[Behind the Selfie] with... Pepe Marais

"This is love", you get the same face when you show amazing ads…

1. Where do you live, work and play?

Marais: I am a born and bred Capetonian who followed my heart and passion to Joburg, and today, everything I live for happens in and around this city.

2. What's your claim to fame?

Marais: I don't aim for fame, I aim to add Über value and make a significant difference to the world we live in.

3. Describe your career so far.

Marais: Incredible. Although I do believe I am only at the start of it.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things

Marais: I am obsessed with personal growth and human potential and spend an immense amount of energy on this area. I am also a deep believer in having purpose in life. I am blessed with an incredible wife and young boy. Oh, and I am a closet rock star.

5. What do you love about your industry?

Marais: That every single day is filled with different challenges. It gives me so much energy. It's also an industry that embraces creativity more than most.

6. What are a few pain points your industry can improve on?

Marais: Over-thinking, too much head and too little heart. Not changing the way we do things fast enough.

7. Describe your average workday (if such a thing exists).

Marais: Up at 4:30am. Morning intention standing on top of my bed. Crossfit. Meditate. Goal setting. Tweet time. Breakfast. Start work on average at 7:30am. Working hard towards focusing more on creativity and being less trapped in meetings. Lunch on the run. Last meeting normally finishes at 6:30pm. Second breath, 20-minute workout. Family dinner around the table 7 days a week. Story time for Jasper. Bed at 8:30pm. Read until 9pm. Sleep. Because 7.5 hours of sleep makes you more creative. Repeat.

8. What are the tools of your trade?

Marais: My mind - that's my head and my heart - is my greatest tool.

9. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Marais: I would have to say King James in South Africa, followed by Ogilvy Cape Town, and I have always respected FoxP2 for their incredible commitment to creative excellence. But on a global level, with no doubt, Droga 5.

10. What are you working on right now?

Marais: The launch of Dialdirect's new positioning and a next-level campaign for Nedbank.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself

Marais: Integration. Although no one is really making it work.

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

Marais: When I am resting.

13. What's your secret talent/party trick.

Marais: I can sing and play Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones - in Afrikaans.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Marais: I am a Twitterphile, and to prove it, here's a tweet:

The biggest thing associated with longevity? Purpose.

- Pepe Marais (@pepemarais) January 20, 2015

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Marais: A very, very long list of friends accumulated over the years. I have no apps on my phone. My iPhone can only do hello and goodbye.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

Marais: Hard work and passion beats talent hands down.

17. Plug your contact details, punt yourself - list all the places people can find you/your work online...

Marais: Google.

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*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.