GoodThingsGuy has won the award for the Best Lifestyle Blog and also took the top spot as South Africa’s Blog of the Year for a second year in a row. Brent Lindeque, founder of GoodThingsGuy, launched the blog to empower through positive thinking, and give South Africans the ‘good news’.
The Media Online asked Lindeque how he measured real change in terms of taking the temperature of his readers. Are you preaching to the converted, so to speak, or helping facilitate real change in attitude?
“Our readership has grown from a base of zero to over one million people who want to see good news, and those incredible South Africans continuously do good things through our site,” he said. “Just recently we reported on a young man who bought his favourite petrol attendant a new bicycle and our inbox was flooded with people wanting to pay their kindness forward to both of them. We had a reader offer her holiday home to the family, and we directed some of our readers who were inspired by the story to the Qhubeka foundation to help with bicycle donations.”
Lindeque said readers were constantly involved and giving back. “… Last year we reported on a community who were tired of waiting for the government and started a crowd-funding campaign to buy and install their own toilets. The fund was empty and very close to failing until we reported on the story and managed to raise the money for 30 new toilets in just 24 hours,” he said.
What’s more, even “cynics” send him messages thanking him for the difference the stories they cover make. “I think the site has moved from just talking to people who ‘like’ good news and is now sharing inspiration and hope with those that need it most,” said Lindeque. “Our stories are no longer just being read by the same people, but rather being shared with the world.”
As he pointed out, news outlets tended to focus on the worst of the worst “and that leaves our country feeling like we’re always ‘falling over’ but the truth is that there is so much good in South Africa. We just need to look for it and then balance our minds with the information”.
Lindeque said when he first launched the blog, it was something he did as a hobby in his spare time, and never expected it to turn into a business.
“But,” he said, “the award winning platform has become one of the leading good news sites in South Africa and has grown from one person with a simple idea to a full team that bring good things to South Africans everyday”.
He relies on corporates to fund the site, and has partnered up with some “incredible humans” to keep the good news flowing. “We sell advertising space and create comprehensive campaigns to tell the stories that more South Africans need to see. But with that said, I believe in authenticity and only partner with brands who have the same good things guy ethos,” he explained.
The Media Online asked what is good news conversation South Africans should be having this week.
“I think the biggest story right now is how thousands of South Africans from different races, religions and backgrounds have volunteered time, goods and money to save thousands of Flamingo chicks… the story is much bigger than just the flamingos, it’s a reminder than in times of tragedy there will always be helpers and those heroes are ‘everyday’ South Africans who stand collectively together to make a situation better,” he said.
And that, he added, is a constant story. “… every single day there are South Africans who are doing incredible things for the country and each other! We must never forget that!”
Listen to the GoodThingsGuy podcast on Jacaranda FM.
