CEO Today Global Awards 2024 - USA - - 4 - Tell us what your leadership style can be described as, with your wealth of experience in these roles, what have you learned works best and how has this guided you in your role at Firework? Leadership, to me, is guided by a few rather simple principles which have always been present in my life: Authenticity, active listening, compassion, and dynamic exposure to life, all governed by the notion that I’d never aspire to be the smartest person in the room. Strong EQ helps me feel comfortable sharing my own experiences, good or bad, with those I hope to inspire. Be it a client, peer, or investor, I try to keep honesty at the forefront, acknowledging shared and differing points of view, which are useful in problem solving and often lead to mutually beneficial compromise. Firework has been an exceptional event in my life, as taking a vision, everevolving product portfolio, such diverse human capital, and significant early-stage funding to market from zero-toone then accelerating exponentially ranks among the most challenging, as well as rewarding, experiences I’ve ever had. I try to let that gratitude shine through daily and be known. Pragmatic experiences in media, technology, commerce, and data, combined with having had amazing Founders as mentors prior to joining Firework, has also been an advantage worth leveraging. My leadership style blends an understanding of commercial growth (obtaining new customers, growing with existing clients) with operational mechanics core to running a profitable business (net cash burn, fairly negotiated vendor partnerships, etc), and a love of building into those around me. If I were ever to be considered an “A Player” as an Executive, I would quickly cite having only been able to get there by way of surrounding myself with “A+ Players.” I find that immersing myself with talented, spirited peers is far more impactful and rewarding than taking the credit for any given achievement myself. Finally, I believe that maintaining a keen awareness of examples set by those around us are key to shaping who we become as a leader. I’ve been fortunate to witness some of the best leadership applications, as well as what I would consider to be extremely poor leadership demonstrations as well. To me, the most positive leadership attributes often align with the mission and principles of the company. In order for this to remain true, a business has to maintain core values worthy of replication: Secure emphasis on strong EQ and self-balance, a penchant for elevating and building into those who set good examples in a consistent fashion, and a demeanor anchored by respect for everyone. The best example in my life representing leadership philosophy worthy of emulation actually derives from my fiance, Lisa. Her ability to elevate those around her is beyond admirable. She is the ultimate team-player, often placing the good of her teams and company above self-promotion. I’ve been so fortunate as a beneficiary of listening and learning from her leadership style. She is also the first person to recognize the strengths in others and build into them, which now filters into my own regard for those around me, especially relative to the notion of cultural dynamics and differences we all share as people (upbringing, socio-economic, the needs we may have in order to achieve our fullest potential). Poor leadership examples in my life have included those set by some closest to me as well, which include philosophies like “work=life,” prioritising investment in work above investments in oneself or family, a belief that instilling “fear” or shaming those around us who appear to be under-performing will motivate them, willingness to prioritise ethnicity, sex, or age as a key hiring criteria, and the discrimination of individuals based on physical or medical disabilities. There is no place for these leaders in today’s progressive world. Why do you think more people are desiring a personalized shopping experience and how does Firework assist with this? Personalization and information access work conjunctively. Exposure breeds curiosity and curiosity drives a desire to engage on terms which are self-defined. These customer remits and expectations can’t be met within a traditional loyal customer cohort and require a more advanced “Video technology itself is the foundation which under-pins the entire future experience between brands, products, service providers, and their customers.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz