I was up with the larks, bleary eyed but raring to go. America awaits and the exciting potential of innovative conversations and progress with fantastic brand partners and Micro-Fresh allies! 

 

I was welcomed at Virgin Atlantic’s service desk with a warm smile and friendly service (at 6am – thanks Virgin!). For me Virgin is as good as it gets - you feel valued from desk to departure and the outstanding comfort on board meant I could catch up on some shut eye, and prepare for the week ahead. 

 

We landed in JFK in the afternoon and shared a ride with my Micro-Fresh counterpart Søren Bork Christiansen back to the hotel. The sun set over the Brooklyn Bridge as we settled in for a drink at the hotel bar – excited and eager for the packed week ahead of us. 

It is of the upmost importance to me that Micro-Fresh is best represented by enthusiastic, innovative, pro-active people where ever we lay our hats. Monday was all about meeting prospective country managers for the US at the Hyatt hotel. 

 

We met with great talent – spanning from the west to the east coast – excited to revel and share Micro-Fresh’s innovative brand mission. The acquisition of people in this role allows the brand to spread our message to more and more people. Micro Fresh has always grown successfully off the back of great conversations with engaged individuals, ready to take a step in a sustainable, healthier direction. With the help of our US ambassadors we are creating more of these conversations and challenging more people’s perceptions of what is possible. 

 

Our third partner Garry Mehta also arrived after his long haul flight from the sands of Dubai. Great to catch up with him in the afternoon and plan for a prosperous trip. 

 

In the evening we met up with my nephew, Joseph Copeland, account executive at Sterling Technology. Great to see him wearing the beaming ‘Dixon’ smile as he walked through the door. Joe has only been in the ‘Big Apple’ for a matter of weeks but is already carving out his own American Dream and making a brilliant life for himself across the pond – a true Dixon!. As well as it being lovely to hear about what he was up to, this was the night the Gunners rolled over our beloved Chelsea blues at the Emirates and so it was nice to confide in a familiar face as we commiserated each other and discussed what can only be described as a woeful season! 

It’s funny how, even a long way from home, you can still arrange fortuitous meetings with esteemed friends and fellow globe trotters like Nedra Dickson (one can only assume her parents spelt her last name wrong on her birth certificate!) Nedra usually abides in Atlanta but as I was an inaugural graduate of Accenture’s DSDP programme, I jumped at the chance to meet her at Accenture’s offices – the envy of most of NYC. The view from the floor to ceiling windows was breath taking, awe-inspiring and somewhat confusing, as Nedra pointed out Madison Square Garden in the foreground, which is neither Square, nor a Garden from the 67th floor! 

 

We met with Nedra for most of the morning and although I can’t quite say what was discussed on the agenda, it is a very exciting prospect – all I can say is watch this space. 

 

The three of us (Me , Søren and Garry) met with a major sports conglomerate in the afternoon – we have always seen massive potential in Micro Fresh partnering with sports brands, an inherent place where odour prevention and anti-bacterial growth solutions are vital. It was great to see this potential for innovation shared with such a prominent sport product innovator. 

A great day of fantastic conversations with exciting innovators, amongst which was a very fortuitous meeting with Peloton along with Nedra. Peloton have fantastic offices which back on to Accenture’s wonderful space – crammed with the very pinnacle of sports innovation and technological engineering. As a scientific engineer it was like a playground of potential and so I am very appreciate of Nedra and Kevin for setting up that opportunity. 

 

Fortuitous events continued as I exited the lift in the Hyatt hotel. Like something out an American blockbuster, half way across the world, who should I find on the other side of the doors other than our long established and valued client Fraser Donaldson from Vision Linens. We grabbed a cheeky drink in the hotel bar and pondered over what a small world it was! 

We had a meeting at the Harvard Club, a fantastic establishment, steeped in history and esteem with a footwear brand looking to provide longevity to their ranges and meet their sustainable and CSR targets. We thrive on meetings like these and have a wonderful, eclectic range of industries and products that we are able to showcase to demonstrate the effectiveness of Micro Fresh. 

 

To show us Brits how it is really done, our client then took us to Bobby Vans Grill on 45th street for a meeting over steak, chips (– sorry – fries) and a couple of Manhattans best beer. The service, as it always is in NYC, was exemplary the steak was cooked to perfection and the conversation had an authentic New York twang which is exactly how I like it – genuine, ‘forthright’ with contagious enthusiasm! 

We were up at the crack of dawn with sirens wailing and a fresh breeze of the Hudson hitting the back of our throats. We had an early morning breakfast meeting (pancakes – is there any other option!) with a major clothing wholesaler after which Søren, Gary and I jumped into another cab and flew down town to a famous fashion brand, of whom can’t be named at this very moment. We has 

d a great conversation about our plastic-free anti-mould treatment and a sneak peak at the very cutting edge of luxury. 

 

After heralding a quick return trip and grabbing our suitcases, we were driven by who can only be described as New York’s answer to Max Verstappen back to JFK, where we were greeted warmly and zipped through immigration to take a seat on our flight back to Blighty. All in time to see history being made in Hyde Park as King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned to a lustrous crackle of colourful Union Flags being waved. 

 

Long live the king, and long live our wonderful relationship with allies across the pond. 

 

Until next time!