Joel Blom

Experience

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  The Balloon Works, Inc

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1996

  Marketing and Communications Manager

  I offset college tuition by flying for hire as a commercial hot air balloon pilot. After graduation, combining my knowledge of sport aviation with a new bachelor’s degree, I secured a job with a sport balloon manufacturer. In this family-owned company, sales were everything and I quickly learned that if the marketing message didn’t sell product, it’s not the right message. With limited resources, I expanded the company’s dealer network in U.S. and internationally using PR, advertising and feature stories and sponsoring. After two years, their market share had improved from 4th to 2nd in the U.S. domestic market. When one of my dealers invited me to fly his passengers in Europe for a season, intuition told me this was an opportunity not to miss. Show less

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  Firesales.ch AG

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2001

  Co-Founder and MD

  I had no idea my arrival in Switzerland in June of 1996 to pilot passenger hot air balloons would set me up to find love, happiness and test my entrepreneurial skills to the limit. Serendipity has a funny way of rewarding curious and opportunistic people.That first summer, I fell hard for one of my passengers and she for me. Two years later on our honeymoon safari, a Swiss businessman asked me to write a business plan for his Internet start-up idea. He and his investors were pleased enough with the plan to ask me to head up the new venture, Switzerland’s first B2C Internet-only reseller of PC’s and accessories. Nearly out of cash because of low product margins and high cost of producing web content, I pivoted the business and launched SwissAuction.com. The timing was perfect and we sold the company at the peak in 2000. The tech crash a year later wiped out my paper millions, but the lessons I learned have more than made up for it – in fact they’re still paying me dividends today. Show less

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  Flexys AG

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2004

  Co-Founder

  A young linguist approached me to help find funding for his start-up and get it the next level. We finished building the product (online education software for corporate language training) and secured seed funding, which ran out before we had any sales. At this point the young linguist threw in the towel and I was left to write it off or fight to get the investment back. Making sales calls, refining the message and networking paid off (i.e. hustle like crazy) when two big accounts finally signed (Telekurs and SIS SIX Swiss Stock Exchange). After twelve months the company was profitable and investors got their money back with a small premium. Show less

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  Swissrisk AG

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2007

  Head of Marketing and Communications

  Swissrisk began as "Swissrisk Wealth Management" a four person software start-up. The CEO saw an article I had written for a magazine where I profiled his ability to secure funding when other start-ups were going out of business. This led to a contract to create the company’s brand and first marketing campaign that helped net a big client, Zurich Kantonal Bank. The next year I was wooed away from Flexys and took over the company's marketing communications. From its small start, the company scaled quickly in the Swiss market and expanded by merging with a Spanish software developer and then acquiring a large German developer, creating a true mid-sized company with 120 employees and offices in the 5 top banking capitals of Europe.Foregoing a prime agency to handle the marketing communications in-house, I built a small team and provided all marketing collaterals and communications across its 3 business lines (derivatives/FX trading, settlement and wealth management). The company has since been acquired by Dion Global Solutions. Show less

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  Peach Property Group AG

  Nov 2007 - Nov 2011

  Director of Marketing

  STRATEGICThe Peach IPO in Nov 2010 raised ca. CHF 60 million with a 34% float, validating strategic marketing plans begun in 2008 as measured by a most public forum. The new brand and its sexy story “Peach Property Group” created from a dormant office equipment company, evolved to become “the category leader of European luxury residential property developers.” The strategy and brand story proved not only credible, but also extremely bankable.MARKETINGOnce public, I pivoted the marketing communications plan to champion Peach as pioneering market leader specialist. To reinforce market perceptions, I allocated my budget to heavily promote the newly minted category using sales events, advertising, investor memos, feature stories, video and state-of-the-art computer generated imagery (CGI). COMMUNICATIONSMarketing is building a brand in the mind of the audience. By building a powerful brand, Peach had powerful messages its audience wanted to hear. The challenge was to institutionalize brand messages ensuring Peach and its representatives communicated the same message for different audiences. Deploying an array of PR, advertising and online platforms ensured message proliferation. Show less

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  Entrepreneurial-led companies

  Jan 2013 - Dec 2023

  Strategic messaging & positioning

  I help entrepreneurial-led organizations align their mission and vision around a strategic story. Good storytellers have an unfair competitive advantage. They will be businesses most talked about, they will recruit talent faster, attract more investment, they are going to have a strong cohesive corporate culture AND they are more likely to deliver a positive ROI.

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  Joel Blom

  Jan 2024 - now

  Empowering Human Potential: Mental Fitness Trainer

  After a decade of strategic story consulting to some of the best organisations on the planet, and training as a Positive Intelligence (PQ) Coach, I’m totally invested in its efficacy using its daily practice to create and sustain improvements in performance, engagement, wellbeing and relationships, establishing a growth mindset culture across any organisation. To quote a fellow PQ Coach, “When you thrive, it’s contagious. What the world needs more than ever is an army of thriving people.” I couldn't agree more. The fast-track to thriving is learning to handle life’s challenges from a more positive mindset, with less stress. When this happens, you’re mentally fit. Every few months, I lead a small group through a 7-week Foundational Mental Fitness course. Read testimonials from past participants on my website (joelblom.com). If any resonate, apply for placement in an upcoming training by sending a DM, or book a 15-min. Quick Hello - https://calendly.com/joelblom/quick-hello Show less