Erin Flood
Creative Director, GoDo
I grew up with an entrepreneurial father who taught me that I could do pretty near anything that I wanted, but I’d never learn what it was I wanted unless I did some exploring. This is where my company name, “GoDo", originates from. GoDo: Always be creating, it doesn’t need to be complicated, but at least go and try, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. The best part? You’ll always learn something from the experience.
Our childhood was filled with entrepreneurial endeavours, whether we were selling ice cream to car lineups at the ferry boat arrival, building space ships from tin cans in our garage, the underlying message was ubiquitous “never stop creating, never stop learning”. That “GoDo” message has become my own personal philosophy in life and work. My father’s love for technology and entrepreneurialism, paired with my mother’s work as a psychologist, with a special love for the humanities, contribute to who I’ve been shaped into today. GoDo was founded on the belief that there is more to technology than making it faster, smaller, and more powerful. When thoughtfully designed, technology has the ability to enhance and augment human capabilities, while understanding the environmental context that surrounds it. We call this the Human Experience - the intersection of humans, nature, and technology. When all three are working in harmony, you can feel it. When we work on a project or are beginning a relationship with a new client, we ask ourselves these questions to ensure we’re enhancing the Human Experience instead of replacing or devaluing it. These principles allow us to approach ambiguous problem with a sturdy understanding of what the outcome should look like.
And just as much we emphasize the human component in our work, we believe our personal curiosities and lifestyles are the engines that fuel our creativity daily. It’s important for us to share our adventures outside of the office with one another, and be expanding our abilities through the outdoors, the arts, culture and anything else that sparks our interest. I used to be bought into the “startup” culture of constantly being on the grind, until I realized that I had forgotten to put my head up and explore the world around me, which turns out, is much more fruitful than living inside or relying on a screen.
What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
Honestly, I am most proud of the people I get to work with everyday. More than "proud", I am full of gratitude to have the luxury of working alongside such brilliantly diverse people who challenge the status quo to build a better world, each and every day.
What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
Honestly, I am most proud of the people I get to work with everyday. More than "proud", I am full of gratitude to have the luxury of working alongside such brilliantly diverse people who challenge the status quo to build a better world, each and every day.
What's your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
Bob said it best, the times they are a changing. Our biggest opportunity can be found in our people and our land. We are rapidly educating ourselves on how we can be welcoming newcomers everyday, which is critical to the growth of the economy and our culture. And our land, something we are rich with, we've only scratched the surface in how we can use this to our advantage.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
Finding confidence in my ability. Many people along the way helped me find this, but ultimately I needed to discover this on my own, and growing GoDo has afforded me that.
What's your favourite or most read book or podcast?
- The Art of Innovation- Tom Kelley and David Kelley
- The Power of Positive Deviance- Monique Sternin, Jerry Sternin, Richard Pascale
- Blue sweater- Jacqueline Novogratz
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Creator, changemaker, entrepreneur, lover of the trees, dogs, and the diversity of the human mind
