Gaynor has always been a storyteller: even as a young child she entertained other youngsters with her tales. After matriculating from Kingsmead College in Johannesburg, she attended the University of the Witwatersrand where she majored in Law and English (with Psychology, Latin and Afrikaans) to obtain her BA degree. Thereafter, Gaynor took a year to complete an Honours degree in English, part of the course including the study of “Film as Narrative”.
From 1986, Gaynor worked at Standard Bank Investment Corporation (SBIC), holding company of the Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, in the Group Public Affairs Department. Her responsibilities included media liaison and assisting with the Bank’s sponsorship and donation projects. These included the Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Standard Bank Film Festivals around the country, the Standard Bank Cup Tennis Tournament, and the Standard Bank Art Collection. During this period Gaynor was responsible for managing the media launch of the Union Bank of Swaziland, working from that country.
From 1986, Gaynor worked at Standard Bank Investment Corporation (SBIC), holding company of the Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, in the Group Public Affairs Department. Her responsibilities included media liaison and assisting with the Bank’s sponsorship and donation projects. These included the Standard Bank National Arts Festival, Standard Bank Film Festivals around the country, the Standard Bank Cup Tennis Tournament, and the Standard Bank Art Collection. During this period Gaynor was responsible for managing the media launch of the Union Bank of Swaziland, working from that country.
In 1989, Gaynor left SBIC to join Gallo Record Company as Public Relations
Manager. Her responsibilities included media liaison, advertising,
newsletters, and arranging product launches and conferences. In addition,
she took over the role of Columbia label manager, promoting the work of
celebrated artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Michael
Jackson, Pink Floyd, and others. She was proud to meet and work alongside
such legends of the local music industry as Reggae icon Lucky Dube,
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens (who collaborated with The Art of
Noise), the ageless African Jazz Pioneers and the globally acclaimed
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Gaynor was also responsible for staff training at the company.
In 1993, Gaynor joined Arcay Corporate Communications as Director. The company had a wide range of clients including Interleisure, incorporating Squires Loft, Mike’s Kitchen, Milky Lane, Ster Kinekor and other entertainment and leisure brands, the Johannesburg Biennale and various high profile companies. She was flown to Italy for a presentation to the Small and Medium Business Association in Bologna
She left Arcay in 1995 to form her own consultancy, PR Services, providing a range of public relations services largely based on her copywriting skills.
In 2000, Gaynor travelled to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands as part of a delegation from the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). She fell in love with the area and moved there with her husband a few months later. In 2002, she launched her own publication, The Quill, focusing on promoting the KZN Midlands. In 2004, The Quill won the Best Front Page for Small Town Newspapers award at the Sanlam Community Press Awards. Gaynor closed The Quill in 2009 to focus on her corporate writing full time.
In addition to managing her clients’ writing needs, Gaynor writes regularly on a freelance basis, and her articles and short stories have been published in Sunday Times Travel, AA Traveller, The Compleat Golfer, Financial Mail Travel, Kulula airline’s Khuluma in-flight magazine, The Saturday Star, Chicken Soup for the Fisherman’s Soul, Getaway, and SkiBoat magazine, amongst others.
In early 2020, Gaynor’s submission to the international Commonwealth Writers’ Short Story competition was shortlisted from amongst over 5,100 entries.
Gaynor also collaborates with authors in ghost-writing, editing and proofing both fiction and non-fiction works.