There’s no such thing as a dumb question.

But there are questions that can be answered by the internet.

The mechanics, the what, the when, the where - all valid questions. But not important ones.

These can be answered on their flashy website. Maybe in a convenient About section, adorned with dazzling graphics and funny animations.

Headshots of the staff might show diversity (might not) and the work section might show purpose (might not).

The why is hidden, and you have to work for it. Those Q&A sessions aren’t formalities, but the golden nuggets when you can ask just that: why. 

When agencies have to speak for themselves, those candid moments are far more revealing of what they have to offer, and whether or not they have a place in the next generation of doers.

Seibold 5.15.19

Don’t Attend The Whiteboard Meeting

Sitting amongst some incredibly eclectic creatives at a final agency visit, about 10 of us heading into art direction and/or design were awoken from a daze by the thought of not attending a de-briefing meeting.

Suz Keen, creative director at Interesting Development, spoke volumes in allowing herself to delve into her own creative process. She never attends the meetings where everyone is funneled into a room and forced to ideate on a white board.

Instead, she asks for the creative brief beforehand and gets up earlier each morning to understand it or ideate on her own. She keeps a document open with inspiration she’s found and saves it all into one place.

Feeling that those meetings never allow her to get anything done, she has fully embraced what work flow inspires her most and allows her to be more efficient.

I absolutely adored this off the beaten path way of thinking. The creative process is truly different for each person. Allowing for individuals to decide the best way to make something tangible instead of feeling confined to a meeting has me feeling so excited to immerse myself in advertising culture.

Lindsey Epifano 5.15.19

A note to myself

Some things I won’t forget:

Be more than an ally – be an advocate.

An agency that hires you is investing in you, make it worth it.

The highest paid, most senior person doesn’t always have the best ideas.

(Almost) Nothing is too far when it comes to networking to get your foot in the door.

Don’t be afraid to speak up if things don’t feel right. They’ll thank you later.

Don’t pigeonhole yourself. More skills = a more capable candidate.

Be an interesting person outside of work. No one wants to talk about advertising when it’s time to get a beer and watch Game of Thrones.

No place has pizza quite like New York.

Mentors and bosses make a huge impact early in your career. Find people who motivate you to be the best version fo yourself, and work hard on their behalf.

Be a self-starter. The most effective workers make shit happen.

Jeremy Bondy | 5.15.19

Creative Strategy

It’s always good to get a reminder that strategy is what makes this whole thing tick. We all know that there’s no truly excellent creative that doesn’t have some truly excellent strategy behind it and I’m eternally grateful to the strategists who do the initial legwork on a campaign to actually make it happen. Still, I think as a creative sometimes I get so focused on honing my own craft that I forget that I need to be able to do it all. 

At Johannes Leonardo I asked the question “what happens when you get a bad brief? What do you do then?” The answer: you write your own strategy. You go out and do the legwork and figure out what the brief is missing and make it happen. This echoes back to my earlier post about doing absolutely whatever you can to make yourself useful and helping out anywhere you possibly can. It’s not enough to get a bad brief and kick it back to the strategists, or to go and complain about it and then go out and make bad creative. You just have to put your strategist hat on and fix it.

Personally, I find the whole concept kind of thrilling. Even though my heart lies with copy, I’ve always loved strategy and research and that rush of a really good insight. It’s not a daunting proposition, but rather an encouragement to go out there and put a whole new set of skills to the test. Maybe I’m being optimistic, but I live for any reminder that the creative strategist model that we know and love functions not only on a team but within an individual.

Jordan Blackburn | 5/11/19

More than just a damn quota

As a person of color, sometimes I wonder whether or not I’m being chosen for a scholarship or a position based on my merits or based on the fact that I check off the diversity box. In one of the visits we went on, there was a question specifically asked to the panel that related to what that agency was doing internally (and externally, in terms of the work they do for clients) to highlight diversity and sustain a healthy and robust culture within the company. The response? The most roundabout, cookie-cutter statement I have ever heard. I could see the hope dim in peoples’ eyes around the room. Don’t get me wrong, the final campaign is important — that’s why we do what we do. But if the culture of an agency is supposedly built around promoting this diverse and inclusive space, yet they’re not actually getting to know the people they’re hiring and the perspective they bring, then why the hell would anyone want to work there? As someone who refuses to work in a place that doesn’t value diversity as much as I do, this trip opened my eyes to the agencies that think throwing people of color on their payroll, without actually learning about or utilizing their perspective, counts as being inclusive. And I’m not about that.

Maile Sur | 5.15.19

Here’s the scoop

GIANT SPOON – they are the scoop (get it?). Their reputation for being a daring, innovative, experiential agency couldn’t be more true. The team at Giant Spoon was nothing short of inspiring in their ability to prod strategists to think beyond what is possible to tap into audience demographics in a way that is truly different. 

It speaks to the ability of agencies, and strategists in particular, to strive to think of things from a different perspective and to challenge the traditional way of problem-solving to create better work.

My big takeaway: BE DIFFERENT, THINK DIFFERENTLY

Jeremy Bondy | 5.15.19

Learning how to say no

I’ve always known that I have a really hard time saying no to things I couldn’t, or simply didn’t want to, do. But it wasn’t until the couple of weeks leading up to New York that I realized how detrimental of a flaw this was. With a full load of credits, a part-time job, ad team, other extra curricular activities, and trying to maintain a social life, there was hardly room for anything else. Yet, when given the opportunity to take on yet another project, I said yes. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited and didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity, but realistically, I didn’t have the time or mental capacity to give this project my all. As a result, I ended up becoming consumed by it, leaving me with nowhere near enough time to prepare for the trip in the ways I needed to. I didn’t spend time with my friends for a couple of weeks, and I wasn’t eating or sleeping properly. It wasn’t until I was finally past my breaking point where I realized, “Damn, I really can’t do this.” It took a lot out of me to admit that I couldn’t follow through on what I had originally set out to do, and it also hurt my pride to know that I dropped the ball on something pretty monumental. I had always looked at saying no to things as being a character flaw, as though the person wasn’t motivated enough or didn’t care enough to say yes. But this past week, while on a visit to 72andSunny I asked, “How do you all keep from getting burnt out?” Saeid Vahidi, Senior Strategist at 72, answered, “By saying no.” I literally laughed when he said that because I thought, “No, not this again!” But what he had to say to follow was eye opening. At the end of the day, we’re all human. We have families, we have passions, and we have needs. Our mental health requires attention, our friendships and relationships deserve attention, and our side gigs are what makes us who we are. Being able to say no isn’t a weakness at all — it’s a tremendous strength.

Maile Sur | 5.15.19

Beyond New York

As a kid from the suburbs outside New York City, I was never really sure why decided to go to Oregon… until I went back to the city. Don’t get me wrong – I love New York. It played a huge role in shaping the person I am today. But, it’s suffocating. The constant sound of honking, and the smells (both good and bad), and too many suits and cars and people.

I love New York City, and all that it has to offer. But sometimes it has too much to offer. I loved visiting the city, but I think it might just be a place for me to visit. This trip opened my eyes to the fact that I probably don’t want to come back to NYC to work, but this trip also showed me that there is a whole lot more out there than just New York.

Jeremy Bondy | 5.15.19