双语深圳｜US consultant connecting cultures for global success

深圳发布 · 公众号 · 深圳 · 2024-10-21 23:13

正文

In today’s fast-evolving global business landscape, few stories embody the true spirit of cross-cultural collaboration as profoundly as that of Sean Upton-McLaughlin, founder of Shenzhen-based consulting company SageSight. Over the past 14 years, he has dedicated himself to helping Chinese companies make their mark on the international stage.

在当今快速变化的全球商业环境中，很少有故事能像美国人Sean Upton-McLaughlin的经历那样深刻体现跨文化合作的真正精神。他是总部位于深圳的咨询公司SageSight的创始人。在过去14年里，他致力于帮助中国企业走上国际舞台。

Sean Upton-McLaughlin poses for a photo in Shekou, Nanshan District. Photos courtesy of the interviewee

Sean Upton-McLaughlin在南山蛇口留影。图片由受访者提供

Upton-McLaughlin visited China in 2001 as part of a high school cultural exchange, which sparked a deep interest in the country and a strong connection to its culture. This formative experience led him to pursue Chinese studies in college and a master’s degree focused on international management in China.

Upton-McLaughlin于2001年作为高中生文化交流项目的一员首造访中国，正是这次经历激发了他对中国的浓厚兴趣，并与中国文化建立了深厚的联系，也促使他在大学期间主修中国研究，并在中国攻读了国际管理的硕士学位。

After completing his studies, Upton-McLaughlin moved to China in 2010. Working in cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, he honed his expertise in marketing, public relations, and branding. His unique career is the result of dual perspectives gained from working for both international agencies and Chinese companies.

完成学业后，Upton-McLaughlin于2010年来到了中国。在上海、深圳及广州等多个城市的工作历练中，他不仅深化了自己在市场营销、公共关系及品牌塑造领域的专业技能，还通过在国际机构与中国本土企业中的宝贵工作经验，开辟出了一条独具特色的职业发展道路。

Why Shenzhen?

为何选择深圳？

One of the pivotal moments in his career was his time at Huawei, which is one of China’s most prominent tech giants. “What drew me to Shenzhen wasn’t just the opportunity at Huawei, but also the energy of the city itself. It’s a place where talent from all over China comes to innovate,” he said.

在他职业生涯的转折点上，Upton-McLaughlin有幸在华为——中国顶尖的科技巨头之一——工作。他坦言：“深圳的魅力不仅仅在于华为提供的职业机会，更在于这座城市本身所散发的活力与创新氛围。这里汇聚了来自五湖四海的精英，共同推动着科技与商业的边界。”

Discussing the establishment of his own company, Upton-McLaughlin said that he chose Shenzhen as a base of operations because of his deep connection to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). “I’ve worked in this region for most of my career in China, so I have a strong understanding of the local business environment,” he said.

当谈及创办个人公司时，Upton-McLaughlin因他与粤港澳大湾区的深厚渊源，所以毫不犹豫地选择了深圳作为公司的总部。“我在中国的大部分时间都在这片区域度过，因此对这里的商业环境有非常深入的理解。”他说道。

Upton-McLaughlin also values the city’s geographical advantages. “Shenzhen’s location is ideal — just a short train ride away from Guangzhou or Hong Kong — with easy access to many other cities. It’s a highly centralized area for business,” he explained.

此外，深圳的地理位置也是他看好的重要因素之一。“深圳的交通十分便捷，无论是乘坐火车前往广州或香港，还是前往其他城市，都显得游刃有余。这里无疑是一个非常适商务往来的中心地带。”他进一步解释道。

Upton-McLaughlin delivers a speech at a Morketing event.

Sean Upton-McLaughlin在一次第七届品牌全球化论坛活动中演讲。

“There are many companies and entrepreneurs building things from scratch. I see an opportunity for people like me, who can speak Chinese and work directly with Chinese organizations, to help them develop their overseas marketing. I aim to carve out a niche in the market as a foreign expert in overseas marketing, branding, and PR who can communicate directly with Chinese founders and CEOs.”

在深圳，他见证了无数企业与创业者从零到一的成长历程。他坚信，像他这样能流利说中文并直接与中国企业沟通的人，完全有能力帮助他们拓展海外市场。“我渴望在这片土地上找到自己的定位，成为一名精通海外市场营销、品牌建设和公共关系的外国专家，与中国企业的高层管理者携手共进。”

Expertise and professionalism

专业精神与职业素养的彰显

When founding his consulting company, Upton-McLaughlin had two primary goals. “First, I wanted to continue helping Chinese companies grow by working with a variety of businesses. Previously, I was focused on just one company at a time, and while that was rewarding, I was eager to take on new challenges and collaborate directly with founders, CEOs, and senior teams.”

在创立SageSight时，Upton-McLaughlin怀揣着两个目标。“首要的是，我希望继续为中国企业提供助力，通过与各类企业的合作，共同实现增长。过去，我虽然专注于单一企业的服务，并收获颇丰，但我更渴望迎接新的挑战，与企业创始人、首席执行官及高层团队建立更紧密的合作。”

His second goal was to provide a more specialized solution for Chinese companies compared to what traditional agencies offer. “Large agencies often have too many team members, many of whom are inexperienced junior consultants. This can lead to frustration, especially for a client’s senior-level managers who need expert support,” he noted.

他的第二个目标则是为中国企业提供超越传统机构的专业服务。“大型咨询机构往往人员冗杂，其中不乏经验尚浅的初级顾问。这对于需要专业指导的高层管理者来说，无疑会变得困惑。”他直言不讳地指出。

Explaining the unique strengths of SageSight, he said, “My company doesn’t operate on the same scale as the big agencies. We’re a smaller team, but we bring in real experts with 10 to 15 years of experience. We may not have 10 people on a project, but the people we do have are seasoned professionals who understand both Chinese companies and overseas markets.”

在阐述SageSight的独特优势时，他说：“我们并非大型咨询机构，团队虽小，但每个成员都是拥有10到15年经验的行业专家。我们或许不会动用10人的团队去服务一个项目，但我们有的是对中国企业和海外市场了如指掌的资深顾问。”

Highlighting how his company brings both professionalism and expertise to bear, Upton-McLaughlin shared, “I once worked with a client who was using an agency for their web content. When I reviewed it, the content was clearly not written by a native English speaker, despite the agency’s claims. It was frustrating for the client, and that’s the kind of issue we aim to solve by providing real expertise and actionable results.”

他分享了一个生动的案例，以彰显公司的专业性和能力：“我曾为一位客户检查其网站的内容，这些内容出自一家咨询机构之手。然而，当我仔细审阅时，却发现网站的英语内容并不是很准确、地道。这种情况的确会让客户非常难堪。而这正是我们致力于解决的问题——提供真正的专业服务和切实有效的成果。”

“We always put our customers first, and we want to help Chinese companies succeed globally by offering solutions that bridge the gap between the needs of Chinese businesses and the realities of Western markets,” Upton-McLaughlin said of his company’s mission.

在谈及公司使命时，Upton-McLaughlin分享道：“我们始终将客户放在首位，致力于通过提供定制化的解决方案，帮助中国企业在全球舞台上大放异彩，弥合中国企业与西方市场之间的鸿沟。”

内容来源： EyeShenzhen

编辑：钟汝芳薛永利

审读：黄淳陈苏雅

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