So after my first few posts a lot of reflection and a year on I’m going back to the beginning to share my experiences and shed at least some light on what it’s all been about!
First things first!
So after the first bootcamp and where Steven Overman, Vice President, Global Head of Marketing Creation at Nokia came came and spoke it was a few days later then where serendipity happened to strike again. We were both speaking at Marketing Week Live – whilst Steven was on the main stage we were in the Mobile & Social Presentation Arena.
As we were speaking within an hour of each other I was sitting in the speaker lounge Steven ended up sitting on the table next to me – had I not met him at boot camp a few days earlier I wouldn’t have known introducing myself to him as I shared I was to be meeting again in a few days time for our session.
Stephen shared honestly the way he started out back home in the US. Working at the bottom where everyone begins he worked his way up as an executive assistant living and breathing the detail. Acting like a sponge and absorbing everything he could to be able to achieve and succeed.
Nokia as a brand is in an amazing position and having listened to Steven share how passionate he is about the organisation it was genuinely inspiring. When I asked where his drive and passion comes from he reflected that he does things 100% until he either wins or looses and until either happens he continues to steam ahead. I definitely subscribe to this – so many people spend their live with mediocracy not realising their full potential but not applying themselves and that is the real missed opportunity. The most precious thing we have is time so if we aren’t applying ourselves then what’s the point!
3 Key Take aways that also resonated with me:
1. On the most basic level for marketing to know your audience one great way is employing them. We constantly have a stream of students and interns working with us to keep relevant to the youth market.
2. You will never get everything done – and thats okay there is not such a thing as done.
Running a business there are always more things to do than can fit in a day. As I reflect since I co-founded the business in 2005 there has never been I day that I have been done!
3. The role of the leader is to inspire the team. That said Madonna is amazing on stage but day to day she is a tough cookie.
It’s important to be playing different roles and to adjust your way of being depending what the environment is.
When asked what books do you read – amongst the recommend list was:
Read cook books – they have a short story always with a happy ending!
Leaving the session I felt the bar had been set high – if this was the first I knew I was in for a lot more to look forward to.
