I like nothing better than identifying problems and finding opportunities and solutions to capitalize on new opportunities. It takes a curious mind and a relentlessness to see these and to find the insights that can serve as the fuel for ideas. I am not a believer in creating a templatized processes for this because every client’s situation is different and instead favor a tailored approach to getting there.

Working at a small agency for a long time gave me a pragmatism and resourcefulness; you have to get stuff done fast, and with limited available dollars you have to place your bets on tools and approaches that you believe are going to deliver the highest value. Therefore, I tend not to favor one specific methodology but to appreciate how different tools and techniques can be applied effectively to certain situations.

I also know how strategy and strategies can end up getting lost or misunderstood because they are poorly sold into clients and merchandised inside the organization. Ensuring the agency and client team are part of the process is critical and creating meaningful and inspiring outputs is vital.

Having been fortunate to work at an agency that prided itself in its creativity, it made sense to use this to bring insights to life for clients to help give our research findings more clarity and power. There is no bigger waste of money than a research report gathering dust on a shelf and nothing more powerful than creating a film that can help everyone in the organization understand their customer better.