Balancing the Grind with Adam Boote, Director of Digital & Growth at Localsearch

Adam Boote is the Director of Digital and Growth at Localsearch, a digital marketing service founded and headquartered in regional Queensland.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I’ve always had an interest in marketing and technology, and was working in print marketing for a few years when an opportunity came about to combine them.

I was working on a joint merger between Microsoft and Nine Entertainment for a good year or so before I moved to London to work with a Nasdaq-listed company.

This is around the time when Google Adwords was making a lot of changes and I was managing a team, helping them develop their skills so they could help businesses in the UK.

Obviously, I came back to Australia, which is when I co-launched Local Web Experts. We became a Google Premier Partner pretty early on and, a few years into it, we started working with another business who, back then, had been helping businesses for a good 20 plus years.

The partnership with Localsearch eventually led to us essentially becoming one joint venture, and here we are!

Right now, I’m the Director of Digital & Growth at Localsearch, which really gives me that fulfilment to combine those two loves of technology and marketing I mentioned.

I work across leadership, marketing and our digital teams, essentially ensuring our own marketing, and that we help Australian businesses with, is backed by the best technology we can currently access in the country – and the world in some cases. 

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I am not a routine person. With what I do, being adaptable is probably one of the most important things to be, as every day quite literally looks so different to the next. But, every morning I have to start off the same.

As cliche as it sounds, I get up super early – I’m talking pre-sunrise early – and my wife and I get our daughter, Sienna, ready and go for a family walk with our dog (cheeky plug for @cavoodle_austin on Instagram) around the lake. By the time I get home, I’m relaxed, I’m ready for the day and I’ve kicked everything off with family time.

With COVID, we transitioned to working from home from April onwards, so it’s been a blessing if I have early meetings. I can get them done on Teams before I get into the office. Even on the way to work, I’ll sometimes fit another meeting in over hands-free and normally walk straight into another meeting when I get there. 

My average day is pretty much back-to-back meetings with my teams, some of our partnerships – like Google – the businesses we help – like O’Brien – but I do travel at least once a month. 

The evenings will normally depend on what’s going on, but I’ll catch up with different teams at least a few times after work, have late meetings or, like I said, be travelling. 

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

COVID has obviously been shocking, but something cool it did was help everyone realise the freedom that was literally sitting right in front of us. The productivity that comes from being able to work from home.

I mentioned before being in meetings from home and in the car, but seriously, being able to have meetings with anyone from anywhere in the world at any time because of the technology that’s gone in leaps and bounds this year is incredible. Being present doesn’t mean having to be physically present anymore, and it’s been a blessing. 

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

To be in a role like I am, it’s really not possible to do unless you have a partner who is 100% onboard.

There are going to be plans that have to be cancelled, dinners are going to be interrupted and if you haven’t got someone who gets it and supports you, you’re going to fail – personally and professionally. You have to respect each other. 

And look, I’m not saying work 24/7, because everyone needs downtime, but when you actually love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work – it’s just part of life and what makes you happy. Aim for that. 

5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

There’s that saying about it taking 21 days to form a habit, so it’s not exactly things I’ve stopped or started this year, really.

I’d say with being able to work from anywhere at any time, I’ve been exploring what not having to box my days into a schedule can do for me, and being able to be flexible has been amazing. It’s helped me be a better person for everyone, really, myself included. 

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters you’d like to recommend?

Oh, a good book is everything. I recently read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the creator of Nike. You see these massive brands, like Nike, and you kind of forget they had to start somewhere. In this book, he really opens up about how big a struggle it was in the beginning – but look where it gets you, right?! 

Podcasts, if I’m not in a meeting on the way to work, I’ll throw a podcast on. It’s mainly what everyone else calls the boring stuff, like investment podcasts, but I really recommend anyone check out Equity Mates. I’d say it’s probably one of the top ones out there as it’s so straight forward about investing for the everyday person, but it’s quality enough for anyone who is a bit more advanced.

As for newsletters, my inbox is filled. I love them – it’s like turning on the news for me. Search Engine Land is probably one of my favourites. I’ll check in on business.localsearch.com.au/blog to see what my team are writing about too, and it’s always good stuff.

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps you can’t live without?

Almost a little ashamed to admit it, but my phone. Absolutely glued to it, but hey, it helps me stay connected to everyone, including friends and family, so it is what it is.

I also recently got AirPods – which, before I got them, thought were a bit of a gimmick, but they make taking calls and everything else so much easier wherever I am. 

But, I do recommend to everyone the Timehop app. You sync it up to all your socials, photos, etc., and it pulls in your memories from that day throughout the years – super cool. I may or may not have a streak of 1,457 days.

I also would never, ever delete the calculator app off my phone. Somehow I use it way more than anyone would ever think.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would it be?  

Alright, I have three! Scott Morrison, because he seems to balance running an entire country with a happy family easily from the outside.

Warren Buffett, because to be fair, I think I’ve actually read one or two. And, Bobby Axelrod from Billions, which I know is not a real person, but his character really intrigues me.

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance you’d like to share with our readers?

If someone said get here in 5 minutes for a billion dollars, you would. Don’t put things off, even if it’s small. I always put things I need to get done in as a meeting, and I never, ever cancel a meeting unless it can’t be avoided.

I always think your time is not more important than anyone else’s, whoever you are, and it helps create respect that goes both ways. Lead by example, you know?

And secondly, my biggest advice, to absolutely everyone, no matter who you are or what you do – if you get to Sunday night and dread going to work, do yourself a favour, and find and do what you love.

You’re going to have bad days, even if you’re the happiest person in the world, but if you don’t love what you do, no amount of money or power is going to make you happy. 

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