Far from just being a Vancouver marketing consultant, I’m a person of passions.
I love technology.
Really. I learned to program in BASIC when I was 7, and, by 12, I’d built a computer dating program to pair me with the cute boys in class. It’s no wonder I started out in the tech industry and got into social media. In the early 90s, I was using the Internet to build social networks and, by 1998, I had pioneered an intranet for a mid-sized software company. I launched my own consulting business during the dot com boom, garnering contracts from a Fortune 100 tech company because of my work on the web. While I focused on technology marketing at the start – I love technology – I soon found opportunities to apply the same concepts in financial services, non-profit organizations, government, and small and mid-sized businesses. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging, search engine marketing, email marketing, web marketing. Adwords – I’ve been there for years and I love learning new stuff. In fact, I’m learning Python right now and it’s taking me right back to my programming days as a kid. Look around – you’ll be hard pressed to find a marketer who really gets the technology side of things too. I’ve worked on marketing and business strategy for routers and hubs, SaaS, VOIP, LAN telephony, digital parking meters, enterprise software, flat dish satellite antennae, multi-user collaborative project management and scripting software, ASP, client/server systems, data warehousing….
I love marketing.
No kidding. In 12th grade, I decided I wanted to be a marketer. My principal and parents wanted me to be an engineer. I thought social engineering was more exciting. The US Patent Office is full of applications prone to induce yawning. It takes a marketer to make people say “wow”, see it in their own lives, and then actually do something about it.
I’m not just selling gizmos. I’m helping people understand new ways to solve difficult problems. And I’m helping Canada move away from its dependence on raw materials. I’m changing the world.
I love learning.
Reading, travel, conversation, courses, current events – make me grow, make me stretch. I don’t want to be who I was yesterday.
I love community.
Whether I’m at work or at home, I’m part of a community. That’s why I consult, teach, write, present and volunteer. For my love of community to work, I have to value integrity, relationships, and trust. And I have to value what makes us the same and what makes us different. We’re all in this together. Let’s create something truly amazing that lets us all shine.
I love writing.
I’ve published hundreds of articles, everywhere from blogs to USA Today, and I’ve got a portfolio chock-full of brochures, factsheets, ads, and other collateral. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. Everything from Chaucer to webzines.
I can harness my passions though – check out my results.