As a scholar of sociology I was inspired by the science of collective behaviour; as a retail brand manager I was on a continuous spiral of "supply and demand" decoding fashion and lifestyle trends to the avail of the "target audience" and the quest to drive fast-paced profit margins.
Editorship of an international fashion title meant living the zeitgeist around the clock to stay abreast of the ever-increasing trend spewing machine as we entered the era of multi-platform and immersive content management. It was during this time that I found myself in the company of yet another "what-the-future-holds" read (Next Now: Trends for the Future by Marian Saltzman & Ira Matathia) and experienced a personal tipping point moment in the following observation:
"We are living in a high-speed, fast download global village where far is near, and near is far. This accelerated, borderless, wireless world is evolving so fast, over such a broad front, that we're left feeling anxious and time-squeezed. And it's not just because of new technology and economic upheavals, it's also that our sense of identity is shifting. As change builds and amplifies, the direction of change becomes more unpredictable."
Fast forward to 2015: the launch of my own business venture; a year of insightful discovery and teachings, and the year I embraced a business premise of risk-taking, preservation through innovation and tapping into a non trend-driven mindset, opting to practise a value-based business driven by the collateral of harnessing the spirit and essence of possibility and authenticity.
I have no crystal ball prediction for 2016 except the compass of living the now and the continued evolution of an entrepreneurial spirit in the company of the like-minded.
My value companions: