Advice From Leading Industry Experts

Advice to Young Professionals Entering FMCG 1- Master the Basics Relentlessly Learn the fundamentals of sales, distribution, merchandising, and supply chain. No digital tool or AI model can replace deep understanding of how products move from factory to shelf and into the hands of consumers. 2- Respect Execution, It’s Everything Strategy matters, but in FMCG, execution wins. A brilliant plan that’s poorly executed is worthless; a simple plan executed flawlessly changes the game. 3- Stay Close to the Market Spend time in stores, with distributors, and talking to shoppers. The best insights don’t come from PowerPoint slides, they come from the shop floor which we name first moment of truth (FMOT) and real consumer behavior. 4- Numbers Don’t Lie, but They Don’t Tell the Whole Story Data is powerful, but context matters. Learn to balance analytics with intuition, and always ask the why behind the numbers. 5- Relationships Build Careers Whether with customers, distributors, or colleagues, your network is your long-term asset. Treat people with respect, even in tough negotiations. You will cross paths again. 6- Adapt or Become Obsolete FMCG evolves faster than almost any other industry. New channels, consumer behaviors, and technologies will constantly disrupt your playbook. Keep learning, unlearning, and relearning. 7- Never Underestimate Resilience This is a business of daily battles, lost sales, empty shelves, cash flow squeezes. Success comes to those who bounce back quickly and keep moving forward. 8- Think Long-Term, Act Short-Term Always deliver today’s numbers, but keep an eye on tomorrow’s opportunities. Balance urgency with vision. 9- Integrity is Non-Negotiable In FMCG, trust is currency. One broken promise or unethical shortcut can undo decades of reputation. 10- Love the Business If you don’t genuinely enjoy the energy, speed, and constant challenge of FMCG, it will drain you. But if you embrace it, it’s one of the most rewarding careers you can have.

I asked 5 brand-side leaders for their most underrated agency selection advice. Not one mentioned case studies or credentials. Instead, here's what actually predicts success: Reference checks you do yourself - Ankit Patel from U BEAUTY doesn't trust agency-provided references. He tracks down actual brand contacts through LinkedIn to get unfiltered feedback. Technical integration over portfolio size - Ben Galvin from Monster Energy learned that an agency's ability to plug into your existing Power BI setup matters more than their client roster. Culture fit with your actual team - Ash McMullen from Advantice Health has seen too many "greatest pitch ever by a team you'll never see again" scenarios. Right-size attention for your business - Darren Silverman from Petmate got burned by prestigious agencies where his mid-size brand became an afterthought. Skip the generic RFP entirely - Jyoti Malik from Belkin ditches standard capability questions for real business scenarios: "Have one or two priority challenges and see how each agency team would actually approach them." Full breakdown of what to actually ask during your next agency review 👇 OR tune into today's RETAIL MEDIA BREAKFAST CLUB episode in your favorite podcast app.

Once per year, I reach out to my network of analysts and data experts with one question: What is the best advice you received that changed your career? I received many wonderful responses. Some of these are personal stories, others are quick dos and don’ts. Here are just a few gems: 🔹 “Work in the open" - publish blog posts, get involved in open source, share discoveries broadly. Don't confine your impact to the boundaries of the company you work at! - from Maxime Beauchemin, CEO & Founder at Preset. 🔹 “Your work only matters if it changes decisions. If you’ve done the perfect analysis or beautiful dashboard but no one is doing anything differently because of it, you might as well just played hooky - from Barry McCardel, Co-Founder & CEO at Hex. 🔹 “Don’t just take the job that seems right today. Take the job that will set you up for where you want to go next.” - from June Dershewitz, Data leader at Amazon. 🔹 ”The people we are advising are often paid to make decisions under uncertainty. They need to make a decision and will do it with or without us. A "correct" analysis that misses the deadline will have zero influence on the decision. So one of the most important things to learn on the job is figuring out when to trade rigor for speed, and when to insist that rigor cannot be sacrificed for speed.” - from Randy Au, Quantitative UX Researcher at Google. 🔹 “The biggest limiter of success is often yourself. It’s easy to give in to the fear of failure, the fear of looking bad, or the fear of saying something stupid. My advice: care less about how you're perceived. Instead, care deeply about the outcome.” - from Francois Ajenstat, Chief Product Officer at Amplitude. Read more amazing advice and touching stories, I wish I had read a few years ago - https://lnkd.in/g44JjWDp Thank you to everyone who shared their learnings ⭐ ❤️ I hope these stories inspire you to grow and get better at what really matters.

Last week, we had the privilege of listening to Abhijit Bhaduri, who shared his unique insights based on his latest book, "Careers 3.0". The discussion was truly eye-opening, leading to a thought-provoking conversation about the evolution of careers with a colleague. This conversation reminded me of a chat with a dear friend, where we reflected on how today's careers increasingly require an approach akin to "Zero to One." A few years back, as a strategy student, I delved into Peter Thiel's "Zero to One". Though it's a book primarily about startups, its insights are surprisingly relevant to individual career paths. Last evening, revisiting this book, I realized the need to share some key learnings that can significantly influence our professional journeys: 1️⃣ Innovation and Creating Your Path: The concept of going from 'zero to one' urges us to forge unique career paths. Innovate in your role, pioneer new skills, or solve problems creatively to stand out. 2️⃣ Seeking a 'Monopoly' in Skills: Just as startups strive for a market monopoly, professionals should aim to excel in a niche skill area. Becoming a sought-after expert in a specific domain can catapult your career. 3️⃣ Pursuing Undiscovered Paths: Pursuing 'secrets' translates to exploring new territories in your career. Embrace less-known domains or develop rare expertise for unique opportunities. 4️⃣ Vision and Leadership: A clear career vision and decisive leadership can dramatically impact your professional journey. Set long-term goals and take calculated risks to achieve them. 5️⃣ Personal Branding: In the job market, effectively 'selling' your skills and achievements is vital. Cultivate your personal brand and network to advance in your career. 6️⃣ Embracing Tech: Keeping up with tech advancements and integrating them into your skill set is crucial. 7️⃣ Start Small, Think Big: Begin your career in a niche role or industry and gradually expand your scope. Mastering a smaller domain first can set the stage for broader career opportunities. 8️⃣ Last Mover Advantage: Building a sustainable and evolving skill set can ensure long-term career relevance and success. Have a 'last mover advantage'. 9️⃣ Risk-Taking and Failure: Embrace taking risks and learning from failures. Apply this in your career by taking calculated risks like switching industries or starting new ventures. Incorporating these insights from "Zero to One" into our career strategy can foster an entrepreneurial mindset vital for navigating the dynamic landscape of Careers 3.0. As we progress, let's remember to innovate, specialize, and adapt continuously. How do you apply these principles in your career, or how do you plan to integrate them into your professional journey? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Stay innovative and curious! #zerotoone #careers3.0 #adaptability #resilience

Career advice that will never get old: Always invest in your mindset, skills, network. No company, layoff, or bad manager can take these away from you. A great company and manager will even invest in these opportunities WITH you. Here are my tips from earning 15+ certifications and attending several conferences: — Dr. Michael Gervais’ High Performance Mindset course helps you identify your North Star (one of the most defining experiences for me) — Beginner / technical certifications help you pivot into another field or industry (ex: Microsoft Fundamentals) — Practical certifications like Prosci Change Management and INSEAD Negotiations are also useful across roles and industries — Conferences are great for getting out of your bubble and meeting people in your dream company or other industries and regions (ex: Microsoft Ignite, Ragan Conference for comms & marketing) All of these take a lot of time, so start planning for next year now: 1/ Identify one new skill you want to gain or develop further 2/ Research programs, certifications, and conferences you can take 3/ Ask your manager for professional development budget (or alternatives) Start these conversations now. Follow up monthly. Don’t be complacent. Happy Friday 🌞 What’s one skill, course, or conference that you’d recommend to others?

5 Go-to-Market tips from industry heavyweights John Chambers, Joe Sexton, Jay Persaud, and John Street. I am grateful that they joined our 2024 The Montgomery Summit and were willing to share a few secrets from their #GTM Playbooks. Key takeaways:   1. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 "𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐰" – if the urgency isn't there, neither is the sale. 2. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥 – leverage strategic partnerships to propel your growth 3. 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 – activating a salesforce requires more than just quota management 4. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 – develop multiple relationships to ensure a deal progresses (e.g., CIO and CFO orgs) 5. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 – emerging AI solutions can assist with lead generation, pipeline management, and filling out customer questionnaires   GTM success requires solving a customer’s immediate pain point, as well as enabling a champion to establish a business case and win over their organization. Remember this, whether you're an individual sales rep or leading an entire company.   Read more in our post with Steve H.. I also highly recommend watching the full 45 minute session on YouTube (link the comments).

7 habits that determine whether you’ll thrive or struggle in your career In my 3 years of career consulting, I've spoken to over 10,000 professionals from different industries. I always try to learn something from each, especially the ones who've been able to achieve monumental success in terms of position, salary, autonomy and flexibility of work. Here are the most common advice I get from the top 1% in the career space: 1. Treat your career like a business You are the product. Your skills are the value. Branding is how you show up online and in rooms. Marketing is how you apply. Sales is how you pitch in interviews. If you neglect one department, the whole business suffers. 2. Stay teachable No matter how far you go, someone else knows something you don’t. Learn from peers, juniors, mentors, coaches—everyone has something to teach you if you’re listening. 3. Keep improving Don’t rely on your last win. Your industry is evolving—are you? 4. Take calculated risks Most career breakthroughs don’t happen in your comfort zone. Say yes to that project. Apply to that job. Start that side thing. Try. 5. Brag smart Don’t assume your work will speak for itself. If no one knows what you’ve done, it’s as if it never happened. Talk about your wins—professionally, but confidently. 6. Prioritize yourself Loyalty is great—until it keeps you broke or stagnant. If your company isn’t investing in you, stop sacrificing for it. 7. Be consistent, not perfect Success isn’t about extremes—it’s about habits. You don’t need to be Ashton Hall. You just need to show up, grow steadily, and stay in the game. Success isn’t complicated—but it is intentional. What's the best career advice you've ever gotten? Tell us in the comments.