Key Takeaways:
- Insight is everything but only if you act on it.
- If you’re not building toward bold, you’re building toward obsolete.
- Data doesn’t drive strategy, people do.
- You don’t need to have all the answers. But you need to be brave enough to ask the right questions.
- Your brand is only as strong as your ability to evolve with your customer.
If I Could Step Back in Time…
More than 12 years ago, I was sitting in a conference room, scribbling down notes as a client debated a move from traditional TV spots to an all-digital campaign. It felt radical at the time. Risky. “Is digital really there yet?” someone asked. I remember hesitating, not because I didn’t believe in it, but because it felt too soon. Too untested. Too new.
If I had a marketing time machine, I wouldn’t go back to change decisions out of regret. I’d go back to tell myself one thing: Trust your instinct and move faster.
Because every pivotal moment in my career, and in Avocet’s evolution, came down to a single choice: hesitate, or leap.
How the Last Decade Changed Me and How I Lead
1. From Safe to Strategic
In the early days, I’ll admit I was addicted to “safe.” It’s easy to lean on what’s worked, especially when you have decades of campaigns and case studies to point to. But safe doesn’t scale.
The turning point for me came when we started to say no to clients who didn’t want to evolve. Yes, it was scary. But when we got crystal clear on the kind of bold, insight-driven work we wanted to do, we attracted clients who shared our vision. That clarity changed everything.
We stopped being vendors. We became strategic growth partners.
2. The Real Power Was Never the Platform
I used to think the next big platform, whether it was social, podcasting, or AI, would be the differentiator. And yes, platform matters. But it’s not the power source.
The real magic? Relevance. Resonance. Relationship.
That’s what we’ve built at Avocet. Whether it’s a new campaign, a newsletter, or our StrategyCast podcast, we always ask: How are we connecting human-to-human? Tools come and go. Humanity doesn’t.
3. We Didn’t Just Survive Change. We Built Through It
There were moments over the last decade, the economic downturns, tech revolutions, the pandemic, where it would have been easy to hunker down and wait it out. But we leaned in.
When our clients panicked, we helped them pivot. When others pulled back, we pushed forward. That mindset shaped how we show up: not just as marketers, but as growth architects.
I learned that you don’t get to pick your moment. But you do get to pick your momentum.
4. I Stopped Apologizing for Being Bold
This was a big one.
As a woman leading an agency, there were years when I second-guessed whether I was “too much.” Too passionate. Too insistent. Too disruptive. But the truth? That fire is the reason we’re still here. And thriving.
Today, I don’t water down my ideas and I don’t let my team do it either. Because the brands that stand out tomorrow will be the ones that dare to stand for something today.
What I Know Now (That I Didn’t Then)
The future doesn’t reward the best-kept playbooks. It rewards curiosity. Courage. And the kind of creativity that doesn’t care if the room nods yes right away.
So, if I could go back 10 years, I’d tell myself:
- Don’t just adopt new channels, own them.
- Don’t chase relevance, define it.
- And above all: don’t ask for permission to be bold. Just go.
What About You?
Ask yourself:
- Where are you playing it safe when you should be leading?
- Are your marketing strategies aligned with the future or your comfort zone?
- What would your brand look like if you really listened to your customer?
- Are you building a marketing engine or a marketing legacy?
Let’s Make the Next 10 Years Count
If you’re ready to stop looking back and start leaping forward, let’s talk. At Avocet, we help brands like yours make decisions today that your future self will celebrate.
Call us. Let’s create a marketing strategy that doesn’t just keep up, it leads.
