Suits & Sneakers presents: "One Word" Book Launch with Pepe Marais

Suits & Sneakers hosts several events each month in Joburg, each featuring a different guest and theme. The idea is to create a space for ongoing learning that help you broaden your thinking in a fast changing world. This event will be hosted on the evening of Tuesday, 17 March, at The Tryst in Kramerville, with a livestream available for those not based in Johannesburg.

WHAT IS THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT?

We live in a world of "organisational cholesterol" where businesses are bloated with mission statements, complex strategies, and endless noise. But what if the secret to scaling excellence and finding sustainable success wasn't adding more, but stripping everything away until only one thing remained?

On Tuesday, 17 March, Mark Sham sits down with Dr Pepe Marais to launch his latest book: "One Word: The Power of Simplicity in a Complex Business World." This session explores the transformative power of discovering and embedding your organisation's true purpose by capturing it in a single word. Drawing from six years of doctoral research and his experience growing Joe Public, Pepe will challenge the traditional "hustle" and show why businesses should be treated as "business beings."

We are going to unpack the mechanics of "Positioning" and why brands like Volvo and Woolworths dominate by owning one simple mental slot in the consumer's mind. Whether you are a CEO, entrepreneur, or change-maker, this conversation is a blueprint for thriving in chaos. You will learn how to move beyond marketing slogans to find an authentic essence that inspires people, drives performance, and allows the bottom line to return to where it belongs: the bottom.

MORE ABOUT DR. PEPE MARAIS

Dr. Pepe Marais is the co-founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public. While he is widely recognised as a titan of the South African advertising industry and a 2022 Loeries Hall of Fame inductee, his work is now deeply rooted in the intersection of academic rigour and conscious leadership.

With an entrepreneurial journey spanning 45 years, Pepe recently completed a six year academic deep dive into the subject of purpose. He is a "closet Afrikaans rocker" who brings a rare blend of grit and heart to the stage, always advocating for the idea that if business isn’t fun and meaningful, it isn’t worth doing.

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

This Suits & Sneakers event is proudly brought to you by EasyEquities, SA Future Trust, and the many small business owners that are Suits & Sneakers members. Together, we have created a support structure for small business owners and our collective goal is to grow the economy, while lowering unemployment. More about that on the night.