11th Screen

What. A. Week.

In fact, what a year. But we won’t focus on that right now.?!?!

This was a quintessential agency week. One filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. One where you have moments that you know, without a doubt, this is why you do this, and you have moments that you question with every ounce of your being, is it worth it.  One that in the end, reminds you, through magic moments, that you were born to do something.

Through a couple of extraordinary circumstances this week, I found myself locked in a room with my college filmmaking buddy (who actually runs our production studio at the agency) ideating and writing scripts for one of our largest clients. It was a high pressure situation, timing was tight, and in a matter of 3 hours, we had concepted and written multiple scripts, were coordinating with the clients and legal and making arrangements to shoot one (or more) of the chosen concepts. Laughing, cursing, thinking, riffing. We were totally and completely in the mix, doing what we do. None of it felt like work.

In the end, we made a video. It’s a really good video. But that’s not my takeaway for the week. That’s not the magical part.

The magical part was actually the doing. Everything that went into making that video. It began with the belief that, against numerous odds, we could do this within the parameters we were given. It included taking a few risks through some of the concepts that we presented. And, most of all, it was about operating in our sweet spots – those zones where there’s 0 thinking about how to do it, you just do what you do, and something comes out as a result.

Work, no matter what business your in, is a grind at some point or another. It’s easy to grow complacent and go through the motions. For creators, this is death. Whether it’s you or one of your staff, recognize those things that enable you to operate in your sweet spot. It can be concepting and creating something or it could be organizing an event or it could be figuring out an enterprise-level network installation. Don’t be afraid to take risks, and above all, don’t be afraid to take on a challenge.

Magic just might happen.

Are connections today’s currency? Technology has enabled connections to be made quicker and farther and easier. When sitting in front of your TV, you can instantly connect with those watching the same exact thing. When shopping in a store, you can connect with the brands or products you love. You can even connect with strangers to get real-time opinions. Driving in your car, it’s now simple to safe(r)ly connect with your family or share your thoughts with your friends or get pointed in the right direction.

I’m just wondering how much value there is to something (be it a standard billboard or poster or even a digital version of either) that doesn’t enable quick, vast, or easy connections.

Seems like those are becoming stable stakes.

One of my favorite written pieces is Desiderata. It is a manifesto, of sorts, of how to live, and I’ve always found it to be aligned with my personal beliefs and thoughts. It’s just a really good, inspirational guide for me.

Last year, I wrote my own Desiderata, my own manifesto, for the year. My intention was for it to be the guide for me every day throughout the year. Looking back, I think I followed it pretty well. But I’ve got another year of life experiences and learnings in me, so I’ve written another one. This one building on top of the last one, which really builds on top of the original one. I’m going to try to let all of these words and principles be a foundation for me and my team as we embark on another year of great possibilities.

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Be prepared for change. It will, no doubt, fill a period of time this year. While sometimes painful, it always marks opportunity. With opportunity comes decision. Your decision. Even if it is merely how you respond. These are the moments that strengthen your character.

Be led by what’s right. Right is not always easy. But if you know, in your heart, that you are making choices based on what is right, you can get through the hardest situations.

Know, too, that there are no small choices. Each choice matters and more often than not, all of the choices you make are connected in one way or another. This is hard. It requires awareness and discipline, two things that you must embrace. Few things are forever, but the choices we make are one of those things.

Play no games, be straight, and be at peace with the way people respond. You can’t control what they feel or think. You can only play your part and if you lay it out there the right way, you have done your job.

Keep plugging along. In good times and bad, do what you do. Keep your head down and Keep. Plugging. Along.

Do not be ignorant to life moments. You must recognize these moments, especially those that will happen only once. And do whatever you can to play a vital part in them. Don’t let them leave you behind.

You have a commitment to yourself to be great in all circumstances. If greatness is your expectation and driving force, you will be just fine.

Trust your gut. Regardless of how desperate or hopeless the situation might seem to be, your gut speaks more truth than you might give it credit for. Listen to this. Listen hard.

Stand in your power and do not give that power up. But always be kind. It’s simple, really. A kind heart is infectious and it makes things so much more pleasant.

More than anything, don’t lose your flame. There is a flame that burns inside you from your passion. Do whatever you can to fuel it every single day because once it goes out, it might not ever light again. Life without passion is hardly life.

And finally, try to find joy at all times. When there is no joy, stop and ask yourself what you’re doing. It might very well be the wrong thing. And if it is, the best thing you can do is to stop. And move on.

New means limitless opportunity.

New means the possibility of magic in everything you do.

New means starting something you’ve never done before.

New does not mean starting over from scratch.

New does not mean ignoring learnings you’ve picked up from a lifetime of experience.

We embark on something new every day and that’s an awesome gift.

May your new year be made up of unbounding opportunity and magical work.

Our lives seemed to be marked by year increments. Birthdays, anniversaries, new years. We look back over time, year after year, to gauge success, failures, trials, tribulations, and joys. And then, we make plans in those same increments. This year is and will be like all of the rest in this way.

But the funny thing about it is – it’s the choices that we make on a daily basis that shape the outcome of those years. No matter how big or small, how inconsequential or mundane, how high pressure or not, those daily choices matter. And they matter in a profound way. They just happen so frequently and at such a pace and are sometimes bad choices, it’s easier to look at a macro level. But the reality is, these daily choices build up one by one, micro by micro, and when it’s this time of the year, together they form good or bad, disappointing or triumphant, hope or hopeless.

There are many things outside of our control, but what is in our control are those choices. What we choose and how we choose it. And every single day, every single choice matters.

I hope that you all have had a great Christmas holiday. I know we have. For us, it’s really been one where we have witnessed the magic and awe of what Christmas is through our children (6 and 3), who are old enough to understand it on a few different levels. That perspective – the one of complete magical-ness – is refreshing, rejuvenating, and for me, one that is needed. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind, trying to balance work, family, personal and free time, and especially at this time of the year – where things are insanely busy – it’s important to be grounded in this (and all different sorts of) perspective. The magic behind this time of the year is definitely a reminder of what is truly important, something incredibly personal that transcends any “work” that we have to do, but insofar as work goes, it is also a reminder of the magic of what we get to do on a daily basis, making cool, business-moving stuff for brands and organizations. Doing it with great, new, emerging technology is icing on the cake.

When dealing with clients and relationships, there is hardly black and white. Either or. This or that.

There is all mostly grey space. And those who are able to navigate the grey space best are able to operate within the (loose) confines of day-to-day goings ons.

This is the way to make things happen.

Recognize it’s almost all grey. Then, navigate.

In order for us to really get to the point of interacting with the places and things around us, 2 things need to happen:

1. The technology has to be there. We’re getting closer and closer every day where those things that were previously not “on” are so now.

2. People have to be comfortable using it on that scale. On any given regular day, how many times do you see someone interacting with a poster or a billboard or a kiosk? Unless it’s an ATM, I don’t. Despite how far we’ve come in a short amount of time (read: mobile), we’re still uncomfortable with any new technology, particularly when it’s out in public spaces.

But we’re not far off.

Look no further than this:

The digital playground. For the generation growing up right now. Their world is shaped by technology. If they’re not carrying it around by the time they’re 8, they have it at their fingertips. In schools. At homes. On playgrounds.

In short order, the technology will be there. Also in short order, the comfort, familiarity, and even more, expectation will be that of a world turned “on” by those who live, work and play in it everyday.

If you have children or just observe, look at what they’re doing sometime, especially out in the public. Chances are, you’ll see some sort of technology at their fingertips. Like it or not, this is the world they know. Like it or not, this is the world they will expect. And like it or not, this is the world that technology will give them.

Soon. Very soon.

You can only hope to build a team who appreciates what team is about. Who knows that they only have to be their best selves to contribute. Who see the strengths in others around them. Who knows their day to shine will come as long as they push for greatness every single moment. Who believe in a common cause. And will do whatever they can to achieve it. Who has each others’ backs. Who genuinely likes each other. And holds each other accountable. On their terms. In their way. Outside of being told what or how to do it.

Teams work together to work. To solve problems. To function. To make greatness.

Teams can function when any one person leaves because the team is not about one person. It’s about the whole.

When your team can function (even thrive) in that scenario, know that you have an excellent team. Relish in it. It’s special.

I was preparing a team for a pitch last week where we were to present “The Big Idea.” An interesting thing happened – no one started with technology. That is to say, no one started by saying, “what if we had this huge display” or “let’s create an immersive touch experience” or “augmented reality would be cool in this way.”

Everyone started with the actual real-world experience, what people would actually do and get out of the “thing.” See, unless you are talking to a technologist and/or talking about a media buy of any scale, the technology only confuses matters. It muddies the core of the idea, which is what you’re selling.

Yes, there are specific technologies that are buzzy, but when you’re tasked with coming up with “the big idea,” do they really stand up by themselves? 9 times out of 10, no, they don’t.

There is an understanding that we can find whatever technology enables us to realize our idea. Some might be better than others, but at the end of the day, they are all a means to an end, and the same that way.

The end is the experience, one that transcends technology. It can be made better through technology most of the time, but not always. We don’t need technology for any “big idea.” That’s not what sells.