Oct 14, 2019The Danger of Taking the Wrong First JobYou’re looking for your first job. You’re not picky. You just want a job. Any job, really. You need the work. You need the resume builder. Okay, this first one doesn’t define you. You’ll just take it and then move on. …Career4 min readCareer4 min read
Sep 30, 2019Now I Challenge You to Find One Strategy a DayWhen you see an ad, can you identify the insight that led to the idea? Can you do it every day? For a month? If you can reverse engineer insights that others found, you can find better ones for your own ideas. So, I challenge you. You did an…Adaday4 min readAdaday4 min read
Sep 23, 2019The Danger of Hiding Behind the “Big Idea” in AdvertisingCreatives love “big ideas.” We love talking about “big ideas.” We love putting “big ideas” at the front of the advertising world. We remind every creative that their portfolio should show off the “big idea.” And we even have award shows to validate our own “big ideas.” But what…Big Idea3 min readBig Idea3 min read
Sep 16, 2019The Exact Number of Pieces You Should Have In Your PortfolioThis is a quick one, because I want to make it clear. Because this is one of the most important portfolio tips that I can give. One that I hadn’t been doing, myself, actually. I’m often asked, “How many pieces should I have in my portfolio?” And I usually…Creativity2 min readCreativity2 min read
Sep 9, 2019In-House Creative Just Can’t Do What Advertising Agencies CanRemember the Lorax? He was that funny looking little orange Dr. Seuss dude with the amazing catchphrase: “I speak for the trees.” He spoke for those that couldn’t speak for themselves. That’s kind of what ad agencies do, when you think about it. …Creativity4 min readCreativity4 min read
Sep 3, 2019Anselmo Ramos Is Wrong and Batman Is Right: Brands Shouldn’t Behave Like PeopleAnselmo Ramos, former founder of DAVID and current founder of GUT (the agency, not the bowel), shared a somewhat poetic and highly debatable post on LinkedIn. Here’s what he said: “Brands should behave more like people. People are complex. People are unpredictable. People are all over the place. There’s…Batman4 min readBatman4 min read
Aug 12, 2019It’s Time You Blew Up Your Agency’s Old-School Creative ProcessThere’s an anthem in the pessimistic corners of advertising: “The industry is dead.” “We need to be more creative, or the industry is dead.” “We need to stop only focusing on creative, or the industry is dead.” “We need to celebrate with rosé and yachts, or the industry is dead!” …Creativity7 min readCreativity7 min read
Aug 6, 2019I Challenge You to Create an Ad a DayCan you make an ad in a day? Every day? For a month? I did. And it was the best decision I made as a student. I challenge you to do it, too. I was in college, earning my BFA in Graphic Design, when I decided advertising would be my…Adaday4 min readAdaday4 min read
Aug 5, 2019Why YouTube’s Algorithm Constantly Recommended Watching Gangnam StyleYouTube broke out of being a video hosting service and into a content delivery machine with one tool: their recommendation engine. It creates the “YouTube Vortex” we all get stuck in. You know the one: where you started watching TED Talks about cold fusion and eventually found yourself engrossed in…Creativity4 min readCreativity4 min read
Aug 2, 20196 Interview Tips You Can Do Before You Throw Up In the BathroomYour heart’s pumping. Adrenaline rushing. Palms are sweaty. Knees weak. (Mom’s spaghetti…) You’ve spent weeks leading up to this moment. Hundreds of emails sent, and so many fewer of them received. Calendars are coordinated and booked. And now it’s time for it all to happen. Sitting down for an interview. …Creative6 min readCreative6 min read