Born a winning entrepreneur

VALERIE MENTZ: SHE HAD SUCCESS FROM HER FIRST VENTURE, WITH NO BUSINESS TRAINING

- Hein Kaiser

It's really a challenge to describe the impression that serial entrepreneur Valerie Mentz makes when shaking hands. She's energetic, empathetic, kind and hints at being a tough negotiator at a boardroom table. But, Mentz is a whole lot of fun and calls what she does for a living playing. To her, business is creating. It's inspiring.

At 63, the founder of Absolute Pets, Val de Vine Guest House in Stellenbosch and multiple other businesses is still building, innovating and chasing the next challenge. It's her calling.

But it wasn't always a walk in the park. Mentz's path was littered with challenges and initially she had to step into entrepreneurship out of necessity.

After a divorce left her without financial security, she realised a regular job wouldn't get her where she needed to be.

Determined to rewrite her story, she started working at an insurance company, quickly becoming the top regional performer. This was just the beginning.

Her next chapter took her to Canada, where she moved with her second husband, a veterinarian. It was there that she discovered her knack for turning challenges into opportunities.

"His practice ended up in terrible debt. The manager had been stealing from us," she said.