TOUCH: Handshakes are a true art form and a large percentage of people on this trip have Mr. Derek Brandow to thank for helping us master them. His Confidence Workshop saved us from the vice of painfully tight grips and the horror of the too-soft-dead-fish-handshake. I shook hands with everyone from interns to creative directors but I was most stunned to be able to meet The CCO of MullenLowe at the Young Ones Award show. I now understand the serendipitous connections that can lead to great things. I was able to thank Mark Wenneker for sharing “Fight Gunfire with FIRE” with the audience. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I did my best listen and talk less. I shared that much like his young daughter, my 11 year old niece has also shared concerns of gun violence at her school with me. He shared a bit more of his story and the energy that drives both FIRE and MullenLowe, then he was kind enough to introduce me to two recruiters. Despite being the national CCO of top 10 agency, he took his time to not only shake my hand but to connect with me on both personal and professional levels. His humble style of leadership is not something I will soon forget.

Gianna Nardi 3/5 - gianna-nardi.com