GROUNDED APPROACH TO BOTH LIFE AND BUSINESS- Ocean Driven Media
- Wendy
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
Wade Howard is the director and senior photographer at ODM 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.
That carefree start laid the foundation for his grounded approach to both life and business. 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.”
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 Durban,” he says with conviction. “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. I think the fact that we are still in business after 15 years is probably my 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.” 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, so 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.”
For Wade, inspiration comes from 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.” His 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.”
