Latest / The Marketing Brief / Social Fabric Sessions: E11 Jordan Berg
Transcript
- Brian: Hello and welcome back to the Marketing Brief Podcast. I am your host, Brian Aquan, and this is the podcast where we talk about marketing, because that's basically what I do all day. this is also a special subset of the Marketing Brief podcast called the Social Fabric Sessions, where we bring in a member of the Social Fabric and we better know them. So today we're really excited to be joined by Jordan Berg, all the way from San Francisco. Jordan, welcome to the podcast. JB: Thanks for having me, Brian. Brian: So excited to have you. I've been doing this thing where I have the guests introduce themselves without saying what they do. Is that a good challenge for you? How? JB: Sure. Brian: Yeah, JB: I will try my best, said Brian: yeah, can't be wrong. JB: Right. Brian: Yeah. JB: so I can't say what I do. Jordan Berg. live in San Francisco, actually Marin County. been out here for 30 years, grew up in the Northeast, New Jersey, Brian: wow. JB: to be exact. I've got two college-age boys, so we are empty nesters. And yeah, and I just got back from the US Open, where I was celebrating Brian: Yeah. that must have been such a good JB: celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary. Brian: congratulations. JB: Thank you. Yeah. Long time. Brian: So you gave me two dat you gave me twenty five years you've been married and thirty years you've been in San Francisco. So obviously obviously you got out there. JB: yeah, absolutely. Yes. I still consider myself a like a New Jersey New Yorker, but yeah, it's hard to let that go. Brian: Yeah. I'm sure when you were in New York you slipped right back into it. JB: A hundred percent. Yeah, the food Brian: Yeah. JB: the food is what I missed most. Brian: and you have great food in San Francisco, but New York is unlike any other city. JB: Yeah, we we ate I think nothing but bagels and pizza for the last four days. It was crazy. Yes, Brian: Just put Philip on the New York carbs. JB: exactly. Brian: That's amazing. Well, you are a member of the social fabric. maybe we'll start there. I know you you I think you came in through AJ, but probably know Corey as well. JB: Yep, I know both I've known them for almost twenty years. Brian: Awesome. Then I'm sure they came knocking on your door and asked you to join. But what is it about the social fabric that, you know, like what what do you think you're gonna get out of it? What do you think you can bring to it? Why would you join an organization like the social social fabric? JB: You know, I've known Corey and AJ for a long time, and I feel over the last twenty years, they've been able to introduce me to kind of new perspectives and new ways of thinking through their network. So Brian: Mm-hmm. JB: you meet new people, and you kind of understand I think the world of advertising a little bit better. and so I thought, yeah, when AJ called me up and said, you know, do you want to be a part of this and and really participate? I was like, I'm all in. Because I think after COVID, you know, c in-person get-togethers were really hard. And so you became insular. And and hence I think your exposure to new ideas was relegated to, you know, what was online. And nothing takes the place, I think, of in-person dialogue and collaboration and conversation. And so I kind of jumped at the chance when they put this together. Brian: Yeah. And that's something I've been exploring on this podcast. I mean, I think we're still trying to figure out exactly what COVID did to us. but certainly that was one of the things is that we all shrunk our circles, right? And and we did that for health reasons and to protect ourselves and protect our families. But then that carries over to you know, how you interact with people, how do you get out there and actually talk to people, and we're just way out of practice. at it. I I know I am. When I go out, I'm like, I've got to relearn how to be around people in public again. So JB: Yeah. Brian: this is certainly a a way that we can do that. JB: A hundred percent. It's hard to build really thoughtful, meaningful relationships after COVID. and I think that's what I crave most because you know, surface level Zoom meetings are good, but I don't think you learn quite the way we did pre COVID when we would sit down with somebody at a conference for hours at a time and shoot the shit. That is I think invaluable. So something like this I think is incredibly interesting and it's like in this experiment of Of building out a network of people, of like-minded people, and creating like these meetups and environments where you can have those conversations again. Yeah, I don't know what's going to come out of it, but my hope is that you'll you'll gain new friendships, but also you'll create a whole new perspective on on marketing. because it's moving really fast these days and it's hard to keep up. Brian: Yeah, that is for sure. And that's one of the reasons I love having this this forum to kind of talk to people. And you brought it up like the new perspectives, new ways of thinking. And that's a really great thing to try and bring to the social fabric, but also to expect to get back from. there are different opinions. There are different experiences that people have had. And how do I tap into those? Meeting up with people has always been the best way, right? Like you said, a Zoom meeting is kind of scripted. You kind of know what you're gonna get out of it. You're all you're everyone's waiting to get off the phone to get off of the call. But JB: Yeah. Brian: when you're with people, things just come up, right? Things like it's way more natural to interact with people in hu i in real life. JB: Yeah, I think you can dig deeper into topics and conversations a lot better. And it's not that people don't want to. It's just too easy to go back to whatever you were doing when you hit the leave button on Zoom. Right. And you I think that's the I don't fault people for it. but I almost feel like I had to not force myself, but it I I recognize that there was a deficiency, right, in my everyday life, sitting in an office, right, talking to people through Zoom, like I've just not getting the depth that I needed. So I feel like you know, and not just the social fabric, but but anytime you can get out at conferences or meetups, I think it's super invaluable and people should jump with the chance. Brian: Yeah. What are some of the communities you're part of in Marin County that like might be might be ancillary to to kind of what you do at Questus, but like what are the communities that that you and your family are involved in? Pickleball. JB: It's funny. Pickleball. It's funny. Yeah, I never thought it would be a community, but yeah, I play pickleball probably four or five days a week at a at a community court. And over the past three years, like my circle of friends has grown by six X. I mean you're you're spending two hours a day with these people on the court. people you've never met and now you know everything about them. So yeah, I think I just feel like any sort of sport like that is great. I mean some people go and play golf at country clubs Brian: Mm-hmm. JB: or whatnot. I don't think it matters, but at the end of the day, we're all people. we all have interesting backgrounds. you know COVID made COVID made it really easy to just shut that off. But I think you you lose something when you do that. I think you you've got to force yourself Brian: Yeah, I I definitely do too. you have college age kids, correct? Yeah. So I have JB: Yeah. Yeah. Brian: a I have a young, I have a six year old. So like that's another way that I'm almost force communities with like other parents, which is really interesting. Like you meet people that have jobs that you didn't even know existed all the time. JB: Yeah, and they will be your friends fr like be once your kids even go off to college, like they will be your closest friends. So I mean at least that that's been my experience. but at the same time, it's like, okay, how else can you expand it? And look, as we get older, we want less friends. I don't know about you, but right, you Brian: Yeah. Yeah. JB: just you you need less friends. but I don't think that helps you. So I think you gotta basically break out of that. and it might be uncomfortable, but I've there was a psychologist who said like, if you meet somebody, I think five times, it takes five times to form a relationship. and so in many ways, the best people who network force all those meetings or get-togethers or coffees or pickleball right matches. They force them because it does, it takes that till that fifth time to finally consider them a friend and you let down your guard, and all of a sudden you can talk a little more freely and honestly. Brian: Yeah. that's really interesting. Yeah. And it would make sense that it's the networking people who who get there quickest. JB: Yep. Yep. Exactly. Yeah. Brian: Well, we've been exploring this idea of relationship sh shaping opportunity. Do you feel like that's a statement that you resonate with that the relationships you've formed in over your career have helped shape the opportunities that you've had? JB: Yeah, not just the opportunities that I've had, but the opportunities I've been able to give other people. People want to work with other people they like. And I try to you try to tell this to your kids. They're like, no, no, no, no, I need to be the smartest or I need to have the best grades or the best job. I'm like, that's gonna be less important the older you get. Like, yes, you have to be competent, but people want to work with people that they like. And You form relationships with people, they get to know who you are, and vice versa. and then those opportunities come up through those those friends. And you know, I think there's been one account we've won at Questus that was all done over the phone. And I remember saying to my business partner, Jeff, this will never happen again. This is a Brian: Right. JB: one in a million shot. We just happened to call at the right time and they had a great need and we put on a great pitch and that was it. But everything else has basically come through our network. Brian: Yeah. Come through a network and and take in a number of meetings in in person to kind of close. JB: in person, on Zoom, and and and pushing for the meetings also. Like we go out of our way to try to get in front of our our network all the time. You know, even if we don't have a reason to be in the city. It's just it's if it's a quick flight, it's worthwhile to go and have lunch. You know, and this is where that the that whole adage like you have to force those five meetings. People it's not that people don't want to see you. They just they're so in their COVID lives that they're like, I I don't really I don't have time for lunch or whatever. And that's where you kind of have to be a little not pushy, but like, you know, I think fun about it, right? And get those five meetings, because that sixth meeting is when everything changes. And and they they'll thank you for it at the end for. basically pushing right to get them out of their shell. Get, you know, and it and it gets me out of my shell. and at the end of the day, usually one of us is benefiting immediately from from the connection. and I I you know that I love. And and honestly I'm not as good as it at it as Corey and AJ, but you know I I realize how important that is and and what great work they do with this whole social network Network. Brian: Yeah. And you said at least one of you is benefiting immediately, but I would say everyone's benefiting in the long term of just that human interaction. Yeah. JB: I mean, that's exactly right. Yeah. If I can help somebody, or th you know, they can help me, that's great. But don't do it just because I'm calling, do it because we've actually built a connection. that's I think that's the at the end of the day, what really matters. Brian: Nice. I've been asking people this question and having fun with it. when's the last time you danced? Do you remember the last time you danced? Is it at the US Open? JB: boy. it was not at the US Open. I don't know if you heard, they just banned all influencers from the US Open. So, well, there was lots of dancing and TikToks Brian: So no dancing influences. Yeah. JB: and all this sort of stuff right in the stands during the matches, and the the umps had to like stop the match and tell people to sit down. But anyway, Brian: My goodness. JB: I was just dancing at a bar mitzvah last weekend. Brian: Nice. JB: How's that? I mean, how do you say Brian: That's great. JB: no to a little Taylor Swift from the DJ and a bunch of teens? Yes, when your wife is dragging you on the dance floor. Yes. Yes. Brian: Good for you for following her out there. Smart man. JB: Exactly. Brian: Is there anybody that you would like to nominate either to join the social fabric or to come on and have a conversation with us if they're already part of it? Who are you kind of thinking about bringing into this into this community? JB: what a great question. You know, I think Do you want me to say name? Brian: You can. Yeah. Or we can or we can tag them what JB: When I when I when I say their when I say their their title, there's a CMO at a Brian: Okay. JB: a large bank who I've really grown to like as a friend and colleague over the last three years. And he's just a wonderful person. and I think he would really benefit from from I think he would love this. Not benefit. I just think he would thrive and love it. with the get-togethers and whatnot. I think he'd be fantastic. his name is Mike. Brian: Awesome. Awesome. Well well, maybe we'll tag him when we post this in a week or you can reach out and tell him that might be coming. JB: I think that's fair. But yep. Totally. Brian: So we don't don't totally trap him. JB: Yeah, exactly. Brian: Nice. thank you so much for for being a part of this conversation. it was really JB: Yeah. Brian: nice to to kind of better know you, Jordan, and and kind of what what you guys are building there at Questus. We're excited to have you as part of the social fabric for sure. JB: Yeah, I'm excited to see what AJ and Corey do with this thing. I think they are they're making all the right moves. They are relentless. and I love that about them. and they've already connected me with a larger network than I ever thought possible. Brian: That's awesome. Yeah. And it comes at a really good time, as we were kind of talking about. It's just this is what people, this you know, I I talk a lot about consumers and what they want right now and community is it's huge for them. But just as people, and we're all consumers as well, I think this is what people are craving. JB: 100%. 100%. And it it just benefits everybody who gets involved. So yes, if you're out there and you're thinking about joining, but you're like, I don't know, just say yes. Right? Life is about just saying yes. This is one of those times. Brian: Just say yes. Yeah, absolutely. Nice. Well, Sage advice. Thank you for being part of the Marketing Brief podcast and the social fabric sessions. it was great to have you as a guest, Jordan. JB: Yeah, thanks, Brian. Appreciate the time. Brian: Okay. And to all the listeners out there, stay curious and find your community.