My Story
I have always been passionate about the environment. And I don't speak of scenic landscapes and my personal pleasure, though that too I indulge in. I speak of a deep-rooted yearning for the survival of our ecosystems, for sustainability. Whether we like it or not, whether we perceive it or not, we all depend on it. It is my vocation, and inevitably inspired every decision I have made in my career to date.
Where I come from.
My academic background lies in balancing the societal, environmental and economical demands on coastal zones. In short, I studied with fish. In its core, my degree concerned itself with designing ways to communicate, ideate and build projects across diverse cultural and disciplinary boundaries. It taught me that no matter how brilliant the idea, if you cannot break the silos that isolate the stakeholders at the table, your endeavour is doomed to fail.
(I also hold a Masters in Advocacy and Policy in Geneva, but it's not nearly as entertaining a story.)
So, you finish your studies, and you wonder how to best deploy your newfound skills for good. Problem is, and I still haven't recovered from the shock of this realisation: the more I learnt about the driving forces shaping our future, the less faith I had that the day-to-day deeds of day-to-day people (like me, so humble) are the answer. Wars are raging, economies rise and collapse, family members fall ill. In short: most people are really busy. Too busy to realise and seize the power their individual actions hold. Even Greta Thunberg was surprised by what she would unleash when she decided to strike alone in front of parliament in August of 2018. So go figure.
How I chose my path.
What now? Focus on research? There is already plenty, the problem is actioning its findings. Become a politician? Those endless hearings...gasp. Or enter the NGO space? I could weave clever prose all day long as to why that was not a strategically sound plan, but in truth: I was too much of a chicken (and that having studied with fish), the task at hand was too grand, too frightening.
And so I directed my focus at the private sector, and on advocacy within it to unleash its vast potential to better the world. Its products and services touch, in one way or another, every single person on the planet. It has the reach and funding to drive real change, and is the connecting link between People, Planet and Profit around which policies and societies are shaped. It's been a wonderful teacher over the past 5 years. You know what it is often missing? Purpose. Deliciously, purpose is starting to become valuable, as divestment surges and people start, slowly but surely, voting with their wallets. Purpose, is becoming a goal companies strive for.
My skill lies in forging ties between unlikely allies. To shape reputation through the power of communication. To craft partnerships that can move mountains. To make purpose.
How I go about all this purpose making.
In 2021, I launched two businesses that would allow me to advocate for (and monetise) two of my most fundamental believes:
If we don’t break the communications divide, we will never achieve the level of cross-sector collaboration we need to balance people, planet, profit and purpose.
Companies have power, but need their employees and their ideals and moral to steer them. Employees need to raise their voices and find their seat at the decision-making table.
Zamzow Consulting focuses on the former. We deal in strategic communications and reputation management, ranging anywhere from repositioning companies in the public eye to helping private individuals launch their coaching practice. To my mind, managing one's organisational brand reputation actively is critical beyond just summoning shareholder and consumer goodwill. It is that which signals commonality to others, invites followership and allows for handshakes with unlikely allies. Rooted in an authentic and relevant ESG profile, an organisation's brand reputation quickly becomes the great opener of doors.
And then we have HIGHER! Career Services focusing on the latter. I must admit, this one came as a surprise. What started as a podcast to help employees and job-seekers everywhere regain agency and control over their careers has slowly morphed into career coaching. I realised that my years in a Fortune 100 matrix-organisation, the occasional attempts to escape it, the successes in being promoted within it, my eventual departure and the 40+ expert interviews I conducted have left me with a fairly sage blueprint on how to navigate the trials and tribulations of career development in the digital age. It’s about freedom to choose, people.
In all my ventures, one thing has become glaringly clear: fixing our societal and environmental challenges on a global requires everyone to bring their voice to the table. Irrespective of political affiliation, faith, industry or sector.
I am an advocate. I am a leader. I am a motivator. I am a communicator. I am a silo breaker.
Let's go get it!
Tom