Scott Monty

Introducing Brain+Trust Partners

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Today marks the beginning of something that's been nearly six years in the making. Before I get to the announcement, I need to share a story with you to help frame the opportunity.<br />
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On December 8, 2010, I was out with <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbarger" target="_blank">Christopher Barger</a></b>, my then counterpart at General Motors (I was at Ford). We were having a friendly drink when I proposed an idea to him.<br />
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"What if," I began, "we decided to leave our corporate jobs and start a group of former brand executives?"<br />
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He seemed a little skeptical at first, but as I started listing colleagues and the wide variety of business functions and vertical markets they represented, Christopher got more excited. I jotted down some names on an index card, dated it and invited him to sign it with me. I still have that card.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[The names spanned the front and back of the card, and I redacted some, as they haven't been party to this conversation, and spliced the front and back images together.]</span></span></td></tr>
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Well, the arrangement never got off the ground, for a variety of reasons. We couldn't figure out the structure, the world didn't need another digital agency, the major players were never available at the same time, no one had the entrepreneurial bug...<br />
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And this summer, all of that changed.<br />
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</b><b>A Meeting of the Minds</b></h3>
Christopher and I were still in touch and collaborating on a few consulting projects when we got word that three other individuals in our network were also running their own solo consulting businesses. When I discovered that one of them was <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankeliason" target="_blank">Frank Eliason</a></b>, the renowned customer service and customer experience leader from Comcast and Citi, my excitement grew; his is the other visible name on that index card from six years ago!<br />
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My former Zignal Labs client <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saddleup" target="_blank">Tim Hayden</a></b> was one of those individuals. Knowing that he has 20 years of experience leading high growth technology firms, marketing agencies and business strategies, including at Edelman Digital and for many Fortune 50 brands, I was sold. And the other name was <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusnelson" target="_blank">Angus Nelson</a></b>, whom I knew as a key member of the <a href="http://crowdcompanies.com/" target="_blank">Crowd Companies</a> team when I represented Ford on that council. His knowledge of the future of work and executive coaching is strong.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise, from top L - Tim Hayden, Frank Eliason, Angus Nelson, Christopher Barger.</span></i></div>
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The five of us assembled and quickly began to realize that we shared a similar philosophy of business: that the human touch and empathy are often missing, which in turn erodes trust; that customer-centricity tends to be a platitude; and that chasing the latest digital platform or craze isn't strategic at all.<br />
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Moreover, we are all futurists of some sort, we believe in what's possible, and we believe in using historic and time-honored lessons and behaviors to guide common-sense decisions. Our vision for the future of business goes beyond our desire for digital transformation, transparency, executive involvement and the need for trust in business — we also share a desire to see good done in the world and are very much committed to our families.<br />
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So we knew that if we came together, we'd form something meaningful to the marketplace as well as to each other.<br />
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<b>Introducing Brain+Trust</b></h3>
After much consternation, we landed on the name of <a href="http://braintrust.partners/" target="_blank"><b>Brain+Trust Partners</b></a> for our organization. It's a name traditionally given to an advisory group, plus it's a play on our thought leadership and the central tenet of trust.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>We're an executive consultancy that helps busy leaders manage an evolving marketplace with common sense and strategic guidance. Brain+Trust Partners counsels companies and organizations on:</i></span><br />
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<li>Strategic communications and marketing</li>
<li>Management consulting</li>
<li>Digital transformation</li>
<li>Innovation planning</li>
<li>Advanced technology strategy</li>
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Each of us individually has a great deal of experience with some of the world's biggest brands. But when combined, our skills are complementary, with only a small bit of overlap. We feel that this is one of our core strengths.</div>
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But that's not all. We're not done building, as the above will take more talent. We're assembling an advisory board of seasoned brand and entrepreneurial executives who can help guide us (more on that in the next couple of weeks). But here's the part I'm the most excited about...<br />
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<b>Brain+Trust Advisors Network</b></h3>
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The one challenge that kept us from doing something six years ago was the top-heavy structure. We couldn't figure out how to assemble a formidable team without bankrupting the system. We think we have the answer now.</div>
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In our inaugural blog post <a href="http://braintrust.partners/five-things-shaping-your-future/" target="_blank"><b>Five Things Shaping Your Future</b></a>, we highlight people as one of those things. More specifically, the gig economy and how the combination of advanced technology and desire more more flexibility has led to a freelancer culture (or a 1099 culture, for you tax fiends). </div>
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We simply applied that thinking to our own business model and developed <b><a href="http://braintrust.partners/network" target="_blank">Brain+Trust Advisors</a></b>, a network made up of executives with significant brand experience, who can join us for project based work on an <i>ad hoc</i> basis. Our Brain+Trust Advisors will range from strategists to project leads who'll be working directly with our clients as advisor-representatives of Brain+Trust Partners, alongside our partners. </div>
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Our goal is to fill out business functions and industry verticals so we can offer the best advice, counsel and execution for our clients. If you've worked for a Fortune 500 brand and would like to join the network, just head over to <a href="http://braintrust.partners/network">braintrust.partners/network</a> and submit your information.</div>
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So there you have it. <b>Brain+Trust Partners</b> is here, after only six years of waiting. Sometimes we're not ready for the future. Until we are.</div>
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If you'd like to get in touch to discuss an opportunity, or if you have a question, please feel free to <a href="mailto:scott@braintrust.partners" target="_blank">get in touch</a>.<br />
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Introducing Brain+Trust Partners

Today marks the beginning of something that's been nearly six years in the making. Before I get to the announcement, I need to s...

Next Steps

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You know how you get excited when you're working on that <i>thing</i>? That thing that has kept you up late and has required more intellectual capacity and stamina than you thought you had. That thing that has both panicked and thrilled you because you're taking a risk and answering a need.<br />
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But you don't mind, because it's a passion project and the hours while away quicker than you realize. You soldier on, determined to make it work because you believe in the idea and know that the market will respond positively. In other words, this is one aspect life as an entrepreneur. As I've established Scott Monty Strategies over the last year and a half, this has been my experience, and the feelings are repeated as the journey continues, even in a slightly different direction.<br />
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As part of that, I wanted to fill you in on a little secret.<br />
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Together with a handful of colleagues, I've been working on something — an idea I've had for a while but hadn't been able to bring to life because of timing and logistics. And frankly, because it was something beyond my own capabilities. As the entrepreneur and CEO Margaret Heffernan said, "For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate." And it's hard to do that by yourself.<br />
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I know I'm being a little evasive, but that will end soon. Next week, I'll be sharing the news of this new venture publicly.<br />
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Stay tuned here (and on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/scottmonty" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>) and the usual places.<br />
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Next Steps

You know how you get excited when you're working on that thing ? That thing that has kept you up late and has required more intellect...

Blocking Ad Blockers

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We know ad blocking as been growing in use. One study shows the use of ad blocking technology is up by 41 percent year over year. In a world where no one — no one — says "I love advertising!" (outside of advertising and marketing people), it's not all that surprising.<br />
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In a world where 60% of television viewing is done on a time-shifted basis, the DVR has brought control back to consumers. Consumers who used to simply ignore television commercials by channel surfing, wandering to the kitchen for a snack, or heading to the restroom.<br />
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On mobile devices in particular, we've seen ad blocking increase due in large part to the data-heavy advertising technology that overburdens data plans. When a simple website either takes too long to load or eats up an inordinate amount of data in that time period, it's an issue. And given the choice, humans will find a way around it.<br />
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So, what have advertisers done? They've developed ad blocker <b>blockers</b>. That's right, rather than address the underlying issues that consumers seem to be annoyed with, the advertisers flip a digital middle finger to them and require users to turn off their ad blockers to see content. And it's not as if these advertisers or publishers can't be creative; oh, no. Quite the contrary.<br />
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They've actually developed creative ways to get around the ad blockers. Requiring visitors to answer a survey. Warning users that they have 30 days to view the site with ad blockers turned on before they'd be denied access. And even blocking out certain critical words in articles, to render the articles meaningless with ad blockers turned on.<br />
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Pardon my impatience, but if you can put that much effort into blocking ad blockers, why on <b><i>earth</i> </b>can't you put more effort into less intrusive, data-sipping, creative and enjoyable ads?<br />
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Because here's the thing: the International Advertising Bureau  did a recent survey of 1,500 consumers. They found the top three things that annoyed them: <br />
<ol>
<li>Advertisements that delay or obscure access to content </li>
<li>Long-video ads that run before short videos are played. </li>
<li>Ads that traveled with visitors as they scrolled down the page. </li>
</ol>
Those are the top three. The IAB found that nearly two-thirds of them <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/iab-thirds-ad-blockers-open-turning/305173/" target="_blank">would be more likely to turn off ad blockers if publishers adopted the IAB's LEAN principles</a> for ads — it stands for Light, Encrypted, Ad choice supported and Non-invasive.<br />
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That's not really too much to ask now, is it? <br />
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I can't hear you. I'm blocking my ears.<br />
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<b><i>If you liked this commentary, you can listen to it in my podcast <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/show" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a>. Subscribe <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/subscribe" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via email</a> or on <a href="http://smonty.co/fullmontyitunes" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?t=The_Full_Monty&utm_content=buffer2143a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&u=0&view=/ps/Iy3ehvkts2zousixune2kwgmhl4" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=96004&refid=stpr" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Stitcher</a>, <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-full-monty_1" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">Spreaker</a> or <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow" style="color: #280170; text-decoration: none;">SoundCloud</a>.</i></b></h4>
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Blocking Ad Blockers

We know ad blocking as been growing in use. One study shows the use of ad blocking technology is up by 41 percent year over year. In a wo...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

Introducing Brain+Trust Partners

Next Steps

Blocking Ad Blockers

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