Ziwani’s new podcast series RISK tackles the practical realities of taking bold steps in business – reframing the conversation around taking gospel-inspired risks while being grounded in professional responsibility. In this third episode host Kerryne Krause, seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Cryoslices, interviews Lerato Thekiso, attorney and director of Thekvest Legal Advisory Services.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Risk. It’s the fuel of progress, the fire under innovation – and yet, it’s also the thing most likely to keep a leader up at night. For those committed to living out their faith at work, risk isn’t just a financial calculation. It can be a test of character, a valuable lesson learned, and sometimes, a battleground for conviction. In this honest and thought-provoking conversation, Kerryne and Lerato explore how to count the cost of risk with courage and wisdom.
Kerryne shares the story of a painful lesson she learned in her own business, Cryoslices. When new government regulations in the cosmetics industry were implemented, she acted swiftly to comply – and it nearly shut her company down. “I definitely acted in haste,” she reflects.
The fallout was significant. “We basically got caught up in legislation that wasn’t ready to be implemented. Suddenly we could not supply products because of the delay in getting trade certificates. Honestly, it was terrifying. We lost millions.”
“It’s not like I wasn’t aware of the fact that there’s corruption in government. I think sometimes we just want to bury our heads in the sand and trust,” she comments wryly. Her natural leadership style is to lead with trust and openness. But as she’s learned, “Sometimes wisdom says no.” She adds, “There is no harm in asking questions, in digging in.”
But from the ashes rose something constructive. By standing their ground and sharing their story in the media, Cryoslices helped catalyse a more collaborative relationship between government and industry. “We actually got government to engage with industry more proactively, to slow down their processes, include us, and make the process a lot smoother for everybody.”
Still, the lesson stuck – well-meaning decisions made in haste can carry a heavy price tag.
For this reason, Lerato often reminds herself of Jesus’ caution in Luke 14:28: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
“It means consider the impact. Consider the potential implications not just for you, but for the people you work with, for the communities you work with, for the clients you work with, for the stakeholders that are part of your value system – it can never at any point just be about you,” she states. “Because even with the best intentions, you can fail if you don’t apply wisdom.”
In Lerato’s view, one of the central responsibilities of a business leader is knowing how to take risks wisely. “The leader sets the tone for the organisation,” she says. “When it comes to the decisions you’re about to take, have you applied yourself with due care and skill? Would a reasonable person in your position have come to a similar conclusion? Or were you plainly reckless?”
But then, “We can also create risk unintentionally – by not taking the risk. Because we’re too afraid or overanalysing something,” she acknowledges. “Sometimes we think that inaction keeps us safe from risk. Yet indecision in itself is a decision. You have to live with the consequences of whatever decision you take, or don’t take. There’s no middle ground.”
Lerato therefore encourages leaders to listen to their team. “I’ve just realised how much ‘juice’ sits in a room when decisions are being made, and how different perspectives could shift the trajectory of your organisation. Ask your team the tough questions, like, ‘Is there anything you see that I don’t see?’”
This kind of humility can help mitigate avoidable risks. “Because we all have blind spots, even if we’re experts and specialists. We should never be so proud to think there’s not another piece to this puzzle that could potentially put risk in the mix,” she cautions.
Kerryne agrees that we all need community and accountability. “But what if an entrepreneur doesn’t have a team, or a mentor, yet?” she asks.
Admitting that ‘solopreneurship’ can be a hard and lonely road, Lerato reflects, “Mentorship is not necessarily about someone who’s older than you. Sometimes it’s simply a peer you can have coffee with once a month to ‘pick their brains.’” But the most important thing is to “invite a level of community into your space so that you can make wholesome decisions, be challenged on your perspectives, and grow.”
Because without it, “the likelihood of lying to yourself is high,” she reveals. “If you really want something, it’s easy to convince yourself that it’s the right thing to do, irrespective of the red flags. You can justify your way into really bad decisions.”
And sometimes, that inner justification isn’t about what we tell ourselves – but about what others ask of us. When the bad decision seems easy and the right one feels costly, integrity is truly put to the test.
Kerryne shares a sobering moment from her own export journey – when a few of their overseas customers asked for two separate invoices. A ‘real’ one for actual payment, and a ‘fake’ one stating reduced prices so they could avoid paying import taxes. “I was horrified!” she recalls. “I knew that we stood the risk of losing these customers. And on the odd occasion, we did – some would only do business with us if we would give them the second invoice. But we chose to walk away.”
That meant lost income. Lost market representation. But it was the right call. “The reality is that these are long term partnerships. Those who import our products become our brand ambassadors in those countries. We chose not to let them represent us, because of that.” It was a costly stand, but one rooted in the conviction that ethical standards matter more than short-term gain.
Lerato affirms the weight of such decisions: “It takes courage to stand against something. And the fact that you take a stand for what is right doesn’t make it any easier, or less painful.” “I personally know more than one person who had to walk away not just from a business opportunity, but from a key position in a company,” she shares. “They had to make a call between putting their signature on a document that did not pass the standards of their industry – and they chose to walk.”
It’s tough. Especially when jobs are scarce and the pressure is real. “But five years from now, when an audit is conducted, it’s your signature. Everyone who put pressure on you would have moved on with their lives, but you would then have to face the music and the repercussions of the long arm of the law.”
Kerryne agrees, “The truth always prevails one way or another. Sometimes it takes time, but one way or another, things come out. So I always ask myself, ‘If my family, if my best friends found out about what I was doing now, how would I feel?’”
In the end, wise leadership isn’t about avoiding risk altogether. It’s about walking the narrow path between courage and caution – trusting that “God is on the throne, and He’s able to keep providing for us,” Kerryne proclaims. “Yes, the economic situation is not easy, and the temptation is great. But He’s our source, and we just have to keep that straight and narrow path as best we can.”
That’s the invitation – to take risks not recklessly, but redemptively. To lead not by fear, but by faith. And to trust that the God who called you into business is faithful to carry you through it. Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned executive, this conversation is a powerful reminder that good intentions must be anchored in diligence and discernment. As Lerato puts it plainly, “If something smells like a rat – it probably is!”
