I’m not a boomerang, I’m a propellor

I recently rejoined VSA Partners. After almost 8 years with the firm, I left to pursue a new opportunity in 2021. And three years later I found myself in the job market again and, fortunately, a new opportunity at VSA presented itself.

People often refer to this as a “boomerang.” Technically, an actual boomerang returns to the same spot where it originated in exactly the same condition. The problem with this metaphor is that VSA is different. The role is different. And I am different.

I left VSA originally because I was presented an opportunity that excited me. It was a chance to apply over 30 years of agency experience as a CMO at a small SaaS company focused on environmental, sustainability, and health and safety reporting. It was tremendously fun and demanding. I was able to impact all aspects of the business: brand, product marketing, sales, culture, comms, investor relations. But the move to the client side was not without risk and I learned firsthand the painful reality of just how hard it is for a small business to cross the chasm of revenue growth that appeals to investors. Sometimes, no matter how great the story, the product, the leadership team, even the market size opportunity, if you can’t raise the funds to grow, you die.

Death does not become me, so I moved on from being a CMO into a job market that is fraught with ageism and fear of experience. With the help of my network, I carried on as a freelancer, and managed to stay active and productive. And all of this had made me surprisingly less cynical. Definitely wiser. Indubitably more motivated to work hard and make an impact.

Agencies have also changed. Technology and AI are commoditizing creativity and sacrificing human problem solving for efficiency. The maxim of “Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick Two” no longer exists. Clients want it all and that takes skill and experience to navigate. However, the budgets for experienced talent aren’t always aligned to the margins agencies need to be sustainable.

What intrigued me most about returning to VSA wasn’t a fancy title or senior leadership position, but a shift in the way they are addressing client needs and relationships. VSA is actually disrupting the model that agencies have traditionally employed by recognizing that the individual leading the client relationship isn’t defined by their title, e.g., “client service,” but rather by their contribution to the impact they have on strategic decision making. In my case, I am a strategy director, but also an “engagement lead.” No more middle-man between the people who are doing the heavy-lift thinking and delivering the work. This new model allows me to lead the client relationship and do what’s best for the client while managing the business. It’s more fluid, nimble, and efficient.

This brings me to the moral of my story: don't be a boomerang. Be a propeller. If a boomerang shows up exactly as it was, a propeller shows up ready to drive business results to whatever craft it's attached to. The danger of a boomerang employee is that career growth stagnates, and complacency grows. But, if you come in with a propeller mindset, you can find new career growth in old settings. Even in old oceans, there's always the chance to make waves.