Today in my Marketing Management class, I was introduced to a new word: glocalization. At first, it sounded like another buzzword that would be thrown around by professors and students alike, only to be forgotten once the exam was over. However, as my lecturer began to explain the meaning of glocalization, something clicked.

Glocalization, to put it simply, is the idea of thinking globally but acting locally. It is the idea that multinational companies have to be able to act globally, but also to be able to adapt to the locality of the place where the company is. McDonald's has the same menu everywhere, but in Liberia, they have jollof rice on the menu. Coca-Cola has the same logo everywhere, but the advertisements are localized to the culture of the place.

As I listened to my lecturer explain the meaning of glocalization, I couldn't help but think of the bigger implications of this idea, something bigger than business, something bigger than the world of marketing, something bigger than the world of business itself: life, and the choices that many Liberians are forced to make about the future.

The Global Dream

I have Liberian friends, good Liberian friends, who are stuck in the "Global Waiting Room." The "Global Waiting Room" is where Liberians spend their days waiting for something, anything, to come along that will give them the opportunity to leave Liberia behind.

They are waiting for a visa appointment at the US Embassy.

They are waiting for their relative to send them the invitation to come visit.

They are waiting to get the scholarship to come to the US.

They are waiting for the job opportunity to come to Europe.

I, too, have been here before, and I have dreamed of the idea of leaving Liberia behind, of leaving behind the electricity that comes and goes as it pleases, the lack of job opportunities, the struggling Liberian economy.

It is not just a dream; it is a necessity, survival itself.

But what concerns me is, in their waiting for the global opportunity, they are forgetting about their local foundation.

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally Or Not at All

The glocalization idea is all about finding success in balancing global vision and local action. A company that thinks globally but does not understand locals will surely fail. A person who thinks about going abroad but does not prepare himself or build networks and experience at home will surely fail when the opportunity comes. Or, worst of all, the person might wait forever for an opportunity that might never come.

I look at my friends, and they are putting everything on hold. They are not putting up their own business because they might leave soon. They are not learning a new skill because they are waiting for a job opportunity abroad. They are not establishing networks with locals because they are just temporary residents.

And slowly, time is going by. Time is slipping away. The skills they should have acquired are still dormant. The networks they should have established are empty. The foundation they should have established is still nothing but dirt.

The Risk of Losing Sight

What is happening is, in their waiting for their global dream, they are forgetting about their local reality. They are forgetting that life is happening now. The rent is due now. The kids are hungry now. The skills need to be acquired now.

When thinking about glocalization, I recognize that it's not an either-or proposition. The most successful global organizations weren't successful because they forgot about their locals. They were successful because they were successful locals, which enabled them to become global organizations. Starbucks wasn't built by opening stores in Tokyo and Paris; Starbucks was built by opening a store in Seattle, becoming successful, and then leveraging that success worldwide.

My friends are trying to bypass the local part. They want the global without the local foundation.

What Happens When the Global Dream Doesn't Arrive

The part that scares me the most is what happens if the global dream doesn't arrive. And let's face it; for a lot of people out there, it doesn't. Visas are denied. Sponsorships fall through. The opportunities never materialize.

So what do you do then? Do you sit around and do nothing for five years waiting for the global opportunity to arrive? Or do you take the initiative and build a local business instead? Well, the problem is this: five years from now, the global opportunity still hasn't arrived. And you're five years further behind. You haven't gained the business experience. The professional network. The skills you could have acquired. You're standing at the same place where you started five years ago. But now you're a little older. A little more frustrated. A lot less prepared.

I've seen this happen to friends of mine from my graduating class. They graduated from university five years ago. And still waiting for the global opportunity. Still waiting for the chance to "make it big." While their friends from the same university started small businesses selling provisions. Or learning the trade of plumbing. They've been building a local business for five years now. A business that can sustain them for the long haul.

A Different Approach: Glocalizing Your Life

What if we approached life the same way a global brand approaches the market? What if we thought globally but acted locally?

You can build local skills while keeping a global perspective. You can build skills that are useful both locally and globally. Digital marketing. Accounting. Customer relations. Project management. These are skills you can use anywhere: Monrovia or Manchester.

You can build local value while staying connected to the globe. You can build a small business. A business that can sustain you. A business that can provide for you and your family. At the same time, you can build a bridge between the local and the global through online courses. Professional networks. Real-life relationships.

Your current reality is not a waiting room, it is a foundation. So, do not say, "I am just here temporarily." Invest in where you are. Plant something. Build something. Learn something. The global opportunity comes, and you leave with a better resume, more experience, and more skills. The global opportunity does not come, and you have not lost anything because you have gained a life.

What I Tell My Friends

I do not tell my friends to stop dreaming. I am a dreamer. I believe in dreams. But I do tell my friends to stop waiting.

"Think globally, act locally" is not just a marketing phrase. It is a philosophy for life. You can dream of global opportunities and build local opportunities. You can prepare for global opportunities and build local opportunities. You can dream big and build small, but build, nonetheless.

Time is running. Time is running, but not in a scary way. Time is running in a very real way. The years are going to pass whether we are building or waiting. The question is, what will we have at the end of those years?

My Takeaway

Glocalization taught me that the best companies are those that are both global and local. The best companies are those that can dream globally and act locally. I believe this is also true for us. The dream of going global is not wrong. The dream of going global is wonderful. The mistake is letting this dream prevent us from building while we are here. So, build your foundation. Build your skills. Build value for yourself. And when the global opportunity comes, you can leave as a person of experience, of confidence, of value, not as a person who spent years waiting for an opportunity and ended up with nothing.

And what if it doesn't come? Well, you haven't failed. You've built a life worth living, right where you started.

This article is based on what I've learned today in Marketing Management, and how it relates to something much deeper for me. I'd love to hear from you... How do you balance building a life where you are with dreaming of a life elsewhere in the world?