NAME Jenske Zeilinga
AKA Fred Zeilinga’s Other Half
TIMES AROUND THE SUN 27
FROM Vryheid, Kwazulu-Natal
LIVE Tokyo, Japan
ALL ABOUT Go-getter, compassionate, honest, impatient, and curious.
FILL US IN I went to study at the University of Pretoria, and in my final BCOM year, my father passed away very quickly. I had to step into his business at the age of 21, in Durban, as I am the eldest of 3 sisters.
There I learned at a very young age how to hustle, and that retail is in my blood. It was the worst and the best time of my life: I lost my dad, lived in a new city, had to learn business very quickly, AND I met my husband!
WHO, WHAT, WHERE I think I speak for every other half when I say pre-season is the worst time of the season. My husband came home exhausted, extremely low on energy, super tired, and not keen on any funtivities. The
I just knew there must be a healthier and better way to get his energy levels up for the whole day. After a lot of research, doctors, and dietician appointments I started juicing for Fred. It immediately made a huge difference, and today juicing is part of our daily diet and so Heartbeet was born.
GIVE US THE LOW DOWN There are so many benefits! To name a few…
Natural anti-inflammatory – Helps with sore muscles and cramps- Natural detoxifier – Cleans up your body
- Boosts energy and stamina
- Gives your skin a healthy glow
- Helps stabilise blood sugar levels.
YOUR PERFECT PEAR Anje! She is also a rugby wife, and she knows the ups and downs of being the other half. When I started Heartbeet the possibility of us moving away was always there, and Anje obviously understands rugby life, as she has been part of it for 12 years.
We have a great balance – she handles the juicing and supplier side of the business, and I do the admin, financials and marketing. She is the beet of my heart, and we make perfect pear.. haha.. #juicepuns
TAKING THE PLUNGE For rugby wives, don’t let the fear of ending contracts, renegotiating, and uncertainties of not knowing where you will be after this season, stop you from pursuing your career.
There are always ways to make it work, and if you work hard, put in the time, the rest will come.
You have the best platform to start a business – all the other beautiful rugby ladies at the club. Test your product with them, use their social media platforms for marketing, ask their opinions and get their reactions.
DOTING WIFE OR INDEPENDENT WOMAN Creating your own identity is so important, getting swallowed up in all your hubby’s things can happen so quickly.
If you love reading, start a book club. If you are passionate about cooking, share your recipes on social media. Buy a second hand sewing machine, some paintbrushes, learn a foreign language, travel on your own if you must, make candles, and only drink good wine in the bath.
A hobby doesn’t necessarily have to change into a business, it just has to make you feel like you have something that belongs to only you.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE It was very important for us to experience Japan to its fullest, we had to find a healthy balance between Heartbeet, rugby and travelling. For me the most difficult was the time difference: when I wake up, South Africa goes to sleep, and visa versa.
I play catch up everyday. But with Skype, millions of WhatsApp calls and emails, the world has become smaller.
In Tokyo, Wednesday is Funtivity day for Fred and
RUGBY LIFE BUSINESS RESTRICTIONS With Skype, WhatsApp calls, internet banking, and emails I can do anything, and be part of everything that goes on in South Africa.
It wouldn’t be possible without Anje. It makes it so much easier having someone you trust.
Fred supports me unconditionally, he gives me the space and time to be creative with all my business idea. And I have a lot haha.
THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER I love travelling, I was so blessed to visit different countries all over Asia and Europe last year.
Thrift shopping. Tokyo has the biggest thrift areas in the world, and oh how I love finding vintage treasures. My favourite find was this beautiful, very vintage Neverfull Louis Vuitton that I bought for next to nothing in Seoul. In the heart of the city, this old lady called me into her little stall, gave me a cup of cold black coffee, and showed me the most beautiful range of various vintage handbags. It was such a unique experience.
(Vasti and I still fight about that handbag, and that I got it first.)
Last year we started Japanese classes at the community centre, we learn the language, and the culture. There, we do cooking classes, traditional dancing and singing classes and interact with Japanese children who are so eager to learn English.
I love yoga, we are very blessed to live in an apartment block with all the other rugby foreigners, so the girls and I do hot yoga every morning.
INDEPENDENCY AND MOTIVATION It is super important. I have to keep my brain stimulated and my thoughts occupied. Being in a foreign country where the language barrier is huge, it can quickly become quiet and lonely.
Heartbeet keeps me busy, and gives me reason to stay happy and healthy, as we strive to live out the health and wellness that Heartbeet stands for.
RUGBY WIFE LIFE MEANS To make the decision to embrace every opportunity and every challenge together, no matter where in the world you are.
RUGBY LIFE HIGHS I have had the opportunity to travel the world, to experience new places and meet new friends, that become family.
A huge highlight is seeing my husband grow as a man and as a rugby player, seeing him happy wherever we are, and loving what he does.
It is such a huge blessing having a husband who absolutely loves his job. He is my example of hard work pays off, and to ALWAYS ALWAYS stay humble.
RUGBY LIFE LOWS Yes there are definitely. We as woman are so bombarded with what civilisation says, books we read, TV, the news, our parents, that all woman should be totally independent, have 8-5 jobs, and make your own millions, be skinny, and still be the perfect wife and mother.
As a rugby wife, it is easy to feel that you lack ambition, and lose your self confidence. Especially being in a foreign country where you are not allowed to work. That was one of the reasons we started Heartbeet, I knew I could work from anywhere in the world.
RUGBY LIFE MISCONCEPTION I am constantly on my knees praying for extraordinary faith, because everything is temporary. Your husband is under constant pressure to be the best in his position, and as a rugby wife it falls on you to keep on motivating them no matter the outcome of a season or a game.
5 YEARS FROM NOW If it is God’s will, hopefully still in Japan, fluent in Japanese, Heartbeet juice in every grocery store in South Africa, and maybe one or two new businesses.
WORDS OF WISDOM
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”
Amelia Earhart
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU
Website: heartbeet.co.za
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