It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood... Theodore Roosevelt's words hit differently when you're standing in an actual lucha libre ring, about to deliver a keynote. And that's exactly where I found myself at Greenbook's IIEX LatAm in Mexico City—closing out a conference themed "La Lucha Sigue" (The Fight Continues) by talking about something radically old-school. We talked about human connection.
While most of the conference (rightfully) explored how AI, behavioral science, and automation are transforming insights, I took a different approach. Instead of talking about the latest technology, I focused on something we're in danger of losing in our rush toward efficiency adn that is the art of really listening to people. Not listening to respond, or listening to sell, but listening to understand someone else's significant challenges so deeply that you can help them find solutions they didn't even know existed. This is what collaboration as the new competition really means. It means moving beyond the tired win-lose model, past even the aspirational win-win, to something more expansive—the win-win-win-win scenario. When we connect meaningfully and collaborate strategically, bigger opportunities emerge for everyone involved.
 |
 |
The conference itself embodied this spirit beautifully. From Diego Recalde's brave stance on brand conviction at Starbucks Mexico (seriously, his "back to Starbucks" campaign and cultural sensitivity should be required viewing) to Mayte Escamilla's moving reminder about intuition, joy, and humanizing our work, every session reinforced that technology works best when it amplifies (not replaces) our humanity. Luis Arturo Pelayo's YouScan demo showed how social listening can create early warning systems for brand conversations. Claudio Flores Thomas tackled "AI slop" head-on, advocating for "human in the loop" approaches and showing a cringe-worthy video of someone using real-time AI prompts during a job interview (collective groans heard across the conference floor). The message threading through it all? AI is a powerful tool, but only when guided by human insight, cultural understanding, and emotional intelligence.
 |
 |
 |
 |
What struck me most about IIEX LatAm wasn't just the content. Although presentations on digital ethnography, neuromarketing, and behavioral science were genuinely fascinating, what struck me most was the people. The energy in that room came from professionals who understood that relationships matter in Latin America in a way that can't be automated or optimized away. We need faster insights and leaner processes, yes, but we also need the social connectivity that comes from welcoming strangers into conversations, sharing knowing nods during presentations, and taking time to truly listen even when we're not all speaking our native language. That's where the real magic happened. In the connections between sessions, at the sponsor party (thank you ThinkNow for the lucha libre night!), and in every moment we chose presence over productivity.
 |
 |
 |
 |
As I stood in that wrestling ring delivering my keynote, surrounded by literal fighters who compete for a living, Roosevelt's words felt prophetic. The insights industry is in the arena right now, faces marred by the dust and sweat of rapid transformation. We're all striving valiantly, sometimes coming up short, but we're doing the work. The fight continues. I learned in Mexico City that we don't have to fight alone. When we bring our full humanity to the arena, when we collaborate with purpose and listen with intention, when we balance technology with cultural understanding and authentic connection—that's when we move from simply surviving the fight to creating something bigger than any of us could achieve alone.
 |
La lucha sigue, mis amigos. But let's keep fighting together and with purpose. |
Let Us Know What You Thought about this Post.
Put your Comment Below.