This is how it started. Nadia posted this video of herself, essentially putting herself on the market, offering her CV on YOUTUBE as a digital ambassador looking for work.
I found her on twitter and made a proposal which she enthusiastically responded to. We met the very next day at Nino's and discussed for about an hour a possible working relationship. We shook hands, and I was under the assumption I'd get some feedback from Nadia the next day regarding her role.
After a few days passed I emailed Nadia [since I'd heard nothing from her] and asked her whether she had had a look at the site and whether she had any ideas...
Hi Nadia
I think there has been a misunderstanding.
What I wanted from you was to spend about an hour looking at www.nickvanderleek.com and www.myrosebank.blogspot.com and then email me your ideas.
Then I would respond with suggestions, support and other possible ideas, and from there, test these ideas, strategies in the market place.
I realise you were very busy over the weekend but I actually took Friday off work to dedicate a little extra time to the sites, and thought I'd hear back from you.
Anyway, it's not a train smash. Do send me your ideas/strategies as soon as you're ready. Please also use tghis email address going forward.
Cheers
Nick
The next day, from Nadia:
Hi Nick
I sat for 90 min reading your blog and making sure I go through everything. I really like the way you changed the look and feel of the blog. It looks much better from when I first saw it.
The following are the clients I think would suit your blog- Just sugestions
1. Vitamin Water- Glaceau
2. Kuaai
3. Boost Juice
4. Silverback ( bicycle brand-they are venvironmental conscience)
5.Hybird solar charger
6.Remax- http://www.remax.co.za/Remax-
7. AVIS-http://www.trees.co.za/
8.WILD ORGANIC FOODS www.wildorganics.co.za
9.www.absoluteorganix.co.za.
10. sun stove - www.sungravity.com
Just a suggestion, but what I think the columns " its cool by the pool" and" the view from my bicycle column" should have seperate tabs - Just to make it easier for the readers.
My questions:
1. What analytics do you have on the blog?
2. What is the average ammount of unique visitors you get per month?
3. May I see a analytics report for the past 6 months?
4. We are going to need to give info to advwertisers on the age and gender of the viewers to this blog. How are we going to go about getting that information? Questionaires?
From my side Im happy to send through emails and proposals to clients however I must be honest , I cannot make this my priority. I do have other work to do ,so I hope you understand.
I think also getting hold of the right people would also be a bit of an obstacle but theres no harm trying. Im also not a sales person, I prefer conceptualising ideas to selling but I dont mind trying.
Again thanks for this opportuinity, I think your blog is different and its going to be very succesful in terms of advertsing.
Kind Regards
Nadia
Same day, from me:
Hi Nadia
Good to hear from you and thanks so much for your feedback. To respond to your first point, the blog is constantly evolving, hopefully improving, and the title image changes daily, sometimes weekly, depending on what I consider its effectiveness.
Nadia I like your list of clients, particularly Kauai, Vitamin Water and the organic/alternative energy stuff. AVIS and REMAX though are no-no's, as would be any client associated with cars/property or driving/construction based on current economic patterns. A new very efficient car or system may be a possible exception.
I'm going to add a few suggestions to your client list. If you're comfortable, before you go out to the hungry wolves, let's talk about how to approach these folks, what to say, where to sell.
Suggested client list for SHOOT: [aim for one in each basic category]
1. WATER: Vitamin Water- Glaceau/Seltzer/Karoo Mineral Water//aquazania/valpre/Water Filters/Water purifiers
2. FOOD and BEVERAGES: Kauai/Jucy Lucy/ Fruit & Veg City/ Pick n Pay [voted SA's greenest store]
3. SPORTS: [CYCLING] - Silberback/ Trek [Lance Armstrong's Brand] / Scott/ Cervelo
- biycycle stores nationwide
- CycleLab
- Apparel shops [Total Sports, Sportsman's Wharehouse, online apparel retailers eg trisports]
- Events [Cape Epic]
- Supersport
- Sports magazines [Runner's World, Shape, Bicycling, Triathlete magazine, IRONMAN etc]
- Gymnasiums: Virgin Active [nationwide or specific]/Planet Fitness/Region gyms
- sports devices: Polar [heart rate monitors]/Blackberry, garmin etc.
4. Generic brands: NEOTEL/Yellow Pages/iBurst/Vodacom/MTN/CELL C/CAPITEC Bank
5. Urban Centres/Museums/Tourism/Parks/
The sky is the limit but that's probably a good initial list for perhaps the first week or so. Haven't mentioned any computer companies or tech firms, fashion/glamour brands or photographic products.
I agree with you 100% that the columns need their own tabs; unfortunately for that I would need a programmer, and convert the blog to a different template allowing that functionality. I've done a quick google search and it may be possible to change the template fairly simply, so I need to look into that. Something to work on in the future.
Regarding your questions:
I use Google Analytics. In the News and Politics section of Amatomu, my blog has ranked, previously, in the Top 10, although it is not strictly speaking either a News or Politics blog.
The average unique visitors per month is = just below 11 000 per month...I'm fine with you not giving this your 100% right now, but I do hope you will dedicate a certain amount of time per week to it. The less you do obviously the less you'll achieve. I'd like to see this work for both our sakes. There is plenty of room for further development. I'm happy to show you the basic ropes, and once we get the show on the road we can formalise arrangements and perhaps get other people doing it fulltime and manage them.
I am going to look into getting documents and invoices for the actual agreements, in the case where clients sign up.
I have sent you a .pdf of the google stats. Did you get it?
Thanks for getting in touch. I have taken this Friday off if you'd like to discuss this further.
Cheers
Nick
Nadia Van Der Merwe realise that along with talent you need a strong character. the character conisting of self discipline,core values, a sense of identity and integrity. im not perfect but im always trying to live by that character
sounds good. But not sure how that gels with your work ethic re: our project.
A few moments later, moments after posting that comment, I received this email:
Hi Nick,
Im really sorry i never got back to you. it wasnt that I wasnt interested. it was just that things have been hectic my side. i should not have taken up the responsibilty if I knew i wouldnt have time, bad planning! Im really sorry!
| show details 11:40 PM (20 hours ago) |
Nadia's email to me, moments later:
I actually have a job already as an AE. I told you when we met up that Im not a sales person. I really thought I could help and add value but in all honestly I did have too much on my plate. I dont go to TED and 27 dinner for fun, I go to network.
Once again, Im really sorry for leading you on and saying I willl do something and then I dont. That is not not like me, I dont usually let people down. I didnt forget about you, I genuinely had alot going on but I know is hould of communicated with you more . Im sincerely sorry about that.i I think it was also because it was sales and it didnt deal directly with social media which is what i really wanted to go into, Iv learnt now that being kind hearted is not the way to do things in business. I truly wanted to help you. Im really sorry for not being more forward with you about it from the start.
My response:
I can see you are actually a good person, and I know you're young, and you've already achieved a lot of things many other people your age haven't and possibly never will. In this world attention is an important commodity and you've done quite well there.
Again, thanks for your apology, I appreciate that. I think I sent you a few sms, messages on facebook and emails, not a lot, but I was really disappointed that weeks went by without a peep from you.
There's a subtle compliment in that. I do think, as inexperienced as you are, that you could have been an enormous asset for what I was trying to do. I hate sales myself, so I know what I was asking you. I guess I was also looking forward to working with you and sharing my knowledge and also learning a bit about your world [experience with FHM etc].
| show details 12:25 AM (19 hours ago) |
Again, Im sorry I didnt reply to your messages. My phone was stolen so iddint get sms's. MTN took ages to do a sim swop. Thats no excuse though not to keep in touch on emails . Im sorry for not following through as well as not communicating with you.
I hope we can end this all off on a positive note.
| show details 12:31 AM (19 hours ago) |
A great way to end this on a positive note I think is for us to do a shoot sometime...I dunno when. But only if you're comfortable and you've seen my work and like it. You certainly shouldn't feel obligated to.
And maybe further down the line, when you've got something of a track record, and you feel you've learnt a thing or two, I can do a feature about you in SHOOT. It's more popular than you might think. A 5fm presenter recently accepted an offer to be interviewed, so you could do worse.
| show details 12:45 AM (19 hours ago) |
I will be honest with you, I have scheduled alot of shoots for the next 2 months coming up so im not sure when I can shoot. Maybe if an idea comes to your mind that willl suit my look and add to your book, let me know. Believe me, I will reply!!! rather mail me though. This email adress cant be stolen.
Please can you comment and tell people on my status that Im not such a bad person. You really have made me sound bad?
| show details 12:54 AM (19 hours ago) |
Let me know whether you're going to delete the comment stream. If not I can say something but I really don't like this poepol antonio and it's really below me to get involved in these sort of discussions. I also have a reputation to maintain.
If I come up with an idea I'll let you know. It will probably depend on where you are and who you've become 2-3 months from now. Perhaps we can do a corporate you. Sexy, but very professional. Suits, hats etc.
Isn't it enough if you know I no longer think you're a bad person?
| show details 1:07 AM (19 hours ago) |
Let me know when you have an idea and maybe some reference pics? That idea does sound good. I wll only be able to shoot in 2 months but if i get an opening during the weekend, i dont mind shooting then :)
means alot that you dont think im a bad person!!
| show details 1:14 AM (18 hours ago) |
Cool.
I have some reference pics, but will have to dig 'em out. Do you have black leather?
Let me know about weekend openings in a couple of weeks.
K I'm gonna hit the sack. Cheers.
| show details 7:23 PM (47 minutes ago) |
The problem is, you can spin all this any way you want, it still doesn't gel with who you are purporting yourself to be, and my firsthand, reality experience with you. 5000 fans can't change that, and it is really unwise to try to win these battles in the public domain. You really underestimate my intelligence. And I don't know how honest it is to apologise privately to me on email and then go and recruit support for the next day. You did do that, didn't you?
Later in the evening I found her facebook page festooned with comments - almost all vitriol - attributed to me. I phoned her and asked her to remove them, citing her request hours earlier for me to do damage control on her behalf. She said she couldn't do anything about things her fans said about me, since she hadn't said them. I said that wasn't showing much character or integrity, especially since someone was saying I had 'met her under false pretenses' and apparently I had been 'disappointed not to have my way' with her, which has some pretty lurid implications.
She gave her phone to her mother, I then explained the situation to her and said I didn't like Devon posting this negative communication on her wall, especially when we'd reached some form of conciliation, at least I thought we had. Her mother said Devon was her ex boyfriend, someone she'd never approved of. Devon called me twice this evening, apparently playing the still relevant, belligerant all powerful alpha male. An ironic twist to Nadia's latest update:
Nadia Van Der Merwe is being verbally attacked!!41 minutes ago
My life is dedicated to GOD!I have full faith in HIM,live for HIM and thank HIM for everything HE gives me!
Her ex describes himself as dedicating 'every second' to God.
What this has to do with character, or trying to live a character driven life, beats me. It's really only about saying you are, and getting enough people to back you up, with evidence and facts being utterly incidental if not entirely irrelevant. In this world it's not what you are, but the entire appearance of things that govern people's attitudes to you and to each other. And as we all know, appearances can be manipulated, it seems, almost as easily as people can be.
18 comments:
Have you never had a business deal go sour before? It happens.
Why the need for this tirade against Nadia?
Also, you said "I found her on twitter and made a proposal which she enthusiastically responded to."
What was this proposal?
The proposal was that she would effectively be the brand ambassador for a website called SHOOT. This website. She'd be promoting it on facebook and twitter, and also trying to get advertising for the blog. The other aspect which would have been unique was doing paid for articles and features rather than simply banner ads, but I wanted to be specific about what I was prepared to support. I was under the impression she really understood the idea and wanted to be involved. Sure, as you say, deals go sour. I just have a problem with someone who pretends to be sweet and kind, but behind the scenes is a schemer, and dishonest and really really selfish. This whole schpiel about character and integrity is an absolute farce. Because when someone says that and you call upon them to show that, to be that, and they don't, doesn't that say it all. All talk, no substance.
Okay, so as I understand things, you agreed with Nadia that she would help you source clients for advertising on your blog.
She gave you a list of possible clients and had some further interaction.
Then things went quiet.
By the sounds of it, you took this as disinterest on her part. She says that her handbag and phone were stolen and that's why she didn't contact you. I'm sure you can imaging that having your personal belongings stolen is a big stress on anyone, and I can't blame Nadia for having some things slip her mind.
I also believe that there was no cast-in-stone contract, and Nadia felt that her work was probably done. Maybe it was a miscommunication?
As for her status update on FB, there is nothing wrong with people aspiring to be better people. From your point of view, it would seem hypocritical, but perhaps she really has the desire to change?
What do you say Nick? If she can change her character in a reasonable amount of time, wouldn't you be impressed? This would show she has the guts to take criticism, identify the problem and fix it. It won't mend what has happened in the past, but will give her a firm base for the future.
No the problem is that there is deceit involved. She only thought of contacting me when it came to protecting a false perception of herselfin public; she then took this even further, by playing one card on her facebook page, and another card to me.
She asked me to try to soften some of the things I said, saying she wanted to end things on a positive note [I guess that meant for her]meantime running to her ex and have him lambast me on her page, using more deceit - how did I meet her under false pretenses?
Then you have a bunch of Christians calling me a poes, and fuck this and fuck that - and this all started because of her claim to be trying to work on her character, about her dedication to virtues. Really?
It's this stated dedication to god that doesn't quite gel either.
ASs someone wrote today on my Facebook:
Margie Bauer
Well Nadia, according me (and I think God's word - you might want to read it some time), someone who claims to be living FOR GOD should not be making a living from selling half naked pictures of themselves. Your values just don't gel with me!! You can say what you want, but if you are not walking the talk it means NOTHING! Rather say NOTHING! Does ... Read Moreyour church KNOW that you are a Playboy bunny type and that you parade around in lingerie? Do you think they will maybe show some of your pics in church one Sunday?? If not, WHY NOT???
In sum: it's all talk.
Margie- couldn't have said it better myself. The word here is HYPOCRITE!!
(A person who pretends to have higher standards than is actually the case!!!)
I don't want to get into a religious debate, as I feel it has no bearing on the initial complaint.
Nadia has a long way to go to becoming the person she says she wants to be, but basing your entire opinion of someone on one incident just smacks of narrow-mindedness.
It would be more constructive to deal with your differences in private, than to hang it out to dry in public. All that this blog post has done is create animosity and two camps (pro- and anti- Nadia).
If you look at the original status update: "Nadia van der Merwe realises that along with talent you need a strong character. the character consisting of self discipline, core values, a sense of identity and integrity. I'm not perfect but I'm always trying to live by that character", she admits to not being perfect. She says she is trying to better herself. What part of that is hypocritical?
I phoned Nadia last night after she had let me down a second time - so it's not a one off. I said to her if she doesn't remove the negative and salacious comments about me on her facebook, that I would put this story up. No lies, no exaggerations [unlike on her page]. She then accussed me of attacking her verbally. She undertook to do 2 or is it 3 things in the end.
1. to work for shoot
2. to remove misrepresentations 'early the next morning'
3. to end things on a positive note, volunteering to do an interview later.
That's 3/3 bullshit stories.
Question - Paul are you also an ex-boyfriend?
No, I'm not an ex-boyfriend. At the moment I'm an ex-friend. I tried telling her that she must try to stick to her commitments as it reflects on her as a person. She then accused me of treason and said that I was taking your side.
I'm trying to remain impartial in this whole saga.
Ultimately, Nadia should learn that commitments are to be honoured, and that if she can't do them, then to say she can't in the first place.
I just feel that dragging it out into the public domain is a bit shameless, and has caused unnecessary angst on both sides.
Nick, maybe take this as a lesson that in business, no-one is perfect and that expectations have to be managed.
Nadia has learnt the hard way that she must be true to her word. I think that was your goal?
"I tried telling her that she must try to stick to her commitments as it reflects on her as a person. She then accused me of treason and said that I was taking your side."
Says it all don't it.
But I don't go and have a tantrum and do a write up on it.
We will sort it out, and Nadia will be a different person after it.
Ek verteenwoordig Nadia van der Merwe as Agent en Bestuurder. Hiermee na aanleiding van die publikasie gaande Nadia van der Merwe sal regsaksie teen u handig gemaak word indien u navolgens Suid Afrika se beskermingswet teen die laster van 'n individu onder valse beginsels waarby haar menswaardigeid en loopbaan aangetas word deur publieke publikasie getoonset word sonder 'n waardige getekende kontrak soos deur die Arbeidswet uiteengelê nie die publikasie sonder kontrak voorwendsels verwyder nie.
Sorry I don't understand Afrikaans so lekker, can you rephrase in English, and identify yourself.
Found this on Hello Peter:
http://www.hellopeter.com/nick-van-der-leek-complaint-%5B332092%5D
NICK VAN DER LEEK is a Ego tistical Pig who does photo shoots.. and because he cant get to his models private life ... he turns everything around on the models and still looks for young ladies to pose and do sales... only sales he wants is Ass and tits.. as he says bluntly on Facebook
. 'Grow as a person? You mean certain parts? you cant grow . Because
you sure as hell ain't interested in growing anything else. As I said,
bull sh1tting. And this thank you appreciation story is more
bull sh1tting. All talk, all B()()Bs and aZZ , zer...o substance. Who knew ? All i wanted was to get clooooose '
he insults the young lady on a public wall in front of all her fans and wants control over them. and if he cant get some ass.. he does the above and more...
so to be more of a ass ... he writes blogs about the the lady ,, to protect his ego .. as she declined and decided to not have a personal connection with the Nick.
if he can insult a girl and show bad publicity about her, (lies ). then its only fair i lay this out on Hello peter .
be aware that he has other motives. Dont give him anything and hell try destroy you!.
___________________________________
Jeepers, people can be mean and vindictive. I never said: "All i wanted was to get clooooose."
I see someone went to the trouble of setting up an entire facebook profile simply to stir. Real good honest folk out there. Strong character.
all i can say is . this is SAD, Really SAD
Look at me .... i got a Blog ... let me show everyone how i was treated ... and be a baby about it !!! whooooop di fuck Di doooo NICK!!
Im a Poepal ... why is that , did i stick a nerve. How old are you ?
because it sounds like you are a immature kid on Facebook ...
funny how you forgot to put your origanal post along with mine and instead edit what you FELT
like saying, and act like an innocent by-stander.- by that i mean a professional now, and not before.
Does not surprise me.
You can't say IT'S BENEATH YOU to chat and then be LOW about it at the same time.
That's double standards. YES you are LOW.
Act like a man , did your mother not hug you.
It's really SAD
In writting what you did, you were NOT IN THE RIGHT but quite the opposite.
This Blog is in your favor. HUH!! does not take a Genius to figure at whats potting.
I'm not afraid of you, your cover ups means shit!
you then talk about the church and GOD and Fuck in the same sentance
- Do u have a issue with GOD ? and the church?
For you to claim your a professional and to post
it on Nadia's wall in public like you did was over the line and uncalled for.
Nadia is not the one at fault here. YOU are
an appology from you should be in order for what you have done and what you have blogged about.
Your just a coward and what is worse is to publicly announce it the way you did.
Trust a GENIUS to do something so charmingly.
Nick - if this kind of "deal" gets you so worked up you really need to find another avenue of work...have you ever dealt with models...wait... people before?
And besides...if your photography was actually up to any standard then perhaps you wouldn't get any grief.
Besides this...i find your reaction extremely immature and totally uncalled for...if you had half a brain you would realize that this kind of behavior is infantile and utterly ridiculous on your behalf.
PS. I have shot with Nadia many times and she is fantastic to work with and a gem of a person to be around. She is intelligent and is always sprouting the most creative ideas.
Im am sorry you had to take this route of character deformation and i would wish you all the best...but with your attitude i doubt that would do any good.
Regards.
Bruce K. Cantrell
Can't believe I just wasted 8 minutes of my life reading through this crap. Are you like 10 years old or something? And you actually think people are going to take your side with a post like this... Good luck boy.
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