If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why?
Too many. Kirk Souder, David Baldwin, Kara Goodrich, Danny Higgins, Neil French, Jeff Bitsack, Scott Bell, Sara Shelton, Cam Blackley, I’ve worked with and learned from some wonderful people. Most of all though, David Droga, for teaching me not to be cynical, to never give up, and most of all to hold on and value real friendship.
What is the number one quality you look for in talent?
I love to see what kind of work they aspire to make, not necessarily the work they have already made. Many creatives like showing the things they’ve produced. I’d much rather see the kind of work they dream of doing. I interviewed two young creatives once. Their first was a really interesting digital shopping idea: I’d never seen anything quite like it. The next was an in-video game extension that was really cool. They hadn’t produced either idea, couldn’t have even begun to work on them, their scale was so big, but I could see how ambitious their brains were. I hired them right away.
What is something the industry isn’t paying attention to that they should?
From what I can tell, and I’m not really in it anymore, the industry is still far too concerned with awards. It’s losing relevance in the business world, workplace cultures are struggling to be appealing, internal mentoring and coaching is all but gone, and layoffs… geez, what a horrible time for some. And yet there’s still this rabid focus on awards. I used to be TOTALLY focused on awards. And, yes, some clients love them. But the small agencies I talk to every day put much greater emphasis on really building a tight trust and connection with their clients and team.
What is the very best career advice you’ve ever received?
Besides the above, the best advice I’ve heard was “try to fall in love with the brand you’re working on.” I know that’s hard when you’re working on a huge faceless corporation, but you can do it. I worked on Comcast. Oh man, the public hated that brand. But we tried our best to fall in love with it. They brought you all that great stuff through cable and internet! What’s not to love? So we worked hard to become enamored of that. Then we lost the business. Ha. Whatever, it still made the process fun. I fell in love with Newcastle Brown Ale, I fell in love with the New York Times, I love the brands I work on now.
What part of your role as a leader do you find most rewarding?
Showing everyone how fun this can and should be. I know it’s a hard time for many, but I truly feel we’ve lost that feeling of fun in many places. My first agency-founder boss, Tom Monahan, said “we need to be the most fun meeting that a client has, period.” Far too often I still hear that agencies have antagonism for the people they work for and with. And I get it, things are more short-term and transactional than ever, anyone could get fired at any moment. All the more reason to have a blast with it and help your clients to have a blast as well. Groucho Marx said “If you’re not having fun you’re not doing it right.” Folk Devils ends every presentation with that quote. Marketing and advertising could be a huge fun, especially for clients.
What are you most proud of in the last 12 months? Or, what milestones do you most look forward to over the next 12 months
My other business, ColdVest – an emergency heat stroke treatment device – saved a person’s life. A man in a factory was suffering heat stroke, his coworkers deployed the device, and when the paramedics came they kept it on him until they got to the hospital. We were told without it he may have died. We’re still buzzing about it.
Me and my partners have built our agency, Folk Devils, up into a good company. We’re small and we have a tight team that gets along great and laughs all the time. After going to the Adage Small Agency Conference in Toronto, I’m convinced that small agencies are where you should be. If you’re thinking about starting an agency, do it! There’s a whole network of people out there ready to give advice and support. The community is great.
What has been the most challenging moment so far in your career?
Oh man, nothing comes close to when I was cancelled during MeToo. It blindsided me. I was in a very dark place for a long time. And I still don’t know so much about it all. I’ve got a book coming out. Writing was not only cathartic, it was the best creative exercise of my life. Applying creativity to shame and pain and finding a modicum of grace was a really difficult but rewarding process. It’s an ongoing process too, one I suspect may never end.
I think anyone reading this probably has had their own difficulties or is going through something painful. It’s an industry full of disappointment and hurt, and life in general can blindside you from any direction. People can carry deep wounds. All I can say is you can get over anything and find a way to not only go on, forgive, heal, and build a new, different life. It may not be what you expected, but it can be good. I know this sounds like self-help pablum, but those who have been through something and come out the other side know – the strength you can find inside yourself can astonish you.
