Strands of Genius : Britton Taylor + The Vice Guide to Culture 2023
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
Today, the value of time has shifted within youth mindsets. Younger generations are ballsy enough to say f*ck it and to lay down their arms. Instead of fighting for time, they are rejoicing in taking moments to slow down, casting aside the multi-everything mindset and embracing simplicity.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
BRITTON TAYLOR, FOUNDER @ TRITTON BAYLOR STRATEGIC INDUSTRIES
>> Britton Taylor guest curated Strands on April 20, 2023. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I started my own strategic consultancy two years ago after working agency-side for over twenty years. Recently I've done projects for Tinder, Fireball, Cityblock, Erich & Kallman and Tombras. Growing up I wanted to go into sports medicine, a dream which faded as soon as chemistry classes hit my schedule. After that I realized I needed to work in a creative field. Post undergrad, I ended up going to VCU's Brandcenter, and my first advertising gig was at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. Five years later I landed at Wieden+Kennedy, where I worked on Old Spice, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Coke and much more.
What excites you most about what you do?
I'm enjoying work travel a hell of a lot more than I used to. I used to grind so hard that I didn't take the time to explore new places. Shameful! Now that I've got some additional perspective (and many more white hairs) I'm being more intentional about escaping from work when I'm abroad. Last year I had a blast riding scooters in Vietnam. In a few weeks, I'll be headed to Sweden for the first time.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
1) I take the work seriously but I never take myself too seriously. I'm easy to collaborate with and generally a good time to be around (I hope!).
2) Pragmatism. Strategy often arrives with a truckload of BS. I detest jargon and mumbo-jumbo. Just say the damn thing you want to say!
3) Tell the truth. This is a Dan Wieden thing. It's all about getting to the heart and soul of a brand and bringing that story to life in an unexpected way.
My leadership style is lead by example and then get out of the way.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
It's gonna be hard to beat the work that I did with Old Spice for over a decade. We completely reinvigorated that brand (and the business). And the creative work is some of the best that's ever done in the industry. Most importantly, the team was incredible and so much fun to be around. I particularly enjoyed our partnership with P&G on product development. We created so many successful product lines from scratch, including my personal favorite The Wild Collection, which has some ridiculous scent names like Bearglove, Wolfthorn and Foxglove.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. The Black Lives Matter movement has shaped industry conversations around both global injustice, and also lack of representation in our industry. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
The companies getting this right understand that these topics and challenges aren't going to be fixed solely by hiring a DE&I Officer or a slew of Black History Month Instagram posts. This is difficult work that must be a part of your operating system. When I'm working with brands on their strategic blueprints, I'm pushing to ensure we know where we stand, how much work is still to be done, and how we're going to get there. As a white dude, I'm also trying my best to continually learn. When I screw up, I own it and move on. In this industry we still have a very long way to go.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
I don't think about balance too much but I know when things are out of whack. Exercise is my therapy (in addition to therapy), and I can get pretty down when I'm not regularly active. There are also times when the work isn't done but you have to decide that it's enough because your family needs you. It took me a while to figure this one out, but I'm glad I finally did. This is just advertising.
One simple thing I did last year is delete Twitter from my phone. Doing so made a big difference in my sanity levels and my attentiveness overall.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
Stand-up comedy has always inspired me. The best performers are deeply empathetic, introspective and insightful. I think I've listened to Mike Birbiglia's specials a million times.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
Always give your children two choices, both of which are acceptable to you. (I believe my mom taught me this one. It's KEY.)
You can keep in touch with Britton on Twitter.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie & ashley | your friends over at geniussteals.co
@faris is always tweeting
@rosieyakob hangs out on instagram
@ashley also writes for deaf, tattooed & employed
Know someone who could use some inspiration in their inbox?
Forward this email to them! We appreciate you spreading the word.
It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.
Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based in Tennessee where our company is registered, our admin extraordinaire is based in Playa del Carmen, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.
Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)