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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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In this episode Sonia speaks with Jamie Brown, a linguist, composer, and former Chief Language Services Officer at what3words, the company that makes it easy to identify a specific location.
Jamie shares his journey from growing up with a stammer to managing the development of 61 language versions of what3words across the world. He also reveals how his early passion for how languages are spoken and put together, his background in music composition and his curiosity for culture all shaped his career. From composing a Requiem in Cornish to leading multilingual teams across continents, Jamie’s story shows the power of language to connect people globally.
Key Takeaways
- Overcoming barriers through curiosity - Jamie’s stammer led him to study how language works beneath the surface, eventually becoming his career’s foundation.
- Language as connection - his transition from music to linguistics highlights how both are a form of communication.
- Building languages at scale - at what3words Jamie led teams creating 61 language versions, each built from scratch to reflect local linguistics and culture.
- Cultural sensitivity matters - from Tamil beliefs about turtles to Spanish dialectal differences, linguistic nuance is crucial in localisation.
- Resilience and opportunity - saying yes to unexpected chances - like a Facebook post about 'languages and Excel' - can shape an extraordinary career.
About Jamie Brown
Jamie is a composer, linguist, localisation consultant and TEDx speaker.
From early on he was interested in languages and how they work. As a stutterer from a young age he says he was trying to find a language he would stutter in less - which led him to music and composing, a language where few words are spoken.
After living in Brazil for a year, he completed a Masters in Linguistics and thanks to a friend's Facebook post he started working at what3words as their Chief Language Services Officer where he managed the creation of the language system in 61 languages.
Connect with Jamie Brown
- Jamie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-brown-8a436540/
- Jamie's website: https://www.jamiebrown.info/
- What3words: https://what3words.com/
About Sonia Kampshoff
Sonia is an experienced, multilingual digital marketing consultant focusing on Google Ads and advertising on social media. She works with small and medium-sized companies, agencies and charities across ecommerce and lead generation accounts, supporting them from strategy and planning all the way through optimisation and management.
Languages are integral to her identity and career, so much so that in September 2025 she created and hosts this podcast, telling stories of people who merge their language skills with the work they do - and inspiring many more to learn languages and build a career on these valuable soft skills.
Connect with Sonia
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingwithlanguages
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniakampshoff/
- Website: https://moreperfect.digital/
- Email: [email protected]
11 episodes
