An Englishwoman in Detroit: 10 things a Londoner learned in Michigan

I spent most of 2015 living and working in Michigan. My working week (plus all the late nights, early mornings and some weekends that come with working for a global agency) was spent in our office in Birmingham, MI, getting closer to our US clients, working with my team here and cultivating new opportunities for our core brand business as well as Tilt and Spark. But my weekends were spent exploring the state – and the city of Detroit, Michigan’s diamond in the rough.

When I made the decision to spend the year in the US, many people said to me, “Detroit? Really? You know it’s dangerous there don’t you?” Well if you know me, then you know I have a soft spot for cities with an edge. And if you’ve ever lived abroad, you’ll know too that the places we live shape and change us – for the better if we’re lucky.

Here are 10 things that have shaped me during my year in the sun (and heavy, heavy snow).

1. The weather is extreme

I’ll begin with that last point. Weather is the English preoccupation. But arriving in Michigan in January just as snow started to fall has given new meaning to the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. I waded to work on a couple of occasions through heavy snow and experienced -23 degrees Celsius for the first time – a temperature so cold that there was frost on the inside of our apartment window. Basements and the term “cabin fever” now make sense to me. And then came glorious summer – months of sunshine, trips “up north” and ice creams from Dairy Mat. I now also know what a tornado siren sounds like having listened to the drill every Saturday afternoon.

2. Michiganders love the “Great Outdoors”

No one does outdoors like a Michigander (or so it seemed to me!). I watched extreme runners in the snow, skiers flocking to local slopes and dogs going for walks on ice in their own shoes. At the first hint of spring, it feels like everyone is outside, shaking off cabin fever, and either playing or watching sport – golf, baseball, football, you name it. There are 11,000 lakes in Michigan (and easy access to the five Great Lakes), so plenty of opportunity to dip your toes in, swim or head out on a boat. There’s no obvious body-shaming here either. I wore my shorts without fear of reprieve all summer.

3. There’s more to Detroit than meets the eye

The city of Detroit came alive for me in some special places – and there’s much more to it than the “dereliction porn” that voyeuristic outsiders like to dwell on. Home was an apartment overlooking Woodward Avenue (AKA “Detroit’s Main Street”). I could drive on just one street through diverse neighbourhoods, 19 miles straight into the heart of the Motor City. Along the way, I could stop at the DIA (where I learned about Detroit industry from Diego Rivera’s murals), Comerica Park, home to the Detroit Tigers (where I watched my first ball game and truly learned to people watch), and the historic Fox Theatre where I learned about Detroit’s own brand of innovation and passion at TEDx Detroit, and end my journey in Campus Martius Park for live music, seasonal events and some excellent eateries and shops.

4. Michigan has a rich history

Drunk History (my favourite TV discovery) has taught me a thing or two about Detroit (and Michigan) too: that the Kellogg brothers played out their bitter battle over cornflakes in Battle Creek, that Houdini died in Detroit on Halloween in 1926 after receiving an unexpected punch that led to his fatal peritonitis, and that Rosa Parks (who spent the majority of her life residing in Detroit) was actually not the first to refuse to give up her seat on that famous bus ride – Claudette Colvin and others were arrested in Montgomery, AL, months before for the same defiant, world-changing act.

5. Regeneration and innovation is alive in Motown

In September, under the watchful, red-jeweled eyes of lion sconces in the rammed Fox Theatre, I heard ideas worth spreading at TEDxDetroit for my Frameworker Day. The passion of Detroiters is unrivalled – and though some of the insights of the event touched on regeneration, the main focus was on reviving the culture of innovation that made Detroit famous in the first place. Here are the messages I want to spread:

• On apps: “Don’t wait for perfection to launch” (Online art marketplace Kollecto)
• On failure: “Success has many failures – failure is an option” (Automotive firm Elio Motors)
• On being memorable in education: “Explode stuff” (Michigan Science Center)
• On fear and ignorance: “I love America – I just wish that she’d love me back” (Comedian Amer Zahr)
• On progress: “Privacy inhibits innovation” (Technologist Raj Paul)
• On self-esteem and life choices: “Live with your future self in mind” (Entrepreneur Rita Fields)
• On storytelling: “The rebirth of Detroit is one of the powerful stories now” (Filmmaker Stephen McGee)
• On disability discrimination in a first-world country: “The ADA [American Disabilities Act] is not enforceable in America” (Author Sharina Jones)
• On invention and youth: Student inventor, Alden Kane, has invented the first “wheelchair stroller [pushchair]” – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) solutions in school addressing real world problems (I made a jewellery box in my design and technology class at 16…)
• On the future of philanthropy: “My generation needs to be emotionally connected to the cause – and to know that our contribution will make a difference” (philanthropist Mallory Brown)
• On the importance of bats: “There will be no more margaritas without bats – they are the only pollinators of agave for tequila”
• On connectivity: There will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020 – and only 7 billion people
• On cars: There will be 125 million cars by 2025 (up from 70 million in 2010)

6. There’s always something to celebrate

I know it’s not just a US thing but Michiganders really know how to enjoy themselves. We tripped from the Super Bowl to Christmas, via Opening Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, 4 July, Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving – all accompanied by balloons, parades, flags, candy, costumes and fireworks. It made the dark months of winter fly by.

7. Midwest kindness is the real deal

My daughter received free ice cream, balloons, candy, toys (including a metre of toy ponies) and even money from kind-hearted strangers. My accent was commented on every week, which had the effect of making me feel special, even exotic (even though there are plenty of Brits there, politely acknowledging but rarely speaking to one another – just like home). It was still heartwarming to be welcomed to America by strangers 11 months after arriving. Even if they did think I was Australian.

8. Unkindness

There’s no escaping the fact that Detroit comes with a sense of guilt for those with any form of privilege and sense of social justice. I heard enough “get a job you lazy bum” comments (or far ruder) last year to make me feel ill. The cheek-by-jowl existence of rich and poor, white and black, haves and have-nots feels more pronounced in a major city with only 700,000 residents. But that doesn’t mean that we should all adopt a bunker mentality. That’s something I didn’t want to take home.

9. It’s rewarding to go beyond auto in the Motor City

The Frameworks is rare in Detroit for not working directly with the “Big Three” automotive companies – but it also makes us unique. I worked with some innovative startups, helping shape their futures in their industries with our brand expertise and years of big company, B2B insights. It’s exciting to be part of their growth – and I learned a lot along the way.

Firearm safety has long been a sensitive issue in the US – illustrated by President Obama’s emotional speech this week. We worked closely with an innovative Detroit-based gun safety startup last year to articulate its go-to-market messaging – a tough task in such a divisive and emotionally charged area.

Another client operates in automotive cyber security – which is not as niche an industry as you might expect. Several players large and small are emerging in this increasingly important space as the Internet of Things continues to bring once disconnected products and services online. Our task is to help this client stand out from the competition in this initial land grab and we’re watching CES 2016 carefully this week to see how it fares.

10. Brits can still get lost in translation

Finally, I couldn’t write this blog without giving a hint of how the two nations I love are separated by a common language – well-trodden ground of course, but the reality takes some getting used to. My husband used the word “rasher” in the grocery store (supermarket). He was looked at with suspicion. Never use “fortnight” or “queue” – you’ll be met with blank stares. “Cornhole” is a game, not an insult. And you don’t walk on the “pavement”, you drive on it. I learned to talk more slowly, smile and remember that I’m and Englishwoman in Detroit.

This week, I’m back in London, away from the Great Lakes and the Motor City. Last year went by in a flash. I own a pair of cowboy boots and have developed a permanent addiction to pancakes and Mountain Men. I stroked a black bear (while feeding it Fruit Loops), sang The Star Spangled Banner like a traitor, dressed my family up as Captain Americas (Captains America?) for Halloween, and drove 300 miles “up north” after work on a Friday night without batting an eyelid. And I know what “trolls” and “yoopers” are.

I may not be able to call it home again, but Detroit holds a little piece of my heart. And I will always have Michigan in my mitt.

This post was originally published by The Frameworks. https://thef.net/DetroitLondoner

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