Outside the Comfort Zone: One Year in Japan

I moved to Japan one year ago and it’s hard to grasp how fast time goes by but also how much happens and how much you can learn in a year. It’s been a whirlwind on many different levels and I’ve tried to embrace the experience, push through the challenges, and along the way have discovered a lot about myself as a teammate and marketer.

I miss my family, friends, and colleagues. Working and living abroad can be isolating so it’s important to find ways to connect with my support system and the people that inspire me. It’s also important to build a support system in Japan and I’m grateful for the community here. It’s helped me to have a partner-in-crime. I was single when I lived in Japan before and having a spouse this time around (shout out Jay Blandford ) has shown me a completely different experience. Yes, there is a still an incredible amount of stress but having a teammate to go through the peaks and valleys with has been a beautiful thing.

Marketing is not one-size-fits-all around the world. What works in Asia or Europe could be completely ineffective in another country. I’m often asked, “why can’t we just make XYZ communication global”? It’s always important to objectively assess but cultural relevance plays a critical component in reaching consumers – especially today with how fragmented media and content have become. As Marketers it’s important to expand our mind, stay on top of consumer behavior trends, have plans that can adapt as that behavior changes, be open to learning about things outside of our current mental and physical borders, and most importantly share our learnings.

Work through the discomfort and misunderstandings. I’m not going to pretend – I’ve struggled a lot in the last year in trying to find my footing as a senior leader and how to adapt when the usual tools I’m used to aren’t effective due to cultural and language barriers (e.g. humor). I’m learning that it’s best to take on these barriers by listening, being vulnerable, and demonstrating humility instead of immediately defaulting to a Western approach or my perspective. It isn’t easy and sometimes I have to put my experience to the side to find common ground. It seems strange at first but often leads to a better way forward.

It all starts with inside. Things were very different in Japan when I left in 2019 and COVID and supply chain shortages had taken its toll on everyone. In order to achieve the next chapter of our brand and business growth, we need to rebuild the internal culture for our 100k+ employees which will continue to be a key focus area. This will include collaboration and creative problem solving from everyone as we all have a role in building the 日产 culture.

Don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Work can be stressful and everyday things can be difficult when living abroad. I love my job and enjoy living in Japan so sometimes must remind myself to step away from my laptop, go on a walk to see the sakura, and remember to have some fun along the way.