the right decisions, we will become unstoppable.”Wade’s philosophy remains simple yet profound. “My motto is to smile and laugh as much as possible each and every day, as nothing is better than a big smile or a good laugh for you and those around you.