paul macfarlane

PAUL MACFARLANE

A life of obsessive curiosity

    Past lives found me as a stoic, expert archer at the Battle of Agincourt, a meditative mother in the North of India and most recently, pure consciousness whizzing around the Universe.
    If you’re still with me, I hope you enjoy the ride.
    I’m a business strategist and branding genius with decades of global Fortune 500 experience.
   I’ve always been a writer, poet, artist and lover of a healthy, fascinating argument.
   School was incredibly easy, so I was accelerated from Grade 1 directly to Grade 3.

    Being a year younger than my classmates both scarred and toughened my resolve.
    One special teacher lit the fire of classical drama, music and art as my 5th Grade class performed both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the classical Greek tragedy Antigone.
    Books have always been a lifelong, passionate  love affair and all music stirred my soul from the crib as I was sleeping on the other side of a wall from the family piano. Those low frequencies and vibrations sowed the seed that sprouted when I was 16 and began playing electric bass. I now play over a dozen instruments in a wide spectrum of genres.

    I sought out and found life hero after hero and studied them relentlessly, digging for truth, insights and stories. Revolutionaries, visionaries, saints, gurus, athletes, musicians, artists and business titans filled my growing imagination, fire and dreams.
    My reputation for breakthrough advertising ideas brought me increasing opportunities with Fortune 500 businesses and brands which increasingly put me in rooms with global CEOs, innovators and thinkers.
    A flash of inspirational compassion and love one night while driving in Washington DC took me into the UN Security Council to present a Peace Plan for Afghanistan.
    I’ve hung out with the members of Led Zeppelin in their own homes.

    I made a city fall in love with a used car lot.
    And my true X factor is this:  In about 30 seconds I can see through any business or brand as I identify the clear space in the immediate future for them to move into and differentiate, attract and grow. Financial, ethical, social and cultural success awaits.
    Then, in three minutes or less a truly world-changing idea (or three) will appear, fully-formed. Simple, human, compelling and loaded with endless positive ripple effects inside a business and outward into the world.
    Inspiration, ideas, music, poetry and spiritual love come as natural as breathing.
    And are clear to see in any idea I bring to you.
    This life of curiosity has no finish line.