Pierre du Plessis Speaking Topics

• In Praise of Shadows - The Hidden Power of Uncertainty

  We are conditioned to seek clarity, control, and constant light. But real creativity is born in the dark. In Praise of Shadows is a meditation on the value of uncertainty in our lives and work. It invites us to sit with what is unresolved, unclear, and unfinished, not as a flaw in the system, but as the fertile ground where ideas grow.

  Drawing inspiration from ancient aesthetics and modern psychology, this talk challenges the myth that we must always have the answers. It opens up a space where not knowing becomes a gift, silence becomes powerful, and the shadows become places of imagination, emergence, and possibility.

  Attendee Results:

  • Discover how uncertainty fuels creativity and innovation.
  • Learn to befriend ambiguity instead of rushing to solve it.
  • Explore practices for navigating the unknown with curiosity rather than fear.
  • Shift your relationship with silence, mystery, and the unseen parts of life.
  • Gain a new understanding of how creative breakthroughs often begin in the dark.

• Chaos is a Gift

  Organizations crave order, structure, predictability, and control. But the moments that shape the future rarely arrive in tidy packages. Real change happens in liminal space, the messy middle where the old systems no longer work and the new ones haven’t fully formed.

  Chaos is a Gift helps teams and leaders see these uncertain times not as failure, but as fertile ground for reinvention and innovation. Instead of rushing to restore control, this talk offers a deeper understanding of how chaos works — and how it can become a powerful ally in transformation, creativity, and resilience.

  Drawing on lessons from anthropology and sociology, the session equips organizations to move through liminal space with intention, using chaos as a catalyst rather than a crisis.

  Attendee Results:

  • Understand how chaos and liminal space function inside organizations.
  • Learn how to spot the signs of liminal space and respond with creativity instead of fear.
  • Discover how teams can use transition periods to foster innovation and adaptability.
  • Build comfort with ambiguity and complexity as essential features of growth.
  • Gain tools to support teams through uncertainty without forcing premature clarity.

• You're Weird. I Like It.

  In a world flooded with sameness, the greatest risk is blending in. Most businesses try to compete by getting better. But the real power lies in getting different.

  You're Weird. I Like It is a sharp, energizing talk about differentiation, not as a branding tactic, but as a deep strategic choice. It challenges teams, founders, and leaders to stop polishing away their rough edges and instead lean into what makes them unmistakable. Because when you're not like everyone else, you no longer compete on the same playing field.

  Whether you're building a product, a culture, or a career, this session is a rallying cry to embrace the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully distinct.

  Attendee Results:

  • Understand why differentiation is the most sustainable competitive advantage.
  • Learn how to uncover and amplify what makes your brand or team unlike any other.
  • Explore how “weirdness” can attract the right customers, talent, and opportunities.
  • Stop playing the comparison game and start defining your own category.
  • Gain practical ways to turn authenticity into strategic impact.

• Money is 'Just' a Story

  We think of money as numbers, spreadsheets, and logic. But beneath the surface, money is something far more powerful, it’s a story we’ve inherited, rewritten, and often misunderstood. Every financial decision we make is shaped by beliefs, fears, family histories, and internal narratives.

  Money is Just a Story is a provocative session that invites you to explore your relationship with money, not as a technical issue, but as a human one. Through the lens of phenomenology, personal reflection, and cultural insight, the talk uncovers how the stories we carry about wealth, value, and security drive our behavior far more than we realize.

  This is not a finance workshop. It’s a mirror.

  Attendee Results:

  • Understand how your money story was shaped and how it's shaping you.
  • Discover the hidden narratives influencing your spending, saving, and risk-taking.
  • Shift from guilt or fear around money to awareness and agency.
  • Learn how individual and cultural beliefs impact financial decision-making in teams and organizations.
  • Leave with clarity on how to rewrite your money story for alignment and freedom.

• Monsters, Heroes, and Kings - Ancient Patterns for Modern Leadership

  Before there were frameworks and KPIs, we had stories, myths, legends, and archetypes that helped us make sense of who we are and what we must become. Monsters, Heroes and Kings is a journey into the symbolic and psychological roots of leadership, power, and transformation.

  This talk draws from timeless mythic patterns to help leaders and teams recognize the roles they are playing and the ones they’re avoiding. Whether you're facing a crisis, guiding a team through change, or searching for your next move, this session reveals how ancient stories still hold the map.

  Because the monsters still guard the treasure. And becoming a king still requires a descent into the dark.

  Attendee Results:

  • Discover the universal patterns that shape leadership, change, and challenge.
  • Learn how to identify the stage of the story your team or business is in.
  • Gain new language to navigate struggle, failure, and renewal.
  • Understand how archetypes influence behavior, roles, and culture.
  • Leave with a renewed sense of purpose, courage, and clarity about your next move.

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