If there’s one underlying theme I have found to be most important as I hop agencies each visit, it continues to boil down to one thing. That is: the “perfect agency” you’re looking for is only going to be found when you also find where the people are that understand you most. When I think about the time in which I feel at my most creative, it is undoubtedly when I have the opportunity be in a room of undeniably individual, collaborative, honest conversationalists with diverse stories. This is because you, and only you, have an experience that is so uniquely your own, you are the only one who can speak confidently on behalf of yourself. That being said, this is a two way street. As a storyteller of your own experiences, the environment you’re trying to be in has to reflect as a place where you can say what you feel is important because it is followed with acceptance. With every idea, speak and be greeted with the mentality that if your words are spoken with respect and honesty, then you will be rewarded with an environment that is willing to help you understand if you are wrong, and work with you on your journey to getting it right. 

Your agency is where your people are because your people understand you at your core and are willing to be part of what you want to create before they know you as a strategist, art director, or an account manager. Even more so, they know you as a person, what you believe in, what you love, and how you want to make the world a better place. These people are who you’re around when you are at your most stressed, most happy, and most curious, so be around people that challenge your knowledge, can broaden your perspective, push you to chase your side hustles and passions, and most importantly, remind you that at the end of the day you are only human and your work is going to be ten times more effective if you understand yourself before joining an industry that bases itself on trying to solve other people. 

May 11, 2018.