Strands of Genius: Duane Brown + Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024
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 ::
The disruptive power of artificial intelligence (AI) will sweep through the information space this year at a time of intense political and economic volatility around the world. The implications for the reliability of information, and the sustainability of the mainstream media are likely to be profound in a year that sees critical elections due in more than 40 democracies, with wars continuing to rage in Europe and the Middle East. Against that background – and with one forecast suggesting that the vast majority of all internet content will be synthetically produced by 2026 – journalists and news organizations will need to rethink their role and purpose with some urgency.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
DUANE BROWN, FOUNDER AND HEAD OF STRATEGY @ TAKE SOME RISK
>> Duane Brown guest curated Strands on October 10th 2024. 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 went to school for PR and hated the idea of doing that the rest of my life. I got a job in an ad agency doing PPC for HR teams looking to hire just about every role under the sun. Went to the school of hard-knocks with freelancing a few years later.
Then I moved to Australia, the UK and a few other places while working for brands, agencies and tech vendors. 8 years ago I woke up and hated where I was working, quit my job and started the agency a few months later. When I am not working, I cook, read a ton and travel more than friends think is possible. I focus on happiness and profit. As long as my business has those two things, everything else is taken care of by default. Now my goal is to never go back and work for anyone else ever again.
What excites you most about what you do?
Stable doesn't exist. It is never a dull moment and the minute I think something is chill, something happens. An ecom brand takes things in-house, a client cuts their budget or Google and Meta release new features. It is a game to see how long can I keep the dozen plates spinning I have right now...this keep me motivated to stay in the game longer and create my own luck.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
Collaborative - I want to know what the team thinks as a group can bring important and different POVs to the table. In the end I make the final call because the buck stops with me.
I always give everyone enough rope to hang themselves. I hold everyone to same high standard I hold myself and we don't settle. As a small team, our speed is a competitive advantage. Stay positive and make your luck to stay in the game longer than anyone else.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
The one's that stand out tend to be our more creative clients who made something because they felt a void in the market or had a personally need to fill. However, they struggled to sell it commercially. Helping them sell that product and grow their business is rewarding because it is a lot harder to start something from scratch when it comes to marketing.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. 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?
Just be honest about it. We work hard to hire women and promote job openings to online groups that women use. We are working hard to grow our client base, so we can make another hire, to make sure we have another women on our team as it is a dude fest right now.
We just tell clients we think our diversity as a team is a strength, especially because we have PPC ads running in 50+ countries right now. A one size fits all approach won't work at that scale.
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 think owning your own business is a different path than being an employee. Balance can happen but it is something you have to fight for and protect your time. There is always more work to do, so you have to tell yourself to get sleep because that work will be there tomorrow.
I try to work remote throughout the year. I get to see the world as travel and food is a big passion of mind. Plus getting out of the office and from behind the computer screen is good for business. Otherwise, I enjoy and embrace the quiet days. I may go for a bike ride in the summer if it is really quiet and then I double down and work longer hours in Q4. I think less about hours and more that the key pieces of work are getting done day to day and each week and month. Plus if I say I or the agency is going to do something... then we do what we said we would do. No exceptions.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I try to spend less time online when not working. Friends will send me things and things will come across Twitter, IG and My Android's Discover feed. Otherwise, I try to read magazines and newspapers when traveling.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
This is a mix of something I heard as a kid watching Jamie Oliver cook on TV and just from reading a ton. It is about luck.
When you smash a potato, you create holes that things can stick to and help make the smashed potato crunchy and tasty because you increased the surface area. Luck is the same way.
You need to create a bigger surface area to have things stick as you go through the life of running a business or just managing your career. Meet people, say what you think and have a POV....even if you are wrong in the long run. Luck only happens when you get out there and from behind the computer screen.
What’s the most interesting fact about you?
The most interesting fact about me I was born 3 months early and fought like hell to be alive. So I was born a fighter.
You can keep in touch with Duane on LinkedIn.
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 | your friends over at geniussteals.co
(still want more? @faris is still “tweeting” while @rosieyakob prefers instagram stories)