Table Of Content

“Brain Surfing is such a delightful book. Not only is it a wonderful journey but, unlike so many other books, it artfully answers the question ‘How?’ in a delightful and collaborative way. Bravo, Heather!” John Winsor, Chairman/Founder, Victors & Spoils “A truly fascinating blend of travel journal and business text, it drifts beautifully between the dreamy rambles of an enthusiastic traveller and the great insights of a business book. Brain Surfing should be on every strategist’s reading list.” Mark Inskip, CEO, The Futures Company “On the one hand, you have Heather making us green with envy as she goes to all corners of the globe and gains invaluable experience by talking and spending time with the best brand strategists around the world. On the other hand, you have Heather generously offering the gift of what she learned and her unique point of view. You could call it a fair trade, but that would be an unfair oversimplification. Instead, Brain Surfing is a must-read for account planners, brand strategists, and all those who are humble enough to recognize that a lot remains to be unveiled.” Ken Fujioka, Partner and VP of Strategy & Planning at Loducca; President of the Brazilian Account Planning Group (Grupo de Planejamento) “If you run a business, a start-up, or a brand, this book is essential reading. Not only did Heather persuade some of advertising's true maverick thinkers to let her stay with them, she also somehow got them to reveal their secret methodologies to how they outthink the competition. Clever.” David Hieatt, Cofounder of Hiut Denim Co and The Do Lectures “Is strategic ability in the DNA? Is it nature or nurture? Can the kind of problem solving that propels culture and companies forward be taught or is it the stuff of apprenticeship? Heather is just the person to try to unravel this philosophical hairball. Join her on her journey and take advantage of the sharp thinkers she has assembled on these pages.” Caley Cantrell, Head of Communications Strategy Track, Brandcenter/VCU “Strategists spend so much time applying curiosity and imagination to the lives of brands and consumers. But what happens when you apply that same relentless energy to normal life? That’s what this book is about—the strategist’s mind, only inverted and directed to the things that actually matter: culture, purpose, humility, family, adventure. Sure, this is required reading for people that want to be strategists, but, more likely, this is required reading for strategists that want to stay people.” Alain Sylvain, Founder, Sylvain Labs “You’ll thoroughly enjoy how Heather has drafted sketches and snapshots that capture the places, smell, culture, and characters so very vividly … and then seamlessly brings in some very thought-provoking ideas about what we do for a living—and perhaps more pertinently, how we do it. It’s a book about how to rethink, rejuvenate and revitalize our entire industry. In short, it gives me hope.” Bo Hellberg, Executive Creative Director, Edelman “Brain Surfing is Eat, Pray, Love for planners, strategists, and people who study brands. The memoir aspects provide a really great context because we get to know the people behind the strategic thinking. Heather has covered a lot of ground and framed today’s strategic issues beautifully.” Larry Vincent, Chief Branding Officer, UTA Brand Studio and Author of Brand Real “Heather has been—in the truest sense—on a lovely journey for a couple of decades. She is the rock flipper, the quirky observer, the curious interviewer; this beautiful approach to life made her a successful planner, an influencer of the craft. What we can learn from her book is that traveling our journey is indeed an act of courage that few of us take. And when she decided to search for herself—seeking something even she couldn’t quite describe—she found the stuff of truth and delight. A marvelous philosophy here, the honesty of well-crafted work there, and some bullshit and bravery that compelled her to find her life. All of this makes for a delightful personal journal that should be required reading for the smartest career-driven strategists.” Deborah Morrison, PhD, Chambers Distinguished Professor of Advertising, University of Oregon “There is no other book on strategy that takes such a broad look; Heather doesn’t boil it all down into one tidy flawed model. Brain Surfing recognizes the interconnectedness of influences and inspiration that create truly original strategic thinking.” Tom Bassett, Founder of MindSwarms and Bassett & Partners “It takes someone like a Heather to take a step back, focus on the discipline, and share her learnings. This book will save you a year of research and a trip around the world.” Rikki Khanna, Partner, Khanna \ Reidinga “During Heather’s adventures you see her perceptions on marketing, business, and even her future as a strategist evolve. This is an unexpected business book—the best kind!” Pippa Seichrist, Co-Founder and Head of Innovation & Development, Miami Ad School “The only way to truly understand culture is to live it. Heather has created the ultimate ethnography by moving in with the people who watch others for a living. A fascinating blend of travel, observation, and insight.” Tom Sacchi, Founding Partner, UNIT9 “A good strategist is able to bring new perspective to any problem. Heather has traveled the world to seek out new thinking from the brightest minds in marketing. I was as entertained by her stories of living with people in the business as I was fascinated by the insights she gleaned along the way.” Rye Clifton, Experience Director, GSD&M