Year in Review 2020

Without much doubt 2020 has not been a typical run-of-the-mill standard year for pretty much all of us (whole of the human raze) and if we got something very clearly this time around is quite possibly what we have always long expected, unprecedented change.

If anybody had told me that 2020 was going to pan out the way it did at the start of the year, I would have not believed it. But, let us face it, as somebody who is used to authoring his own destiny, I have always been prepared for any kind of unpreached predicament.

Covid-19 has been the main keyword of the year and while most of what happened in the world is attributed to it, we can also say that nothing positive was going to ever happen if all of us humans had not stepped in and proved again that we are at the top of the food chain for a reason. I followed suit.

In line with the premise that we are the strongest and more survivalist species, I quickly adapted to short time spans in an everchanging world. While the economy retreated to its online existence my companies were immediately well positioned for a remote-working world and without delay we started to tackle the uncertainties of our clients doing what we do best, Engaging More and Selling More.

As I lead my people and clients over countless sleepless nights early in the year, I realized that being a CEO puts me at the forefront of whichever fight I am up to fighting in the business world. This way I realized that when uncharted uncertainties arose, there was no manual to follow apart from my own leadership. So, I did exactly that, I lead by heart and secured a level of calm and optimism that became my own and subsequently shaped it into my learnings. I figured that when nothing is as ever more important than existing, putting things in perspective of my own existence is the only life-saving strategy that works. Fortunately, it did.

As most of the storm brought upon us began to subside, I found myself hiring people and acquiring companies while unleashing my wildest entrepreneurial dreams. The more people, especially clients, realized that calm and growth can be delivered in an uncertain world and the more they saw I was authoring both, the more they came to me. Long story short, my teams in several countries have grown and I went from owning three companies to owning four, co-owning another two and managing another two ventures for which I am the hired CEO and managing director.

By all means, this kind of expansion is something I did not plan for at the beginning of 2020. And perhaps, moreover something I would not have done if 2020 had not been the kind of 2020 we all came to know. Somehow, I found a lot of motivation to grow in the deepest depth of uncertainty that became very fulfilling.

As another year comes to its end, I can only emphasize how important certain triggers are in life and while some are possibly not the best, it is up to us to make them work in our favor. While Covid will eventually either vanish or be put well under control, the behavioral changes it delivered this year are not going anywhere and will only develop into a progressively ever changed world once again.

Apart from the professional side of things, on the life side I can only thank 2020 for having grounded me in Japan for most of the year which as a result has brought me closer to my wife and children. As eventually 2021 and beyond will see me travel again, I am certain that the crazy travel schedule I was once engulfed in and the family distancing it forced me into for the best part of the last five years, will not likely return. Or at least not return in the same shape in much the same way all else changed in my life in this truly unforgettable year.

Kohaku Utagassen 2019

The 70th edition of Kohaku Utagassen was unlike previous editions quite appealing in its own unique way. With a Tokyo Olympics 2020 oriented theme there was a good degree of innovation followed by both musical talent and interesting performances.

Once again the White team represented by the gentlemen won, but not without facing great contenders and performances from the Red side that look like they were challenging them very closely.

The Red side shone in strength with Hinatazaka 46 and the 46 variations of singing girls who appeared to become much more visible in the void left by AKB 48 and the almost complete disappearance of its original members. On the particular case of AKB 48 and despite this fact, it is remarkable to see how well this AKB 48 brand holds. Especially so as they performed a more internationalized version of their hit “Koi suru Fortune Cookie” which was quite pleasant to see. Sang by several regional expressions of the group from China to India integrated with their Japanese expression, the group showed what it takes to go beyond Japan and crate hits.

Beyond the usually attractive feminine side, some remarkable top performances from the White side included the boy bands with all their variations, Jonny’s Junior, Kiss-My-Ft2 and Arashi. They as the usual suspects to carry results forward did exactly what was expected to win the scores. On the less quantifiable but more on the quality of performance side of things the gentlemen that strengthen the position of the White team were Miura Daichi, Hoshino Gen, and an upgraded Hikawa Kiyoshi and his new looks. King Gnu, a remarkable new band and the Yoshiki (X Japan) singing with Kiss performance pretty much sealed the prize for the guys.

Back to the Red side, the women continued their contest with a more emotional approach which kept them catching attention. However, individualities were not seen to the point at which they could have turned the score. A few names to keep in mind are Paprika, and Little Glee Monster especially the later which has an interesting appeal. Nakamoto Mizuki stole the night in her own right with her great performance of “Into the Unknown” Quite remarkable for a girl that a week earlier was working as a cashier in a supermarket. All the other performances on the red side were carried on by the usual suspects Perfume, Superfly, Matsuda Seiko, Sakamoto Fuyumi, Takeuchi Maria as well as Ikimono Gakari who appeared to be there to raise numbers for the Red team, but quite possibly not to stick out beyond their names with their performances.

On the wildcard side of things, Beat Takeshi did a spectacular job as a comedian and singer. This is a guy worth appreciating a lot more in every possible respect in the way that he continues to drive the pop scene in Japan. AI Misora Hibari on the other hand was controversial as she was brought to life by a humanoid robot which although it was good, it generated some mixed feelings. Perhaps we should let the dead rest in peace and not try to profit out of them next time.
Amidst all these the interval in between first and second halves of the show brought an unintended third wild card with the news of Carlos Ghosn fleeing Japan. It was almost as if he could have scored points against the guys with his performance reported by the news.

Overall a good show that carried a remarkable level of performance we should certainly not only continuously hope for but also to strive to maintain. As a changing society in a country that needs to express itself better and differently J-pop or better called pop Japan has to continue to look forward to the more there is to come in further editions of this traditional, New year’s eve White-Red contend in much the same way it was done this time.