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April 07, 2005
Finding Balance
Posted by John Winsor
I interviewed Matt Jacobson, VP of Quiksilver Entertainment for Spark. Matt's done a terrific job of connecting the Quiksilver brand to their customers in a unique way using media. More importantly, he has a wonderful take on the importance of balance and fluidity, hard things to find in today's world. Here's what Matt has to say:
"I was at Disney for four years and NewsCorp for almost thirteen years and then I went to Broadcom, so I worked in the semi-conductor space for a little bit and then I came to Quiksilver. One of the things that’s been great for me – one of the things that’s really great about this company – is that it’s all about balance. I think that corporate America is changing one company at a time and things that are important to people now are different than what was important to people fifteen to twenty years ago – where before it was about power, prestige, money – now people who are savvy and understand who they are as people are really much more into a kind of balance, the balance of lifestyle.
It’s the balance between life and lifestyle – or work and lifestyle – I think that’s what this company is really about. So I think I’ve become a much more centered, more balanced person, because I’ve been able to pursue something that I believe in. It’s holistic approach to the way we do business. The era of bullies and assholes is over.
The way we go about doing business, by finding partners we like to work with, putting all of our wood behind a couple of arrows. The kind of fluidity that comes from how we pick and choose our partners our projects makes for a healthier company and a healthier person."
Can we all find more balance and fluidity by rethinking our relationships with our customers and team members, becoming healthier brands and people, in the process?
Comments (6)
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1. DK on April 7, 2005 02:37 PM writes...
Read with interest and found it fascinating the rhetoric he used (as well and the overall message) in describing outlook.
Having flirted with the surf scene myself, still having friends very much involved, plus working with a couple of surf brands at the moment, I noticed the language Mark was using has its roots in the sport - "balanced", "centred", "fluidity" - seems to me he has been influenced by the his customers...which is fantastic!
Great piece...
Regards
DK
Permalink to Comment2. john winsor on April 7, 2005 04:24 PM writes...
DK -
Thanks for picking that up! I just moved back to Boulder from four months in Mexico. I should have caught the subtlties of Matt's comments myself, since I surfed every morning while down south. The thing I love about surfing is that it's all about balance and fluidity. It's about being at one with the environment, intuitively interpreting the wave as it, in turn, interprets the bottom of the ocean.
Permalink to Comment3. TOC on April 8, 2005 12:23 PM writes...
I hate to rain on his parade, but unfortunately, I believe this is more a reflection of the carreer of the author rather than any real change in corporate America. If he were to take a look outside his bubble, which by the way at its worst was an elite environment, he would see a continued deterioration in the conditions for people working in corporate America.
Take a look outside California, who is president, who controls the congress, what laws are now being passed to protect corporate interests?
Don't mistake me for being left wing, I most definitely am not. But this kind of extrapolation and self-delusion brings on the type of government we have today. It is also the reason that the Democrats are being repeatedly pounded on election day.
This guy is no visionary but rather an ostrich. Anyone who thinks the era of corporate asshoes is ending, isn't paying attention.
TOC
Permalink to Comment4. john winsor on April 8, 2005 04:26 PM writes...
TOC -
Thanks for the comment. Just for the record, Matt's not a writer but a marketing executive. You do bring up an interesting point. I think I'll create a post to encourage a dialogue on this.
Permalink to Comment5. simon on April 8, 2005 10:17 PM writes...
TOC,
After reading your comments I have to say that you are right. What really has changed when someone attacks another person with such vemon. Business in America is not struggling just because of the people at the top. It takes all of us to create a mess. Your approach and attitude are also part of the problem. You don't need to look to the president and congress to see the problem. Just look in the mirror.
Permalink to Comment6. Michele Miller on April 9, 2005 01:14 PM writes...
Great post, and I like Matt's reference to "fluidity," especially when it comes to relationships. I've struggled for a way to come up with a better term for the right way to "network" (a word that can have such negative connotations) and this just may be it!
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