Say One Smart Thing

You don’t always have to contribute.

You don’t always have to have an answer.

There will be hundreds of meetings and topics that are discussed while you’re working with a team. Your input isn’t always needed and you don’t want to be the person making pointless comments. Know what you know. Know what you don’t know. Find the pocket of opportunity to speak wisdom to the group. The youngest person in the room still has information that other’s won’t. Every person is a combination if experiences. Take advantage of your path. 

Allie Bottinelli  

Running with Scissors

I was told my book is too safe. After meeting with a professional writer, I realized he was completely correct. He told me it’s a student book and the chances of the content being published are very slim. So go nuts. Take risks. Don’t be safe. Right now, my writing is pretty dry and conventional. Taking risks will hopefully bring out more creative writing and great work. This less conservative approach will hopefully give me more pieces in my book that I desperately need.   

Understanding the Hustle

Before I arrived in New York, I found out that after many rounds of interviews I was not selected for an internship position that I had been excited about. Obviously, rejection is never an ideal outcome but I decided to use it as a learning experience… turn you L’s into lessons, if you will. During the trip, I had the opportunity to get coffee with the lead designer from the company and I learned an invaluable lesson from our meeting. She emphasized that my work ethic and hustle was what had absolutely differentiated me throughout their process. My willingness to reach out, ask questions, do the research and the work had ultimately set me apart from other candidates that had more technical skills and experience. From the beginning, I knew that this opportunity was a long shot as I would be competing with candidates that had been in the industry for years along with students from competitive portfolio schools. With that said, this gave me a new understanding of what hustle means and how I can use it to my advantage. I learned that the hustle should never stop because someone says no. It is crucial to continue to build relationships and learn from all experiences—regardless if the result was a yes or no.

Takeaway #2: Get after it and hustle!!

-Emma McBride// Junior Art Director 

Say Yes

To be honest, writing blog posts were in the back of my mind while we were in New York— And I mean that in the best possible way. I hardly checked social media in New York, my mom would have to text me 2-3 times just to make sure I was still alive and well. Needless to say, I have been absolutely consumed by New York for the past week. Although I disconnected from the rest of the world, I found this as a unique time to connect with my peers, industry professionals, alumni and old friends. I am proud of how I said “yes” to everything this trip, I said yes to setting up my own meetings, I said yes to new adventures and experiences, yes to meeting new people in the program, yes to meeting new professors and finding a mentor. 

Takeaway #1: Say yes and the blog post will write itself later.

-Emma McBride // Junior Art Director 

David Bowie Is

This might sound absurd, but something about this trip clicked for me in the David Bowie exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

The curators essentially pose this theory that Bowie wasn’t a genius because he came up with incredible ideas out of nowhere. Rather, his genius came from his ability to take inspiration from tons of places, cut up and remix them in original ways, and create something new.

That’s essentially what #uonyc2018 is about. Instead of looking at one source, one great agency or inspiring creative leader, and trying to imitate or build a career in their image, we have the privilege to see lots of different ways to “do advertising.” This week I saw creativity through the lens of established and highly-awarded agencies, up and coming agencies, student award shows, badass alumni, The United Nations, murals on the street, museum exhibits, and the city itself. By drawing on so many different sources, I can consider many points of view, take lessons from many places, and ultimately, like Bowie, make of it something that has never been made before.

Hannah Lewman 05.13.2018

the danger of “just”

Have you ever asked someone to just switch up that color, just reword those three sentences, or just pen a few extra lines for a project?

I know I have.

Something shared at our visit to AKQA, however, made me think a little more about using the word “just” when delegating tasks in a work environment. Kai, a project manager in the office, mentioned that she avoids it. She reminded us that everyone you work with has more going on that you might realize. They’re balancing their home life, family, and (likely) many other projects than just the team you’re on together. Plus, “just” changing a color might take more work than you realize.

Kai feels that “just” fails to acknowledge the value of people’s time. Underselling requests to people you work with may frustrate them and doesn’t contribute to a team culture of mutual respect.

Rachel Benner

Strategist | rachelbenner.com

too many cooks?

“You don’t need that many people in a room to make decisions. You just need the right people.”

Bigger agencies sometimes struggle with “too many cooks in the kitchen” and a dearth of unnecessary meetings around a project. The founders of Joan Creative are trying to build something different.

Joan is relatively new on the agency scene. But in just two years of business, the agency has developed a strong point of view on the value of creativity and how that translates to an agency model.

At Joan, creativity is a mandate. Employees across departments are expected to bring creative ideas and energy to the table. One way the agency builds that culture is with small, efficient teams. As agencies shift and adapt to a changing industry, this leaner, more nimble approach might just pay off.

Rachel Benner

Strategist | rachelbenner.com