Strands of Genius : Heather LeFevre + The Savvy Marketer's 2023 Guide For OTT Advertising in Southeast Asia
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 ::
More and more consumers in Southeast Asia (SEA) are cutting the cord and switching to over the top (OTT) channels. In fact, according to a study commissioned by The Trade Desk, there are now 200 million users in the region who stream 9.7 billion hours’ worth of OTT content per month. That’s an increase of 22 percent in OTT consumption over the past year.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
HEATHER LEFEVRE, CREATIVE AND WELL-BEING STRATEGIST @ HEATHERLEFEVRE.COM
>> Heather LeFevre guest curated Strands on July 27, 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 grew up in Texas and explored the world through the lens of advertising agencies, living in Amsterdam for five years. I loved the idea of traveling more and used that motivation to invite myself into the homes of nine incredible strategists. That became a book called Brain Surfing.
All the sitting at work, an abdominal surgery, and some trauma led to body pain. I found my way out through bodywork and movement. Today, I invest my time across several types of work including as a researcher, brand strategist, facilitator, teacher, and writer as well as through hands-on CranioSacral therapy and instructing movement like Pilates and Gyrokinesis.
What excites you most about what you do?
Right now I'm most excited about the idea of bringing more movement and manual therapy into the work environment. When companies say their people are their most important asset, I call bullshit. The human body is the most expensive equipment each of us uses for work. Companies cannot just contribute to health insurance, plan in some yoga, offer access to Headspace and think their responsibility is complete. I envision a day where every company has a Well-Being Strategist where the wellness measures of employees are tied to creative output and performance in the market.
In the meantime, I am the people's Well-Being Strategist through my newsletter Project 100 where I share my interest in wellness behaviors, dripped out over time. The intention is for members to make small changes that impact the likelihood of reaching a robust 100 years of age.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
Being neurospicy, I aim to reduce noise in my environment, don't work standard work week days or work day hours, and get out in nature as much as possible to elicit my best work.
I like to have a blend of movement throughout my day as I believe making the same shape for longer than 45 minutes of time does not serve the human body. When doing focused work or calls, I mix up sitting on the floor, at a desk or table, and standing.
I enjoy being a well-being instigator by sharing relevant aspects of what I've learned. I believe it's my responsibility to share what I know about the body and show that impactful wellness behaviors can be fun and easy.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
Creating the book Brain Surfing is at the top. I made really important friendships with many of my hosts. I also traveled the world and saw it through the eyes of people who lived in those places while staying in their cozy homes with their lovely families. The book has also brought other similar open minded people to me who enjoy brand strategy work.
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?
I frame the conversations from the perspective of a therapeutic relationship: how can I use my skills and abilities to be of service within my healthy means? I can't work with some people because we have different values and that's ok. But I'm also really creative and generally challenge people beyond their limp corporate efforts.
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?
There are three key factors that lead to my flavor of equanimity. One, I don't have children. Two, I have a portfolio career of this particular blend of both knowledge work and physical work, but I also do this to prioritize my relationship and being healthy for each other over everything else in my life. And three, I am finding more and more ways to blend both the research and brand side of my life with the wellness side. I refuse to choose between the two. I have practiced CranioSacral therapy on colleagues and clients. I have guided colleagues and clients through work on a Pilates machine as well as meditation sessions. I think these aspects make me that much sharper at listening for the details and making the slides work/life balance.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
For me, this evolves over time and depends on how much screen time I'm experiencing over all. Consistently, I like to learn from people on TikTok and I'm a book reader. I have also made a commitment to become certified in all of these movement and bodywork modalities so I'm essentially in school a lot of the time. For example, I attend 2 hours study groups to practice a few craniosacral techniques in detail from an advanced practitioner. I find a lot of inspiration learning about detailed anatomy and ways to loosen up tight tissues!
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
One of my CranioSacral therapy mentors, Eric Moya, has extensive credentials as a manual therapist and counselor and describes the sensation of connective tissues releasing as "Fwah." We use very gentle traction of skull bones or light pressure in CST to let the nervous system know it is safe and allow release. I love how exactly this word describes the sensation of holding a technique until you feel "Fwah."
What's the best way to work together?
If your project has stakeholder or customer interviews, this is how I like to start working relationships.
You can keep in touch with Heather on LinkedIn.
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