Dexter Patten & Lucy Hurst on Strategies for Staying Ahead
Dexter Patten & Lucy Hurst are Co-Founders of Screaming Squid. An agency that helps other businesses to thrive by offering bespoke strategies, having gotten to know them, what makes them unique and what their pain points are. Today, they have joined Rob Barratt from The Industry Leaders to talk about how their innovative approach is helping them and their clients to stay ahead.
Can you introduce yourself and share a little about your background?
Of course, no problem! We both come from a digital marketing background, we've ensured that we have implemented streamlined systems from the start along with familiarising ourselves and not being afraid to implement cutting-edge strategies and systems as technology is evolving.
As a forward-thinking professional, how do you identify ways to stay ahead in your industry?
Put simply, we will take a step back from most situations and ask ourselves "What's the most efficient way to do this?". Like many other business owners, our time is precious and so we work as efficiently as possible while still delivering results for our clients. We've learnt a lot in the process and we're happy to impart knowledge to other business owners and happy to continue to learn.
How often do you reassess your competitive landscape and, as I know you're very busy, I'd love for you to share any tips you have on carving out the time to do this?
This is very much an ongoing process. AI plays a big part of our business, and this is constantly evolving at the moment, so this is one area where we are really keeping our finger on the pulse. Anytime that we help a client reassess their business, we always learn something new, which we will then normally implement in our own systems and strategies as well as anyone else that it may apply to.
What have been the most significant challenges you've faced when striving to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, and how have you overcome them?
It's really just been the pace that AI has been evolving, it's been so rapid. Luckily though, our skills and interests complement each other so we're always bouncing ideas off each other. We're, also, very keen to dismiss. the people who seem to be somewhat against AI whether it be because they think it's not as good or it's going to replace them, this shouldn’t be the case if people are still prepared to learn, and it's about using AI effectively.
Can you pinpoint a defining moment or experience where your innovative strategies led to success or a competitive advantage in your business or career?
There have been a few. Most recently when we have had business development strategy meetings with clients, and we've seen them have that "aha!" moment with the tools that we've suggested for them to use, and they've then come back to us to say how streamlined everything is becoming. We think one thing that really helps is that we will ensure clients have the right tools and that they are trained on how to use them. This means that clients see results and we can see the success that we've enabled our clients to achieve.
In your opinion, what are the key ingredients of an effective strategy for staying ahead in 2023?
It needs to be as streamlined and as efficient as possible. There are plenty of tools out there to help businesses achieve this and more and more becoming available every day. Technology is moving too quick to hesitate.
In your opinion, what role does continuous learning and personal development play in staying ahead, and how do you incorporate these practices into your own professional journey?
We both love to learn about new things and develop ourselves both personally and professionally. This is another process that has become ongoing for both of us and really just helps us to stay focused on the road ahead of us. If you're genuinely passionate about what you do, then personal development is second nature.
Looking ahead, what emerging trends or technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on businesses or ambitious professionals, and how are you preparing to leverage them for future success?
AI is, in our opinion, the way forward. Different businesses will require technologies and we're happy to advise on that. If you'd have asked us two years ago what was possible, we wouldn't have told you AI, however, it's here and we believe that our clients should make the most of it.