A note on career choice, investing and trail running

We love hearing diverse voices on our blog. This article — about career choice, events, trail running and investing — was written by Tristan Savage, who recently started as a work-experience student at Emperor Asset Management, which is part of Purple Group.

By Tristan Savage

At the beginning of March 2021 I started working for Emperor Asset Management as the work experience component of my event management studies. Starting at Emperor was one of the most intimidating things I have done — and I find horror movies and bungee jumping exciting!

It has now been just over a month since I started and it is slowly starting to feel like I am making progress and learning something new every day. I can only hope this learning experience continues as I move forward in my career.

My mentor, Carel Nolte, has been a driving force behind my work ethic. He pushes me to work hard, day in and day out, constantly keeping me busy with tasks to complete within days that would take me months to start at university. Carel also reminds me that God created the world in six days, so no need to overcomplicate and faff. Taking that first step in work, investing — most things! — is often the hardest.

I have been organising a regular trail run at Wolwespruit for Purple Group employees — who we call Purplistas — to enjoy together. It has been an eye-opening experience. I have never organised an entire event by myself, although I did spend three years at college studying the topic. It is (perhaps) the reason I opted to change careers, but my dad raised me to finish everything I started. So until I receive that certified diploma, I will be making the most of everything. 

After I realised that the eventing business was not for me, I made plans to ensure my career would take an alternative path. I realised that I could use my eventing internship as a gateway to a different career and started looking for companies in other industries that run events.

My first job was at CN&CO with Llewellyn du Plessis, planning InsureTalk. After two months Carel invited me to come and work at Emperor to oversee and organise monthly hikes at Wolwespruit Bike and Trail Park. Since then, I have been working with Bonolo Modise at Emperor and Christiaan Greyling at Alpasfit for the Emperor-sponsored Otter African Trail Run coming up in October. 

Although I have only been a part of the team for a couple of weeks, the Otter has been an incredible learning opportunity. In the time I have been working with Otter, I have learnt a great deal about the sport of trail running. Helping out with the Otter has been one of the most exciting and interesting projects I have worked on so far in my (admittedly short) career.

But why would an investment company like Emperor Asset Management get involved in the Otter Trail Run? Like trail running, investing is highly misunderstood except by those who practise it. However, investing is one of the most interesting activities I can think of. It is the way we are introduced to things that impacts the way we view them.

I have been investing since I was 12 and was fortunate enough to have one of the greatest people I know teach me about investing: my dad, Charles Savage, who is very well known and respected in investment circles.

Although most people have to carry out their investment research themselves, it does not have to be difficult. Over the years, technology and information have evolved exponentially, making research accessible from any computer or smart device. I am not old by any means, but things have even changed since I had my first phone or invested for the first time. Over the past couple of years my passion for investing has grown, which has led me to where I currently am.

I love to share my investing thoughts and processes with everyone around me as I continue to learn and grow on my journey to financial freedom.

Photo credit: Jacques Marais