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Johannesburg – He’s gone from model, to presenter, to business owner, and made it all look so easy.
TV personality Janez Vermeiren first hit our screens as one of two shirtless DIY guys on SABC 3’s magazine show Top Billing, and since then has worked his way through the ranks, becoming the co-founder of successful production company Cheeky Media, responsible for shows like Real Talk and The Man Cave. But luck had nothing to do with this star’s success – Janez was a man with a plan from the very beginning.
“I’ve always tackled different things in my life with the idea behind everything I do being to learn from it and to build on it. So when I joined Top Billing in the early days, I knew that in the long-run I would want to obviously become the main line presenter, and once I became the main presenter, I’d eventually want to become a production company owner,” he explains to The Juice.
Becoming a household name through the popular show, Janez credits Top Billing for providing him with valuable lessons about the industry. He admits, though, that making the transition from presenter to producer was not easy at first. “It’s one thing being on TV, but it’s another thing stepping away from TV, pitching to clients with a fresh idea, something they’ve never seen before and basically asking them for money to fund a project,” he says, adding that the first year and a half was “the most challenging”.
Family first
A quick visit to Janez’s Instagram account provides all the evidence you need to understand that quality time with his loved-ones is essential to him. But with a hectic business schedule, and a life that is, as he puts it, “not normal”, striking the perfect balance between work and family time can be difficult.
The husband and father of three explains how he makes it work.
“What I do try and do is spend most weekends with my family and try and do stuff outdoors, adventurous stuff, and spend quality bonding time with them because, to be honest, during the week my days are so packed that I’m usually out of the house by 07:00 or 07:30 and I’m usually back by 19:00 or 19:30. So I hardly see my kids during the week, but what I can do is put them to bed, tell them a night-time story and weekends are all theirs.”
The key to success
While many search for the secret to success in an industry where victory can prove somewhat elusive, Janez believes the key to coming out on top is actually quite simple – it’s all about remaining true to yourself.
“A good presenter, in my opinion is the same on screen as they are off screen. You have to be authentic, keep it natural.”
From a production perspective the star boils it down to the importance of innovative thinking.
“If you’re really passionate about it, things will fall into place, don’t rush it,” he advises, using his life as the perfect example that hard work pays off. “When I started out at Top Billing, I was simply a DIY guy who had one segment that aired once a week. Then I got better, I learnt more, and improved my skills and from then new opportunities arose. You have to prove yourself in this industry before you actually succeed and it’s all about putting in the hours.”
(Photos: Gallo Images)
