JOHANNESBURG - Entrepreneur Pepe Marais, the co-founder of Joe Public United, this month released his latest book, 20 Habits That Break Habits, which aims to serve people, to inspire and assist people towards being the best version of themselves.
However, Pepe said in an interview that although 20 Habits was not a business book, it was relevant.
"I do deal with the habit of average, which we experience across our corporate private sector, and all walks of life. But it remains a purpose based book, as my first book, which is highly relevant to business, since businesses still operate outside the reality of having greater purpose," he said.
The book comes just two years after the success of his first book, Growing Greatness, A Journey Towards Personal and Business Mastery, which focuses on entrepreneurs finding purpose for their business and themselves.
To date it has sold more than 4 000 copies and achieved the top three of Exclusive Books’ best seller list.
Pepe said in the book he shared his own journey and struggles and solutions towards this little limiting aspect of our lives called habits.
“Usually for many of us, including me, it takes a life-changing event to kick-start the journey to first finding one’s purpose before we can even begin to identify and break habits. This book is another effort to bring out the best in myself, and in doing so inspire the best in those around me,” said Pepe, who also describes himself on Linkedin as, "chairman of One School At A Time. Closet Afrikaans rocker. Author. Humanitarian at heart. Core interest: Growth of people".
He said his remedy for limiting habits was simply the replacement of such habits with liberating habits.
"So it is practice, practice, practice. Knowledge in my book has never been power. It is the application of knowledge that is powerful. So for me, it is all about acknowledging those things we do that holds us back, finding a new habit that can counter it, and over time, through practice, replace it. It is a guide towards taking charge of your own life, with some examples of my own approach. But by no means a blue pill that will just change your perspective overnight. Fortunately, life is about hard work, and that is when we grow," Pepe said.
Pepe said he had developed his own “Purpose for Business” methodology and had a deep interest in unlocking both human and business potential.
"I would like to believe that between one of its pages, each person that takes the time to read 20 Habits will find a little kernel that may inspire some form of change in some aspect of their lives. Because although we would like to think we are all so different, we are all more or less the same. We all suffer from unconscious conditioning, and this book is my way of serving people with an alternative," he said.
As founding partner and group chief creative officer of one of integrated brand and communication groups Joe Public United, Pepe said his passion was to co-create an environment and culture that promotes exponential growth of their people, their clients and, ultimately ,South Africa.
Putting passion and mindset into the workplace is no empty talk for Pepe.
This month Joe Public United defended its title as Agency of the Year at the Loerie Awards for a third year running that topped the rankings as Regional Agency Group of the Year, with awards for its work on Nedbank ‘Secrets’ and Chicken Licken.
Pepe was voted by his peers as the Most Admired Agency Creative in Johannesburg from 2014–2016 and ranked as the Most Admired Agency Professional by marketers in the 2017 SCOPEN agency research report.
When asked why he likes writing books, Pepe said," I love ideas. And I love to make ideas happen. I love stepping into fear, because that is where I find real fun. And growth. Writing books scares me, because I am putting my heart out there for the world to see. But also, it is aligned with my purpose: to bring out the greatness in others. So this is my way of reaching thousands of people and in doing so, serve something greater than just myself."
Books provide inspiration.
"I have read so, so many books that helped form me. The Art of Possibilities being one that comes to mind. A little yellow book by Benjamin and Rosemund Zander. Such a small little book packing such punch. But I must give credit to my own first book, as writing it was a truly transformative experience," said Pepe.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE