Takeaways from ROKKAN & Squarespace
Be useful wherever you can be.
Have relentless optimism.
Find people who will champion you and vouch for you.
Search the physical world around you for inspiration.
The best ideas win.
Have investment in your product.
Be flexible.
- Henry Ammann
Takeaways from RadicalMedia & STARR Media
Challenge the 5 senses you have in everyday life and in your work.
Learn as many programs as you can, LYNDA.COM and YouTube are great resources.
LA is the easiest place to produce.
STAND OUT. BE DIFFERENT.
Don’t force yourself to be one kind of person.
Just be you and you will eventually find yourself.
You have to be able to pivot.
Keep people in your circle.
Network as much as you can, you never know when someone you meet could help you out in the future.
Appreciate hard workers.
Learn from others, don’t be afraid to ask someone how they got to where they are even if it’s Casey Neistat.
Always deliver.
Learn how to say no, don’t ever sell yourself short.
- Henry Ammann
Does it have to be over???
Sadly, Eugene is not as glamorous as New York. I feel like I am in slow motion now. This trip was something out of this world. It allowed me to see agencies that I now know I want to look for. It also allowed me to hear from people in my focus and have them explain why they love what they do which inspired me. But to reference my title, it does not need to be over since now I am going to look for jobs in New York now because of this trip.
Why be an Account?
Why do I want to be an account Manager? This question was in my mind when I went to every agency visit. Each agency treated their account managers differently. Some had them strictly working with clients to then repeating what the client wants to the team and that’ll be it. While on the other hand, some account managers went on production sites and were in creative and strategy meetings having a foot in every process leading up to a launch. That right there is why I want to be an account manager. I love have a foot in every step of the way. That is what sold me on the focus. So it was nice to visit agencies and get a taste of how certain agencies treat their account managers. Visits like Rokkan, Saatchi & Saatchi, and BBDO were places that struck my eye on places that I would love to be an account manager for.
Wyatt Nelson
I thought I didn’t want to live in NY
I never thought that I could live in New York City. I thought it was too big and too crazy. I thought that my mind was too slow and not equipped for the New York speed. However, like a cucumber can turn into a pickle, change can occur. I feel in love with the city. From atmosphere to a Bronx Bomber Hot Dog at a yankee game convinced me on why I need to live here. However, more importantly, the agencies that I visited were places that I could start my career in. When people think New York they think Wall Street and finance. I visited a friend who works at a financial office and to say the least, I wanted to blow my brains out on how boring the environment was and how the offices looked. I am so glad to be in the major that I am today and glad I got the opportunity to go on this trip that solidified why I love it.
- Wyatt Nelson
Big Takeaways
- Most ads that are put out in the world are not good
- Step up. Even it is as simple as ordering a rent-a-car.
- Know when to talk and when not to in meetings.
- Love the work.
- Let your mind breath. Do something creative that is not focused on advertising.
- Enjoy your surroundings.
- New York speed is something that I can get used to.
Wyatt Nelson
Don’t be good at advertising
This was really funny to me, but it kept coming up day after day.
“You never want to be good at advertising. Advertising is boring.”
This is funny. They’re an advertising agency and they’re telling me to never be good at advertising.
I thought, “Hmm, what do you mean? My degree is in advertising.” But then I thought about it harder, and it’s true. Advertising is boring. I feel like the best advertising I’ve seen (in my opinion) hasn’t felt like advertising at all. It tells a story, it makes you feel something, and so on and so forth.
The point of the story is that you never want to be good at advertising, even as an advertising major. Think harder, think smarter, and don’t be good at advertising.
- Sophie Wood
The last day was special…
The last day was special. We were tired. We had all gone to agency after agency. We walked. And walked some more. Got lost on the subway, more than once probably. And still, somehow, amidst all the exhaustion, the last day was really special.
From the very beginning, I was super excited to see Joan, and I was over the moon when it was on my schedule. But then it got cancelled (sad!). But then it got rescheduled (yay!) to Friday. Friday I was drained, but I was still pumped to see Joan, and I’m so glad I did…
The charisma and passion and experience and poise and modesty that these women carried was beyond me, and their work backed it up. The work they produced reflected their philosophy of the company while also encompassing their client’s vision and vibe. A piece of work they showed had everyone in the room crying. It made me realize why I’m doing what I’m doing. This post is kind of all over the place but that’s okay because I was all over the place as I was leaving that office.
Anyways, in conclusion, Joan embodied the genuine and passionate culture that everyone craves to work at and work with. They were phenomenal and generous. An amazing way to end the trip. The last day was special :)
- Sophie Wood