You mentioned that one of the reasons you moved to Iceland was because you saw the market here maturing and ready to take brand strategy seriously. What are the signs of this?

I have a complex answer to this, so stay with me. My friend, Paul Bennett, came to Iceland after the market crash. He had an ambition to help reboot the economy through design thinking. Iceland wasn’t ready for it. I think people wanted certainty in a period of uncertainty. And design thinking is a methodology that requires comfort with uncertainty.

When I spoke at DesignTalks during DesignMarch in 2023 I sensed a shift in the business climate. Things had stabilized and new players were dominant. Tourism was clearly the economic engine but I sensed there were growing questions about its sustainability and its affect on culture.

As I talked to people in Reykjavík it became clear to me that there is some kind of transition happening again. In the market, companies are wondering how to turn these tourists into customers. They are also wondering how to grow into the countries these travelers are coming from. Culturally, residents are asking if this flow of people is good for society as it’s putting pressure on systems that weren’t designed for such a large seasonal influx of people like roads, housing and healthcare.

In brief, things cannot remain as they are. Companies and public organizations that understand this see that they are now in a new era of increased competition. They are competing to provide more value with their products, services and experiences. They are competing with expectations of Icelanders. They are competing with new expectations of foreigners. I believe this is unfamiliar territory in a highly cooperative and insular society.

Brand strategy is necessary in a competitive landscape. It is a way to find your center as an organization and then make authentic moves in the market that differentiate you while meeting your customers needs.

The mission of IDEO, where you used to work, is to Create a Sustainable, Equitable & Prosperous Future. Do you follow a similar ethos when working with Icelandic brands?

I believe in being ethical and choosing a moral high ground. Companies should be making choices that are good for their employees and their customers. They need to make choices that do not exploit our planet’s resources. They must understand that they are participants in our global economy and global health. At this point, I believe this is table stakes.

Do you use a specific method or framework for brand strategy, or is it more intuitive based on your experience?

I mentioned design thinking and it certainly is a huge component of how I practice brand strategy. Design thinking is highly effective in gaining deep insights from stakeholders and customers. It’s also effective in rapidly moving tangible ideas into the marketplace. So the research methodologies and prototyping methodologies play a large role in my practice.

Another way to frame this practice of brand strategy is purpose-driven innovation. Defining the core of a brand is really defining the core values of an organization. Once those values are understood it’s easy to see how they radiate from the center. I use a framework I developed through years of practice at IDEO that is essentially this. From that center, the brand can affect the creation of products, services and even infrastructure in an authentic way.

I use that word, “authenticity,” because it’s critical to good brand strategy. Organizations need to be true to themselves to be effective. As customers and consumers, we sense when they are being inauthentic, trying to persuade us that they are something they are not.

Could you speak briefly about the practicalities of working with Icelandic businesses? In our conversation you've mentioned a lack of planning, last-minute rushes, having to plan for seasonality, the way Icelanders handle unpredictable situations that come their way. But living in a permanent state of stress is exhausting. How do you navigate that?

“Þetta Reddast” can be freeing, but as you point out, may be exhausting for someone who likes to plan. It’s certainly forced me to let go of a lot of cultural professional practices from the US. I’ve gone from having my days fully scheduled for weeks to having nearly nothing on my calendar and just agreeing to meet people in that moment when they text. Things are much more casual in that sense, but it doesn’t mean planning is totally out the door.

You’ve heard Iceland called the land of fire and ice? That really sums it up. Everything here is hot then cold, urgent then absent, intimate then distant, all or nothing. Accepting this as the pulse makes things easier. Wanting it to be something else is just frustrating.

That is all personal, of course. From a branding perspective, I believe it’s a problem when it comes to business planning. Companies working internationally have found ways to even out this behavior. They may even make 3-year growth plans! But companies working exclusively domestically still struggle with it. The mental muscle memory is activated by rapid problem solving rather than deliberate, strategic growth planning. This is a difficult shift, but an essential one in this new competitive landscape.

That said, I don’t want to paint this as all bad. I believe this mindset has been critical to Iceland’s resilience and survival. So there is something we all must learn from it. We shouldn’t try to replace it. I just want to add some additional skills.

Do Icelandic brands have what it takes to compete in international markets? If not, what can we do to change that?

There are Icelandic brands already competing internationally, many B2B in the fishing industry. B2C is less mature from what I can see. There are a few brands that are making some headway into the US and Europe but it is very difficult to go from this small market into those larger competitive markets without having a strong brand position and, as importantly, a commitment to financial investment.

Competition hasn’t been a primary driving force in the market. The population is such that a company can survive if it provides an essential need consistently and at an acceptable price. A good example of this is the grocery stores. They are recently beginning to invest more money in differentiating from one another beyond price. Now they are spending on branding, experience, digital integration, and more. Krónan was just recognized for “best investment in design” at the Icelandic Design Awards 2024 for their commitment to educate customers about nutrition and environmental impact. This is a great indicator of the positive effects of competition.

So what can we do? Follow their lead. Watch how companies like Blue Lagoon and 66 North are investing in design as a differentiator and a means to grow. Pay attention to how these brands tell authentic stories about their origins, their values and the quality of their products. Understand that this is not marketing and advertising. It is something deeper within the organizations that is shaping who they are and how they act.’s a relatively new thing... maybe the last 25 years or so. Many people point to the growth of the arts academy—Listaháskóli Íslands—as the source. And also to the “Björk effect”, meaning the permission she created for others through her success abroad.

Finally, is there anything unique about Iceland and its approach to creativity?

I’ve given you all the market reasons I think it’s a good time to be here, but none of them were top of my list to move to Iceland. The main reason I came was to be part of the creative community. The designers, musicians, photographers, filmmakers—I could go on and on. It’s an incredible scene. And it’s a welcoming scene too.

I’ve asked Icelanders why it’s just so good. I’m told it’s a relatively new thing... maybe the last 25 years or so. Many people point to the growth of the arts academy—Listaháskóli Íslands—as the source. And also to the “Björk effect”, meaning the permission she created for others through her success abroad.

My own observation is that a cultural DNA of ingenuity and independence has fueled this surge too. It’s similar to what I experienced growing up in East Tennessee in the United States. East Tennessee is in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, a region that has been historically lagging economically. It’s rural and somewhat disconnected from the mainstream. So people create their own fun, meet their own needs, help each other out. I feel a connection to these mindsets here.

The last thing I’ll mention is that there is a well established support system for artists. Government institutions and grant programs are essential for supporting projects. Compared to the US where such programs are nearly non-existent, it is enviable. I believe these programs create an environment of consistent artistic expression, and in turn, create a creative culture of inspiration and action.

Everyone knows that making money as a working artist is exceptionally rare. Your podcast, Two Beats Ahead Live, focuses on musicians as entrepreneurs. How can a creative mind make money? Is it necessary for them to do so?

This new podcast is inspired by my book, Two Beats Ahead, written while I was teaching at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Artists are natural entrepreneurs. They are constantly putting new things into the world beyond the virtuosity of their art. They are organizing, promoting, and community-building. They are creating deal-flow, building brands, and engaging audiences. They are inventing.

These are all the characteristics MBA programs encourage. To answer your question, do they need to make money? Of course. But do they need to pursue it? No. That is where a commercial mind and artistic mind differ. Artists pursue passion, curiosity, and collaboration. And with a few important mental models, I believe they can turn these pure pursuits into economic opportunities that help them live. That’s what the book is about.

In one episode of the podcast I interview composer and label owner Valgeir Sigurðsson about his career. What stood out in our conversation was that his studio, Greenhouse, his Bedroom Community label and even his current band, Isabelle Lewis, were all products of creative collaboration first. It was a similar story from Pan Thorarensen, a musician who founded the Extreme Chill Experimental Music Festival here in Iceland, now going for 15 years. The festival began as a way to release an album and perform with friends. It grew organically from there into something quite structured. But starting a festival was never his ambition. In my interview with Iris Thorarins, she paints an even clearer picture, sharing how her approach to music is the same as her approach to the project management company, Týra she co-founded. None of these people felt uncomfortable about starting these businesses. They just felt uncomfortable being labeled as entrepreneurs — though they clearly are.