The earliest references of the phrase "Across the Pond" reportedly dates back to the 16th century just before the Pilgrim Fathers were making their first journey from England to the “New World.” What a transformative and disruptive journey that was! A leap into the unknown; trailblazers who set a path for millions of others to follow, a strong belief and a common sense of purpose.
Sam’s and my journey is a little less dramatic, but ever since we met in retail back in the '90s (back then the height of innovative marketing techniques) we have focused on marketing and digital transformation. I chose to base my career out of London, UK although with an international focus while Sam went across the pond via Switzerland and Germany.
It’s crazy to think about the pace of change. In the 1600s it would take a minimum of 66 days to communicate across the pond. In the 1930s, it was a rickety one day flight across the Atlantic Ocean. (“Across the Pond” was used as a humorous understatement.) Now communications from the US to the UK happen in milliseconds.
When we think about the biggest transformations we have witnessed in our career I suspect most of us would talk about communication; email, social media or the advent of the World Wide Web. But that is all about the efficiency of communication, the “How” not the “Why”.
When Sam and I talk about transformation and how we can effect change or deliver on a sense of purpose we are focused on human interactions.
How do we understand what customers want or what they will want?
How do we use technologies to make the lives of our customers better?
How do we use communication effectively?
How do we improve the output from our teams?
How do we transform the mindset into a growth mindset?
But one thing remains constant the need for diverse viewpoints. That’s why we wanted this podcast series to be as relevant for a rising star at the start of their career or a CMO who bears the scars of experience or indeed, the entrepreneur who is their own CMO.
Adaptability and diversity of viewpoints.Sam and I have enjoyed the fact that we have never seen eye to eye on one important subject and probably never will, football. But we have swapped ideas and opinions on marketing and culture and that debate has made us stronger and informed what we have done next.
We hope you enjoy the debate across the pond. It’s a big world, and there is lots to learn.
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