PARTNER BIO

Aldine embarked on her career with dreams of becoming a doctor but soon realized that the chaos of an emergency ward did not align with her idea of fulfillment. Instead, she found her passion in coaching and mentoring individuals to discover their purpose in life.

Unbeknownst to her at the time, Aldine would become a “Business Paramedic,” utilizing her skills to guide struggling businesses toward order and success, without the blood and gore typically associated with emergency situations.

Fueling her love for writing, Aldine kick-started her professional journey by earning a diploma in Public Relations. She further honed her expertise by qualifying as a Digital Marketer. Her innate organizational talents proved invaluable as she climbed the ranks, eventually becoming the Head of Operations and a Director in an award-winning agency by the age of 28.

A natural communicator, Aldine excelled at keeping clients satisfied and had a knack for upselling and developing new business opportunities. In 2002, when the Rand collapsed, she took a leap of faith and ventured into entrepreneurship, establishing her own video production consultancy. Her focus centered on catering to international brands like Nokia, who opted to conduct location photoshoots in Cape Town, South Africa.

During this time, Aldine’s life took a turn when her father fell seriously ill with vascular dementia. She relocated to a small coastal village in Kwazulu Natal, where she spent nearly every weekend for close to a decade, providing support and care for her parents in a retirement home.

While juggling her consultancy work, Aldine also ventured into the fashion industry by launching a heritage clothing brand. In 2019, she produced a reality television show aimed at coaching individuals over 40 years old, helping them navigate the dating scene.

Just as she was on the verge of broadcasting the show’s pilots, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing a halt in TV content production. Nonetheless, Aldine’s contributions to the digital world and society at large were recognized when she was nominated as a KZN Top Business Woman.

In search of stability, Aldine temporarily joined a large corporate entity for three challenging years, although it did not align with her idea of enjoyment. With a decade of experience in the digital realm, she realized it was time to broaden her expertise and delve deeper into technical and content SEO, lead generation, CRM, email outreach, web development, brand development, and various other digital aspects.

Fast forward to March 2023, after returning to Johannesburg’s vibrant Gangsterville, Aldine was introduced to Pearl Lemon through SA Recruiters in London. Eager to seize the opportunity, she submitted her CV but decided to accelerate the process by reaching out to Deepak, the founder, through LinkedIn. Deepak questioned her motivations for joining the company and why he should invest in her. Aldine confidently expressed her belief that Deepak embodied her untapped potential and assured him that granting her a chance would lead to no regrets.

Finally, Aldine found the freedom to focus on accelerated career advancement, knowing that her potential would not be stifled within Pearl Lemon. Despite being more than twice the age of most staff members, her energy and openness to change captivated Deepak. He hoped that Aldine’s extensive 33 years of experience in agency processes and structure, combined with her adaptability, would make her a perfect fit for his entrepreneurial leadership style.

Thrilled at the opportunity to make a positive impact on Pearl Lemon’s award-winning success, Aldine enthusiastically embraced the exhilarating roller coaster ride that shed the corporate mantle she had worn for years. As a thrill seeker at heart, she found herself relishing every moment of the ever-evolving SEO landscape and the multidisciplinary collaboration within the dynamic and cross-cultural Pearl Lemon Group’s global team.

I started off my career wanting to be a doctor, but quickly realised that treating people in an emergency ward was not my idea of fun, but rather coaching and mentoring people to find their purpose!

Little did I know, I’d become a ‘Business Paramedic’; guiding businesses from chaos into order, just without the blood and gore!

Or very little lol!

I also had a passion for writing, so I launched my career with a diploma in Public Relations, and then went on to qualify as a Digital Marketer.

My natural organisational talents came into good use, and I was privileged to become a Director and Shareholder of an award-winning agency by the age of 28, as their Head of Operations. 

I was a natural communicator, understanding how to keep clients happy, with an innate ability to upsell, excelling at new business development.

When the Rand collapsed in 2002, I broke away from agency, and started my own video production consultancy, focusing on international brands like Nokia, who opted to come to South Africa for location photoshoots in Cape Town.

We could throw in a safari and a spa weekend, as part of their budget! That’s how strong foreign currency was!

Then my dad got really ill with vascular dementia, and I moved down to a small coastal village in Kwazulu Natal, where I spent almost every weekend for nearly a decade in a retirement home, supporting my parents.

I launched a heritage clothing brand whilst still continuing with my consultancy, and in 2019, produced a reality television show for over 40-year-olds, needing coaching, to guide them back into the dating game!

As I was about to broadcast the 3x pilots, Covid hit, and TV content was put on pause, as all eyes were on the pandemic unfolding! I was however nominated as a KZN Top Business Woman for my contribution to both digital and society at large.

Kicking in screaming, I took a job in the big monster of Corporate, which lasted 3 long gruelling years, but paid the bills, just not my idea of fun!

After 10 years in Digital, it was time to gain better experience in Technical and Content SEO, Lead Gen, CRM, Email Outreach, Web Dev, Brand Development, and of course more Digital.

Fast forward to March 2023, after relocating back to Gangsterville Jozi, I was introduced to Pearl lemon via SA Recruiters in London. I submitted my CV, but fast tracked the process by contacting Deepak on LinkedIn, when I saw his uniquely energetic posts!

He asked me why I wanted to work for him, and why he should invest in me. I told him that he embodied every bit of potential I knew I had within, but never got to fully live out. And that if he gave me the chance, he’d not regret it!

I finally had the freedom to focus on an accelerated career advancement, and knew he wouldn’t limit me. Despite being more than double the age of most of the staff, Dee liked my energy, and my apparent open-mindedness to change!

Excited about my 33 years of experience in processes and structure, within agency and digital, he hoped I was malleable enough to slot into his entrepreneurial leadership style.

I was thrilled at the opportunity to  contribute positively to Pearl Lemon’s Award Winning success! And the roller coaster ride’s been exhilarating, as the ‘corporate’ mantel’s been shook off me. I am a thrill seeker after all!

And here I am today, loving every minute of the daily evolution of SEO, and the rest of our Pearl Lemon Group’s dynamic, cross-cultural, Global Team’s multi-discipline delivery!