What is the number one quality you look for in talent?
Passion. Sure, everyone’s got some talent. But what separates the good from the great? It’s that unquenchable passion to learn, to push limits, and to keep wrestling with a problem until something amazing pops out.
I’ve seen countless creatives with less natural “gifts,” but their unyielding passion will outwork, outthink, and outperform talented people who don’t have that real drive. They are open to criticism, soak up feedback like a sponge, and always hunt for that never-been-done-before idea. When people genuinely care, they dive deeper, ask smarter questions, and push far beyond the obvious.
I recall a young, creative person I once worked with. I might have told her, perhaps a bit too harshly, that she “couldn’t polish a turd” when we were talking about her conceptual thinking. And boy, was I wrong! Her perseverance and incredible passion eventually led her to a successful career. It taught me that while talent is undeniably important, it’s that unrelenting passion, that drive to succeed at any cost, that will ultimately take you to places you never imagined.
What’s something the industry isn’t paying attention to that it should?
The industry’s leaning too hard into this fast, efficient, AI data-driven “correctness.” Frankly, it can strip the soul right out of our work. We’re losing sight of the art of creating something a little bit “weird” in a way that makes it illogical and surprising.
In our rush, we sometimes forget the raw, beautiful messiness of human imperfection. Everyone’s chasing perfection, optimizing every pixel and every prompt. Yet, real creativity, which genuinely connects with people with a human touch, often thrives in the unexpected, which AI hasn’t quite mastered.
That’s the core of my “Collide” book philosophy: the stronger the conflict, the more engaging the outcome. When technology collides with human imperfection, it creates something so wrong that it feels so right. We must remember that the mess, the roughness, and those subtle flaws are often the key to what makes something distinctive. They give it a real, authentic character.
What is the very best career advice you’ve ever received?
One advice changed everything: “Passion overcomes perfection.”
As a junior art director, the thought of presenting to a client made me freeze. I’d stumble, mispronounce words, and feel like I didn’t belong in the room. But a speech coach pulled me aside one day and said, “You speak with your heart. And people feel that. That matters more than perfect grammar or polished words.” That moment shifted something in me. I realized it’s not about getting every word right, it’s about meaning every word you say.
A global client once looked at my campaign and said, “This work is SH*t. My three-year-old could’ve done a better job.” It hurt. Badly. Looking back, it was one of the best pieces of advice I have received. I found something valuable: you can’t let fear of failure stop you. If anything, that kind of brutal honesty fuels growth. It reminded me that this industry doesn’t reward those who play it safe or try to be flawless. Passion makes you brave. Passion makes you better. And in the long run, that beats perfection every single time.
