V002 has arrived and with it this sentiment.
“When asked if it is the journey or the destination? Our answer is always, the company we keep.”
So thanks for reading, subscribing and caring.
Enjoy.
Who is buntu. and why what we do matters now?
buntu means people.
It’s a derivative of the South African word ‘ubuntu’, which means I see you, I recognise and appreciate you. It’s about community.
The buntu. team are your contemporary ‘human to human’ communication and connection specialists for business.
Our role is to help you resonate with creative, collaborative and contemporary response-worthy comms, both offline and online.
While ‘everybody’ is zigging into AI, communication automation, transactional efficiency and doing ever more with less, the buntu. team are focused on providing a counterbalance, a connection with intention and recognition of our humanity in business.
Surprise and delight does not need an algorithm. None of us will have ‘I made budget’ or ‘She mastered AI’ as an epitaph.
Our intention is to keep a focus on ‘real’ and ensure that our clients uncover who they are, really, and help them express the essence of what it is that they are up to and why that matters now.
Our focus is on being unreasonably creative and the refreshingly possible for YOU.
YOUR buntu. YOU newsletter has been designed to offer insight, learnings, creativity and storytelling.
Good energy, resonance and the occasional dad joke are our jam.
It is not until we stop looking for things that we begin to see, so come and sit under our tree without distraction to uncover buntu. YOU.
Resonance begins when we leave ego at the door.
Resonance creates energy and that leads to mutually beneficial outcomes.
We are saturated often vibrating with exhaustion.
Digital messaging (of which this is ironically a component) is incessant.
I call it the ‘3 wise monkeys of digital communication’
Hear no messages, see no messages and speak louder than the others for a response – it can be a survival strategy.
So how do we cut through and get the attention of those for who we seek to make a difference?
Compliment, be grateful, support, give kudos, advocate and edify others with no expectation of a return of energy.
It helps you become memorable so that in pivotal moments of choice your reputation precedes you.
What happens when YOU leave YOUR ego at the door in business?
Greg Smith – CEO
Good on ya, mate! How Aussie Slang Taught Me the Real Language of Connection
When I first heard that I’d be working with an Aussie, my immediate reaction was, “Oh dear, Australians have such a distinct accent—how will I ever understand them?” Trying to say “good day, mate” in that classic “g’day might” tone didn’t seem like it would get me very far!
But to my surprise, none of the Aussies I’ve met actually had that thick, stereotypical accent. Instead, I got to learn a whole new set of Aussie words that threw me off just as much—arvo, bloke, dunny, Oz. (Seriously, thank goodness for Google!)
What really stood out, though, was how patient and kind they were. Even when I didn’t quite get the slang or jokes, I never felt judged. They’d always take the time to explain, and it taught me something important about communication.
As we reach the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on how much that experience taught me. It’s not just about the words we use—it’s about showing up with empathy, kindness, and a genuine effort to connect. A smile, a nod, or simply being present can say more than any words ever could.
This time of year is all about connection—whether it’s with family, friends, coworkers, or even strangers. And it’s a great reminder that we don’t have to speak the same “language” to truly understand each other. We just need to show up with patience and a little extra kindness.
So, as we close out the year and step into the next, I want to say: Happy New Year, mate! Hope you have a ripper year ahead! Let’s make it a bloody good one, full of learnings, laughs, and meaningful connections.
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What makes special so special?
As we head into the season of neighbours aiming to outdo each other with manicured lawns, street front pride and end of year chest puffing, the smell of freshly cut grass hits me hard with emotion.
Salty tears begin to form, a quiver hits my lips, and my head fills with the sounds of Jazz. As I struggle to stare out through a curtain of emotion all I seem to see now is a vast ocean of blue. The sounds of Coltrane and his saxophone have become colours, a vision, now floating ever so slightly above the waves.
This is all because my neighbour (let’s call him Dylan with a capital D) has begun his summer flex of who has the best lawn.
What sucks for Dylan is he is confusing me with someone who gives a duck.
But I have to thank Dylan with a capital D.
You see he has reminded me of what makes special so special.
Dylan is not special, nor is the grass to be honest.
Is it the sounds of John Coltrane and that sweet jazz? Almost. That is special, yes.
The vast blue ocean. Special, again.
But what makes special so special?
You see it’s not the grass, not the ocean and not the jazz. It is an attachment of those things to a particular time. For me, many a time spent sitting on the back of a boat, talking with my Stepfather. Listening to Jazz, staring out at the ocean, talking about everything.
But what makes such a special moment so special?
That he was listening.
Stay Safe – Play Nice
Handwritten SPAM – No chance of that.
Taking the time to put pen to paper says something even before you consume the text.
Put simply it says YOU matter and I care.
We take this very seriously.
Handwritten plays an integral part within the buntu. landscape.
When combined with creative touch points it is simply second to none.
It’s not all about the handwritten copy, and that feeling expressed in words.
It’s in how it arrives, how it looks, the colour, even what time and day of the week it arrives, who delivers it, where it lands.
“Take them on a journey. They deserve it.”
A nice note on the windscreen of the car, the message in lipstick left on a mirror, the post it note left on the bench to the one that you love, the cute note with xoxo inside the lunchbox for your child.
Even a message to students on the whiteboard before they sit down for class, a smiley face on an INV to a supplier, a heart drawn on the street in the snow for passers by.
A scribbled message for a coworker left sticky taped to a screen. ‘Have a fab day!’
Something as small as this actually makes the day fab!
At buntu. We turn things up a notch.
So I will leave you to imagine.
A small note to a ranch owner in the US. Handwritten and tightly rolled inside a glass bottle. Sealed with wax, lying gently in a bed of hay, all encompassed in a perfectly wrapped box.
The message has been tailored to suit. Personalised and warm.
Our messenger will arrive, down the long drive, probably kicking up some dust, and certainly drawing some very curious attention.
You see our message, inside that bottle will be arriving on horseback.
Connection with Intention. It’s at the heart of what we do.
Where YOU are OUR focus – Come and take a peek at what we are up to.
From all of us here at buntu. I’d like to say thank YOU for showing an interest in what we are up to. If you would like to understand a little more the importance of the ‘human to human’ connection, happy to chat. Greg Smith.
Greg’s Calendar. 📅➡️ Not a part of our community yet? 🛎️ Subscribe to our newsletter.
