How Lifestyle Marketing and a Love of Adventure Shaped Oli Russell-Cowan’s Uncharted Career

In this episode, I sit down with Oli Russell-Cowan, a global brand strategist, founder of Unchartered Territory, and someone I’ve known since our school days. We rewind the clock to our boarding school years and explore how Oli's love for skateboarding, surfing, and taking the unconventional route shaped his career.Oli opens up about his journey from chasing waves to shaping culturally relevant brands, including time at Liquid Death and building global events platform Rad Season. He talks candidly about launching his own agency, the risks of entrepreneurship, and why understanding people matters more than any marketing funnel.We dig into team dynamics, how to stay grounded in a world of AI and rapid change, and what it really takes to turn passion into a career without losing your grip on reality (or the market).If you're navigating a career change, building something from scratch, or just wondering how to make a living doing what you love , you will enjoy this episode.Follow Oli here:LinkedIn profile. Plus here is Unchartered Territory links:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramFollow David / Via Nova here:⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Via Nova LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Via Nova Website⁠Free Personal Exit Plan / Work With MeWant to know if you are ready for a career change? Answer these 10 questions and find out!Chapters00:00 Revisiting Old Friendships02:25 Career Journey and Life Changes04:56 The Birth of Rad Season07:23 The Impact of Liquid Death09:55 Embracing Rebellion in Marketing12:21 Lessons from Liquid Death14:41 Navigating Bad Days17:03 The Importance of Team Dynamics19:37 Starting Uncharted Territory22:16 Lifestyle Marketing Explained24:40 The Role of AI in Business27:25 Future Plans for Uncharted Territory