Strands of Genius: Winning Strategic Roles, "Let’s be real. “Strategy” is a nebulous concept that means vastly different things to everyone", 🪄 Client Magic!
Guest curated by Tom Critchlow, Independent Consultant & Founder SEO MBA
Each year we aim to highlight 50 creative thinkers that have inspired us by giving them the opportunity to guest curate this newsletter, Strands of Genius. This edition is guest curated by Tom Critchlow Independent Consultant & Founder SEO MBA.
:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, TOM CRITCHLOW::
LOCATION: New York
Hi I'm Tom Critchlow and I've got a confession to make. I'm actually not a creative marketer. I worked at Google in the Creative Lab in 2012 and essentially got fired (twice, but that's another story). I just didn't fit in surrounded by people from the creative advertising world. I'm not cut out for advertising.
But the thing I *am* good at - the thing I've oriented my entire career around - is understanding how to convince clients, companies and organizations how to actually change. You see I got my professional start in the SEO industry - and the SEO industry has a bad reputation for "throwing recommendations at clients" (like monkeys fling poo if I'm honest). So I learned the hard way early in my career that simply giving clients recommendations doesn't actually mean they'll do anything about them. (It's also why I love Rosie and Faris' mission "to help creative thinkers become more strategic").
Convincing a client to change is hard! Whether it's convincing them of a creative direction, or persuading them to invest in a new initiative, or building a new team - budget, buy-in and resources are hard to come by. Creating the strategy is only one piece of the puzzle - you also need to pitch it correctly, plan for it correctly and then shepherd it into existence.
It's why I've oriented my own independent strategy consulting practice around a concept called “strategy and stewardship” - the idea that simply creating the strategy isn't enough. There's deep value in actually sticking around to help the strategy become reality (and by the way let's be honest there's no way your pristine strategy survives encounter with the real world so there's value in sticking around to ensure it evolves and changes in the right ways).
It's also why I started the SEO MBA: an online learning platform to teach SEO professionals the business, consulting and communications skills they need to become more effective.
So... enjoy! Here are some links related to the practice of business skills - understanding business and becoming more strategic.
Tom
Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): We know Tom from Twitter and have been reading his thinking on consulting, running your own consultancy, organizational and technological change with keen interest for a few years. Thanks for an excellent edition!
:: THE LINKS ::
WINNING STRATEGIC ROLES
"It’s natural for a head of product to tackle this, but you don’t have to wait to be that senior to dig in and help. Leaders don’t wait until they have the title to lead. However, the more junior you are, the more you have to approach this with humility and political savvy, otherwise it can smack of hubris." I love this clear eyed take on what it takes to connect your work to the wider business context, how to do strategic roles and how to win more senior roles. It's about product management, but is applicable to all kinds of roles. (Giffconstable)
"LET’S BE REAL. “STRATEGY” IS A NEBULOUS CONCEPT THAT MEANS VASTLY DIFFERENT THINGS TO EVERYONE”
In contrast, the advice I laid out here will help you appear strategic to your coworkers and boss. And ultimately, that’s all that matters." Another clear-eyed and *practical* approach to being strategic inside organizations. Something many people aspire to - but don't really understand what it takes... (Falling Forward)
🪄 CLIENT MAGIC!
This is a new course designed specifically for creatives, consultants and solopreneurs to help you design magical client experiences. The creative/client or consultant/client relationship is full of very specific challenges and Howard is building something special - because in Howard's words: "everyone expects better". Amen. (Wavetable)
Looking for more from Tom Critchlow? Coming Friday, look for an interview from him in your inbox!
:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::
:: Game :: Playing tickle tag with my kids :)
:: City :: New York City
:: Book :: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
:: Podcast :: Twitterverse by Gabe Hudson
:: Album :: Currently on repeat: Superdream by Big Wild
::BREATH OF THE WILD::
“You can then, as a 40-year-old grown-ass adult, decide to buy an OLED Switch and install Zelda: Breath of the Wild and commit a silly amount of time to not just beating the game (of course) but to walking and exploring and communing with that other self, that on-the-school-bus self, that surrounded-by-fear (so much fear, violence, nearby) self”.
A magnificent essay from the eminent Craig Mod
Thanks for reading!
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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 out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, 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 :)