Tulani Foy, a strategist at Droga5, said something that really stuck with me on our visit. Before Tulani was a strategist, she spent a couple years in account management. When Tulani was first hired by another agency, the woman who brought her on told her that she only hires account managers who have had experience in the restaurant industry, specifically working as a waiter or waitress. 

The metaphor follows as such:

As a waiter or waitress, you know that if you piss of the hostess, she won’t sit you at good tables throughout the night. You also know that if you are not kind to the bus boy, they will not be quick to clear your table, which will give your guests less incentive to tip you will. You also know to be kind to the cooks, so they are always obliged to bring your food out quickly, making the people sitting at your table happier. As a waiter or waitress, you need to be empathetic of everyone working on your team and understand the value of every moving piece of the job. 

These skills can be paralleled to the work an account manager at an advertising agency takes on. This idea is something I hope to take with me for the rest of my career. 

-Avery Wright