Despite the emotional difficulty, the speaker was proud of making the strong decision to close the US office. The venture was compared to a casino game where they had to recognize when to stop putting chips on the table before it caused irreversible damage to the wider business.
The agency's New York office wasn't a financial disaster; it was moderately profitable. This ambiguity made the decision to close it difficult, yet its existence had a 'detrimental effect' on the core business by draining leadership focus and causing the primary London office to suffer.
Expanding into the US, the speaker found that American professionals excelled at presenting themselves. Enthusiastic meetings rarely converted to business and impressive interviewees didn't always perform, revealing a deep cultural gap where conversational enthusiasm doesn't equate to commitment.
The speaker was shocked to learn an existing client's 'small boutique agency' in the US dedicated a 35-person team to their account. This highlights the massive, often unanticipated, difference in resource requirements needed to service clients in the American market compared to the UK.