The Garage Group (TGG) brought together the global Courageous Minds Only community once again, on October 3rd, 2024. Jason Hauer, Co-Founder at TGG, engaged attendees in an inspired discussion with battle-tested leaders from Mars, Uber and AtkCo. They discussed how acts of courage can transform your career and how they’re driving disruption in an uncertain world.
OUR COURAGEOUS PANELISTS
Travis Colvin (General Manager, Grocery and Retail Advertising, Uber), Shayna Atkins, SPC (Founder and Product Management Leader, AtkCo), Greg Hocking (VP Global R&D New Innovation Territories, Mars) courageously shared their stories, insights, and tips. TGG is grateful for their and 1871’s partnership in making the event happen. The Garage Group and Courageous Minds Only is dedicated to connecting courageous leaders and sparking creativity to inspire positive change. We empower corporate leaders to keep their brands relevant in the face of uncertainty.
NEW INSIGHTS FROM ANOTHER CMO EVENT
At this Courageous Minds Only event, we focused on how courageous decisions have fueled innovation. Our panelists shared their journeys and lessons related to innovation. Here are a few highlights. Watch the full video to uncover more!
6 Takeaways you don’t want to miss from industry leaders:
- Micro-moments of Courage
- Your Personal Board
- Listen to Customers’ Purpose
- Decisions at Top Speed
- 1% Better Everyday
- Regimental Focus
6 TAKEAWAYS TO REMEMBER
1. Micro-moments of Courage
“For me, there hasn’t been this sort of seminal, courageous moment. I think it’s a series of micro moments of demonstrating courage that ultimately lead to this muscle that you develop over time. “ – Travis Colvin (General Manager, Grocery and Retail Advertising, Uber)
Travis shared that it’s important to continuously take actions courageously. That habit can pay significant dividends in the long run. For him, courage starts with recognizing if it’s time to make a change. A strong indicator that it’s time to do something different for Travis is when he starts to feel comfortable. Too much comfort can lead to complacency and stagnation. To avoid the complacency trap, he stressed the importance of having the courage to take that leap before you feel the uncertainty kicking in. Changing requires you to be vulnerable but it’s key to take action despite the imposter syndrome and the feeling of doubt.
His journey is a testament to this. He worked in retail at Target for nine years. Then, he moved into the CPG world, working with Kimberley Clark and Kellogg’s. Now, he leads a group of 50 people at Uber. Micro moments of courage can be amazing for your career and life.
At TGG, we encourage people to be courageous. Our team practices what we preach. To build up our courage muscle, we have Courage Days, which are days to do something outside our comfort zone. We take our own medicine to show up courageously for our clients. What are you doing to build your courage muscles? Do you celebrate micro moments of courage as a team?
2. Your Personal Board
“Having those people around you that are going to push you to think differently and to step out of your comfort zone, you go from that inner circle of comfort to the learning zone.” – Greg Hocking (VP Global R&D New Innovation Territories, Mars)
Greg leapt from the healthcare industry to food and beverage. When faced with the next S curve to change industry, Greg emphasized the important role his personal board played. Many people would ask him why he would want to leave a successful career in healthcare. Yet, there are other people who motivated him to do something different, to take a chance and to challenge himself. He needed the push and felt more ready to decide with the advice from his personal board. “I wouldn’t have done it on my own without consultation of those around me, my personal board of directors.” said Greg.
Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a transformative experience. When you push beyond familiar boundaries, you discover new opportunities for learning and personal development. We all need that extra push from the people around us to take bold leaps. We need to feel safe amidst bigger risks. That’s what the personal board helps with. Greg advises leaders to have their own board of directors to act as a sounding board and to offer support and guidance in time of change.
Who do you come to when you need advice? Do they encourage you to think and act differently? At TGG, we encourage teams to have their own cross-functional team, a personal growth strategy and innovation board, if you will. We know how hard it is to act courageously amidst risky decisions. That’s where more eyes on a problem are the key. A team of growth experts and innovators is far more powerful and effective than an individual.
3. Listen to Customers’ Purpose
“Resilience when you’re faced with complexity is really important.” – Shayna Atkins, SPC, (Founder and Product Management Leader, AtkCo)
Shayna reflected on a time when she solved a tough problem for the client by understanding their true purpose. Listening to clients is a fundamental aspect of delivering exceptional service and creating meaningful solutions. Shayna mentioned the “5 Whys” technique to demonstrate how she was able to uncover the client’s core objectives. 5 Whys can help us move beyond surface-level answers and gain a comprehensive understanding of the client’s challenges and goals. The resilience to keep asking questions and to keep learning has made a difference when it comes to driving clarity and results in a complex setting.
This is a great example of being “consumer first.” It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own problems as leaders of companies. We’ve got budgets to meet, revenue targets to hit, and new product launches to deliver on time. Nonetheless, customers and consumers do not care about these things as much as we do. They care about the problems they face, the jobs they are trying to accomplish.
At TGG, we champion consumer first innovation and lean into Jobs-to-be-Done as a key tool. We spend a significant amount of time Defining the consumer problem with our Lean Growth Playbook. Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” We take this to heart with our clients to move beyond the superficial to the truly meaningful just like Shayna. How do you do this?
4. Decisions at Top Speed
“Your apps on your phone, there’s only room for one or two players. So that creates a sense of urgency. That’s relentless to make these decisions and move quickly.” – Travis Colvin (General Manager, Grocery and Retail Advertising, Uber)
In complex situations with no clear right answers, leaders like Travis don’t have the luxury of waiting around to get the perfect information. There’s a point of diminishing returns where you’re not factoring in the opportunity cost of making decisions faster. Specifically in a fast-paced industry with the “winner takes all” mentality like tech, Travis must operate with urgency. He added that when working at such a pace, it’s inevitable that you will fail more often than you would like to. However, there is an opportunity to use that setback as a slingshot to propel you forward to make better decisions. “The series of two steps forward, one step back is something that I’ve gotten progressively more comfortable with,” said Travis.
Do you think the speed at which your organization operates is optimal? As a leader, what do you see as opportunity cost when you are not effectively moving forward? The Garage Group helps you make good decisions quickly. We offer quick turn learning loops, as well as strategy and innovation sprints because we understand the impact of moving quickly. We’ve made a habit of helping F1000 companies move quickly. Check out how we quickly helped a F100 CPG client build and test a new innovation strategy in just 10 days.
5. 1% Better Everyday
“I could go back to early days of digital marketing where we’re trying to get better by 1% every day.” – Greg Hocking (VP Global R&D New Innovation Territories, Mars)
When asked about AI navigation, Greg encouraged finding different use cases for AI and experimenting with it in a secure manner. In large organizations, where cyber security and data privacy are concerns, it’s important for leaders to encourage their teams to find safe ways to learn more about this disruptive technology. Greg shared that he learned from entrepreneurs and people who are experimenting with AI in scrappy ways as well. He concluded that AI can be a helpful thought partner if the user consistently asks the platform questions and creates a habit of using it.
Staying curious about the potential of AI can open up a world of possibilities. AI is transforming industries and pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible. As the full implications of it is still unknown, the market remains in “search mode” with AI. Leaders should adopt a curious mindset to stay ahead of the curve and experiment with what AI has to offer.
At TGG, we understand the curiosity and the cautious optimism that surrounds AI. That’s why our team of expert researchers and strategists are not just adopting AI; we’re integrating it thoughtfully into our processes. Our approach is multifaceted, designed to illuminate innovative strategies, fuel efficiency, and activate the most impactful strategies. Learn more about the principles guiding our AI journey.
6. Regimental Focus
“I put myself on a pretty strict regimen.” – Shayna Atkins, SPC, (Founder and Product Management Leader, AtkCo)
When asked what kept her motivated on her journey, Shayna shared how strict habits have helped with her success. She was focused on healthy habits and cultivated a regiment that will put her in the best position for where she is heading. She was even promoted before quitting to build her own business. Shayna also added that it helps that she loves what she does, and she surrounds herself with people that encourage her from time to time.
Having a strict regimen is crucial for achieving success. It provides structure and discipline, helping you stay focused on your goals. This disciplined approach minimizes distractions and procrastination, allowing you to make steady progress. Moreover, a strict regimen fosters good habits and resilience, enabling you to overcome challenges and stay committed to your objectives. It’s the foundation upon which you can build lasting success.
At TGG, we believe the right partners and network can help you build discipline. How are you finding the right partners to be disciplined in your company?
WE LOVE OUR CMO COMMUNITY
We love hosting these events at 1871 and online!!! We learn something new and make meaningful connections each time. Most importantly, we increase the courage we need to lead in our turbulent and uncertain world.
Thanks for reading the recap. Check out the full recording for even more insight from our panelists. Join our global CMO community to receive updates for future events.
Interested in sharing your own bold insights at a CMO event? We’re always looking for panelists. Email us at marketing@thegaragegroup.com.
HOW MIGHT WE PARTNER?
Need a courageous partner to help you crack your high priority innovation and growth strategy challenges?
The Garage Group is a battle-tested Lean Innovation and Growth Strategy Firm on a mission to unlock courage in leaders. We help them keep their existing B2B & B2C portfolios relevant and growing in the face of uncertainty.
Our team has 14 years of compounded learning, rolling up our sleeves alongside corporate leaders at BigCos like Kimberly-Clark and Northwestern Mutual to tackle tough innovation and growth challenges through a series of ongoing Lean Workstreams.
Forward-thinking leaders partner with us to build Jobs to be Done-based brand, portfolio, and category architectures; to lead consumer-first Innovation Pipeline Sprints with rapid-fire infusions of iterative stakeholder learning; and to hack traditional research methods, replacing them with a series of agile Learning Loops to build conviction and support for new ideas.
Send us a note at marketing@thegaragegroup.com to start the conversation!
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