• Getting the Most Out of Your Internship

    January 31st, 2012 / Comments (3)

    Giving students a jump-start to their career, college programs provide many aspiring creatives an opportunity to get some real-life experience through an ad agency internship. This is when young creatives learn fast that working in the biz is nothing like the textbook or bubble test said. It's actually much more interesting and fun. But knowing what it takes to make the leap from unpaid (or poorly paid) volunteer to a junior level employee who earns a paycheck starts by knowing what to soak up during that two-three month adventure.

    Here are the seven things I think are most important for interns learn:

    1. If You Don't Ask, No One Will Help You. 
    Not the last thing a creative will do, but low on the list is checking on an intern. Many professional creatives are wrapped up in their own world of "make the logo bigger" crises. Don't be afraid to bug someone or ask them to get coffee, lunch or an after-work beer just to talk shop. They'll probably welcome the break. The result is that creative pro will label you as a driven individual. Should a higher-up ask about you, he/she will now have something positive to say. During your chat, put your ideas on the chopping block, ask "why" and milk his or her mind for all it's worth.

    2. Go To Meetings That Have Nothing To Do With You.
    Meetings ... boring, yes. Valuable for an intern, definitely. You'll pick up lingo and understand the DNA of the agency. You'll also discover why certain people are stressed and why so many agency workers drink moderate to heavily. There will be presentation documents, creative briefs, short brainstorms and client feedback. These are all things you'll never see in a classroom setting.

    3. Your A+ Thesis Paper Has Nothing To Do With Creative Copywriting.
    My first creative director told me: "Clients don't pay you to write or for me to design. They pay us for our minds." It's true. Think about it this way: everyone thinks they can write and/or design (until they actually have to). But thinking creatively on a highly strategic level is a skill few possess. It's what separates us from our clients and their brand team - we are their brand's thought leaders. It's not about writing a clever headline with a pretty photo, rather it's about writing a clever headline and designing an ad that meets six brand objectives while still clearly communicating to a human being. Forget writing essays and designing your cousin's band poster, the creative side of the biz is based on intelligently communicating with people in creative ways. Learn that or at least show a spark, and you'll be valuable.

    4. Jump In On A Pitch.
    Many ad students get to participate in the AAF competition through "Campaigns" class. They have four months to come up with a large creative presentation for a national client, where they'll compete against other college student teams. In the agency world, that same process happens in about 10-14 days (sometimes less) instead of 120 days. You're guaranteed to hear the word "RFP" (request for proposal) while interning. When you do, do what you can to get involved. Even if it's just gathering photos, proofing or binding. Pay attention to how the team brainstorms. Study how the copywriter writes up the ideas to be sold. How the art directors design comps to communicate the idea. Figure out why the creative director and account director wanted it in certain order. It may not be a flawless process and final product. But this is your chance to finally see how the sausage is made. "Just Do It" wasn't sold as just a clever line - the agency went through a pitch process, creating a strategic deck book that made the idea of that famous line shine.

    5. Keep Building Your Book, Even If It's Not "Real" Work.
    In some situations, it can be difficult as an intern to truly own a project. If you have that chance, save every PDF and file, and make it the showpiece of your book. Unfortunately for many, you'll dabble here and there, but may feel uncomfortable claiming a finished piece as your own. Don't let that stop you -- now that you understand a brand better than ever, go ahead and design your own campaign. Show what you can do with total creative control. Have a reason for everything you do and say in the campaign. In your upcoming interviews, creative directors are going to be looking to see that you can think and execute creatively and strategically. The ad doesn't have to be printed in Time Magazine. Good creative is good creative.

    6. Be Digital Or Be Left Behind.
    You know the vehicles: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Now get active and learn everything you can about them. Pay attention to what brands and marketers are doing with them. Connect with others in the industry through it. Know how to talk about social media in simple terms. Need practice? Try explaining Twitter to your grandparents or crazy uncle. While interning, ask if you can participate in speaking for the agency through their social media channels. Contribute to the agency blog. Be seen, be heard and know what you're talking about.

    7. Be A Writer Or Designer. Never Both.
    If you say you can do it all, no one will believe you. If you really can excel at both writing and designing, more power to you. But for most, it's crucial to pick one path and become as great as you can be at it. Creative directors and agency heads want to know that you're "our writer guy" or "our design gal." Don't get me wrong, having cross-over skills is great -- just don't sell yourself as such. At least until you reach the level of Creative Director.

    With the ultimate goal is landing that first job shortly after the internship, remember the process is all about luck, timing, skills, your book, drive, resiliency and intangibles... plus a bunch of other things.

    Good luck and let me know what you think. Like the Dude says, everything in this post is just, like my opinion, man.

    ---

    Eammon is a copywriter who's worked over eleven years in the ad agency business. He's won a few ADDYs, judged a few shows and worked on a variety of national clients. Find out all about him on his LinkedIn profile and feel free to follow him on Twitter.

    Linkedin link:
    http://www.linkedin.com/in/eammonazizi

    Twitter link:
    www.twitter.com/eammon

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  • Trends of 2012: Solitude

    January 23rd, 2012 / Comments (3)

    The “always on” culture that has abruptly emerged as the new norm is here to stay for some time. A recent piece from The New York Times demonstratively stated, “Solitude is out of fashion,” elaborating with analysis of the trending open-space work environments and team-based strategies. This contemporary approach is counter to extensive research touting the benefits of privacy in creative thinking. This culture has been fiercely fueled by the (my) millennial generation and has gained significant acceptance by baby boomers. We have grown up in an age of digital collaboration; now we’re applying these same tendencies to the office place despite making ourselves susceptible to real-life distractions.

    We all know the natural, yet rude, tendency to prioritize instant information from our smartphones over the people actually in the room. This was never more evident to me than Christmas this year. I never thought I would see the day my parents were playing Words with Friends before me. I certainly didn’t expect they would become addicted to the game instantaneously. Prior to this, my mom was notorious for leaving her cell phone in the bottom of her purse - for days on end. To her, it was a device to make calls; not for her to be alert for incoming calls. It’s becoming ever-apparent those days are over and never to be seen again. She’s texting, emailing, playing games, reading books, and verifying bets with my father through Google.

    Despite the added convenience at our fingertips, it can become overwhelming – like a menu at The Cheesecake Factory. Thus, people are increasingly more than willing to pay a premium for solitude – the ability to escape the constant draining buzz. Trend Watching explains,

    This isn’t about consumers rejecting everything that brought them to the city, but about a temporary breather. Remember, no trend applies all of the time. People will forever crave the excitement and choice available in cities; yet still want to escape for a moment.

    In 2011 some brands were ahead of the curve in offering a moment of solace to their consumers. These early adopters compete in industries where such services are appreciated due to the high stress in their corresponding environments. Some examples:

    • In July 2011, Telia, a Swedish telecom provider, launched a free app that enabled customers to disable internet for set period of time at home. They also set up internet-free zones in several public locations across Sweden. (Trendwatching.com)

    • In September 2011, at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, Sleepbox launched a small self-contained cabin designed to give users a quiet place to get some rest. (Trendwatching.com)

    • From July to September 2011, the Marriott Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel offered “Zen and the Art of Detox” – a weekend package that obliged visitors to surrender any digital devices when checking-in. Also, rooms were stocked with books instead of televisions. (Trendwatching.com)

    Brands that, by virtue of their product or service, must compete in a mentally fatiguing space, can embrace the opportunity by providing a counter experience like the examples above. However, most brands do not need to provide such overt forms of relief; they can bake it in to the actual product. Pandora Radio is an example of a highly appreciated, passive user interface. Listeners have one less thing to think about as the stream is designed to anticipate their tastes. Pinterest, with an extremely intuitive user experience and strong social integration, provides a similar release. The mindless nature of pinning offers a pleasurable distraction from daily stressors.

    Facebook, in the short term, offers a similar mental release. In fact, thirty-year psychology veteran, Susan Weinschenk, found that the brain releases dopamine upon receiving notifications of Facebook updates or status changes. In contrast, Facebook has become an eclectic badge of social currency - check-in’s, relationships, flattering pictures, and job title changes; thus truly adding up to social noise. As we become desensitized to social updates we look for other sources of immediate reward like Twitter, Reddit, and sites like Wimp and YouTube.

    At the agency I work for, we have a former Buddhist monk who spent six years on a silent sabbatical in Burma. You read that right…he didn’t speak for six years. He trains employees to practice mindfulness and stress-relieving routines they can implement on a daily basis. In one session, he explained that humans are naturally hard-wired to respond in a “fight or flight” manner. This was an essential tool for survival when humans first roamed the earth. Despite our evolution over time, we still react in a similar manner to alerts, texts, emails, calls, green lights, our significant other calling our name, and so on. We’ve been conditioned to believe that an immediate response is expected, and a delayed response has become an indication of a lower priority. In this new social norm we’ve set ourselves up to strive, long-term, toward solitude…or pay a lofty price to have it right here, right now, between our 2:00 and 2:45 meetings. Regardless, this will be something to watch in 2012 – an opportunity to make your brand the hero.

    As an account manager in Boulder, Dorsey has worked on global and national campaigns for brands like Microsoft and Groupon. Read more of his posts where he blogs at And this....

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  • Win Tickets to The Fifty

    January 19th, 2012 / Comments (3)

    Step 1. If you’re not already, follow us on Twitter. @AdClubDen and @TheFiveO

    Step 2. Promote The Fifty. Use this link: bit.ly/yU8D7S to our registration site. Include @AdClubDen and our hashtag: #TheFifty, by Wed Jan 25th.

    Every 25th unique twitter account that follows these two steps will win a free ticket to The Fifty. (Up to a $75 value.)

    Example tweets:

    I want to celebrate #TheFifty best ideas of 2011 with @AdClubDen, January 26th 6pm. Get tickets here: bit.ly/yU8D7S

    Are you going to Colorado's best advertising awards show? Join @AdClubDen at #TheFifty. Don’t miss out! bit.ly/yU8D7S

    The best creative minds in Colorado all in one place. @AdClubDen presents #TheFifty. Drink to that: bit.ly/yU8D7S

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #56: Christina Schroeder

    January 18th, 2012 / Comments (5)

    It’s crazy how much the world has changed in the few short years since we opened shop. We launched on July 1, 2005, about 3 1/2 months before Apple released the iPod Video, and 5 months before YouTube went live. Facebook was gaining traction, but it would be another year and a half before it would roll out to everyone and their mother. Twitter was still a twinkle in Jack Dorsey’s eye, and a Nook still was just a cozy space in a room.

    On day one, I never could have imagined that alongside traditional advertising we would be building iPhone and Android apps (because they didn’t exist), or creating digital books (because they didn’t exist either), and I could only blah-blah-blah about the “someday” when TV and the ads that go along with it would be in your pocket. Yep. It’s a different world.

    And then there’s media. It fractured long ago with the advent of cable networks. Then the Internet took a meat cleaver to it. Today it’s in splinters and shards. Media powerhouses have died and gone (Country Home, Gourmet, and Domino), and new ones have risen in their place (Food Network Magazine, Epicurious, Apartment Therapy). Now If you 1) have an Internet connection; 2) can write your way out of a paper bag; and 3) have a passion for anything, you, too, can be the next big thing. Case in point: Perez Hilton. The rules have totally shifted along with the power. And all of it is creating new complexities and battles for people’s attention.

    If I know one thing for sure it’s that when I wake up to tomorrow, the world is going to be different than when I put my head on the pillow. Whether it’s a new platform, a new device, a new medium, a new application, a new tool—something new will be there to greet me. It might be revolutionary or maybe just evolutionary, but in any case, it’s definitely won’t be business as usual. That’s dead and gone. And that’s a great thing if you’re a creative. Everyday there are new challenges to rise to—new factors in the creative equation. Everyday we have to pull off amazing feats that have never been done before and teach ourselves new tricks along the way. It’s both exciting, and yes, sometimes exhausting, but it’s also invigorating. Creative is better shaken not stirred. I like it like that. And while I may not know what’s coming next, but I know it’s never been a more exciting time to be creative than right now.

    Illustration by Matt Thomas

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #55: David Slayden

    January 13th, 2012 / Comments (5)

    I am typing this with one hand. My right hand. The fingers of my left hand are peeking out from a navy blue arm sling trimmed with white piping––all of which is supported by a white velcro-covered strap draped over my right shoulder. Sling is an adaptive word. It can be a noun or a verb. In this case, it’s a noun. My damaged left shoulder is unable to support my arm, so the sling is doing the job instead. I am generally displeased, both about the injury and the style choices. I would have preferred an all-black sling but that would have required shopping around and there’s only so much time in a given day, particularly when I already spend more effort than I thought possible on previously simple, unconscious tasks: like putting on socks or threading a belt through the loops on the backside of my jeans.

    I cannot open jars, nor can I drink wine if my wife is traveling because, yes, operating a corkscrew is now beyond my current capabilities. Needless to say, I have switched to screw tops.

    I was skate skiing––the roller ski version––and a moment’s lapse in attention resulted in a full back flip and a hard landing on concrete at the base of a swift descent. My instinctive response was to brace my fall with my left hand, arm stretched out behind me. At impact, it felt like a long steel rod had been shoved through my palm up the length of my arm and into the back of my head. Fractured shoulder. Severed tendon. A three-centimeter tear in the rotator cuff. The surgery lasted over three hours. The PT will take considerably longer.

    At this point, descriptive introductions like this one are invariably the setup for a life lesson learned, an insight gained through searing pain, suffering, and reflection, followed by eventual redemption—especially in a year-end piece that is part of a series titled “”What I Learned This Year.” In short, the standard “moral of the story is....”

    I should have had speed reducers installed on the skis.

    It needs to be said here that speed reducers are not brakes. Rather, they serve to increase or decrease resistance to the wheels, a function which I now understand can be particularly useful downhill on a hard, unforgiving surface.

    I wasn’t exactly disdainful when the salesperson asked me if I wanted the reducers, but the thought bubble floating above my head was: “Why would I want to reduce my speed?” I answered with a simple “No.” I’m now rethinking that response and what engendered it––not because it was necessarily a wrong response but because it was automatic. I didn’t think it through.

    I love to go fast. I’ve always loved to go fast. And as soon as I am released by my doctors to be active again, I will go fast. Again. But I am now exceptionally aware of the shortfall of automatic responses. Mindfulness matters, and not just when big moments happen and big decisions need to be made but also in the small, in-between moments of everyday life. Everything matters. Life is actually lived in the particulars, although summarized in generalities. No matter what, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the details. My parents were strong on values and never passed up an opportunity to point out that actions––any actions––are always followed by consequences good or bad. I saw things differently. Everything is an opportunity for learning.

    From the beginning, BDW has been on a very fast track. We wanted to make an impact and we wanted to do it quickly. When we opened our doors in 2009, our anthem was ”Start here. Change everything.” In truth, we had enough money to last four months.

    We were Boulder Digital Works and deliberately disruptive. Our intent was to create a revolution in learning fueled by digital technologies. Much of what we did was in focus and purpose driven but, looking back, too much of it was automatic. Internally, our mantra was “Speed. Focus. Agility.” but the emphasis was primarily on speed. For the past six months, we’ve been looking back, assessing and also reflecting, gaining focus.

    For reference, here’s a short list of what we’ve done since our inception.

    • Since October 2009, we have had a total of 46 students enroll in our graduate program. That’s an average of 23 students per year.

    • We have created and produced 20 executive workshops in Boulder, New York, Amsterdam, Toronto, Miami and Vancouver for approximately 1,600 people.

    • We have also created and developed interactive projects for Microsoft, Toyota, State of Colorado Office of Economic Development, Suuthe, Justin’s Nut Butters, SpyderLynk, Open Road Media, IXDA and Fearless Cottage.

    • We’ve been covered by The New York Times two times, along with USA Today, MediaPost, Publishers Weekly, Boards, Advertising Age, AdWeek, Marketing Week, Creativity, and, of course, The Denver Egotist.

    We are now two years and two months old, and we celebrated this anniversary quietly by changing our name from Boulder Digital Works to BDW. This decision was less of a change than a simple acceptance that everyone refers to us as BDW anyway. But more significantly the change to BDW is a recognition that we’ve evolved and it’s time to publicly recognize and act on that evolution. Calling yourself digital seemed necessary and appropriate two years ago. Today it feels redundant, a distinction without a difference. Everything’s digital.

    We are no longer the brand new edgy kid in the neighborhood. We are maturing and growing and that is a good thing. We do remain experimental. That won’t change. BDW now is best described as a post digital studio in the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. We are what happens when a university thinks and acts like a startup, using Agile Methodologies and Lean Startup principles to develop creative uses of technology that bridge physical and digital environments. BDW generates people, projects and solutions for the 21st-century creative industries, and we do all of this in what is best described as a new culture of learning. In April of 2012, we will move to a new and raw location in Boulder where we can design and build immersive experiences that connect life on the screen with life off the screen. We will be welding as well as developing. You’re all invited.

    This is real stuff. Our work is significant and necessary and we intend to last and grow and always be evolving. We’re grateful to TDE for the attention and support they’ve given us and while the better title for this piece is “What we have learned so far,” we’re more than happy to have it appear under their excellent annual series “What I Learned This Year.” So here that is, along with our best wishes to the creative community for a prosperous and happy 2012.

    Musicians play. Everybody else works.

    The future of work really is play.

    People do not like change but they fear uncertainty. Uncertainty is scary.

    The world is in permanent beta.

    Thinking and doing is better than thinking versus doing.

    We are designer-makers not makers OR designers.

    Post-industrial society is becoming increasingly like pre-industrial society.

    Dogs in the workplace are better than cats in the workplace.

    Everyone should have their own garage band.

    What goes around really does come around.

    We are happier when we do less, better than when we do more faster.

    It is much more rewarding to execute an idea and fail than to continue thinking.

    What we do is who we are.

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #54: John Gilbert

    January 13th, 2012 / Comments (4)

    I learned a lot this year. More so about how to do what we do better and to trust the people around me. I feel lucky to be working and living around the people I do. Here are a few of the year's highlights for me.

    Pivot or move out of the way
    There are times to keep on keeping on and there are times to look at how you do what you do and head the other direction. I did this in a big way with development @LRXD this year and it's turning out great.

    Experiment
    Experimenting with all elements of your work can be therapeutic and lead to better ideas. Don't let experimentation be limited to what you produce. Experiment with how you do what you do.

    Trust your instincts
    There were a few times this year when I didn't go with my gut and things were screwed. There were other times when I just went with my gut and things worked out pretty good.

    Sleep does have some benefits
    I used to go to bed every night around 2 or 3am and get up around 7-ish to start the day. I now get up around 5am and go to bed before midnight. I'm 10x more productive in the mornings.

    Be creative in any way possible. Don't forget why you started doing what you do.
    I started out in computer science, became bored, switched to graphic design and somehow finished school. I have this weird internal fight to code something or design something. This year, I have felt more at home trying to combine them in different ways. It's me getting back to my roots a bit more.

    Learn to code
    I did this a long time ago when in school but it never stops. Recently, I've been learning a new language and it's still a blast.

    A great team is worth a lot in the long run
    You might read this one and think "No shit!" It's important to look for the right people and not just someone who fits the bill. You don't notice you have an amazing team sometimes until it hits you in the face. It hit me in the face this year. I work with great people.

    Worry about the important stuff
    Don't get caught up in the day-to-day when you need to be looking at what's going to happen in the coming months.

    Change can suck
    When things don't go how you think they should, it can be a good thing. Sometimes the unexpected is awesome in the end.

    I can learn from my family.
    My family has a wealth of life to share with me. I have not taken advantage of this in the past. Saying goodnight over FaceTime sucks.

    You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. JFDI

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #53: Ryan Bramwell

    January 11th, 2012 / Comments (6)

    1) Collaborate. In Denver, we say this a lot and do it less. To be blunt, Denver has been a scene where we all “want” to collaborate and in reality there has been some apprehension in actually “doing” so. This year, however, we have seen an immense change in collaboration. Companies are beginning to work together, using their own strengths and creating better work. What I have experienced (apart from the work), is mainly the increase in inspiration which follows with collaboration. When you work with others outside your day-to-day office paradigm, you open doors to those peoples' experiences.

    2) Simplify. Be nimble. Ask for help when you need it.

    3) Make healthy, creative living a priority: We all live and breath what we do and every once in a while it can become too much. So, take a fucking break, do something different and change something…daily. Make sure the people in your daily lives are healthy and happy and if they are not, change something, communicate and act on your communication.

    4) Don’t do spec work (unless it's worth it)…But really try not to do it. The thought behind asking a firm or person to provide style frames for a project without a pitch fee should not be an acceptable practice. This rarely happens in the network industries of which our company runs as “the agency.” The problem with this is that when designing or creating the spot, brand, promo or commercial, the design/concept/idea is 90% of the project. It is your vision, your unique knowledge and your creative solutions within that 90%. Why would you do that for free? No project is worth that. Asking for even a nominal amount for a pitch fee shows the client that you are serious about the work you do and it will show you that the agency is serious about wanting to work with you. If you are an agency, please think about ending this practice in your pitch processes. Trust me, you will see your potential vendor’s work qualities increase dramatically.

    5) Diversify, yet continue to build on your strengths.

    6) Get away from your computer, pick up a sketchbook and draw something. It will lead you new places.

    7) Denver (and Boulder) is one of the best places in the US to work in our industry. We are (as a community) on a steep climb in continually putting Denver on the creative map in terms of clients, production capabilities and overall work quality. Be part of the growth and don’t despise it.

    8) Casually network with your creative friends both new and old. Come to the next Sauce Society and do so. (Shameless plug, but a very fun one.)

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #52: Sean Leman

    January 11th, 2012 / Comments (5)

    I learned exactly 6 or 7 things this year:

    1. Unicorns are beautiful, until they pop your dream bubble. Then, not so cute.

    2. Being called an 'untethered man-child' isn't necessarily a compliment.

    3. The Buddha was right about the middle path and right action. But that shit is a lot harder than he made it sound.

    4. On December 12th this year, my very beautiful wife, Taya, gave birth to our son Stokely. His first words out of the womb were 'Fuck Whitey.' I concurred (obviously).

    However, I also told him that — while righteous anger can be powerful — it's also not very useful to blame other people for one's own problems. Eventually you have to take a hard look in the mirror and take responsibility for your own shit. And I meant that literally, because his diaper was super-ultra-mega gross.

    5. I think Saint Peter (huge fan, personally) said that Man wasn't made for Time, but rather Time was made for Man. By which I think he meant that we should all stop fucking whining about being busy. Busy is an easy excuse. There's enough time to get it all done. And I'm not going to question a guy who was crucified upside down. That shit is hardcore.

    6. Finally, too few of us are doing anything to really help the people in the world who need help. It's easy to be too busy, or too wrapped up in our own shit, and ignore the people who are truly fucked, or helpless, or in a kind of pain I hope you and I never know.

    The last night Stokes and his Mom were in the hospital I went to Chipotle to get us something to eat that wasn't hospital food (it was close and seemed like a good idea). It was cold and rainy and sitting outside the Chipotle were a boy who looked to be in his late teens and what I assume was his younger brother, probably no older than 13. They were dirty and bedraggled and they huddled against each other for warmth. They asked me for some money for a motel room.

    I'm not going to tell you what I did or didn't do, because that's not the point. The point is that more people in this country and across the globe are suffering more than you or I can imagine. These times are fucked, and it's a kind of fucked that I've never experienced before.

    I suspect — or rather, deeply believe — that if you and I used our time and talents, or a fraction thereof, to help people who need help, we would see our own lives transformed and at the same time see this fucked, bullshit society transformed as well.

    So, really, what I've learned this year kinda distills down to one thing: I need to stop being such a selfish, self-obsessed prick and do something real for someone else. It's time I stopped whining about being so fucking busy, and actually help out.

    7. Oh, and also that bears are seriously for reals. Bears don't fuck around.

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #51: Joel Pilger

    January 10th, 2012 / Comments (3)

    WHY I LEARNED THIS YEAR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT I LEARNED THIS YEAR

    A GRIEF OBSERVED
    When Steve Jobs died, I wept. Quite unexpectedly, it hit me like a freight train. I talked to my dad about it, he was equally torn up about it.

    Why? Why would the death of some corporate CEO far away, whose demanding and often disrespectful style were well known, make such an impact on me and my 77-year old dad, and millions of others, for that matter?

    IT WAS (NOT) OUR YEAR
    A year ago at Impossible’s Christmas party, I looked ahead to coming year and optimistically proclaimed “This is our year!”

    Was I ever wrong. 2011 was the year the recession finally caught up with Impossible. We suffered setbacks. Disappointments. Dangers. Loss. Pain. A string of losses forced us to step back, to reevaluate what we were doing.

    Loss makes us appreciate what we have.

    Pain makes us appreciate the simple things in life.

    (Have you noticed how people who have suffered tragedy in life are much more interesting than those who haven’t been through much?)

    The challenges of 2011 were so difficult; they pushed me and my business partner, Steve, to go beyond reevaluating merely what we were doing. We questioned many things. Even some sacred cows. We were challenged to go beyond WHAT and began to question WHY.

    WHY
    If you remain open, serendipity can work like magic. Later in the year, out of the blue, my iPod played a riveting TEDx session by Simon Sinek that started with WHY:

    “People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it... The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with everybody who believes what you believe.” - Simon Sinek

    This rocked my world. I had suddenly stumbled upon the Grand Unifying Theory of Everything. After all I had been through this year, those words so grabbed me that I almost crashed my car. I had to pull off I-25 just to think.

    A DANGEROUS LITTLE WORD
    Try this: the next time you meet someone new, rather than asking them the usual, “So what do you do?” Try instead asking, "WHY do you do what you do?"

    Your new acquaintance will likely be taken aback.

    Note how that dangerous little word WHY shifts the question from a polite icebreaker into a provocative, even threatening, inquiry. WHY opens us up. It exposes us.

    WHY do you do what you do?
    WHY should anyone care?
    If you stopped getting paid for what you do, would you still do it? WHY not?

    What had I learned this year? That WHY transcends WHAT.

    IT WAS OUR YEAR AFTER ALL
    At Impossible, 2011 did turn out to be “our year,” after all. It just didn't look anything like what we thought it would.

    Funny how being focused on WHAT can paint you into a corner. When the economy tanks, customers go elsewhere, staff leave, or whatever... WHAT can be a trap. But almost by definition, WHY adapts.

    Our focus on WHAT (an animation / effects / editorial studio? a post house? a live action / motion design company?) had never sat well with us. After many years, we finally began to realize we were asking the wrong question.

    This simple (almost simplistic) idea of WHY was so electrifying, it soon worked its way into our Impossible manifesto:

    • We believe when your audience notices you, they should be rewarded with something special.
    • We believe your consumers don’t buy “what” you do, but “why” you do it.
    • We believe great brands offer simplicity in our increasingly complex world.
    • We believe decisions are fueled by emotion.

    And not only did Impossible realize WHY is the rocket fuel in our jet packs: it’s also the blood coursing through the hearts of our clients’ businesses as well. That simple discovery is propelling our foolish optimism for the future. We believe we can make an impact in the marketplace.

    And in the process of discovering our (and our clients’) WHY, Impossible had become a creative agency. Whodathunk.

    Whereas WHAT limits, WHY adapts.

    BRINGING IT FULL CIRCLE
    Amidst all the Steve Jobs hysteria, I came across this rarely quoted gem:

    "When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your job is just to live your life inside the world, trying not to bash into the walls too much, trying to have a nice family, having fun, and saving a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things... Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again."

    I cried at the death of Steve Jobs because I realized that deep down, he and I were driven by the same WHY. He believed what I believed. And when you find someone that believes like you do, it's a powerful connection. You will follow them wherever they go, buy whatever they sell, and even evangelize whatever they preach.

    WHY is the secret sauce that turns water (or Kool-Aid) into wine.

    So what's your WHY? To “live your life... have a nice family, have fun, save a little money?” If so, have you ever wondered, why would anyone – your friends, clients, staff, boss – sacrifice to get behind your personal, seemingly selfish, mission?

    But if your WHY – behind your life, career, family, company, brand, mission – is “to change the world, to influence it, to build something...” Well then, that's an altogether different matter.

    There will be a line of people waiting outside your door to help you push that boulder up the hill. And along the journey, your WHY will inspire the impossible.

    Thanks for listening. Blessings to you in 2012.

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  • What I Learned This Year 2011 #50: Eric Kiker

    January 10th, 2012 / Comments (8)

    So, what did I learn in 2011?
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    …………………………………………………………………………...........................................patience.
    I know, it may seem overly simplistic, but really, for me, that’s what this year, and the last several, have been lacking. To say there’s been a gnawing ache would be inappropriate—gnawing indicates slow, methodical action. No, this has been more like a ravenous man-eating-wolf-on-my-face kind of ache—and it’s been pervasive. Business, home, son, marriage, fitness, diet, retirement fund, skin tautness—you name it—I’ve impatiently tried to get “it” where I want it. Has the end of 2011 made things any better? Maybe. I’ve finally found a workout regimen that makes sense—each one seems like an eternity, so that’s slowing things down a bit. Microdermabrasion has taken off a month or two. After 42 years in business, LeeReedy is settling into a nice rhythm. I’ve been reading up on the slow food movement and walking into the Starbucks instead of taking the drive-through. Most importantly and substantially, I’m looking at the two light-speed-moving people in my world—my son Leo and wife Linda, and trying really hard to slow down enough to enjoy the time we have. I’m easing into this.

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