I have always loved the mountains. Always been drawn to them. 

When I was younger, I had the chance to spend my vacations in a magnificent valley in Savoie, France, surrounded by two beautiful mountains, the most iconic being the Grand Colombier, towering at 1,545 meters above sea level. 

"Easy slopes," a mountain guide friend once said to me, in a condescending tone. Indeed, it has nothing to do with the mountains, the real ones, that I could always see deep in the valley. The famous Alps range, the 3,000 and 4,000 meter peaks, the glaciers, the eternal snow… 

As much time as I spent in medium mountains, these snow-capped peaks seemed to me as mysterious as they were dangerous. 

In recent years, because BAM offers the possibility to work from anywhere, I have had the chance to return to France for a few weeks during the summer, to reunite with my family whom I left 13 years ago to settle in Canada. And often, on weekends, while my children enjoy their grandparents, I manage to escape to spend two days in the mountains. 

I practice what is called Fastpacking. A discipline at the crossroads of hiking and trail running, whose key principles are speed and autonomy. So, I wander alone, covering an average of 30 to 40 km per day, with food, a sleeping bag, and a tent. I find water in all these streams so frequent in the Alps, coming from the melting snow and glaciers. 

I have experienced very beautiful moments during these adventures; crossing a pass in the early morning and discovering a breathtaking view of the Mont Blanc; being woken up by an ibex grazing grass right in front of my tent. 

This alongside other more stressful situations — like having to cross a ridge between two precipices, or spending the night alone at 2,500 meters, under an extremely violent storm, praying that my tent would not fly away. 

But at every moment, as I was accumulating experience in the mountains, I was thrilled to be getting closer to these high snow-capped peaks, wondering when I would finally have the courage to embark on the discovery of high mountains through this discipline as fascinating as it is impressive: mountaineering. 

Finally, in recent years, I took the leap. And as I progressed through a few expeditions, I was surprised to notice the similarities between these high mountain experiences and the ones I encounter every day, professionally. 

Here are six common common threads I have identified:

Preparation is key

Many of the fellow trekkers I have spoken with in the past shared that they hate the preparation phase of their adventures. The route planning, the logistics, the gear selection, the guide selection… 

I actually love all of this. For me, the adventure and its excitement begins at the planning phase. And what we do as marketers shares many parallels. 

Both involve thorough research and planning. Just as a mountaineer would very carefully map out their ascent, us marketers need to be equally adept at navigating complex landscapes. 

In both cases, success relies on careful research, strategic decision-making, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen challenges. Because just as a mountaineer wouldn't embark on a climb without the right equipment and knowledge of the route, agencies must equip themselves with the right tools, data, and insights. 

It’s actually this very concept that inspired the name of BAM’s proprietary CX framework, Pathfinder, which we use to reach a deep and meaningful understanding of our audiences. Preparation is everything.

Gear check before tackling Mount Rainier.

The summit’s not the goal. The experience is.

There’s a widespread misconception about what success is in the mountains, especially when you embark on high-altitude, high-risk climbs. 

One might think that reaching the summit is the objective, but as Ed Viesturs, a renowned American mountaineer once said: “The summit is just a halfway point”. Yes, you still have to get down — safely, as most accidents in the mountains actually happen on the descent. 

In other words, you have to look beyond the summit and think about the journey. 

It should be the same mentality in marketing. Sure, hitting goals, whatever the KPIs might be, is at this point expected. But there is also something so essential, so motivating in the journey itself — the challenges faced, the lessons learned, and the bonds forged. 

Just as mountaineers cherish the camaraderie, personal growth, and breathtaking views encountered along their adventures, our team here at BAM finds fulfillment in the process of ideation, creativity, and collaboration that fuels the campaigns we develop.

A solo multi-day trek in the French Alps ended up being significantly shortened following a violent thunderstorm as I was only protected by the thin layer of my tent. The storm finally cleared up, revealing a full moon and the Pierra Menta. Learned a lot that day.

Celebrate the successes 

I have to confess something. 

My go-to celebration following an outdoor adventure is junk food. 

The first thing I do once I’m down from the mountains and back in the civilized world is to look for the golden arches. And I know I’m not the only one out there! In team setups however, it’s slightly different. We all get together at basecamp to share drinks and stories. This is where the bond you have built on the slopes is sealed. 

I’ve worked in several agencies and I’ve witnessed that celebrating successes stands as a pivotal yet often overlooked aspect. As you work on evermore complex projects, bringing in large teams to deliver one cohesive and successful campaign, as in climbing, the appreciation of every reached milestone is crucial to maintaining motivation and momentum. 

Mountaineers revel in what they call ‘out-viewing’. From the high point, they can take in the view over a vast landscape stretching to the horizon. I would urge every project team to do the same; take time to appreciate what has been achieved. That’s what inspires the desire to ‘push on’ and scale new heights.

The burger and the beer following a successful winter climb of Mount Washington were probably among the best I ever had!

Failure is to be expected — and is actually necessary

Mount Rainier was my first big mountain experience. Technical gear, glacier traverse, potential risks of Acute Mountain Sickness — you name it, it was all there. 

I planned A LOT for this adventure. Trained a lot, too. So, after months of preparation and built-up excitement, when our team encountered a closed gate and were unable to access the mountain for a successful climb…the disappointment was brutal. 

This is just one example of something going wrong on an adventure — even with a safe outcome. You just have to accept that things won’t always go as planned, no matter how much prep went into it. You have to be ok with it. Moreover, learn from it. 

Everyday we observe micro-failures in our projects. But they provide valuable learnings and insights, serving as signposts on the road which guide us to better avenues. 

Just as the best mountaineers do, we must stay nimble and adjust to ever-changing conditions and terrains — be it algorithms, consumer behaviours or shifts in the competitive landscape. 

Embracing failures as natural components of the process fosters a culture of experimentation and constant learning. This culture in response stokes the fires of grit and resilience in order to overcome failures and reach higher peaks of success. In the end, it is the acceptance of failure that allows both the mountaineers and digital marketers to ascend to the top of their respective worlds.

Crevasse crossing on the Emmons glacier. It took me two tries to successfully reach Rainier’s summit. Both were as valuable in terms of learning.

The importance of the team 

I love solo adventures. There’s just something about exposing yourself to whatever you’ll encounter out there, succeeding or failing thanks to or because of just one person: you. 

But nothing can replace what a true team brings to the table. 

There’s everything you can think of; experience, specific terrain skills, extra gear for safety needs, and then there’s everything you couldn’t think of: personalities you click with, and the lifelong connections you build. 

The team from my Kilimanjaro climb made the whole experience simply exceptional. From the ever-talented and ultra kind guides + support team, to my climbing partners, it was just pure bliss all around. And there’s just no way I could have had the same experience, or reach the summit safely for that matter, without the Team. 

Same goes for what we do daily at BAM. Assembling the right team is more than essential — it’s downright magical in its transformative power. 

As David Ogilvy famously said, “Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it.” This captures the essence of effective team-building, where trust, expertise, and autonomy converge to achieve remarkable feats. We succeed thanks to our collective brilliance, creativity, and diverse perspectives of our team members. 

Our well-above industry average retention rate is just one proof point that when people are empowered to leverage their talents and expertise within a supportive and collaborative environment, the results are nothing short of extraordinary.

Our Team at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Passing on your experience 

For the last couple years, I have been bringing my son and niece to overnight adventures in the mountains. And even though these trips happen rarely, I still observe the little things they’ve picked up along the way, either coming from advice I gave them — or even better, from questions they’ve asked. 

The pride and satisfaction this brings me is very similar to what I feel at work. 

Over the course of my fourteen years at BAM, I’ve had the opportunity to witness colleagues grow in many significant ways. Project after project, year after year, I’ve watched teammates gain confidence, hone specific skills, and equip themselves to take on even more challenging and rewarding climbs. 

As leaders, parents, and mentors, the legacy we leave behind lies not only in the summits we conquer but in the knowledge, values, and experiences we pass on to those who follow in our footsteps. 

And that, by far, is the most rewarding part of the adventure.

Getting these two little adventurers down the mountain after a night spent at altitude.