When not raising orphan lambs, caring for her pet sheep and tortoise, or making sandwiches as part of her on-the-side-sandwich business, Carien enjoys hiking, traveling around her home country of South Africa, sightseeing, and watching documentaries.
As the administrative assistant here at Kaci, Carien is guided by the following values; Authenticity, commitment, concern for others, friendliness, honesty, loyalty, and positivity. Her unique talents are driven by passion and dedication.
"I feel that without a passion for what you're doing, it is impossible to perform well at your job," she said. "I live by the motto "passion beyond profession" and have a strong desire to help others. This has been a factor in my past success as a Human Resources Generalist and will add key value to Kaci.
Carien has a B.Com. Degree in Human Resources Management and enjoys the company culture, determination for growth, and the team's overall positive spirit here at Kaci. "If you want to join a company that's main focus is excellence, growth, and supportive team culture, Kaci is the Company for you!" she said.
Her favorite line from her favorite movie is "Hakuna Matata" - The Lion King and The best piece of advice she's ever received is: "Life is only as good as your mindset."
Her most significant career accomplishment has been transforming employees' perspective of a Human Resources Department from "unapproachable" to the "go-to place" that ensures employees receive the necessary support, important matters receive attention, their opinions are valued, and their voices are heard.
If she won the lottery tomorrow, she'd start a dog shelter, and hopefully, the dogs would get along with the sheep, lambs, and tortoise and not eat all the sandwiches!
In another life, Carien is pretty sure she was a bear cub or any other cute animal that hibernates in winter as she is not a big fan of cold winter weather. That's probably why she does NOT live in an igloo here in Canada with moose and beavers as pets!
If she could invent a holiday, it would definitely involve a day that celebrates different cultures and heritages with friends and family. "On this day, you'd have to dress according to your cultural heritage, and typical traditional food dishes must be on the menu for lunch and dinner." She said, "Having too much fun is compulsory!"
She's a jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers kind of gal who would probably be a psychiatrist if she wasn't so darn good at her job. Her favorite quote is "If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way" by Napoleon Hill, and her favorite word in the English language is" Absolutely!"
I'd say that Carien is absolutely living her life in South Africa with passion and commitment and doing small things in a great way!
Carien works full-time as a Recruitment Consultant on top of her duties at Kaci.
What's the most inspiring part of your job? Assisting the unemployed in finding employment, as unemployment is a major crisis in South Africa.
Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?
- 12 Rules for Life (Jordan Peterson)
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (Don Miguel Ruiz)
Clothing - Comfortable
Travels - I've traveled all over South Africa! It's a beautiful country with many beautiful destinations. Other than that, Atlanta, Georgia (USA) and Kitale, Kenya (Africa)
Things you love - Adventure
Things you fear- loss of a loved one and cockroaches
Cherished childhood memories - Christmas celebrations with my family, especially my grandparents. They went out of their way to make the day unforgettable.
Your best friend - My life partner, Braam
Your bucket list - Vacation in Zanzibar
A favorite singer or group you love to dance to when you're all alone - High On Life - Martin Garrix
The most unusual thing in your office - Plastic takeaway sandwich containers used in our small sideline sandwich-making business
Your hairstyle - Mid-length with a slight kink of curly
A nickname - I don't have any!
The car you drive - Volkswagen Polo TSi
Something you collect - Good memories
Your hero - My Dad
Misti Hurst: June 08, 2022
Misti Hurst