Liezel van der Westhuizen | 'The Giraffe'
@liezelonline.bsky.social
Certified Mindvalley Business Coach | High performance & Mental fitness Coach | TV & Radio Presenter KFM, CapeTalk, Talk Radio 702
Do I still get nervous before I walk on stage?
Absolutely.
Earlier this month, I was about to #MC a huge event in Johannesburg.
An hour before I was due on stage, the nerves arrived.
So I found a quiet spot.
I sat down.
Absolutely.
Earlier this month, I was about to #MC a huge event in Johannesburg.
An hour before I was due on stage, the nerves arrived.
So I found a quiet spot.
I sat down.
September 23, 2026 at 7:11 AM
Do I still get nervous before I walk on stage?
Absolutely.
Earlier this month, I was about to #MC a huge event in Johannesburg.
An hour before I was due on stage, the nerves arrived.
So I found a quiet spot.
I sat down.
Absolutely.
Earlier this month, I was about to #MC a huge event in Johannesburg.
An hour before I was due on stage, the nerves arrived.
So I found a quiet spot.
I sat down.
Most people meet me on a stage, in a boardroom, or mid-broadcast. Polished, composed, on message.
Here's what's behind that...
Here's what's behind that...
September 21, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Most people meet me on a stage, in a boardroom, or mid-broadcast. Polished, composed, on message.
Here's what's behind that...
Here's what's behind that...
Business Coach vs #Burnout Business & Mental Fitness Coach. There IS a difference.
A Business Coach asks: "How do we improve the performance of the business?"
I ask that too.
But I also ask: "What is that performance costing the human being running it?"
A Business Coach asks: "How do we improve the performance of the business?"
I ask that too.
But I also ask: "What is that performance costing the human being running it?"
September 14, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Business Coach vs #Burnout Business & Mental Fitness Coach. There IS a difference.
A Business Coach asks: "How do we improve the performance of the business?"
I ask that too.
But I also ask: "What is that performance costing the human being running it?"
A Business Coach asks: "How do we improve the performance of the business?"
I ask that too.
But I also ask: "What is that performance costing the human being running it?"
Give me a microphone, a live audience, and something unexpected happening backstage...
Now we're having fun.
Because some of my favourite moments as an #emcee aren't actually on the running order.
A speaker disappears.
Technology decides today's the day it has feelings.
Now we're having fun.
Because some of my favourite moments as an #emcee aren't actually on the running order.
A speaker disappears.
Technology decides today's the day it has feelings.
September 10, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Give me a microphone, a live audience, and something unexpected happening backstage...
Now we're having fun.
Because some of my favourite moments as an #emcee aren't actually on the running order.
A speaker disappears.
Technology decides today's the day it has feelings.
Now we're having fun.
Because some of my favourite moments as an #emcee aren't actually on the running order.
A speaker disappears.
Technology decides today's the day it has feelings.
Can I tell you what makes #burnout so easy to miss?
You can be burning out and still be brilliant at your job.
You can still hit the target.
Still lead the meeting.
Still answer the messages.
Still show up smiling.
Still be the person everyone depends on.
You can be burning out and still be brilliant at your job.
You can still hit the target.
Still lead the meeting.
Still answer the messages.
Still show up smiling.
Still be the person everyone depends on.
September 7, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Can I tell you what makes #burnout so easy to miss?
You can be burning out and still be brilliant at your job.
You can still hit the target.
Still lead the meeting.
Still answer the messages.
Still show up smiling.
Still be the person everyone depends on.
You can be burning out and still be brilliant at your job.
You can still hit the target.
Still lead the meeting.
Still answer the messages.
Still show up smiling.
Still be the person everyone depends on.
Some days the drive just isn't there. And I want to say something that took me a long time to actually believe...⬇️
That doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human.
The inbox is overflowing.
The target's looming.
That doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human.
The inbox is overflowing.
The target's looming.
August 31, 2026 at 6:55 AM
Some days the drive just isn't there. And I want to say something that took me a long time to actually believe...⬇️
That doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human.
The inbox is overflowing.
The target's looming.
That doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human.
The inbox is overflowing.
The target's looming.
Training for #HYROX makes your family and friends think you’re an elite athlete.
Then race day comes
... and you get absolutely smoked by a 62-year-old woman named Karen pushing the sled like it owes her money.
Then race day comes
... and you get absolutely smoked by a 62-year-old woman named Karen pushing the sled like it owes her money.
August 26, 2026 at 6:04 AM
Training for #HYROX makes your family and friends think you’re an elite athlete.
Then race day comes
... and you get absolutely smoked by a 62-year-old woman named Karen pushing the sled like it owes her money.
Then race day comes
... and you get absolutely smoked by a 62-year-old woman named Karen pushing the sled like it owes her money.
Everyone says they're "burnt out."
But are you actually stressed... or already burned out?
Know the difference before your body makes the decision for you.
Vote below 👇
😡 = I'm stressed
🔥 = I'm burned out
#Burnout #MentalFitness #BurnoutCoach
But are you actually stressed... or already burned out?
Know the difference before your body makes the decision for you.
Vote below 👇
😡 = I'm stressed
🔥 = I'm burned out
#Burnout #MentalFitness #BurnoutCoach
August 24, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Everyone says they're "burnt out."
But are you actually stressed... or already burned out?
Know the difference before your body makes the decision for you.
Vote below 👇
😡 = I'm stressed
🔥 = I'm burned out
#Burnout #MentalFitness #BurnoutCoach
But are you actually stressed... or already burned out?
Know the difference before your body makes the decision for you.
Vote below 👇
😡 = I'm stressed
🔥 = I'm burned out
#Burnout #MentalFitness #BurnoutCoach
One weekend. Two #HYROX events. A few questionable life choices. 😂🔥
Mixed Doubles with Big Mike 💪 followed by the Corporate Relay with the Matsimela Ladies Clinic team.
Biggest takeaway? Hard things feel different when we do them together.
Mixed Doubles with Big Mike 💪 followed by the Corporate Relay with the Matsimela Ladies Clinic team.
Biggest takeaway? Hard things feel different when we do them together.
August 19, 2026 at 8:39 AM
One weekend. Two #HYROX events. A few questionable life choices. 😂🔥
Mixed Doubles with Big Mike 💪 followed by the Corporate Relay with the Matsimela Ladies Clinic team.
Biggest takeaway? Hard things feel different when we do them together.
Mixed Doubles with Big Mike 💪 followed by the Corporate Relay with the Matsimela Ladies Clinic team.
Biggest takeaway? Hard things feel different when we do them together.
Can I tell you something that took me years to actually believe?
You don't get stronger during training. You get stronger during recovery.
Every athlete knows this. It's why marathon plans have rest days built in, not as an afterthought, but as the actual mechanism that makes you faster.
You don't get stronger during training. You get stronger during recovery.
Every athlete knows this. It's why marathon plans have rest days built in, not as an afterthought, but as the actual mechanism that makes you faster.
August 3, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Can I tell you something that took me years to actually believe?
You don't get stronger during training. You get stronger during recovery.
Every athlete knows this. It's why marathon plans have rest days built in, not as an afterthought, but as the actual mechanism that makes you faster.
You don't get stronger during training. You get stronger during recovery.
Every athlete knows this. It's why marathon plans have rest days built in, not as an afterthought, but as the actual mechanism that makes you faster.
70% of #leadership failures aren't strategy failures. They're capacity failures.
That's not a guess. It's what Gallup and #burnout researchers keep finding: leaders don't fail because they picked the wrong plan.
They fail because their mind ran out of fuel to execute the right one.
That's not a guess. It's what Gallup and #burnout researchers keep finding: leaders don't fail because they picked the wrong plan.
They fail because their mind ran out of fuel to execute the right one.
July 27, 2026 at 6:18 AM
70% of #leadership failures aren't strategy failures. They're capacity failures.
That's not a guess. It's what Gallup and #burnout researchers keep finding: leaders don't fail because they picked the wrong plan.
They fail because their mind ran out of fuel to execute the right one.
That's not a guess. It's what Gallup and #burnout researchers keep finding: leaders don't fail because they picked the wrong plan.
They fail because their mind ran out of fuel to execute the right one.
"Everyone is stressed. Just push through."
If you have said this OR heard it, read this:
🔗 www.thegiraffebrand.com/burnout-dism...
Because the science on #burnout dismissal is not kind to leaders who confuse suffering in silence with commitment.
🤓📜 New article on the blog!
If you have said this OR heard it, read this:
🔗 www.thegiraffebrand.com/burnout-dism...
Because the science on #burnout dismissal is not kind to leaders who confuse suffering in silence with commitment.
🤓📜 New article on the blog!
"Just Work Through It": The Leadership Blind Spot That Is Burning Down Your Business - The Giraffe Brand
When leaders dismiss burnout as weakness, they do not just lose people; they lose revenue. Here is the science, the cost, and the uncomfortable truth.
www.thegiraffebrand.com
July 23, 2026 at 9:16 AM
"Everyone is stressed. Just push through."
If you have said this OR heard it, read this:
🔗 www.thegiraffebrand.com/burnout-dism...
Because the science on #burnout dismissal is not kind to leaders who confuse suffering in silence with commitment.
🤓📜 New article on the blog!
If you have said this OR heard it, read this:
🔗 www.thegiraffebrand.com/burnout-dism...
Because the science on #burnout dismissal is not kind to leaders who confuse suffering in silence with commitment.
🤓📜 New article on the blog!
Before you call yourself lazy, answer this honestly:
When was the last time you felt truly rested?
So many people I coach tell me, "I think I've become lazy."
Yet what they're describing isn't laziness.
It's #burnout. ⬇️
When was the last time you felt truly rested?
So many people I coach tell me, "I think I've become lazy."
Yet what they're describing isn't laziness.
It's #burnout. ⬇️
July 20, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Before you call yourself lazy, answer this honestly:
When was the last time you felt truly rested?
So many people I coach tell me, "I think I've become lazy."
Yet what they're describing isn't laziness.
It's #burnout. ⬇️
When was the last time you felt truly rested?
So many people I coach tell me, "I think I've become lazy."
Yet what they're describing isn't laziness.
It's #burnout. ⬇️
Your #MC is either the glue that holds your event together; or the crack that lets the energy leak out.
After 2,000+ events across four continents, I've written the definitive guide for event planners - What makes a great #emcee & and what to ask before you book.
www.liezel.co.za/what-makes-a...
After 2,000+ events across four continents, I've written the definitive guide for event planners - What makes a great #emcee & and what to ask before you book.
www.liezel.co.za/what-makes-a...
What Makes a Great MC? (And Why Getting This Wrong Can Derail Your Entire Event)
Discover what separates a great MC from an average one ;and why your event's success depends on getting this right. Practical guide for event planners.
www.liezel.co.za
July 17, 2026 at 9:41 AM
Your #MC is either the glue that holds your event together; or the crack that lets the energy leak out.
After 2,000+ events across four continents, I've written the definitive guide for event planners - What makes a great #emcee & and what to ask before you book.
www.liezel.co.za/what-makes-a...
After 2,000+ events across four continents, I've written the definitive guide for event planners - What makes a great #emcee & and what to ask before you book.
www.liezel.co.za/what-makes-a...
Respectfully, I was trying to focus on my workout...but Team #Norway had other plans.
Every rowing machine now comes with this soundtrack in my head. If you know, you know. 🤝
😂 What keeps you entertained during cardio: music, podcasts, sports, or pure determination? #worldcup #gym #Fitness
Every rowing machine now comes with this soundtrack in my head. If you know, you know. 🤝
😂 What keeps you entertained during cardio: music, podcasts, sports, or pure determination? #worldcup #gym #Fitness
July 15, 2026 at 6:18 AM
Burnout doesn't always look like falling apart.
Sometimes it looks like checking every box...
and still feeling disconnected from the moments you thought would matter most.
The promotion.
The milestone.
The dream client.
The goal you've been working towards for months.
Sometimes it looks like checking every box...
and still feeling disconnected from the moments you thought would matter most.
The promotion.
The milestone.
The dream client.
The goal you've been working towards for months.
July 13, 2026 at 7:19 AM
Burnout doesn't always look like falling apart.
Sometimes it looks like checking every box...
and still feeling disconnected from the moments you thought would matter most.
The promotion.
The milestone.
The dream client.
The goal you've been working towards for months.
Sometimes it looks like checking every box...
and still feeling disconnected from the moments you thought would matter most.
The promotion.
The milestone.
The dream client.
The goal you've been working towards for months.
We've normalised #burnout.
We celebrate the promotion.
We applaud the 14-hour day.
We admire the "always available" leader.
Then we're shocked when people break.
Maybe burnout isn't the problem.
Maybe it's the behaviours we've decided deserve applause.
We celebrate the promotion.
We applaud the 14-hour day.
We admire the "always available" leader.
Then we're shocked when people break.
Maybe burnout isn't the problem.
Maybe it's the behaviours we've decided deserve applause.
July 3, 2026 at 10:37 AM
We've normalised #burnout.
We celebrate the promotion.
We applaud the 14-hour day.
We admire the "always available" leader.
Then we're shocked when people break.
Maybe burnout isn't the problem.
Maybe it's the behaviours we've decided deserve applause.
We celebrate the promotion.
We applaud the 14-hour day.
We admire the "always available" leader.
Then we're shocked when people break.
Maybe burnout isn't the problem.
Maybe it's the behaviours we've decided deserve applause.
You slept eight hours. So why do you still feel emotionally jet-lagged?
Here's what nobody tells high performers about #burnout: sleep and recovery aren't the same thing.
If your #NervousSystem is stuck in survival mode, your brain can't recover, no matter how many hrs you're under the covers.
Here's what nobody tells high performers about #burnout: sleep and recovery aren't the same thing.
If your #NervousSystem is stuck in survival mode, your brain can't recover, no matter how many hrs you're under the covers.
June 29, 2026 at 6:56 AM
You slept eight hours. So why do you still feel emotionally jet-lagged?
Here's what nobody tells high performers about #burnout: sleep and recovery aren't the same thing.
If your #NervousSystem is stuck in survival mode, your brain can't recover, no matter how many hrs you're under the covers.
Here's what nobody tells high performers about #burnout: sleep and recovery aren't the same thing.
If your #NervousSystem is stuck in survival mode, your brain can't recover, no matter how many hrs you're under the covers.
"You train so much: Why dont you have a six-pack?" 👀 Well...
😅 Who else is with me on this one? #hyroxtraining #Fitness #hyroxsa
😅 Who else is with me on this one? #hyroxtraining #Fitness #hyroxsa
June 24, 2026 at 7:12 AM
"You train so much: Why dont you have a six-pack?" 👀 Well...
😅 Who else is with me on this one? #hyroxtraining #Fitness #hyroxsa
😅 Who else is with me on this one? #hyroxtraining #Fitness #hyroxsa
A wellness day costs you R8,000 and a venue hire.
A burned-out top performer costs you R800,000 to replace. #Burnout
Yet most organisations keep choosing the wellness day and calling it investment in their people.
It is not investment. It is theatre.
A burned-out top performer costs you R800,000 to replace. #Burnout
Yet most organisations keep choosing the wellness day and calling it investment in their people.
It is not investment. It is theatre.
June 19, 2026 at 7:08 AM
A wellness day costs you R8,000 and a venue hire.
A burned-out top performer costs you R800,000 to replace. #Burnout
Yet most organisations keep choosing the wellness day and calling it investment in their people.
It is not investment. It is theatre.
A burned-out top performer costs you R800,000 to replace. #Burnout
Yet most organisations keep choosing the wellness day and calling it investment in their people.
It is not investment. It is theatre.
Burnout doesn't always look like exhaustion.
Sometimes it looks like success.
> The promotion.
> The targets.
> The packed calendar.
> The smile that says, "I'm fine."
This Monday, I'm launching a new video series: The #Burnout Diaries.
Sometimes it looks like success.
> The promotion.
> The targets.
> The packed calendar.
> The smile that says, "I'm fine."
This Monday, I'm launching a new video series: The #Burnout Diaries.
June 5, 2026 at 7:01 AM
Burnout doesn't always look like exhaustion.
Sometimes it looks like success.
> The promotion.
> The targets.
> The packed calendar.
> The smile that says, "I'm fine."
This Monday, I'm launching a new video series: The #Burnout Diaries.
Sometimes it looks like success.
> The promotion.
> The targets.
> The packed calendar.
> The smile that says, "I'm fine."
This Monday, I'm launching a new video series: The #Burnout Diaries.
The most unhinged things people said to me before HYROX:
❌ "You're not strong enough for HYROX."
...from a HYROX gym owner.
❌ "You should rather focus on getting married."
...from the head of a fitness brand.
❌ "You're too old."
❌ "You're too tall."
❌ "You'll never finish."
❌ "You're not strong enough for HYROX."
...from a HYROX gym owner.
❌ "You should rather focus on getting married."
...from the head of a fitness brand.
❌ "You're too old."
❌ "You're too tall."
❌ "You'll never finish."
June 3, 2026 at 10:19 AM
The most unhinged things people said to me before HYROX:
❌ "You're not strong enough for HYROX."
...from a HYROX gym owner.
❌ "You should rather focus on getting married."
...from the head of a fitness brand.
❌ "You're too old."
❌ "You're too tall."
❌ "You'll never finish."
❌ "You're not strong enough for HYROX."
...from a HYROX gym owner.
❌ "You should rather focus on getting married."
...from the head of a fitness brand.
❌ "You're too old."
❌ "You're too tall."
❌ "You'll never finish."
Let me reintroduce myself.
I'm Liezel van der Westhuizen. Burnout Business and #MentalFitness coach. Neuroscience coach. Hypnotherapist. Emcee & Keynote speaker. TV and radio presenter
...And the woman the Sunday Times nicknamed The Giraffe.
I'm Liezel van der Westhuizen. Burnout Business and #MentalFitness coach. Neuroscience coach. Hypnotherapist. Emcee & Keynote speaker. TV and radio presenter
...And the woman the Sunday Times nicknamed The Giraffe.
June 1, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Let me reintroduce myself.
I'm Liezel van der Westhuizen. Burnout Business and #MentalFitness coach. Neuroscience coach. Hypnotherapist. Emcee & Keynote speaker. TV and radio presenter
...And the woman the Sunday Times nicknamed The Giraffe.
I'm Liezel van der Westhuizen. Burnout Business and #MentalFitness coach. Neuroscience coach. Hypnotherapist. Emcee & Keynote speaker. TV and radio presenter
...And the woman the Sunday Times nicknamed The Giraffe.