New Beginnings Are Often Disguised as Painful Endings – Guest: Greg Tebbutt — Co-Founder, Fixer

On his napkin, Greg Tebbutt wrote just one word:  Change.  No diagrams. No frameworks.  No arrows pointing to quadrants.  Just one word.  And yet, in many ways, it may be the most relevant word of 2026.  Greg Tebbutt is a seasoned global marketing leader who has worked across more than 60 brands over two decades — including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Volkswagen. He currently co-founded Fixer (fixer.global), a business built around accelerating clarity and creative decision-making in a world where culture shifts by the hour.  But long before Greg led global brands through massive pivots, he faced change in the most personal way possible.  At 17 years old, Greg was in a devastating motorbike accident. He spent two and a half weeks in ICU and seven months recovering in hospital. Doctors told him he would never play sport again.  He was lying flat on his back.  Nothing had changed physically.  And yet everything changed.  When Change Feels Like a Loss  When I asked Greg why he chose the word "change," he didn't hesitate.  "Change is a big word," he said. "It seems to be the word of 2026."  He talked about layoffs. About AI reshaping job security. About the uneasiness hanging in the air.  And here's the part that struck me:  For most people, change feels negative.  It feels like something is being taken away.  Greg said it simply:  "We don't like being uncomfortable."  And yet growth lives inside discomfort.  His breakthrough didn't happen at the accident. It happened during recovery.  It wasn't the ICU. It was the thinking.  He had too much time. Too much reflection. Too much wondering, "Why did this happen to me?"  Until one day, he realized something powerful:  He needed to accept where he was.  And once he accepted it, hope showed up.  Nothing Changed… But Everything Changed  Greg described the moment vividly.  Physically? He was still on his back.  Emotionally? Everything shifted.  "I suddenly had hope."  He moved from depression to mild excitement. From frustration to optimism.  What changed?  Not his circumstances.  His belief.  The doctor said he'd never play sport again. Greg decided he would play rugby one year later.  Belief came before evidence.  That's the pivot.  The belief created the evidence.  And that pattern became the foundation of how he approaches life — and business.  Change at the Brand Level: The VW Redemption  Years later, Greg would face change on a massive corporate scale.  When he joined Volkswagen of America in 2017, the brand was coming off the Dieselgate emissions scandal. VW was, in his words, "the most hated brand in America."  Consumers felt cheated. Dealers felt shaken. Employees felt the consequences of something they didn't cause.  The company had a choice:  Defend the past… Or change the future.  VW chose change.  They pivoted hard into electric vehicles. They invested billions into a different direction. They changed culture. They changed strategy.  Then they told the story.  Greg helped launch a campaign that openly acknowledged the mistake and positioned the brand for redemption.  But here's the critical point:  They acted before they talked.  "Action speaks louder than words."  That's change done right.  Tension Is Not the Enemy  One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was around tension.  Greg described how legendary ad agency founder Bill Bernbach changed the industry in 1949 by pairing art directors and copywriters together as equals. The tension between them created better ideas.  Not adversarial tension.  Creative tension.  Healthy tension.  Greg reframed it beautifully:  "Tension doesn't have to be negative. If you look at tension in the context of being a team, not adversaries, it changes everything."  That's a lesson for leaders everywhere.  Change requires tension. Growth requires tension. But tension inside a team, grounded in trust, creates breakthroughs.  The New Model: Speed and Clarity  Greg's newest venture, Fixer, is built around this reality:  Culture now moves in hours, not months.  Brands can be fast and wrong. Or slow and brilliant — and too late.  The traditional agency model hasn't changed in 76 years. But the world has.  Fixer short-circuits the layers between Chief Marketing Officer and lead creative. It brings decision-makers into the same room.  Less friction.  More clarity. Faster iteration.  And that's the deeper message of this episode:  Change isn't about chaos.  It's about clarity inside motion.    5 Key Takeaways from My Conversation with Greg Tebbutt  1. Change Begins with Acceptance  Greg's breakthrough didn't happen when the accident occurred. It happened when he accepted where he was.  Take Action: Ask yourself: Where am I resisting reality right now? Acceptance is not surrender — it's the first step toward momentum.    2. Belief Comes Before Evidence  Greg decided he would play rugby again before there was proof he could.  Take Action: Choose one goal that feels just beyond your current evidence. Act in alignment with belief, not current proof.    3. Act Before You Announce  VW didn't just reposition messaging. They changed strategy first.  Take Action: If you're pivoting, make sure your internal behavior shifts before your external marketing does.    4. Tension Inside a Team Is Healthy  Creative tension between equals produces better thinking.  Take Action: Encourage disagreement in your leadership meetings — as long as it comes from shared purpose, not ego.    5. Speed Requires Clarity  Fast is meaningless without direction. Slow brilliance is useless if it's late.  Take Action: Remove one unnecessary layer between decision-maker and execution this month. Shorten the loop.    About Greg Tebbutt  Greg Tebbutt is a global marketing leader and co-founder of Fixer, a new model designed to bring clarity and creative speed to brands navigating modern change. Over a 20+ year career, Greg has worked across more than 60 global brands including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Volkswagen. He brings deep experience in brand repositioning, culture alignment, and high-speed creative strategy.  Website: https://www.fixer.global/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-tebbutt/    Change is uncomfortable.  But as Greg reminded us:  "New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."  If you're facing uncertainty this year — personally or professionally — maybe this isn't happening to you.  Maybe it's happening for you.  Grab a napkin. Write one word.  And ask yourself:  What is this change making possible?  If this episode resonated, share your takeaway on a napkin and post it with the hashtag #PaperNapkinWisdom.  Small enough to fit on a napkin. Big enough to change your life.