< back Uniting Forces: Team Building and Collaboration Nurturing cohesion and empowering teams to achieve extraordinary results More detailed information In her captivating keynote address on teamwork – teambuilding & teambinding, Julie Brown brings a wealth of experience and insight to the forefront, drawing upon her remarkable journey in polar exploration and personal resilience. A team, often curated by external forces in corporate settings, comprises individuals chosen for their diverse competencies. However, as Julie underscores, the true strength of any team lies not solely in individual skills but in the cohesive bonds that foster constructive collaboration toward shared objectives. Julie delves into the essence of healthy teams, emphasizing their capacity to uplift and propel one another toward continuous growth. In her narrative, growth emerges as a fundamental imperative, driving teams to consistently elevate their performance and achieve multifaceted success. Through her profound understanding of effective leadership, Julie elucidates the distinction between merely assembling a team and cultivating a resilient, sustainable entity capable of transcending individual victories. By binding team members together with a shared vision and sense of purpose, leaders lay the groundwork for extraordinary achievements within organizations. Join Julie Brown as she unravels the secrets of effective team building and collaboration, igniting inspiration and empowerment among audiences to forge stronger, more resilient teams poised for unparalleled success. Request a quote Submit About Julie Brown, born in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, is a founding partner and managing director of Polar Circles/Polar Experience expedition activities since 1999. With extensive experience in polar exploration, she serves as a project manager and communications director for her team of polar guides. In addition to expedition management, Julie specializes in developing and delivering corporate activities, including keynote presentations and inspiring motivational speeches to diverse audiences. Fluent in English as her native language, Julie is also proficient in Flemish/Dutch as her second language and conversational in French. Her unique ability to translate the rich metaphors from ambitious polar expeditions into relevant lessons for the business world adds an unexpected spark to any event. With over 20 years of public speaking experience, Julie excels in connecting with live audiences, particularly during spontaneous Q&A sessions, where she shares real anecdotes and visual stimulation from polar expeditions. Julie's journey into polar exploration began under the guidance of Dixie Dansercoer (1962 – 2021) during her first polar expedition to Antarctica in 2000, which included a Mount Vinson ascent. Since then, she has served as the project coordinator for various expeditions, such as the Bering Strait Odyssey in 2005, In the Wake of the Belgica in 2007-2008, Antarctic ICE in 2011-2012, and Greenland ICE in 2014. Beyond expedition management, Julie has also contributed to polar expedition cruises as a lecturer and guide in regions including the Antarctic Peninsula, Greenland, Svalbard, and Norway. Collaborating with Dixie, she has led corporate ICE Campaigns in Iceland, Spitsbergen, and Switzerland. Julie is not only an experienced explorer but also a prolific writer, having published several expedition-related accounts since 1998. In 2014, she co-authored "Surpassing Sastrugi," a book that draws relevant parallels for corporate audiences. Julie also maintains the Polar Experience blog, sharing insights and experiences from her expeditions. Julie was married to Dixie Dansercoer for 22 years until his passing in June 2021. Together, they have four children: Jasper, Evelien, Thijs, and Robin. Recently, they welcomed their first grandchild, Ender Dixie Dansercoer, into their family. Julie Brown Polar explorer and captivating storyteller, illuminating the parallels between polar expeditions and corporate challenges

< back Embracing Diversity: on complicity and inclusion Fostering collaboration across cultures, genders, and generations More detailed information In her enlightening keynote on complicity & inclusion – cultures, genders, generations, Julie Brown draws upon her extensive experience in polar expeditions to illuminate the transformative power of diversity in achieving collective success. Cultural complicity lies at the heart of thriving polar expedition teams, where collaboration with local populations is vital for logistical support. Julie emphasizes that true success is achieved only when all team members, both core expedition members and external support teams, feel engaged and included in the journey toward a common goal. Diversity, she contends, is not only inherent to polar expeditions but is also essential in fostering healthy and ambitious teams in any organizational context. As genders and generations become increasingly diverse, Julie advocates for the value of learning to collaborate across a spectrum of human experiences. Through patience and respect, cultivated in compassionate ways, teams create a safe environment conducive to bold action and innovation. Join Julie Brown as she explores the profound benefits of embracing diversity, inspiring audiences to foster inclusive cultures where every individual's unique perspective and contribution is valued. Request a quote Submit About Julie Brown, born in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, is a founding partner and managing director of Polar Circles/Polar Experience expedition activities since 1999. With extensive experience in polar exploration, she serves as a project manager and communications director for her team of polar guides. In addition to expedition management, Julie specializes in developing and delivering corporate activities, including keynote presentations and inspiring motivational speeches to diverse audiences. Fluent in English as her native language, Julie is also proficient in Flemish/Dutch as her second language and conversational in French. Her unique ability to translate the rich metaphors from ambitious polar expeditions into relevant lessons for the business world adds an unexpected spark to any event. With over 20 years of public speaking experience, Julie excels in connecting with live audiences, particularly during spontaneous Q&A sessions, where she shares real anecdotes and visual stimulation from polar expeditions. Julie's journey into polar exploration began under the guidance of Dixie Dansercoer (1962 – 2021) during her first polar expedition to Antarctica in 2000, which included a Mount Vinson ascent. Since then, she has served as the project coordinator for various expeditions, such as the Bering Strait Odyssey in 2005, In the Wake of the Belgica in 2007-2008, Antarctic ICE in 2011-2012, and Greenland ICE in 2014. Beyond expedition management, Julie has also contributed to polar expedition cruises as a lecturer and guide in regions including the Antarctic Peninsula, Greenland, Svalbard, and Norway. Collaborating with Dixie, she has led corporate ICE Campaigns in Iceland, Spitsbergen, and Switzerland. Julie is not only an experienced explorer but also a prolific writer, having published several expedition-related accounts since 1998. In 2014, she co-authored "Surpassing Sastrugi," a book that draws relevant parallels for corporate audiences. Julie also maintains the Polar Experience blog, sharing insights and experiences from her expeditions. Julie was married to Dixie Dansercoer for 22 years until his passing in June 2021. Together, they have four children: Jasper, Evelien, Thijs, and Robin. Recently, they welcomed their first grandchild, Ender Dixie Dansercoer, into their family. Julie Brown Polar explorer and captivating storyteller, illuminating the parallels between polar expeditions and corporate challenges

< back Unleashing Excellence: on empowering authentic (out)performance Achieving grand goals through discipline and determination More detailed information In her compelling keynote on empowering authentic (out)performance / grand goal achievement, Julie Brown draws inspiration from her experiences alongside polar exploration pioneer Dixie Dansercoer. Through their shared journeys in harsh and unforgiving environments, Julie witnessed firsthand the discipline and consistency that underpin extraordinary achievements. Throughout Dixie's illustrious career, he continually pushed boundaries, transforming inhospitable landscapes into his office space and defying the odds with remarkable resilience. Julie offers a unique perspective, providing insights into the meticulous preparation and unwavering commitment required for such grand projects. From her participation in an Antarctic expedition in 2000 to establishing operational base camps in remote locations, Julie sheds light on the sacrifices and dedication inherent in the pursuit of excellence. Join Julie Brown as she unveils the behind-the-scenes intricacies of these monumental endeavors, inspiring audiences to embrace discipline, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in their own pursuit of grand goals. Request a quote Submit About Julie Brown, born in 1964 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, is a founding partner and managing director of Polar Circles/Polar Experience expedition activities since 1999. With extensive experience in polar exploration, she serves as a project manager and communications director for her team of polar guides. In addition to expedition management, Julie specializes in developing and delivering corporate activities, including keynote presentations and inspiring motivational speeches to diverse audiences. Fluent in English as her native language, Julie is also proficient in Flemish/Dutch as her second language and conversational in French. Her unique ability to translate the rich metaphors from ambitious polar expeditions into relevant lessons for the business world adds an unexpected spark to any event. With over 20 years of public speaking experience, Julie excels in connecting with live audiences, particularly during spontaneous Q&A sessions, where she shares real anecdotes and visual stimulation from polar expeditions. Julie's journey into polar exploration began under the guidance of Dixie Dansercoer (1962 – 2021) during her first polar expedition to Antarctica in 2000, which included a Mount Vinson ascent. Since then, she has served as the project coordinator for various expeditions, such as the Bering Strait Odyssey in 2005, In the Wake of the Belgica in 2007-2008, Antarctic ICE in 2011-2012, and Greenland ICE in 2014. Beyond expedition management, Julie has also contributed to polar expedition cruises as a lecturer and guide in regions including the Antarctic Peninsula, Greenland, Svalbard, and Norway. Collaborating with Dixie, she has led corporate ICE Campaigns in Iceland, Spitsbergen, and Switzerland. Julie is not only an experienced explorer but also a prolific writer, having published several expedition-related accounts since 1998. In 2014, she co-authored "Surpassing Sastrugi," a book that draws relevant parallels for corporate audiences. Julie also maintains the Polar Experience blog, sharing insights and experiences from her expeditions. Julie was married to Dixie Dansercoer for 22 years until his passing in June 2021. Together, they have four children: Jasper, Evelien, Thijs, and Robin. Recently, they welcomed their first grandchild, Ender Dixie Dansercoer, into their family. Julie Brown Polar explorer and captivating storyteller, illuminating the parallels between polar expeditions and corporate challenges

Blogpost by Isabel De Clercq. Last week I came across the following visual on LinkedIn. Visual material always makes the grade on social media. So do decision trees. But I’m going to be honest with you: Decision trees deeply annoy me. They simplify things! The elegantly styled tree is telling us one thing: we are all idiots; just follow the arrows and hocus pocus problem solved. What the drawing of the tree isn’t telling us is the quality of the soil feeding it. That soil often oozes pestilential elements. I see three of them: Toxic element number 1: we confuse being together with value-creating collaboration. Bringing people together does not always guarantee true, productive collaboration. Do the following situations sound familiar? Decisions need to be made in the meeting. The person entitled to take decisions is absent. The meeting is used to push a great deal of information to a large number of people. Participants have put themselves on mute and are happily tapping away on their mobile phones. The meeting was meant to be a brainstorm. It is immediately hijacked by the more extravert and those higher in rank. Well, there is no decision tree that can compete with that. Toxic element number 2: macho-behaviour. Careful, also manifested in people with breasts. Some organisations worship a culture of secrecy: meeting marathons where power is exhibited, preferably around a physical table. To be allowed to attend these meetings = to get information first hand = to be important. Well, there is no decision tree that can compete with that. Toxic element number 3: chaos. What if work processes are not clearly defined in your organisation? What if it is not clear who is allowed to make decisions? What if there is doubt about when to throw a task over the wall for someone else? What if there has been no clear agreement about who can determine when something is good enough? Or, what if the information that people need isn’t clearly structured? Well, there is no decision tree that can compete with that. Being constantly available for one another. Always having to ask other colleagues questions to be able to do your job. In my opinion, this does not portray a sense of togetherness or of a strong culture. It is rather a symptom of badly organised work – of carelessly structured information and knowledge – a small heap insipidly held together by 4 walls. Decision trees are handkerchiefs for the bleeding. They just shush the symptoms. In my workshops and keynote speeches I invite participants to dig deeper. To grab the roots of evil with two firm hands. I then put them to work, together with the team, on the basis of strong statements and assignments. Some examples: Meetings are intrusive moments. They veer us away from the real work. That real work: what is that exactly? Make a list individually and with the team. Which meetings in the past weeks were scheduled because our work processes are not defined clearly enough? What should be done to clarify those work processes? Which meetings were scheduled because the information colleagues needed was nowhere to be found? Do you want to grab the evil in meetings by the roots? Don’t hang around in decision trees. Dare to look down at what lies in the ground. And I will gladly guide you along the way.

The world is changing, rapidly and fundamentally. Several economic, ecological, technological and demographic trends are reinforcing each other and have a ginormous impact on our society and on the business world. Technological evolutions are at the heart of those changes. The different innovation waves are following each other in ever quickening succession and force companies to adapt more rapidly than ever. This article describes four characteristics which companies should adopt in order to survive. Time is pressing. A company unable to continuously question and reinvent itself, will not manage to defend its competitive position. This is a trend which is already clearly visible. The average lifespan of an organization has decreased drastically. In the 20s a company would exist for an average of 60 years; these days this average reaches a mere 3-5 years. Today, 25% of the companies seen as market leaders in 2020 lost that position, in most cases to new competitors which did not yet exist 15 years ago. The examples of companies which do excel at reinventing themselves are well-known. Netflix was started up in 1997 as a postal order company renting out videos; these days it is a global player in audio-visual content streaming. Uber also proves that it does not shy away from looking at the future: the company is realizing that self-driving cars are a major threat, which is why they are adapting their strategy by already ordering no less than 500 self-driving Tesla cars for pilot projects. New business models Although digital technologies play an important part in changing business models, companies should not forget that technology is only one of the aspects of change. You can fully test robotics and virtual reality, but the mere embracing of today’s technologies does not prepare you for the waves that will follow. Innovation should not be limited to innovation labs and R&D departments. Rather than thinking about digital transformation, companies should focus on how to transform their entire organization in order to be ready for the future. The main challenge is that companies cannot go through that transformation if they continue to function as before. The bureaucratic business model with a clear hierarchy and sharply defined roles and function profiles forms a barrier for that transformation. Bureaucracy is a concept of the late 19th century which no longer does the trick in a world of continuous change. A different way of working and thinking is required, which needs to penetrate throughout the entire organization. For many companies this will not be an easy task. A recent study in the US has shown that a mere 13% of all collaborators are sufficiently passionate about their work to help build change, a disappointingly low result. The road to 'change' We can define four crucial characteristics for changing the tide and surfing on those waves of change: togetherness, empowerment, collaboration and habit. Togetherness and 'purpose' are very closely related. Companies need to have a clear goal and must be able to prove their relevance, both to clients and collaborators. These days we notice a true Copernican revolution in the brands world. Copernicus was sentenced to death because of his conviction that the world is not at the center of the universe. A continuously increasing number of brand producers are also coming to that conclusion. Consumers care less and less for brands. A recent study by brand specialist Havas reveals that if 93% of the brands ceased to exist tomorrow, the consumer would not care all that much. Furthermore, one of our own studies has shown that consumers only really care about 5 brands, each of those contributing something functional, emotional and societal to them. Relevance pays off A company’s societal contribution is becoming increasingly important. David Jones, former Havas CEO, describes it as follows: "We need to move from marketing to consumers to mattering to people". Unilever is very well aware of this fact. The company has set itself the target to make each of the group’s brands ‘relevant’ within 3 years. The first brand having gone through the transformation is Omo, the detergent. On a functional level, the starting point was a qualitative product. Children’s dirty play clothes need to be clean after a wash. In order to address customers on the emotional level, Omo has started up a program to share parenting tips & tricks with young parents. As for the societal level, new playgrounds were installed in several suburban areas in the UK, giving children access to a better social development. No eye-catching sponsoring, only a small mention that the playground is a part of Omo’s and Unilever’s 'Dirt is Good' program. You may wonder whether this is really a company’s role in life. But it is. Studies show that so-called 'meaningful brands' obtain 33% more profit than their competitors, on average. So doing ‘good’ does indeed pay off. Companies should also prove this relevance to their collaborators. Many changes are taking place in what makes employees happy in their job. The new generation which is now entering the workforce attaches more importance to the difference they can make themselves and the difference a company makes in the world than to how much they are making and what status a job will give them. Besides, this trend is also increasingly entering the world of older generations. Transparent strategy Empowerment is a second important characteristic. There are different ways to empower collaborators. First, by clearly communicating about the strategy and second, by also sharing insights which support the strategy. This will help collaborators to better realize the strategy. And third, by giving the collaborators more autonomy. It is important for companies to properly understand the reason behind certain decisions. At the moment this too often is not the case. Insights into a strategy should go viral, so to speak, in the entire organization, so that everyone can start believing in them and act upon them. A second important element in that respect is collective intelligence. Decisions made by the entire organization are bound to have more impact than decisions pushed forwards by management. The implication that is created is much greater; furthermore managers are informed of so-called blind spots in their decision process. Autonomy is a closely connected aspect. Give collaborators a say in how to fill in the company’s strategy. Hotel chain Ritz-Carlton learned the lesson well: every collaborator who is in direct contact with hotel guests gets a €2,000 budget to turn a complaint into a positive experience, into something which could be an opportunity for improvement. Never underestimate the importance of involving collaborators in the strategy and of giving them more autonomy, because, in the future, human capacities will become an important differentiator. In 2035, 50% of the jobs as we know them today will have disappeared. The majority will have been taken on by robots and artificial intelligence. That is what we need to prepare for now, because when the time comes, we will totally need those typically human capacities to make the difference. There already are some examples today. In Eatsa, a vegetarian restaurant in California, robotics are used for taking orders, serving meals and paying for them. This frees up time for the ‘real’ collaborators to look after the customers on a more relevant level. All these technologies will make craftsmanship and emotional intelligence very importance in the customer relationship. Collaborators running the show The new role of knowledge workers will be very similar to 'intrapreneurship'. A great example is Adobe, the software company; they have reinvented themselves repeatedly and are now trying to reach innovation quicker via Adobe Kickbox. The Kickbox contains a $1,000 credit card, an inspiration booklet and a description of the innovation process. Every collaborator is free to use that $1,000 to develop something new. The only condition set by Adobe is that developments which may be relevant for the company are also shared with the company. So far, 400 collaborator projects have been shared. They will probably not all turn into something successful, but Adobe is convinced that the chance of 'the next big thing' being one of them is larger than that of the two projects R&D is working on. What Adobe is doing, is not just a story of trust and giving autonomy, but also giving a chance of failure. ‘Collaboration’ comes third in the 'survival characteristics' list. A company’s capacity of internal and external collaboration determines its chance of success to a major extent. There are three conditions for reaching successful collaborating. The first is that it needs to be 360°, which implies collaborating with consumers, collaborators and other stakeholders. That is how you reach new insights which will not be obtained in any other way. Second, the collaboration needs to happen all the time, anywhere. You rarely hear people say their best insights came to them in the office or during a brainstorm session. The best ideas occur in the shower or the car. And third: 'fail faster & better'. In other words: invest your time wisely. At Google they have banned the word 'prototyping'. Google refers to 'pretotyping' because even making prototypes takes too much time and is too expensive. KLM-Air France is following suit: e-commerce team collaborators are no longer to make PowerPoint presentations. Those who have a new idea develop it, test it, share it with the target groups and if they are still convinced that it has potential, then they make a 2-slide report which can be presented in 20 minutes max to obtain a budget. The new business as usual The last characteristic, 'habit', is related to the 3 others. Focusing on one of the 3 is not sufficient. Nor is working a little bit towards all 3. These have to evolve into new habits. Changing habits - and most certainly bad ones - is not done in one single speech or with one single manifest. Togetherness, empowerment and collaboration need to be embedded thoroughly in the organization. The four characteristics combined form the acronym TECH; no coincidence as technology will play an important part in how we transform our organizations. We can also learn a great deal from the world of technology; not so much from all the crazy Silicon Valley stories but more from those companies’ habits. Our companies face a major challenge but it isn’t impossible to realize a change and to get collaborators willing to build the company’s future. Tom De Ruyck is the author of this blog post. The topics he addresses can also be booked in the form of a keynote speech.

If you work in a large, international organization with a diverse population, chances are a portion of your workforce will be practicing Muslims. This will mean that for an entire month part of your community will refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sundown[i]. Oh my God, you’re not eating?? If you walk around the typical office on any day of the week, you will likely see an abundance of food everywhere. Food and drink is pushed at employees actively and passively, from goodbye coffee-and-cake events for leavers, cupcakes for birthdays, Monday Muffins for the early birds, chocolates in a bowl in the lobby, after work drinks on Fridays and coffee-coffee-coffee. Food is an inescapable part of office life. Your Muslim population is necessarily subjected to all this during their working day, too.  They will be there at Monday Muffins and Taco Tuesdays, wishing their colleagues well for their goodbye parties, politely declining the cinnamon buns, since non-attendance isn’t an option. When they don’t actually eat or drink, they will often having to explain themselves over and over again. Generally, the reaction from the non-Muslim is one of shock followed by pity. “Oh my god, you’re not eating?” To which the Muslim colleague may laugh, shake her head and assure the host that they needn’t worry, that they are just fine, are not about to faint, and are actually enjoying this very special time of the year. What’s Ramadan? Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for practicing Muslims. About 93% of Muslims fast during Ramadan[ii]. That adds up to about 1.6 billion people worldwide[iii]. It’s a time to detach from earthly pleasures, physically and spiritually purify, donate to charities, pray and celebrate with family and friends. Imagine a combination of Christmas by night mixed with Lent by day, on steroids, celebrated every day for 30 days. It’s intense, spiritually cleansing, and full of warmth and food once the sun has gone down. It’s also hard; in Northern Europe those long days mean 19-hour fasts without caffeine or nicotine. Some families wake up at 4am to have a big, very early breakfast to give them the energy they need for the rest of the day. It’s called suhoor. To the typical outsider, this feels like a kind of neat sleepover midnight secret-snack event. The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three-day holiday called Eid Al-Fitr (or “Eid” for short). This is a time to party, attend services, give gifts and eat during the day. Five ways to make Ramadan cool for everyone 1. Send a greeting The month begins with the greeting of "Ramadan kareem!". If you have control over your company or team social feeds, send out a (digital) card for those who recognize it, and for those who don’t to raise awareness. This message goes out on the first day of Ramadan. Check your calendars since this is different every year. 2. Educate your workforce At the same time, slip in a bit of information to those who are not on the inside. What’s Ramadan? What is it, what does it mean, how is it expressed and why, how long does it last, and, by the way, here’s why not everyone will be wolfing down the slices of pepperoni on Pizza Fridays for this month. Explain why we put away the food temporarily (see point 3), what “to go” options might be available (see point 4) and why it matters. 3. Remove superfluous office food In the spirit of our generosity let’s make a few small changes for a month. We can all do without the excessive amounts of food we have lying around every surface of our offices. As a courtesy, in solidarity, encourage your teams to put their chips and chocolates in a drawer and the baskets of candy bars in a closet just for a little while. And certainly, don’t force food on people who don’t want it. Sort of like a giant Instagram challenge; we’re all the better for it. 4. Easy “to go” bags for events For events that involves food, there’s a great way to have your cake and eat it too (literally). Offer small “to go” bags with a little note, perhaps, that might say something like “Take Me Home, Eat Me after Sunset!”. This way, your faster can politely take a pre-packaged baggie and enjoy it with their families when the time is right. That cinnamon bun will taste great for 4am suhoor. 5. Celebrate the end of Ramadan with snacks Eid is a great opportunity to have a little social event at the office. It can be low-key. You can offer dates and nuts in the pantries for anyone who wants them with a little card that lets people know what just happened and why it matters. There are so many other holidays! Nothing drives engagement at work like being seen. When the dominant culture makes minor adjustments to the normal routine out of respect for the rituals and patterns of the few, the engagement effect ripples into the full community. As we learn about the lives of others, we encourage and even participate. A few small actions make a loud-and-clear statement that your culture is one of curiosity, respect and celebration of rich diversity. Actions speak far louder than the words on the company website. And don’t stop there. Depending on the cultural makeup of your community, you will likely have many other holidays to celebrate; from Chinese New Year, Diwali, Hannukah, Bastille Day and much more. Get to know your workforce – who they are, what they celebrate - and weave in a few of these to spice up the year. Finally, involve your teams. Anyone who wants to the on the Diwali Committee should be invited to plan the event, develop the communications and find the perfect treats. After a while these sub-committees will be inspired to run the events themselves. Viral, organic employer marketing will be a natural result. Fiona Passantino is the author of this article. Contact us if she can be of any help to your organization. [i] Arab News (2016) “A beginner's guide to Ramadan”. Accessed March 19, 2023  https://www.arabnews.com/node/935516/islam-perspective [ii] Ghani (2013) “Most Muslims say they fast during Ramadan” Pew Research Center. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/07/09/global-median-of-93-of-muslims-say-they-fast-during-ramadan/ [iii] Puri-Mirza (2020) "Ramadan - statistics & facts" Statista. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.statista.com/topics/3796/ramadan-2017/