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The Art of Balancing Data and Gut: How a Tunisian-British Marketer Scales Teams While Traveling the World with Aimen Chouchane, Uptick
What if the marketer who's visited 39 countries has discovered the secret to building teams that thrive across time zones and cultures?
Aimen Chouchane went from government advisory to leading marketing at Uptick, serving the fire protection industry across four continents. While other marketers chase generic SaaS playbooks, Aimen discovered his niche audience doesn't live on LinkedIn all day—they're out in the field keeping buildings safe.
Want to know the Wi-Fi research trick that saved his biggest deal? Or how a portable second screen revolutionized his work-travel balance? Aimen shares both.
But wait until you hear about Uptick's mission-driven approach—a company that actually helps keep people safe rather than just peddling software. The philosophy? You'll discover why Aimen refuses to work anywhere that doesn't make the world better.
This isn't your typical marketing interview about funnels and attribution. Discover how a leader blends Tunisian heritage, British pragmatism, and global perspective into marketing strategies that actually work for real people doing real jobs.
"You really can't be a marketer in 2025 if you're not using data... but you still have to use some gut instincts and make some creative calls."
- Aimen Chouchane
Meet Aimen Chouchane — In 5 Fun Facts- The Country Collector - At 38 turning 39, Aimen's obsessed with keeping his travel count above his age. Currently at 39 countries, he's racing against time—literally. One pandemic slip-up and he was behind, but now he's back on track and plotting his next passport stamp.
- The Wedding Deal Maker - Forget LinkedIn networking events. Aimen's biggest career move happened with a beer in hand at someone's wedding. One friend's startup pitch over cocktails turned into eight years of SaaS marketing madness across four continents.
- The Istanbul Internet Survivor - Nothing teaches you Wi-Fi paranoia like getting yelled at by your boss during a dropped Zoom call. Now Aimen stalks Booking.com reviews searching for "wifi" mentions before booking anything. Turkey taught him the hard way that great download doesn't mean great upload.
- The Rio Sunset Enforcer - Most people say "work-life balance." Aimen says "work until Rio sunset, then beach." His productivity hack? Hard stops that force you to actually finish things instead of pretending to work until midnight.
- The Time Zone Referee - Managing Aussies, Brits, and Americans means someone's always awake and wanting to Slack you. Aimen's solution? Aggressively telling people to stop working after hours because apparently being a good boss means being the productivity police.
Topics Covered
[02:30] The Global Marketing Advantage
How traveling to 39 countries transformed Aimen's understanding of customers and cultures. While other marketers rely on personas, Aimen draws from real human experiences across continents to build marketing that resonates with actual people, not demographic data.
[08:15] The Accidental SaaS Journey
From politics degree to government advisory to tech policy consulting, Aimen's career took an unexpected turn when LinkedIn became a client. The revelation that massive companies started as "ideas on a whiteboard" sparked his obsession with early-stage chaos and building something from nothing.
[15:20] Mission-Driven Marketing at Uptick
Why Aimen chose to market fire protection software instead of chasing trendy consumer apps. Uptick keeps public buildings safe by helping companies manage thousands of assets digitally—work that actually matters beyond quarterly metrics and vanity growth.
[20:45] Marketing as Science + Art
Aimen's philosophy on blending data-driven decisions with creative gut instincts. He explains why marketers need budget based on ROI data, but also when to trust intuition for breakthrough ideas that can't be measured until they're tested.
[23:00] The Video-First Pivot
How Aimen's team abandoned written content and PDFs for video-first marketing. With AI summarizing everything, they realized customers need experiences that can't be replicated by ChatGPT—leading to their own industry podcast and in-house video production.
[28:30] Work-Travel Mastery Secrets
The practical systems Aimen uses to work effectively while traveling. From Wi-Fi research tricks to portable second screens, plus Uptick's "4 weeks working elsewhere" policy that turns two-week holidays into month-long adventures.
[32:15] Leading Across Time Zones
How Aimen manages teams in Australia, UK, and US without falling into the "always on" trap. His approach to transparency, trust, and setting boundaries that let people be productive on their own terms while maintaining high standards.
[35:20] Building Careers, Not Just Campaigns
Aimen's behind-the-scenes approach to developing people rather than seeking personal recognition. He shares how he stays connected with former team members and why helping others reach their career peaks matters more than individual accolades.
[36:45] The Niche Market Reality
Why generic SaaS playbooks fail in specialized industries. Fire protection directors don't live on LinkedIn—they're in the field, on phones, visiting sites. Aimen explains how understanding customer behavior patterns beats assuming they follow typical software buyer journeys.
[38:02] Legacy and Life Philosophy
Aimen's simple but powerful life philosophy: enjoy life to the fullest while remembering we're not here forever. He explains how this perspective smooths emotional extremes and helps maintain balance between professional drive and personal fulfillment.
3 Key Things You Can Apply Today- Research your audience's actual behavior, not their job titles. Stop assuming your customers behave like you do. Aimen spent his second day at Uptick on-site with customers, noting whether they used iPhones or Android, Mac or PC, what they drank. Build a mental map of real human habits, not demographic assumptions.
- Set hard boundaries to increase productivity. Whether it's finishing work by sunset in Rio or using scheduling features to avoid after-hours pressure, create clear stops that force you to be more focused during work hours. Trust that constraints breed creativity and efficiency.
- Choose video over written content in the AI age. With ChatGPT summarizing everything, focus on experiences that can't be replicated by AI. Video, audio, and human connection become more valuable as written content becomes commoditized. Lead with formats that showcase authentic human expertise.
Connect with Aimen Chouchane
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimenchouchane/
- Website: https://www.uptickhq.com
Connect with Charlene Ormo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneormo
LEADX Media: https://www.leadxmedia.co/
View all episodes
What if the marketer who's visited 39 countries has discovered the secret to building teams that thrive across time zones and cultures?
Aimen Chouchane went from government advisory to leading marketing at Uptick, serving the fire protection industry across four continents. While other marketers chase generic SaaS playbooks, Aimen discovered his niche audience doesn't live on LinkedIn all day—they're out in the field keeping buildings safe.
Want to know the Wi-Fi research trick that saved his biggest deal? Or how a portable second screen revolutionized his work-travel balance? Aimen shares both.
But wait until you hear about Uptick's mission-driven approach—a company that actually helps keep people safe rather than just peddling software. The philosophy? You'll discover why Aimen refuses to work anywhere that doesn't make the world better.
This isn't your typical marketing interview about funnels and attribution. Discover how a leader blends Tunisian heritage, British pragmatism, and global perspective into marketing strategies that actually work for real people doing real jobs.
"You really can't be a marketer in 2025 if you're not using data... but you still have to use some gut instincts and make some creative calls."
- Aimen Chouchane
Meet Aimen Chouchane — In 5 Fun Facts- The Country Collector - At 38 turning 39, Aimen's obsessed with keeping his travel count above his age. Currently at 39 countries, he's racing against time—literally. One pandemic slip-up and he was behind, but now he's back on track and plotting his next passport stamp.
- The Wedding Deal Maker - Forget LinkedIn networking events. Aimen's biggest career move happened with a beer in hand at someone's wedding. One friend's startup pitch over cocktails turned into eight years of SaaS marketing madness across four continents.
- The Istanbul Internet Survivor - Nothing teaches you Wi-Fi paranoia like getting yelled at by your boss during a dropped Zoom call. Now Aimen stalks Booking.com reviews searching for "wifi" mentions before booking anything. Turkey taught him the hard way that great download doesn't mean great upload.
- The Rio Sunset Enforcer - Most people say "work-life balance." Aimen says "work until Rio sunset, then beach." His productivity hack? Hard stops that force you to actually finish things instead of pretending to work until midnight.
- The Time Zone Referee - Managing Aussies, Brits, and Americans means someone's always awake and wanting to Slack you. Aimen's solution? Aggressively telling people to stop working after hours because apparently being a good boss means being the productivity police.
Topics Covered
[02:30] The Global Marketing Advantage
How traveling to 39 countries transformed Aimen's understanding of customers and cultures. While other marketers rely on personas, Aimen draws from real human experiences across continents to build marketing that resonates with actual people, not demographic data.
[08:15] The Accidental SaaS Journey
From politics degree to government advisory to tech policy consulting, Aimen's career took an unexpected turn when LinkedIn became a client. The revelation that massive companies started as "ideas on a whiteboard" sparked his obsession with early-stage chaos and building something from nothing.
[15:20] Mission-Driven Marketing at Uptick
Why Aimen chose to market fire protection software instead of chasing trendy consumer apps. Uptick keeps public buildings safe by helping companies manage thousands of assets digitally—work that actually matters beyond quarterly metrics and vanity growth.
[20:45] Marketing as Science + Art
Aimen's philosophy on blending data-driven decisions with creative gut instincts. He explains why marketers need budget based on ROI data, but also when to trust intuition for breakthrough ideas that can't be measured until they're tested.
[23:00] The Video-First Pivot
How Aimen's team abandoned written content and PDFs for video-first marketing. With AI summarizing everything, they realized customers need experiences that can't be replicated by ChatGPT—leading to their own industry podcast and in-house video production.
[28:30] Work-Travel Mastery Secrets
The practical systems Aimen uses to work effectively while traveling. From Wi-Fi research tricks to portable second screens, plus Uptick's "4 weeks working elsewhere" policy that turns two-week holidays into month-long adventures.
[32:15] Leading Across Time Zones
How Aimen manages teams in Australia, UK, and US without falling into the "always on" trap. His approach to transparency, trust, and setting boundaries that let people be productive on their own terms while maintaining high standards.
[35:20] Building Careers, Not Just Campaigns
Aimen's behind-the-scenes approach to developing people rather than seeking personal recognition. He shares how he stays connected with former team members and why helping others reach their career peaks matters more than individual accolades.
[36:45] The Niche Market Reality
Why generic SaaS playbooks fail in specialized industries. Fire protection directors don't live on LinkedIn—they're in the field, on phones, visiting sites. Aimen explains how understanding customer behavior patterns beats assuming they follow typical software buyer journeys.
[38:02] Legacy and Life Philosophy
Aimen's simple but powerful life philosophy: enjoy life to the fullest while remembering we're not here forever. He explains how this perspective smooths emotional extremes and helps maintain balance between professional drive and personal fulfillment.
3 Key Things You Can Apply Today- Research your audience's actual behavior, not their job titles. Stop assuming your customers behave like you do. Aimen spent his second day at Uptick on-site with customers, noting whether they used iPhones or Android, Mac or PC, what they drank. Build a mental map of real human habits, not demographic assumptions.
- Set hard boundaries to increase productivity. Whether it's finishing work by sunset in Rio or using scheduling features to avoid after-hours pressure, create clear stops that force you to be more focused during work hours. Trust that constraints breed creativity and efficiency.
- Choose video over written content in the AI age. With ChatGPT summarizing everything, focus on experiences that can't be replicated by AI. Video, audio, and human connection become more valuable as written content becomes commoditized. Lead with formats that showcase authentic human expertise.
Connect with Aimen Chouchane
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimenchouchane/
- Website: https://www.uptickhq.com
Connect with Charlene Ormo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneormo
LEADX Media: https://www.leadxmedia.co/