Brad is the newest member of our business development team. He will be working with our partners to ensure that we’re helping them succeed in building fantastic location analysis tools with CartoDB. Most recently, he managed partner relationships at Google.
Roger: I had the pleasure to meet one-on-one with Brad Songer at one of his favorite burger joints, Blue Collar. “I like simple food done well”, he told me as we entered the no frills burgers and shake shack. “Burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes is all we do here”, the hostess told me. “And we do it better than anyone else,” she said with confidence and a smile. Brad ordered his cheeseburger and shake. I ordered a cheeseburger with french fries to share.
So what were you doing before joining CartoDB?
Brad: I was a Program Manager at Google on the Google Maps for Work team. Everyone at Google wears lots of hats and works on different projects, but my primary focus was collaborating with a key group of strategic Google Maps partners on product roadmap and go-to-market strategy. Prior to Google I spent 6 years at Esri in the sales organization. I joined as an Inside Sales Associate but over time earned more responsibility, eventually working on a small team spearheading key business development and market expansion initiatives. It’s not lost on me that I’ve been really fortunate to work alongside some bright and passionate people bringing location-based solutions to the consumer and enterprise marketplace.
Roger: That makes me want to check in on Foursquare. Hold on a second… Okay.
Allow me to paraphrase one of my favorite quotes from Office Space. What do you say you’ll be doing do here at CartoDB?
Brad: As Partnerships Director for North America, I’m providing leadership around the design and management of CartoDB’s business partner program in the US and Canada. A major focus today is helping our partners migrate Google Maps Engine customers over to the CartoDB Platform. I collaborate with colleagues and executive leadership to shape the future of CartoDB’s partnership strategy, which is already involving some exciting conversations I know customers will be excited to learn more about.
Roger: This is clearly something that excites you?
Brad: Oh man, absolutely! The most exciting projects in my career have involved building and maximizing business partnerships. They create revenue streams and market opportunities for the partners, while customers benefit by getting the core strengths of two or more companies in a combined solution that’s far more valuable than the sum of it’s parts. This dynamic is what makes partnerships really rewarding, and always worth the effort to discover and make successful.
Roger: I’m pumped! So when you’re not working, what are you doing to unwind?
Brad: My wife Stacey and I have two little ones that we adore, Landon (almost 4 yo.) and Elaina (2 yo.). We love watching them be creative and discover things which usually involves little art projects, or “bug hunts” in the back yard. Our latest “milestone” is picking up the worms we find under logs. At my suggestion, of course, they rush over to show them to mom, which she really appreciates! I’ve had lots hobbies over the years, but nowadays I take every chance I get to create memories as a family. Thanks to your own local suggestion a few days ago, we’ll probably end up visiting Fire Island this summer to see what a neighborhood looks like without cars!
Roger: So tell me something funny or unique about yourself.
Brad: (laughs followed by a deep sigh and a grin) There might be friends or family reading this who would love to answer this questions for me so I’ll share a few to give the question justice. First, I’ve figured out (very slowly!), how to cut my own hair. Most people think that sounds ridiculous, and they’re probably right. But I had a terrible time finding a barber after college. Now I’m convenienced I can do it better than anyone! Something else odd, I’m a happily retired bodybuilder! It was a one-and-done experience back in 2008. Eventually I realized I’d put in the years of work in the gym along with clean eating habits to have a chance of competing successfully. I hooked up with a coach, followed a maniacal diet and conditioning plan to absolute perfection, and ended up winning the champions trophy in two classes and was the runner-up overall winner. It was a defining personal moment for me, but not a lifestyle I could sustain. And finally, if those first two sound too self-serving, I’ll confess to being a “crier.” Sentimental movie or TV plots have an annoying ability to get me choked up. Even certain things in sports get me. Honestly it’s comical, but I’ve realized there nothing I can do about it.
I ended up eating all the fries. “I don’t need anything extra. This shake finished the job nicely!”, said Brad.