“Don’t allow sadness and disappointment to drag you down. See it as a challenge that can make you stronger so that you can reach new heights,” says Kobie Potgieter, thriving Port Elizabeth businesswoman, wife and mother.
This co-owner of Re/Max Independent Properties in Port Elizabeth, which was recently named the most successful Re/Max franchise in the Eastern Cape, know all about life’s trials and tribulations. Her husband of 13 years, Rudi, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005.
“Don’t allow sadness and disappointment to drag you down. See it as a challenge that can make you stronger so that you can reach new heights,” says Kobie Potgieter, thriving Port Elizabeth businesswoman, wife and mother.
This co-owner of Re/Max Independent Properties in Port Elizabeth, which was recently named the most successful Re/Max franchise in the Eastern Cape, know all about life’s trials and tribulations. Her husband of 13 years, Rudi, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005.
“His illness forced me to develop other facets of myself. But that is the wonderful thing about being a woman, we are capable of so much,” she says.
“We should never doubt our ability to be well-rounded human beings who can be a businesswoman, wife and mother at the same time. Everyone experiences difficult times, but it is how you handle it that defines you.
“View every obstacle as an opportunity to grow and become stronger. Don’t ever become despondent.”
She believes the success of her office can be directly attributed to her feminine touch. She says a woman adds a different dimension to an office.
“Women can connect with people on so many levels,” she says. “We are nurturing beings who can feel others’ pain and provide comfort. I love being a woman and being able to help and educate others.”
A teacher at Môrewag Primary School for 10 years before venturing into the demanding property industry, she can speak from experience. She also operated her own finishing school for young ladies.
Potgieter believes her positive attitude contributes to her success. “I choose to surround myself with positivity. Positivity breeds positivity.”
She has a lot of appreciation for the assistance and support her family has received from the community during difficult times.
“It was a great comfort to share our hardship with others, and not only friends and family. Sometimes I get phone calls from strangers who have had similar experiences and want to offer consolation.”
Potgieter says their suffering also resulted in some good. As sole breadwinner, she was forced to work even harder to make a success of her career.
“I had to develop a new dimension of my personality because I had to take over the leadership role at home.”
She met her husband while he was a student and working as a waiter at a restaurant in The Bridge. “He served me and there was a spark from the first moment that we laid eyes on each other,” she remembers.
“He has always been my staunchest supporter. He was the one who encouraged me to take the leap and start my own property agency.”
After seven years in the industry, she is not shy to profess her love for the city and its residents.
“Our children are privileged to grow up here.” The couple has two daughters, Carmen (9) and Lexi (7).
Potgieter was recently named the Re/Max agent who earned the fourth highest income from commission in the country last year and the 17th highest in the world (excluding the US and Canada). This group has 120 000 agents in more than 65 countries.
She is active in the community and supports the Methodist Church in KwaZakhele among others. On August 11, she will be the motivational speaker at a charity event for the Reach for a Dream Foundation at the Edward Hotel.