Meet The Disruptors: Thomas Federl Of Hyperquake On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Build diverse teams. Be comfortable with seeking help, advice and support from team members with diverse backgrounds. And be comfortable with the revelation that most of them may be smarter and better equipped to handle diverse situations than you are.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas Federl.
Thomas Federl joined independent creative strategy, branding and experience design agency Hyperquake in 2024 as the company’s first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer. Building upon the firm’s world-class pillars uniting its expertise in Innovation, Brand, Experiences, and Growth Marketing, under Federl’s leadership, Hyperquake has launched far-ranging Sustainability-focused development services to optimize its clients’ present and future business operations. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and communications — much of that leading international teams in community relations, social responsibility, sustainability and corporate charitable foundations — Federl had previously engaged Hyperquake to help conceive and develop his foundational efforts for both Calavo Growers and Castellini Group.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I have spent the majority of my professional life in marketing and communications. For the past 15 years, I have led teams within multinational, privately held or publicly traded companies, in the areas of corporate communications and community relations. And by default, the vast field of Sustainability has typically fallen into my realm of responsibility.
Prior to joining forces with Hyperquake, my last three engagements were all in partnership with the same CEO, and mostly in business restructuring or rebranding environments. This is where I developed a unique view of Sustainability, one that goes beyond environmental or social topics, and focuses more directly on its original definition. As your readers surely know, Sustainability means the ability of a business to change and adapt with ever-changing market expectations, environmental, and social conditions and norms, in order to remain competitive. We are calling it “future-proofing” our clients’ businesses.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We consider this work to be disruptive as it tends to go against many of the current belief systems. It is really a return to basics.
Presently, Sustainability work has gotten very politicized, with fervent supporters or opponents largely aligned with their political views. For example, do you attract and compensate the best talent regardless of background, or dismiss it as DEI propaganda?
Sustainability work reaches all aspects of the business and is designed to validate and improve what you are practicing in order to guarantee profitability and growth. Only then can you pay your employees and invest in social and environmental causes if you so choose.
Very importantly, effective Sustainability work also produces more efficient, more accountable, and more productive work environments.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It wasn’t funny at the time, but in my first job after grad school, I was the business manager of a racing team that competed in races such as The 24 Hours of Daytona and The 24 Hours of Le Mans. We had to replace one of the drivers last-minute (typically there are 3 to 4 drivers per car) and I neglected to put the driver on the insurance policy for the car. He was personally covered but damage to the car was not. And of course, he was the guy who wrecked the car. It cost me several sleepless weeks, but with the help of the team owner, we managed to sell off individual parts of the car to other teams. In the end, we covered our loss and then some. Obviously, it was not a fun time for me.
After that I crossed my T’s and dotted my I’s more vigorously. Other takeaways were realizing that mistakes like this can lead to improved processes in the future, and that sometimes, with some creativity, they can turn lemons into lemonade.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
As previously mentioned, until very recently, I directly reported to the same CEO in three different companies — and very much appreciated his leadership style and his ability to engage and encourage his teams to be accountable, humble, and brave. I learned and developed a sense of urgency, but also the understanding that allowing individuals to perform to the best of their ability comes from setting clear expectations and combining that with providing the necessary tools and freedom to do so.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I believe that change is always good and necessary to continuously adapt to consumers’ expectations and market conditions. I also believe that we can be better every day than the day before. This does not always call for a disruption but rather for continuous improvement. There are circumstances that call for disrupting the status quo, when certain behaviors have resulted in negative results repeatedly or when they just don’t align with customer or market expectations — or with what we believe to be the minimal requirements for a healthy and safe workplace (for example, that we always treat everyone with dignity and respect).
I believe the only time we can really say that a structure or approach has withstood the test of time is when we talk about human behavior, leadership styles, and work culture. Authenticity, humble leadership, setting clear goals and expectations, and leading by example will always lead to better results. When you look at business models in any industry, looking at start-ups or established corporate giants, success is typically associated with frequently changing and updating business strategies, always adjusting to changing market conditions, and always trying to be better today than yesterday.
I feel like disrupting an industry or well-established channels will always result in improving the status quo, at least at some point; it challenges competitors to rethink and innovate. But it is not always a success story for the initial disruptor. The idea might be great, but supply chain and sales channels might not be developed, or it might turn out to be too expensive to develop, and customers are often slow to change behaviors. Also, by the time it starts to catch on, the disruptor may run out of funding or lose confidence. As we all know, it can be much more difficult to activate and implement an idea than it was to come up with the innovative idea in the first place.
A great example is the food delivery/meal kit delivery space. There have been sporadic efforts to deliver meals, pizza or fresh produce since the early 1990s, but technology and the ability to scale were limited, so the early interrupters ultimately failed. Or in a few cases, they laid the groundwork and were able to cash out when they were absorbed by larger players.
Can you please share 5 ideas one needs to shake up their industry?
1 . Utilize the latest technology and data. It is easy to stay in your lane and use proven ways to get things done. But technology changes and improves at an ever-increasing rate, and not taking advantage of the latest and most developed toolset may mean leaving resources on the table. It is very uncomfortable at times but really important to never be satisfied with the status quo.
2 . Be curious. See #1. Always look for other ways, new solutions, and listen to what others have to say.
3 . Build diverse teams. Be comfortable with seeking help, advice and support from team members with diverse backgrounds. And be comfortable with the revelation that most of them may be smarter and better equipped to handle diverse situations than you are.
4 . Empower your team members. If you truly appreciate #3 then you have to let your teams make decisions, you stand behind them, and you accept that only through failures can you learn and improve.
5 . Listen to what your customers want. This is probably the most-used phrase in business. Listen to what your customers want and need, not to what you think your customers need or what you believe can bring the most profit. Sounds obvious, and it is tempting to take short cuts to make quick profits.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
With Hyperquake’s new focus, we are aiming to bring some sanity back into Sustainability discussions and demonstrate how Sustainability can improve bottom lines — no matter the industry, size of business, or phase of life cycle.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
Love The CMO Podcast by Jim Stengel. The former CMO of P&G hosts marketing leaders from diverse industries and picks their brains. Jim facilitates some highly insightful conversations which are also reassuring by confirming that the basic principles such as listening to your customers and being authentic will ultimately lead to positive results. Gaining insight into how these industry leaders think and operate is very intriguing.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Life lesson quotes change over the years, but right now I really love a quote from Ted Lasso: “Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.”
It really reminds me of how I was raised and the daily encouragement I received from my parents such as: look people in the eye when you talk to them; be friendly and courteous; respect your elders; respect the lifestyle and opinions of others, even if you don’t agree or approve. I could go on and on. It sounds very corny and maybe old fashioned, but for me, the most important aspects of life really boil down to the basics.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Given the context of this conversation, I am proud to address this illuminating idea through the lens of Hyperquake’s new Sustainability focus. Revisiting our mission, it is supporting companies and brands in building bespoke sustainability strategies that address foundational business imperatives — as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and climate impact. For us, defining a company’s take on sustainability is a mission-critical first step in achieving profitability, and in building long-term success. So, once again, we are united in our deep desire to help companies improve their business metrics, increase their relevance, and where it makes sense, secure vital new roles in a world that is changing faster than ever.
Our patent approaches identify and provide solutions to challenges spanning people, product, and process categories, and when everything comes together, companies run on all cylinders, and gain the ability to make the world a better place, as they wish. All across the Hyperquake family, contributing to this movement is the dream we are honored to help achieve.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-federl-09202825/
https://www.instagram.com/thomasfederl/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
It was a great honor. Thank you for your interest, please reach out any time.
