Jesse Yende
Rewriting The Narrative
Jesse’s Recipe explores the power of storytelling, identity, and personal truth as creative tools for healing, connection, and impact. Through real-life experiences and reflections, he reveals how self-expression, spiritual grounding, and authenticity can turn pain into purpose and help build a more united, inspired society.
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About This Recipe
Jesse Yende’s Recipe, Rewriting the Narrative, is a heartfelt and powerful exploration of how storytelling and self-expression can shift culture, restore dignity, and spark transformation. Drawing from his Sowetan upbringing, creative journey, and spiritual walk, Jesse challenges the systems that silence people and encourages audiences to cry out, speak up, and act from a place of purpose. From anecdotes about his two-year-old daughter asserting her boundaries, to insights on mental health, collaboration, and life transitions, Jesse reveals how our lived experiences are not only personal but universal. By owning our stories and embracing our struggles, we open space for others to rise too. This Recipe is a call to become a student of life, a bearer of impact, and a creator of a more compassionate world—one Smiley Heart at a time.
Cover These 10 Perspectives
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Honouring community.
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Rooted yet reachable.
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Creativity with purpose.
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Owning the narrative.
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Design as a tool for change.
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Beyond the product.
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Local stories, global impact.
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Learning through collaboration.
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Breaking the box.
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Advice to young creatives.
Is This Recipe For You?
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Live Recipe
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Who Is Our Heavy Chef?
Jesse Yende, also known as Mr. Smiley Heart, is a creative strategist, artist, and founder of The South Africanist: Smiley Heart Agency — a purpose-led organisation that fuses design, storytelling, and spiritual insight. With a background in advertising, broadcast innovation, and brand development, Jesse has spent over two decades helping individuals, businesses, and communities rediscover purpose and rewrite their narratives. From launching iconic TV channels like Soweto TV and One Gospel, to consulting for major banks and mentoring youth across South Africa, Jesse’s work is rooted in restoring dignity, unlocking creativity, and sparking impact through the Smiley Heart methodology.
Learn
Learn from someone who speaks from a position of real authority, perspective and experience.
Do
Implement practical tips and techniques learned in the trenches - doing, rather than talking.
Share
Join a cohort of like-minded entrepreneurs in our growing community and share your learnings as you go.
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