Conrad Koch is one of South Africa’s most in demand comedy talents. He combines hilarious comedy with world-class puppetry, and has done so for over fifteen years to local and international acclaim. Conrad was the winner of the 2010 Entertainer of the Year award, and of a 2012 Standard Bank Ovation Award from the National Arts Festival. He was a nominee for 2014 SA Comic of the Year, and won The Times Comic’s Pen Award for 2014, a double International EMMY nominated comedian.
What drives Chester Missing? | A man with a suitcase. I am a puppet.
What is your LIFE-MISSION in one sentence? |It’s my life mission to end racism.
What do you think is often the difference between people who are good at what they do and people who are great at what they do? | Commitment and focus. I’m not a fan of the word focus, because it’s cheesy, like cheap Ford type cheesy, but the truth is that very little beats the power of singular intent. And I know how to focus, mainly because I am a puppet and have no eyelids. We can’t control what life will throw at us, what suitcase you will be put into, or what airline will lose you (in my case it was Air France, true story), but you can control what you do each morning. Focus, feedback, calibrate, repeat is the secret to all success, unless you are Donald Trump. Then just wait for your dad to give you the cash.
What is one talent or strength of yours, which has been critical to your success? | Being a puppet has really helped. It means my skin is thick. I have been punched by politicians and racists alike. Sometimes at the same time. Focus on whats helping you, the people, the events, and move around what isn’t. Too often we become obsessed with what isn’t serving us – from internet trolls to load shedding, instead of mining whats working. The advantage of being a puppet is that no matter what happens it’s never actually my fault. It’s like being an Eskom executive.
When you get / got STUCK, what caused it and how did you get going again? | Getting stuck is all part of getting to where you want to go. It’s going to happen. So instead of wasting mental energy on the fact that you are stuck, look around at what alternative routes being stuck makes apparent to you. Creativity is fueled by constraint. No matter how stuck you feel, always remember I’m just a puppet and I have literally won a court case.
What are the principles and values that you believe are important to live by? | Eating, breathing and pooing. If you leave one of those out you will die.
What are the critical skills that you have used and worked on improving, in attaining your success? | Playing to your strengths. As a puppet I am really good at asking uncomfortable questions, because the only thing worse than being nailed by a puppet is getting angry at one. Existing and not existing has advantages that human beings don’t. If you play to the one thing that makes you exceptional nobody can touch you.
What is your biggest weakness? | I’m made out of latex. I melt in the sun.
Can you share a time in which you either doubted yourself the most or had great fears, yet faced up to them and conquered them? | I doubt myself all the time. I’m a puppet! I literally can’t do anything unless someone else sticks their hand inside of me. But focusing on your doubts is not how to succeed. Focus on what you can do. Now I’m a double EMMY nominated, award winning, globally recognised puppet who has had numerous TV, radio and print media spots, and gets called by actual experts for my opinion. I even wrote an award winning book. The time I doubted myself most was when I was lost in France by an airline. But social media saved me. Book me and maybe I’ll tell you about it.
What do you want to achieve next and what’s in the way? | I want to take my conversation on race and South Africa to the world. Translating it to a global audience is working incredibly well. Like all things though, it just takes time to make as accessible as I would like it to be.
Attie van Wyk is the CEO of Big Concerts, South Africa’s largest premier live entertainment company. The company has promoted more than 1600 shows with an excess of 300 international artists to an audience of more than 10 million people. In 2013, Attie was named as the Business Leader of the Year. Music Has Always […]
H.E. Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars is one of the most sought after business strategists of our time. He is the founder of the GBSH Consult Group and companies such as GGKAfrica, Edgars International, Tal Edgars Media Franchise. He is also the author of “Good karma in Business”. He sits on the board of several companies […]
David M. Dye works with leaders who want to build energized teams and get more done. In his motivational leadership speaking, consulting, and coaching David shares twenty years experience in the public and nonprofit sectors including service as an elected official and nonprofit executive. Prior to starting Trailblaze, David served as Chief Operating Officer for […]
Dr Marlene Wasserman is an internationally trained Clinical Sexologist & Couple and Sex Therapist in Private Practice in SA and New York and founder of the Dr Eve brand and enterprise. She is an Academic, Educator, Author of 4 books, a well known media celebrity on both TV and radio and a single Mum to […]
Pepe Marais is one of SA’s advertising creative icons with a track-record to make anyone in the local advertising landscape swoon with awe, admiration, and to be honest, in my case, a twinge of jealousy. Together with his business partner, he founded the award-winning, highly acclaimed and sought-after agency, Joe Public, whilst still in his […]
Matt Frazier is a marathoner and ultrarunner from Baltimore. His life as an endurance athlete changed when he found that he could run longer and faster on a vegetarian diet. After going vegetarian in March 2009, Frazier qualified for the prestigious Boston Marathon with a time of 3:09:59, more than an hour and a half […]
With a wealth of knowledge from years spent in the IT sector, Keith Jones founded Start With 7 (SW7) to fulfill his passion to grow startup technology businesses in Africa. Recognising the dynamic changes facing this industry, Keith rolls up his sleeves to share his considerable experience through mentoring and gives us now an insight […]
Josh was born in England and moved to South Africa when he was just two years old. After graduating from the University of Stellenbosch in 2004 Josh tried to set up his own business in Pretoria. He was driven by entrepreneurial spirit, but sitting with an enormous student loan, with no contacts and no network […]
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