whose line is it anyway?

Something that I’ve struggled with during my time in the SOJC is finding the confidence to decide what I want to do in the industry. I know I want to be here. Each discussion, each guest speaker, and each agency visit just gives me more assurance that this is an industry that I am passionate about, and that I would thrive in. What I struggle with, however, is my hesitancy to commit to a certain designation. When I came to school I was a declared English major. I loved to write, and I was confident in my ability. During my freshman year I learned that my skill wasn’t my passion. I craved to create, and that’s why I switched to advertising so I could pursue the major in a design role.

To be honest, I’m going through that process of reinvention again, right now. I’m not confident I want to commit myself to art direction/design. There’s this constant sinking feeling that if you’re not doing the most amazing thing, right now, the entire trajectory of your future is in danger and you’re a failure before you’ve even tried. As a senior with only 4 more weeks left of her collegiate career, it feels like it’s too late.

That’s where this trip has already given me a lot of confidence. We’ve heard the different perspectives and stories from people in advertising. Their stories, and the differences between them, give me hope that things will work out, so long as I work hard and I don’t let up. Some of them worked their tails off in undergrad so that they could be prepared to get those badass internships in NYC. Some of them struggled to make ends meet when they made those big moves (slept on couches, air mattresses, a friend of a friends closet-sized second bedroom). Some of them didn’t even know they would end up in advertising at all. Others were like me: they didn’t know what they wanted to do, or how they were going to do it, they just knew they had potential and a love for the industry. A lot of them are strong, powerful, confident women.

The talent in this school is unmeasured. It’s hard not to compare yourself to the 100+ amazing students we have among us here in NYC. After the first day of this trip, speaking with the inspiring women of Flock and the people of Wieden+Kennedy, I feel reassured that the fear of the unknown is part of the journey. There’s not a script for life, and there’s a reason we’re all here.

-Audrey Weatherhead

Perspective

When I thought of NYC I thought of the 4 hours I spent here when I was 21. It was early July - hot, sticky and smelled of the subway. I landed at JFK, took a shuttle into the city and was dropped off with my 50lb suitcase and 25lb carry-on, which I then lugged to the port authority bus station. 

With an empty stomach, 1 missed bus and a 2 hour trek around the station to find my next bus I was in tears. Mistake after mistake I choose to make the biggest of all next. Thinking with my stomach I asked someone to watch my bags so I could grab a bagel. Thankfully, the man did not steal anything, but instead gave me a lecture when I got back.

The point to my long story is this. I’m now 23, visiting NY for a week with 100+ students and faculty. After just 2 days I have realized I was missing one thing 2 years ago - perspective. There is something to be said about viewing NY from the tops of buildings rather then the boats on rivers or in my case the corner of a bus station crying.

Stay tuned.

Madison Hamilton 5.7.2018

All About Attitude

After asking Chad Muratev, a Communications Supervisor at Wieden + Kennedy, about his work on the Jordan brand, I realized I will probably not work on my dream client right out of school, and that’s okay. While Muratev worked on the NBA 2K video game series at his previous agency, he told me I will most likely will work on a client or project that may not be as exciting as Jordan. He continued to explain part of landing on big sports-related clients is about working hard on the less exciting projects, while the other half is about timing and luck. With that being said, if I have to sell nail clippers in order to be able work on Jordan, I will make nail clippers the most exciting thing since sliced bread. But then again, while working on an established brand like Jordan would be cool, elevating the status of a hygienic necessity would be cool too. The success of my career will be defined by my attitude.  

Ben Knauer (Post #2) 5/7/18

Day 1

The first full day of being in New York City is officially in the books. This morning, we were lucky enough to have the chance to visit Wieden + Kennedy. After listening to all the great panelists talk about their experiences and answer our questions, I was able to take away a couple of key points:

1. The first thing that stuck with me was hearing the strategists talk about how important it is to know what’s going on in the world. In order to create thoughtful insights and understand what people are thinking, you need to be aware of what is currently going on in the world.

2. Always find a way to help. No matter where you work or what you do, being the person who is able to help no matter what the task is can go a long way. If you’re a person who’s willing to go the extra mile even with the smallest things, people will remember.

With an exciting day two ahead of us, I am anxious to visit more agencies and to see what else this amazing city has to offer.

Kyle Steffens

5.07.2018

Early Days in New York

Among our first meeting we had the opportunity to meet with Flock with all the inspirational women in our group. While we talked about how to get by in the industry we also talked about how we can all support each other and how important that is in this industry. Women supporting women, what more do you need? Our second meeting was at Wieden + Kennedy which felt like such an honor to be allowed in the building alone. While the architecture was amazing inside, the people who walk the halls are what truly makes that place shine. Our panel discussion left me in awe about how each person was willing to give us their input on tools we need for our upcoming careers. 

Overall, New York has been amazing so far, and it’s only been two days. I can’t even imagine what is yet to come!

-Devyn Schnake 5.07.18

Takeaways from 30 floors up

Thought I was going to meet with strategists at Saatchi & Saatchi, ended up actually having a great conversation with three incredible account managers. (I also ran into a fellow duck who was on the trip last year on her lunch break, sco!)  Here are my top ten nuggets of insight:

1. You won’t know what the hell you’re doing when you first start at an agency, so use that to your advantage. Ask questions, be insightful, act as a beautiful shadow to someone who actually knows a few things. 

2. 5 years ago, the ad world thought that their jobs were going to be taken over by Google and Facebook, but they weren’t. Looking ahead is a great way to stay competitive, but it can’t loom over your work now. 

3. Portfolios for account people aren’t important to show what you do. Rather, use that space to give recruiters a sense of your passion. (They were all shocked I had a portfolio as a strategist) 

4. If you feel like you want to make a big splash, account management is a sure fire way to make your voice heard in the entirety of a campaign. She said, “Some people think of it as a lot of little contributions to the goal, but I feel that we make the biggest impact overall.”

5. Account managers do copy, make briefs, and even play producer sometimes.

6. You don’t have to respond to a client at midnight, and you should ask if that is in the job description before you start. 

7. Your quickest promotions happen in the first 5 years of your career, so be patient while you’re eating PB&Js. 

8. Junior level strategy is a hard position to get, so if you are interested at all in account management, start there. Get a foot in first and then later be transparent about potential pathways in the future towards something different. 

9. Live in Brooklyn to save money. 

10. There is #fire pizza right by Saatchi called 99 cent pizza. 

-Hannah Kloft

Every Day Phenomenon

Some people are lucky enough to watch the sunrise with their noses pressed to the glass of their plane window seat. Although, when you think about it, a sunrise isn’t anything new. It happens every day without fail, and often times looks similar pervious sunrises. So why is it in this moment the sunrise becomes memorable? It seems simple, it obviously is because you are in a plane; therefore, it makes it a new level of awesome. However, a sunrise is the same phenomenon that happens every single day. The point here is that the action is not what becomes memorable, but the perspective of how you see it. No, you don’t need to be on a plane to make every moment memorable, but take that childlike excitement and curiosity, and apply it to your everyday life. What if we take that perspective and applied it to just breathing. Then every second could become more memorable. 

So to my peers, as we land in New York, take the same childlike excitement and curiosity and apply it to the journey you are about to undertake. Ask questions, enjoy moments and just stand there in Aw. I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and can’t wait to make some memories.

Cleo Parra

5/6/2018