Brigette Wolf does not know this, but I wanted to meet her for years before I actually did.
Brigette was the Global Head of SnackFutures for Mondelēz International, which meant that she was leading teams of people who I was convinced would really benefit from the kind of work Brand Now does. I connected with her on LinkedIn. Liked all of her posts. Tried to figure out how to get an introduction to her.
And, thanks to Katrina Borisjuk, I did.
As luck would have it, my first meeting with her was not a Zoom call or capabilities presentation—but dinner. I was thrilled. Almost too thrilled. But then I switched into my special mode of networking and thought, "I'm not going to sell to her. I'm just going to have dinner with her and get to know her."
This plan went right out the window when, within the first 5 minutes of being seated, fresh cocktails in hand, she said, "Tell me about Brand Now."
For the first time in as long as I can remember, I stumbled and staggered, trying to find the right words that would make me and my business sound as smart as I believe we are. In all of that time of wanting to pitch her my business, when the time came, I was fretfully unprepared.
Whether or not she noticed, she was gracious and our conversation then continued to other topics.
More than a year has passed since that first dinner, and in that time, Brigette and I have walked the aisles together at Expo West; have had regular "walk & talk" virtual chats where we catch up on work, life, and her favorite book series (which I am still catching up on); and, just this past week, took advantage of her quick trip to NYC and 6 miles together along my favorite river path.
We talked about things that colleagues talk about: innovation, events, conferences, leadership. And we also opened up about our lives, our kids, our relationships—and the celebrations and challenges that come with them.
It's in those expressions of vulnerability where I believe true strength comes from, and what I respect most about leaders like Brigette.
Will she ever enlist Brand Now for work? Honestly, it no longer matters to me. The real relationship we've formed and the true connection we've made is far more valuable than any project could ever be.
#leadership #connection #innovation #vulnerability
Brand, Marketing, Communication and Strategic Partnerships
4moWelcome Trix van der Vleuten