Avni Patel Thompson: Discovering What's Delicious with Brand Sundae

Avni Patel Thompson is currently the Global Marketing Manager for Reebok International’s Women’s business.  Her quest to find perceptive consumer insights and the next great product initiative has taken her from Procter & Gamble’s hallowed halls of brand management to The Boston Consulting Group’s Consumer and Retail practice.  Now at Reebok, she also enjoys blogging about the brand promise at: brandsundae.com.  Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Avni holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia. Avni enjoys writing and sports of any kind – watched or played.  She lives in Boston’s South End with her husband.

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There I sat, on the eve of my 30th birthday, in front of my laptop, staring at the unassuming button on the screen.  Innocuous on the surface, clicking on this one button signified pushing my most cherished dream into reality, whether I was ready or not.  But it was time to take the plunge.  With a courage I wasn’t feeling with conviction, I hit “Publish”.

That was more than four months ago, where I brought my dual interests of writing and brand management together through my blog brandsundae.com.  Until that moment, I had always dreamed of becoming an accomplished writer, but in a vague, “someday” kind of way.  But propelled in part by the welcoming of another decade and the inevitable self-reflection that comes along for the ride, and in part by an inflection in my professional life, I had decided to make that dream a reality in some small way.

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The thing is, dreams are tricky.  We grow up thinking of them as bundles of hope and inspiration and possibility.  They sustain us through the good times and the bad.  But the reality of dreams (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?) is that they rely on a certain ambiguity and grandeur in their existence.  Actually acting on them, then, has the natural implication of needing to deconstruct these beautiful illusions into bite-sized, practical action steps.  Of course your dream will resist, wanting instead to live on as a graceful yet vague ambition.

I suppose each of us has experienced this tension in our lives, as we set our sights on a goal and embark to accomplish it.  I know I have.  For me, it was the right school, the right company, the perfect wedding.  Some goals were more modest, like choosing my next role at Procter & Gamble, others, like my lifelong dream to attend Harvard Business School were as challenging as I had ever known.  But they all had something in common.  They were all more or less concrete.  Each goal had a set of specific steps that I could build a robust action plan around.

I wasn’t until earlier this year, when I had checked off my most immediate dreams – marriage, MBA, job – that I realized I didn’t have the same level of goals set out in front of me.  Sure, work continued to be challenging and we would start a family in due time, but I had been so wrapped up in the next big, hairy, audacious goal that I now felt a bit lost without one.

Source: istockphoto

And so I started to examine that oldest, most precious dream again.  I spun it around in my head, looking at it from all angles.  At my husband’s coaxing, I even took a creative writing class, trying to find the outlet for my thoughts.  But still nothing felt right.  At the same time, at work, I continued to be challenged in my consulting job, but it was also missing that spark that I had felt when I was in brand management at P&G, delving into the consumer psychology of behaviour and the beauty of messages creatively brought to life. 

It wasn’t until one rainy night in April, when I rushed home from work to attend a women’s publishing panel at HBS, that I finally found my path.  This group of wonderfully accomplished women in the publishing world, whether books or blogs, showed me the way forward.  Including in particular, Whitney, whom I owe more than a fair share of thanks to getting this dream off the ground.  The natural intersection of my interests in brand marketing and writing passions became clearer.  The medium of a blog felt like a fit with my writing voice and time commitment as a part-time endeavour.

I raced home, recounting every minute of the evening to my husband at an unintelligible pace, an unstoppable bundle of ideas and plans.  With structure as my best friend for execution, I got started right away, setting up my blog, outlining a couple posts and setting off to write.

It wasn’t until I sat down on my birthday to actually publish that first post that the true gravity of the moment sunk in.  “What if no one reads it?  What if they think it’s horrible and I’m just a laughingstock?”  All the doubts began trickling in through my shiny wall of aspirations.

Source:  istockphoto

This was one of my toughest moments of mental debate.  Sure I’ve had times when I haven’t gotten that job or things haven’t gone my way, and the disappointment feels overwhelming.  But what happens if you fail at the one thing you’ve always had in the back of your mind as your ultimate hope?  If others find you to be lacking in the area you find most motivating?

Would it not be better to continue living in the realm of possibility, where the anticipation and illusion of wild success still have a chance of existence, if only in your imagination?

This wasn’t a matter of find the courage to hit “Publish”.  This was putting a stake in the ground as a commitment to a different path in life.  One that would lead me toward the vague unknown.  Melodramatic?  Perhaps.  But it sure feels like that when you’re debating putting yourself out there.

Needless to say, I decide to take the leap of faith.  It’s been a mere four months but I love it.  It provides me with the creative outlet I’ve always sought and I’m now starting to get feedback from friends and strangers (!) that they enjoy reading my posts and find them insightful.

Source:  istockphoto

And using this personal step as inspiration for my professional life, I also decided to make the jump back into brand management.  It has been two months since becoming the Global Marketing Manager for Reebok’s Women’s business and I love it.  It’s challenging and fast paced and some days overwhelming.  I’m back to asking questions that energize me and finding answers that inspire me. 

It’s not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but for the first time in my life, I feel a certain liberation and sureness of self that stems not from any external validation, but from a feeling of pride mixed with awe.

Dreams are tricky things.  They can make you soar and give you something to contemplate when daily life is too much.  But having given them a chance to shift into reality… by finding the courage and giving it a shot… I'm finding they’re infinitely more powerful in practice than in theory.

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Have you recently had a birthday?  What self-reflection did you do?  Any commitments you made to yourself?

Acting on a dream requires that we "deconstruct these beautiful illusions into bite-sized, practical action steps".  Are you now in the process of acting on a dream, putting together an action plan?

Is there something audacious that needs to be tried, but it is resisting, wanting "instead to live on as a graceful yet vague ambition"?

As Avni began to write about brands, this triggered a career move.  Is it possible that you could also write your way to the start of your next dream? 

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P.S.  You can read Why Avni loves brands in Promises, Promises.

Some of her favorite posts include:  Coke: the magic of something from nothing, Reebok: back to brand, and Storytelling for brands.

Is there a brand that you'd be interested in having Avni write about?  In addition to Diet Coke, I'd be interested in Manolo Blahnik shoes, Porsche and Target.  

And if you've created your own product -- like jewelry -- would you like to hear about how to brand that product? 

Thoughts? 

Comments

[denise lee yohn]

avni -- i so enjoyed reading this, in part because i could relate to the moment you described "when I had checked off my most immediate dreams...that I realized I didn’t have the same level of goals set out in front of me." a similar moment happened to me when i became head of brand and strategy at sony electronics back in 1999 -- the role was the perfect culmination of the career i had been meticulously building for 10+ years -- and once in the position, i had no idea what i wanted to do next.

as it turns out, i've lived the last 11 years not knowing -- the passing of time included me resigning from sony and start my own brand consulting practice which is now thriving and continuing to grow -- but i still don't know what i want to do next. it's an uncomfortable feeling for someone like me, but i've learned to make the most of the present and that's been such a valuable lesson.

i'm glad i've discovered you -- and i look forward to following you and perhaps sharing more common experiences!

[LisaP]

Avni - i so enjoyed reading this beautiful post! dreams inevitably transform into something altogether different when we pursue them and bring them into our lives. that happens in good ways and disappointing ways, but each time it happens i think we learn more about who we are, what we really want and how the world works. how else are we to know? thanks for the great food for thought!

[Science Teacher Mommy]

Dreams ARE tricky.

Besides the fact that I am now craving some really decadent ice cream, I found myself relating deeply to this post. At age 18, I had a particular set of dreams. Another set at about age 24. Now I'm 34. My youngest child potty-trained this week. I'm standing on the edge of the next part of my life and it is time to really start dreaming again, to be grateful for the things I've achieved this far and set out on the next leg of the journey with an end in mind. Even a vague-dreamlike "end" is better than just going through the motions.

[Whitney Smith Cripe]

Well done Avni! As a fellow brand-aholic and marketing executive, I have waded slowly into the waters of creative and personal writing as an extension of the communicating and strategizing I do from 9 to 5. I have found that my professional chops are sharper now that I've allowed myself to feast and flounder in some more creative/non-traditional pursuits on the side. It takes courage, however, to share those side journeys with others as you have done with your blogging. Good on you for sharing the unsure parts of yourself in a way that invites and infoms others. I guarantee it will keep making you happy in the best ways and at the same time, better at the more everyday work as well. Good thinking and ideas really have very few boundaries - and they inform and illuminate the oddest corners of our work/life/minds when we let them through...

[aareanjergensen@Hotmail.com]

love that you mentioned "creative outlet". I think that EVERYONE needs this exact thing. Whether it is creative to some or not, if it means an outlet to that one individual then that is all it needs to be. Such a great post. I went to school studying the different ways marketing and branding impact our society...and I also minored in graphic design which I truly believe go hand in hand. There is a very close correlation between the two (at least I like to think so) where the design has to reflect the purpose of the branding. Quite a tricky thing to do sometimes...but the leap of faith you speak of is the key component. Thank you for your words! Loved the post!

[Allison]

I really enjoyed your post. It reminded me how it's important to be comfortable with who you are and what you're doing with your time, but also to always have at least a little something that is compelling you to go beyond that and explore your potential. It's a fine line to be satisfied with one's achievements yet be anxiously engaged in improvement. I think you displayed a great example of how life requires constant fine tuning, tweaking, and evaluating to keep us headed in the desired direction. As a consultant in the tech marketing world, I tell my clients that although there are many indicators of success in the data we analyze, we must focus on that one key metric that matters most to us, the one that is of most value to our business. Although it can be interesting to see the impact of other metrics, if we get too distracted we might end up harming our business by not focusing on the one key metric. I think we can apply that to our lives in that as we explore other outlets and arenas that make life more enjoyable and fulfilling, we must consciously make sure we are doing the things that are aligned with our main goal in life. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and giving me a chance to think about how I can apply my work principles in a practical manner in my personal life. Thanks!

[Athelia Woolley]

Avni -

Thank you for sharing! You articulated the conundrum of dreams perfectly. In theory they are vague, but still perfect. When realized, they inevitably lose their perfection. Yet, it's difficult to respect yourself when you only enjoy your dreams in theory.

I also really enjoyed reading your blog and some of your thoughts on branding. As the owner of a clothing company, I am thinking about this ALL of the time. I am looking forward to your future posts!

Thanks again for writing.

[Julie Kellett]

Avni- I appreciate your inspiring comments and thoughts. Reading your experiences has caused me to reflect on my own dreams and plans for executing them.

I'd love your insight on some of the brands that I have found myself drawn to and the strategy behind their success. The consumer focused brands being Target and Banana Republic and the branding of professional services companies like Bain & Co and Goldman Sachs. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on P&G's overall marketing strategy and how they have held their position as the leading marketing company year after year.

Thanks so much!!

[Maria]

Avni,

I love your blog! This is fascinating to me because I don't think I've ever thought about brands before.

Now I am wondering about the book I'm writing. I would love your thoughts on branding it. It's a cook book. My mother's Cuban recipes along with stories of our family in Cuba and coming to the US.

[Avni Patel Thompson]

Thank you all for your inspiring, encouraging and energizing comments!

Lisa - Thank you for your kind remarks and for reaffirming the exploration dreams allow us to do.

Science Teacher Mommy - It's a remarkable thing, isn't it, to think back on the dreams you had at different ages and stages in life. I often do, and marvel at how resilient and adaptable humans can be. I agree a vague dream is better than none at all.

Whitney - Thanks for your support in my endeavour - it's so energizing to hear that others appreciate the risk that comes with a project like this. And thanks for the advice - will certainly come in handy.

Aarean - Great to connect again! Thanks for your comment - I think the creative outlet has been the most immediately rewarding aspect of this experience. Such a powerful element to keep in one's life. I would love to further explore the links between design and branding, given the strong link.

Allison - Thanks for your thoughtful comment. It's exactly that tension between satisfaction and wanting more that alternatively distresses and motivates me. Thanks for the reminder to never loose sight of the main goal in life.

Athelia - What a gorgeous line of clothing! I would love to learn more and perhaps do a post give your very distinctive look/feel online. Small businesses are a soft spot of mine because of the courage and conviction that needs to fuel them. I would love to explore yours further, with your permission (email me at brandsundae@gmail.com)

Julie - Thanks for your comments and the great fodder for future posts - I will absolutely add to my list to explore, particularly as many are my favs as well!

Maria - Thanks so much for your comment! Always so motivating to hear that others enjoy reading the blog. I would love to explore branding something like a cook book - something that is personal and commercial at the same time (email me at brandsundae@gmail.com if you would like to explore further!)