How To Create Results for a Trillion Dollar Valuation Company Even When You Are Small

Thinking about brand results I created for Google from 2014 to 2023 knocks me off my feet.

I was successful and effective while working for Google. I took very good care of the Google brand. Here are some of my accomplishments that I feel comfortable bragging about:

2014 - Created an digital brand reputation presence for Google at several minority outreach events

2015 - Established the why, audience segments with analysis, messaging, brand strategy, and digital listening pipelines to help Google understand specific communities better; established vital relationships

2016 - Created a digital marketing campaign to highlight Black Excellence in entrepreneurship featuring one of the original unapologetic Black business ownerss Reggie Jackson, MLB Hall of Famer

Then, based on those insights, more goals by design were brought to fruition by a stellar team of gifted co-entrepreneurs like me across the USA, curated by the entrepreneurial minded Google staff:

2017 - Out of thin air, I was invited to help brand, design, conceptualize, create message, make rules, terms and conditions, write curriculum and develop a living outreach strategy that established the Accelerate With Google program, which has since been copied and emulated by hundreds of other tech companies, local government organizations and community groups

I was even able to expose my sons to the scale of Google.

2018 - Scaled the program to several other states
- Developed relationships for Google with my own connections with Theaster Gates Rebuild Foundation; created an Accelerate With Google pipeline to people of color and LGBQT to the Talks At Google Program: secured Tena Clark and Pulitzer author Viet Thanh Nguyen.

2019 - Reached thousands of small businesses and partner organizations across the USA through mentorship, training, coaching and other business assistance

2020 - Moved all operations online, and helped keep hope and coversations alive on behalf of Google for the small businesses that we captivated and trained

2021 - Won a Fast Company Innovation Award for Google. The first time Google was ever recognized by Fast Company.

2022 - 2023 - Opened up to more new local partnerships

2024 - I passed the baton to a younger coach

I recently had a colleague say to me: I don't understand your relationship with Google. Why didn't they engage your firm after all those years?

In hindsight, I realize that I did not take care of me while I was working with Google. And Google extracted what they needed.

The things I should've, could've, would've, haunts me. What interests me is other people that have moved on from Google are likely feeling the same way. They were nose to the grindstone, failed to make crucial connections, or relationships, or as Google likes to say, intent to convert for long-term success.

The other thing I've realized is that my work with Google was diversity work, not revenue generating work.

I'm still proud of what we built for Google. I've lost track of all the builders that were there with me.

JinJa Birkenbeuel is the CEO of Birk Creative, host of The Honest Field Guide podcast, and a writer.

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