Business Profile: Sharon Uys
- What’s the name of your business, and what role do you play in making it a success? IcedBlue Marketing – I left a high performing position at Hilton Dbn after continuously making and exceeding target but never given our incentives. I knew that I could sell but had nothing to sell and thought there must be properties out here that couldn’t afford full time sales representation. So I looked around at who I wanted on my portfolio and successfully went on to market venues for 18 years until C19, some coming back onto my portfolio post Covid.
- If you had to sum up your business in two sentences, how would you describe it? value-driven hospitality and strategic marketing solutions.
- How long have you been on this journey, and what inspired you to start? I founded the Co. in 2004. I wanted to get paid from R1.00 for every bit of work that I put into the company and to see the results of my own hard workuntil I built my brand.
- What led you to this industry – was it passion, opportunity, or something unexpected? Service has always been important to me and for as long as I can remember I wanted to be Cabin Crew but I went on holiday to Mauritius instead and missed the interview rounds. When I came back, I knew that I wanted to be in Travel & Tourism.
- What has been your biggest challenge so far, and what did it teach you? – coming out of recovery from C19. I had to start my business from scratch (as those boring sales stats suddenly came true) but this time I would not only be starting from scratch, I would only be starting be starting with experience.
- What’s the one skill or trait that has been absolutely essential to your success? Consistency.
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received, and how has it shaped your approach? Don’t wait for perfect clarity, most people stall trying to get it right. The ones who win, just keep moving and refine as they go
- If you had to share one “secret ingredient” to business success, what would it be? If you are giving your absolute best service to your clients, you don’t need to worry about your competition.
- What’s your biggest business goal for 2026, and how will you be working towards it? I wanted new clients for my portfolio and I’m proud to share that I’ve secured the largest client in the history IcedBlue Marketing – The Riverside Hotel. This partnership represents a significant milestone – now it’s about putting in the work. I’ll be focusing on consistent action, staying close to the client, tracking what’s working (and what’s not), and adjusting as we go. Most importantly, I’m committed to delivering on every promise and making sure we get real results.
- Tell us something surprising about yourself that most people wouldn’t guess! Back in my youth, I was a KZN figure skater, and I’ve come to realise that everything I do – whether in work or in life – stems from the precision I learned on the ice. It came from hours and hours of practice, pushing through the pain, even when my shins ached, because getting it right was never optional.