Joe Blog

Suits & Sneakers hosts ONE event each month in Joburg with different speakers who will be touching on different themes. The idea behind Suits & Sneakers is that these events act like informal “university” classes which hopefully help you to become a better version of yourself.

This specific event will be hosted on the evening of Wednesday, 19 February at The Tryst. We will also be streaming the event on the night for those that aren’t based in Johannesburg or South Africa.

WHAT IS THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT?Pierre du Plessis invites you to embark on an exploration into the depths of mystery and uncertainty, revealing their indispensable role in driving innovation. This captivating keynote challenges conventional wisdom by asserting that humans inherently crave mystery and uncertainty as catalysts for creative breakthroughs. Drawing from Japanese aesthetics and the insightful musings of Oscar Wilde, alongside the scholarly work on liminal spaces by Victor Turner, this presentation celebrates the sacred dance between shadows and light as the genesis of innovation.

KEY TAKE-AWAYS1. Embrace the Unknown: Shift your perspective on uncertainty, recognising it as a vital ingredient for fostering innovation. Learn strategies to cultivate a mindset that embraces ambiguity and uses it as a springboard for creative thinking.

2. Cultivate Curiosity: Foster a culture of curiosity within your organisation, encouraging team members to explore the uncharted territories of the unknown. Discover practical techniques to spark curiosity and ignite innovation.

3. Purposeful Chaos: Harness the power of chaos as a catalyst for transformative change. Gain insights into navigating chaotic environments with clarity and purpose, leveraging uncertainty as a driving force for growth and innovation.

WHO IS PIERRE DU PLESSISPierre unravels the secrets behind human behaviour for business strategy. He cares deeply about two things, getting people to become better people and helping them do work that matters. As the founder of Be Brave, he has more than two decades of experience developing people, building businesses and creating products that matter and has helped global businesses design winning strategies.

His insights empower businesses to understand, map, and harness complex human behaviours, to make tough decisions and create unique strategies and game- changing products. He’s a sought-after speaker on human dynamics, strategy, and navigating chaos, has spoken on four TEDx stages and has engaged with leading organisations around the globe such as HATCH, Tencent, BP, Alan Gray, FNB, Yum!, and many others.

He has written four books and received the Desmond Tutu Gerrit Brand Prize for literature in 2018. Pierre believes he is the love child of Gertrude Stein and Jason Bourne and lives in Cape Town with his wife, two kids, and his iPhone. SPONSORS & PARTNERSSuits & Sneakers is brought to you by 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.