Today She’s The Geek is speaking with Bronwyn Johnson, Bronwyn is currently the Head of mobile development for the MIH Group and is often referred to as a role model for young up and coming females.

So …Bronwyn…, tell our readers a little about yourself and what you do?
I’m a single mom with two adorable boys, I’m a Christian author (“The Man in the garden” is a Biblical novel published in US and SA) and motivational speaker, I’m a complete technology and gadget geek (especially cell phones!) and have an awesome job creating mobile applications for a multi-national group of companies. I love to write about my passions which are Christianity, motivational topics and of course, technology. I used to also write freelance technology articles for magazines like Vodaworld but currently only run two blogs: www.bronwynjohnson.com (my personal journey through life) and www.cellfhelp.co.za where I get to talk about technology. I am also a part time student at Stellenbosch Business School where I’m doing my MBA.
Has technology changed your life in any way?
Oh yes! I remember the night before an interview with the first technology company I worked for (this was about 10 years ago)…and I was asking my husband at the time “What is a mouse?” “What is a hard drive?”. It was so funny! I got the job and the learning curve went straight up and has continued climbing ever since. I found my niche in business and have loved working in technology ever since.
Take us through a typical day in your life.
I get up early to make school lunches. My parents and niece are staying with me for a while so I have to make lunch for 2 teachers and 3 students! Get boys ready for school, give them breakfast, get them rushed out the door…. Then get ready for work.
My commute to work and back I spend sitting in traffic listening to podcasts on my iPhone or “Focus on the family” on CCFM. I LOVE this time. I get to listen to lectures on subjects I’m studying or radio talk shows about technology (like ZA Tech Show – my favourite!) or tips on being a good parent.
I get to work where I am pretty much independent but have access to great colleagues and resources. I’m part of an innovative new business team and we constantly research new opportunities for e-commerce in Africa. My focus is on taking these opportunities into the mobile space. I’ve developed some cool projects in the past such as MWEB’s message centre 2 and their MWEB.mobi site where you can get your email, news and social media on your phone. When I had my own business I developed a phone for children which offered simple, yet secure communications.
In the evening I make dinner, play with my boys, watch a bit of TV and try to keep my brain focused enough for some studies. Then pass out until the next morning.
What are your current projects?
Ooooh, that’s top secret! LOL, only kidding. I’m working on some great initiatives for mobile commerce in Africa. My heart is right here at home and I’m hoping to empower the people of Africa to transact and communicate from their phones. This is a growing space to be and I’m really blessed to be right on the forefront.
Why do you Blog?
You may as well ask, “Why do you breathe?”. I’ve always expressed myself through the written word. Sometimes I just sit down to write and thoughts that I didn’t consciously realize were there, suddenly come to the fore. With my personal blog (www.bronwynjohnson.com) I express deep, personal thoughts and really open myself emotionally. I hope that this gives the reader an opportunity to feel that they’re not alone in the world and that everyone has problems. I also try to encourage my readers to never give up and to keep their faith in God. Personally, I find this very therapeutic and it is a way of letting go of certain issues.
With www.cellfhelp.co.za I talk about “technology for blondes”. The name comes from “Cell – as in cellphone and Help”. I used to write a column for a corporate newsletter called “Technology for blondes” and it was great. I also get inundated with people asking for help with their phones. A common problem I hear too often is this: “My phone can do so much more than send SMS and make calls, but it is so daunting to read the manual or try to figure out all the extras that I don’t even bother.” So on Cellfhelp I talk about technology and gadgets in plain, simple English so that the readers don’t feel intimidated by “geek-speak”. I love technology and I really get tremendous enjoyment from sharing that passion with people in a way that makes them realize how great it is. I believe that technology is an enabler that allows you to do what you do – only more efficiently. It should enhance your life.
What is the best gadget you ever played with?
Wow! Tough question because it depends on when you ask. I would say at any point it is the most recent gadget I’m playing with. However, I have to say that I grow tired really quickly of gadgets – especially phones – usually within the first week I want more features. But my iPhone has never failed to amuse me, mostly because I keep finding new applications for it. I’m going to be getting the Google Nexus One soon and I can’t wait to try out the Android operating system – and Android store for applications! (And I’m curious to know if I can hack it like I did the iPhone…. LOL). So maybe if you ask me in a few weeks my iPhone could have slipped down a notch? Who knows? That’s the joy of this fast moving, ever exciting industry.
What social media tools do you use?
Oooh I love social media! 90% of my social life is online. I use twitter (as @bronwynjohnson and @cellfhelp) and since I have two accounts, Tweetdeck is the application I use on my PC and iPhone to keep track of my tweets. I’ve also used feedalizer which is more suitable if you only have one account. On my BlackBerry I use Über Twitter.
I use facebook for friends and social interaction. Cellfhelp has a facebook fan page (readers, please feel free to join! I would really appreciate it! You can find the link on the Cellfhelp site).
I enjoy friendfeed.com.
For professional networking and more corporate communication I used to use Plaxo.com but currently enjoy linkedin.com much more.
I use instant messaging to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. I use facebook chat, MSN and Skype. Tip for people who use multiple IM clients: You can download a free application called Nimbuzz (available on phone and PC) which takes all your different communities like MSN, Yahoo talk, Google chat, etc. and puts them into one application. This means that you see all your buddies in one screen and don’t have to run all the different applications simultaneously. Great application! (Get it free at www.nimbuzz.com or www.mweb.co.za/nimbuzz).
How many hours do you spend on the Internet?
The Internet is my business so I spend all day and most of the evening online on my PC and/or mobile phone(s). I use it to keep up to date on the news, to research my industry and to communicate with friends, colleagues and family. I’ve met professionals online who have advised me in my career or helped with a project, that I would never have met offline. I have great relationships with people I’ve never met in person, who live on the other side of the world! The Internet is a great enabler.
What advice would you give to a newbie starting out ?
Firstly, don’t be afraid. The Internet is a big place but if you think of it as a library crossed with a shopping mall (both of which you’ve visited many times) then you know how to interact with it. It doesn’t matter where you start, but when you do, you will be very surprised at how wonderful it can be. Oh and if you’re curious about email – it’s just a post office that actually delivers your mail really quickly!
Secondly, in the same way that you would protect your bank card pin or ID number in the real world, make sure that you protect your personal information when online. You wouldn’t walk into a dangerous area or dodgy looking store waving money in the air, so be careful of potentially dangerous or dodgy looking websites. Educate yourself on what to look for by visiting sites like www.phishornophish.com and www.trustthecheck.com which show you what to look for. In addition to this, make sure you have anti-virus software, which you update regularly (Microsoft now offers a great anti-virus for free). Also use the latest Internet browser (for example IE 8.0 and Firefox 3.5).
Lastly, balance your time online. Sometimes you can get a little carried away and before you know it, you’ve spent hours online. Just be cognizant of that and try to balance your time. I have certain offline times where I spend quality time with my boys and that’s great because when they’re in bed I can go online again to work or study.
What are your top 5 favourite websites?
There are so many to choose from but I’ll try…
1. For great news and information I use www.news24.com or www.iol.co.za
2. When I need a good laugh I visit www.hayibo.com or www.zanews.co.za
3. www.youtube.com is such a useful site not only for funny or music videos (which is the reason most people use it) but also for interesting interviews or lectures from great business leaders. I love watching talks or interviews on the latest technology or business ideas. To date, I’ve always found results to searches I’ve done on any leader that I’m interested in learning from.
4. No surprise but www.facebook.com is a favourite. Did you know that this is currently the top site visited on mobile phones in the world? You can share information and photos with friends and family, chat online or play games.
5. For great South African technology news I use www.itweb.co.za or www.mybroadband.co.za which always have updates on what is happening in technology (local and international).
OK, slightly more than five but hey, I’m a geek.
Where do you look when you need a little inspiration?
Ah, the best place to go for that is www.faithwriters.com – it offers some truly inspiring articles and poems from writers (beginners to professionals) all over the world. It is free for anyone to join (as a contributor) and free to use. It is my favourite place for motivation and I’ve been writing for them since 2004.
For work inspiration I love Seth Godin’s daily newsletter. It is short and sweet but very thought provoking; you can sign up at www.sethgodin.com
So what can we expect from you in 2010 and beyond?
Some fun stuff! I’ve done research for my second book but it is on hold until I have completed my MBA, so no more books this year. But work wise, I’m planning some awesome projects that will make mobile commerce in Africa part of everyday life. All I can say is “Watch this space!”
As for Cellfhelp – I hope to entertain and educate people about the wonderful world of technology and with my personal blog; I hope to motivate readers to reach their dreams!
Thank you so much for this interview! It was great fun sharing with you and I hope that 2010 is the beginning of wonderful times so live it on purpose, with purpose and keep smiling.

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