Every new year, I pick a word, a mantra, or an intentional purpose for that upcoming year. I share it with my team and use it to unite them toward a common goal quarter after quarter.
Elevation, I can proudly say, was woven into daily conversations at Noble West throughout 2023. With the rebrand rollout last spring, we looked to elevate our day-to-day. More than just a name change, our new Noble West identity was a leveling-up challenge that provided context for client strategies, shifted team constructs, and altered my approach to business.
This year’s mantra? Conviction. As time has proven, it takes conviction to set big goals, navigate economic shifts and weather election years. I know we will do it, but alas, it’s going to take some conviction inspired guts. However, that said, I can’t think of anything scarier than not setting big goals.
Speaking of roller coaster years, I’ve reflected on the 2008 Recession year lately. At that time I was one year into owning my business and the marketing industry dried up overnight— events stopped and marketing changed forever. Companies could leave no trace of spending money. By 2009, digital marketing was the new way, and everything followed suit with burgeoning social media access, internet 2.0 emerging, a food renaissance taking place and marketers retreated to a more simplified and focused approach. Audiences maintained their hunger for quality content and seemingly overnight were offered newer, faster, more robust tech-driven methods to receive information. Brands were forced into leaner and savvier strategies— no longer able (nor satisfied) with taking a generalist approach. New categories emerged and front-runners began to change despite the economic hardship it might cause (think Amazon, Google and Facebook). Methods of connection between people and places, whether physical or digital, found an all-time high.
I’m taking these hard-earned lessons from the 2008 Recession into 2024 with me – and truthfully I’m excited to learn what the next downturn will present. Obviously, AI is at the top of the list, and likely another wave in food innovation. And with this, please let me present My Top 8 List!
Leading with conviction to prioritize the team through proven business practices (oh and profitability KPIs)
Fine-tuning our team-first and bespoke Noble West HIBRD platform
Launching a new ingredient brand at Expo West
Building and launching a global regenerative almond brand
Executing international business with our Worldwide Partner agencies
Developing data-driven knowledge about regenerative consumer insights
Exploring how AI will impact ag technology
Experiencing the type of food movement that could emerge with the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.
What’s on the cutting room floor for Noble West? Not much. What’s ahead? Feels like everything. I look forward to all that is to come with our team, our client-partners, our industry colleagues! Let’s convict together! With continued prayers and wishes for world peace, let’s go get it 2024!
P.S. If you are headed to the 2024 Winter Fancy Foods Show in Las Vegas, the California League of Processors or Natural Products Expo West in Q1, please let me know!
