Boks to Business: Pieter Geldenhuys

Welcome to Episode 51 of The Incredible Machines podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Pieter “PG” Geldenhuys, an author, business coach, leadership facilitator, storytelling expert, and the mind behind Boks to Business.  

From growing up in Stellenbosch and Strand, to travelling through Austria, London, Israel, South America and beyond. He reflects on his early love of reading and writing, and the way his parents’ travel business became an early classroom for leadership, systems and service.   

PG also unpacks the power of storytelling, from the hero’s journey and Joseph Campbell to Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, the Springboks and Rassie Erasmus. And explores how Covid forced hard decisions in tourism, why entrepreneurs need to understand whether they are acting as founders or investors, and how risk, creativity, urgency and imposter syndrome all play a role in entrepreneurial life. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, coach, writer, sports fan or someone trying to build something meaningful, this conversation offers a practical and deeply human reminder: the real work is to keep showing up. This episode is packed with sharp business insight, personal reflection, humour, rugby wisdom and powerful lessons on systems, storytelling and resilience.          ⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:48 – Introduction to Pieter Geldenhuys  03:41 – Stephen King, Covid and Learning to Write  10:26 – Tourism, Storytelling and Selling KwaZulu-Natal  13:10 – University, Failure and Learning from the Right People  18:46 – Starting a Tourism Business  25:19 – EO, Writing, Training and Reinvention  33:16 – EO, Information and Making Hard Decisions  35:19 – Full Immersion Leadership  41:13 – Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Storytelling  49:05 – Barney’s Army and Knowing When to Stop a Story  53:02 – Podcasts, Politics and the New Media Landscape  59:47 – Acts of Service, Fathers and Sons  01:03:12 – Writing About His Father and Generational Wisdom  01:14:39 – Boks to Business and Springbok Leadership Lessons  01:19:57 – The Springboks as a Masterclass in Storytelling  01:25:53 – The 2027 World Cup and the Next Hero’s Journey  01:35:10 – Showing Up When It’s Hard        💬 Quote of the Episode 

“The real work is not to show up when it’s easy. The real work is to show up when it’s hard.” – Pieter Geldenhuys        🧠 Related Campaign Example   Bell’s “The Reader” Campaign: Pieter chose this advert because it captures effort, recognition and acts of service in a deeply human way. The story follows a father learning to read so that he can read the book his son has written, ending with the iconic line, “Give that man a Bell’s.” For PG, the advert speaks to love shown through effort, the relationship between fathers and sons, and the universal desire to be recognised by the people who matter most.  

The campaign was created for Bell’s Whisky by King James in South Africa, directed by Greg Gray of Velocity Films, and published in 2014. It remains one of South Africa’s most emotionally memorable adverts because it makes the story the hero, focusing on perseverance, pride and quiet recognition. 

Bell’s “The Reader” Campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy7fxLwfOnQ  

  👣 Relevant Links & Mentions 

Pieter Geldenhuys’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgtops/     Pieter Geldenhuys’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pg_geldenhuys/      PG Tops Website: https://www.pgtops.com/    PG Tops LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pgtops/    PG Tops Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pgtopscoach    PG Tops YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChZATps_T8VAGwPTKlVjA1g      Stephen King Book On Writing: https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html    Joseph Campbell Book The Hero with a Thousand Faces: https://www.jc