1. What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?
Many times clients look for us to help guide them through potentially transformational shifts in their business, brand, and product strategy. Ensuring that the methodologies we design are aligned with these business outcomes can be extremely challenging in today’s fast-moving business climate. It’s a fast-paced, high-pressure environment that I truly enjoy. Seeing products or services we’ve influenced having global success is the icing on the cake.
2. Who do you look up to or admire in business?
Billy Beane. Everyone knows him from the book and movie Moneyball, where he was played by Brad Pitt. He had all of the attributes that were supposed to make him a superstar, but less physically gifted players were outperforming him on the field. Where many people would have blamed bad luck, he was able to be introspective and began to both question the process for grading talent and explore new techniques. Right or wrong, his ability to transform the way we assess talent and value in sports has disrupted the industry. He is a great example of how challenging the status quo can lead to great results.
3. What has been the high point of your career so far?
Oct. 1, 2012. The first day that Sunseed Research opened its doors. I’d been in research for 15 years but had always worked for people who were well respected in the industry. On Oct. 1, four of us decided to start a new company that would be ours. It was a scary, exciting, mysterious, fast-moving, and proud moment. I looked back over my career, took a deep breath, and punched the accelerator. We haven’t slowed down since.
Within the first 72 hours we had our brand architecture, sales and marketing model, resource requirements, and infrastructure laid out. There was a moment in time during the discussion when everyone paused, looked around the room, and it all sunk in. The strategy made sense and we knew we could fit a need in the market that was meaningful.
Whenever I feel the pressure of fast-paced consulting, I think back to that moment, take a deep breath, and push the accelerator again!
(Continued)
4. Thinking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
You are about to embark on a journey where you’ll have a chance to meet and learn from some of the brightest minds on the planet. Absorb everything you can from the incredible people you are surrounded by. Analyze the different perspectives you hear, and judge for yourself which are most impactful. Respect the title of the people in the room, but give each idea equal standing regardless of who comes up with it. Place as much emphasis on business strategy as you do on technical industry knowledge — without this balance, research will lack impact. Have fun along the way and start a journal of your experiences.
5. Do you have any secret talents or abilities that people would be surprised to discover?
I find balance in the kitchen. While cooking can be a chore for many people, I find that it is one of the things in life that provides instant gratification. A perfect day is walking around the Capitol Square with my family and being inspired by the seasonal ingredients at the farmers’ market. We’ll work together on what we might make for dinner and how we’ll prepare it. My daughter supplements our bounty by picking fruits and vegetables from our gardens in the backyard and helps me prep the food (she has her own chef’s coat and hat). Finally, I believe the visual presentation of the meal is as important as the ingredients themselves.
I’ve never really thought about it before, but in writing this I see a strong correlation between cooking and market research. You must have the right inspiration (design), great ingredients (data), proper execution (analysis), and engaging output (reporting) for a meal to really work. Maybe that’s why I love my job!
If you’re interested in being an IB Professional of the Week, contact Online Editor Tom Breuer at tom@ibmadison.com.
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