ROUGH DIAMOND BOSTON, USA BOOK LAUNCH JAN 2018
HOW DID ROUGH DIAMOND COME ABOUT?
I LEFT OGILVY AFTER 17 YEARS AS FOUNDER OF THEIR LONDON DIGITAL INNOVATION LAB. I WAS OUT WITH NO PERSONAL BRAND OR BUSINESS CARD.
I WENT TO AN INVITATION-ONLY EVENT, SUMMIT AT SEA, WHICH IS LIKE TED MEETS DAVOS MEETS BURNING MAN – ON A BOAT. THERE’S NO WIFI AND NO PHONES SO YOU’RE ACTUALLY TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
I’M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT MY NEXT STEPS, RELAXING IN A HOT TUB, AND A GUY ASKS ME, “SO, WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?” AND I SAY, “I’M NICOLE FROM… NICOLE.” IT WAS A MOMENT OF CLARITY. YOU DON’T HAVE THAT CORPORATE CLOAK ON; “I’M THE FOUNDER OF X AT A LARGE GLOBAL ORGANISATION.” YOU ARE LITERALLY JUST YOURSELF LAID BARE. I REALISED I NEEDED TO APPLY MY INTRAPRENEURSHIP PHILOSOPHIES TO MY OWN LIFE!
WE TALKED FOR A LONG TIME AND I TOLD HIM MY STORY. HE SAID, “I’M A PUBLISHER AND YOU HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE STORIES! YOU’RE A WOMAN IN TECH, A MAVERICK; YOU’VE BEEN PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES FOR 20 YEARS. THEY SAY NO, BUT YOU DO IT ANYWAY. YOU SHOULD GET THIS DOWN ON PAPER, YOU SHOULD WRITE A BOOK.” AND THAT’S HOW IT STARTED.
