In 2023, I had my first television interview in the United States as a guest on Connect Network TV in Texas.
At the time, I was talking publicly about personal branding, entrepreneurship and the early story of Boss Diplomat. Looking back, though, one part of that conversation stands out far more than the branding advice I was giving.
I talked about my ability to analyze information in real time.
The Skill I Brought With Me From Diplomacy
Before Boss Diplomat, my professional world was diplomacy. I had spent years working in environments involving diplomats, government officials, international affairs and people operating across different cultures and contexts.
That work taught me to pay attention. You listen to what is being said, but you also notice the surrounding information: the people involved, the relationships, the context, the competing interests and the things that may not be immediately obvious.
When I appeared on Connect Network TV, I described that background as helping me analyze information on the spot and find solutions to problems.
That was how I understood the skill then.
Starting Boss Diplomat in America
Moving to the United States changed the direction of my career. I began working with entrepreneurs and eventually built Boss Diplomat, initially using much more of the language of business and personal branding.
It looked very different from diplomacy on the surface. But I hadn't discarded the way I had been trained to observe situations and people. I had simply carried it into a new environment.
That is one of the things I find most interesting about professional reinvention: changing direction doesn't necessarily mean starting again. Previous identities leave evidence behind. Skills travel with us, even when we don't yet have the language to explain how they will be used next.
Looking Back From Here
Today, observation and outside perspective sit at the centre of my work. I pay attention to the patterns and signals people give off, what others may be noticing, and the gaps that are difficult to see when you are standing inside your own perspective.
I didn't describe my work that way during this television interview in 2023.
But the breadcrumb was already there.
I was publicly talking about the ability to take in information, notice what was happening and make sense of it in real time. The work has evolved considerably since then, but that instinct didn't suddenly appear years later.
