My Biggest Lesson: Christine DeFazio
Christine DeFazio is the associate vice president, strategic insights at DAC, where she started in July 2022. With 20 years of experience in the industry, Christine offers invaluable expertise in discovering human truths and insights critical for crafting exceptional brands. She embodies the unique combination of being both a dreamer and a realist, which enables her to excel in her field. She thrives at the intersection of clients and vendors, academics and practitioners, blending hard analytics with open creativity.
Dedicated to fostering an environment that balances laughter and hard work, Christine values collaboration with DAC’s team of brilliant professionals across media, content, and strategy. She enjoys bringing together the worlds of marketers and market researchers, driving innovation and excellence within her team and the broader industry. Listen to Christine's biggest lesson here!
My boss is Dr. Simeon Chow. He is a PhD out of MIT and he has a personalised Virginia license plate that spells it out PHD MIT. I always find mental images helpful so he has spiked up hair in the front, wears bow ties with custom suits and cowboy boots that are always made from some rare animal. He is on his third profession. First he was a professor, then he ran data science at a large market research supplier and now we both find ourselves on the “client” side for the first time.
He asks me into his office late in the workday. He is sitting behind his desk and opens up a paperclip. He then proceeds to poke holes into the filter of his Marlboro light. He offers me one and I accept with the request of the paperclip filter treatment.
It seems I am joining him for an impromptu status as he begins to ask me for updates on all of my projects, which makes sense as I report to him. I proceed to give him a very detailed and not well organised update on each project. Simeon is listening attentively, with little to no non-verbal facial response. He just looks at me while continuing to smoke.
After I finish my verbal diarrhoea of all my projects, Simeon looks at me, takes a last drag off his cigarette and calmly explains to me:
If you truly understand something, you should be able to simplify it. Be able to express is by its fundamental parts.
He goes on to say that
Everything in this world can be explained by a 2x2.
A “2x2” I ask, utterly lost and confused.
Yes, he says. Maybe you know it as a quad map.
I had no response. At the time, I felt as though this was the least useful guidance I had ever been given. A 2X2?!?
So, after many years in industry I am going to admit it – he was right. Putting concepts into quad maps has literally been how I have been able to not just survive but thrive. The 2X2 has helped me to make sense and elevate insights for consumer package goods innovation to how to deliver valuable frameworks in my start-up. I even worked through my father’s terminal illness with a quad map.
Given this, I am passing on this knowledge that will set you free. Embrace the quad map – it can literally change your life.
And Sim – thank you!
