#CareerFocus With Marina Nestel Founder Of The Little Black Book -

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

Whenever I am asked this question, I instantly start by stating that I’m a Mum. My 11-year-old little boy is my pride & joy. When it comes to my work since one of my biggest attributes is that I’m a natural-born networker and I know the power that word of mouth yields. I take every opportunity I have to endorse or chat about what I do and that is pretty much how I started The Little Black Book. By building my brand and reputation whilst being at a high society function.

I’m fortunate enough to mix in these circles so building my exclusive database from scratch whilst meeting high network individuals & celebrities & sports personalities at these functions I never missed an opportunity to build a friendship and exchange contact details… These were back in the days before social media! This personal line of communication and connecting has and always will be an important part of my trade. I have never added anyone onto my now curated guest list of over 40,000 unless I have personally met them.

That I would say is the key to my success. I hand select each individual guest for every single event depending on what the criteria are. At the end of the day, it needs to be a return of investment for the client so my database needs to match this ie when I worked on Hugo Boss we needed celebrities & media but most importantly guests who could afford to purchase an outfit from Hugo Boss.

2. What work do you do?

I established my company, The Little Black Book back in 2007 and it has since earned the reputation as Cape Town’s leading event management & public relations consultancies.

3. How long have you been in the industry?

I have been in the events & public relations industry for over 20 years and have been the founder of The Little Black Book for 15 years.

4. Has your work always been your passion? Tell us why?

Yes, I never planned on being an entrepreneur or owner of a business. I would say the industry found me. By naturally being known for my networking skills more and more people started asking me to invite a particular crowd to fashion week, the L’ Ormarins Queens Plate, restaurant opening’s, etc and after a while, the media started contacting me directly due to the number of celebrities who were attending.

The next step was to open a PR division. I started off with events. So from the get-go, I had a rule that I had to be in charge of the event if I was responsible for bringing in a high-caliber guest list. You are only as good as your last event and if the event side of things lets you down ie bad food, entertainment, décor, etc… Then the people won’t come to the next event hence I find it important to control all factors including PR.

5. Being a woman in the industry – what does it take?

I feel that women tend to thrive in the events industry because it is one that requires a highly critical eye for details as well as quick-thinking abilities to problem solve. Not to mention the need for endless amounts of energy and the tenacious power that drives all women to become successful.

6. What has been the most difficult challenge of your career?

The events industry has been one of the hardest-hit industries globally due to the Covid pandemic. Which has meant that The Little Black Book slowed down too. My energetic nature couldn’t just sit back and by using my PR skills I have spent most of my free time working for a charity in Tafelsig Mitchells Plain called Mosadie Gives Back. www.mosadiegivesback.org. I’m a Board member and have dedicated all my time since day one of lockdown to feeding over 40 000 underprivileged people a month. I get huge satisfaction out of this and it keeps me busy and fills a void in my heart.

7. What advice do you have for other women in your industry?

For The Little Black Book, it has always been about maintaining that one-up on the local industry by closely following global trends and finding ways to implement them successfully here.

8. Plans for the future?

Things are very uncertain right now. The Little Black Book, however, is not going anywhere just yet. Just as when an issue arises at an event then a back-up plan is needed, the same goes for any business. The Little Black Book’s a successful Internationally & locally well-known company and the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the events, PR, retail, hospitality industry, our primary clients.

The Little Black Book is still available for A-List events, Covid compliant of course. But as we speak I am busy exploring some more full-time opportunities right now, as well as continuing with my charity work. My experience & network is still hugely valued and the potential of utilising these skills on a more full-time level at an international company feels like the right direction for me. Every company needs an experienced PR on their team, now more than ever.

Short Bio

The Little Black Book was established by Marina Nestel in 2007 and has since earned a reputation as Cape Town’s leading event management & public relations consultancies. Their clientele includes Hugo Boss, One&Only Hotel for Sol Kerzner, Richard Branson, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, The L’Ormarins Queens Plate, Sanlam Private Investment’s, Investec, Cadiz Financial Services & private event’s for Christo Wiese and his family along with his wife Caro Wiese’s business Strauss & Co fine art auctioneer’s to name but a few.