The Emerging Times

Square Peg. Round Hole.

For the majority of my career I've always felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Perhaps you feel the same way. So how can we spin this problem (or our perceived problem) to work for us?

What if for a moment I could convince you that we are all squares, and the world around us is actually what's round? We each have our own personalities and demeanor that make us very different from the person next to us. I believe these this unique and individual differences naturally shapes our own specific point of view and perspective on things, on our lives.

So why do some of us seem to be able to fit or squeeze into that round hole better than others? I wish I knew the answer of that question, I really do.

My best guess is that some of us are able to adapt to the world and organizations better than others. And some of us never seem to understand or grasp the concept of conformity. We look at that round hole and we want to run away and work with the other square pegs in the world. Why? Perhaps it's because the other squares are just as afraid of the round holes as we are. Being with them makes us feel as if we can be ourselves, it's more comfortable there.

Regardless of what shape you are (or think you are), each of us figures it out simply by trying. By going for it. And in the end all of us usually succeed when we learn how to make our own way.

So why not do exactly that? Make your own way.

{This is the advice I got a long time ago when someone noticed that I was a square peg trying to fit into this round hole of a world.}

Your own advice

our own advice

A lot of us have a natural case of split-personality disorder.

Why is it that when we go into a client presentation or sit down to write that conference report do we all of a sudden go into what I refer to as Super-Professional Mode? It's not a fancy name-just a simple 'mode' reference.

A mode can be described (by me) as a program or repetitious state that machines follow. So why do we fall into these 'modes'? To be honest, I have no idea. But what I do know is that when we work in this 'mode' we're not ourselves—we're like surrogates.

Here's some great advice I downloaded a few years back: "Write as you speak, speak as you write.".

I find that if I run this operation everyday, it keeps me from acting less like that surrogate and a bit more like myself. Run it everyday and it will help you to de-program this 'mode' slowly over time.

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Doing your thing (and getting noticed for it)

Doing your thing (and getting noticed for it)

I do __________ better than anyone else.

Can you complete this statement about yourself?

Whether you're an agency owner, a young creative, or a store clerk—you need to know the answer of this question. After you figure that out (most of you already have by now), you're going to then start to wonder how you get credit for your talents. The answer is easy—you do it again the next day, and the day after that. Repetition is the key.

Bring it today.

Go from Downtime to Uptime

Go from Downtime to Up-time

Wednesdays are all about motivation, so here it goes.

Slowly but surely the economy is picking back up. Agencies are hot and cold, but most are fairly warm.

What are you doing with your downtime? The time after a meeting, waiting for feedback, spent wondering what else your boss will hand to you? What are you doing then? Before it crashed and you decided to stay put, did you have a plan? If so...bring it back. It's time.

Consider this note your fortune cookie. Revisit your plan. Make a plan for your plan. If you're in the advertising business then consider putting your book together. There are greener pastures abroad that will need you very soon.

Channel Your Celebrity Doppelganger

Channel Your Celebrity Doppelganger

Doppelganger Week recently passed. Everyone's Facebook profile pictures we're replaced with celebrity head shots, one by one. It reminds us about how much we build on our own personal identities through the products we consume. 'We are what we eat' so to speak. I'm sure that already, as some of you are reading this article, you're thinking it's not a topic for you. But hear me out.

Whether you want to admit it or not, you:
    • are a lot like your parents.
    • are creating your identity more and more every day.
    • buy things because they make you feel good.

Stereotypically speaking, Gen X-ers tend to refuse or push away commercialism or "the man". They don't accept the system or role play so much. "Not for me". The next generation that came after that, the Millennials (Gen-Y), are a bit different. They're a bit more 'dreamy'. They've adopted celebrity in a way that's not quite so negative. Instead, as every generation is—they're a bit smarter. They know that commercialism is here to stay. So, instead of pushing it away, they leverage celebrity and their inner doppelganger more willingly and much more efficiently.

I remember a profound statement Mr. Bogusky once said to me when I was trying to incorporate 'celebrity' into a campaign concept. "We like celebrities because they remind us of our friends, and our friends remind us of celebrities." What? Holy shit. Of course that's right.

To put it into simple terms—leverage your doppelganger. It will help you define yourself, and ultimately make you more comfortable with your own brand.

(FYI my doppelganger has always been Gonzo. We have a lot in common.)

Killing obstacles with kindness

Killing obstacles with kindness
-aka. push politely

Congratulations! You sold a big idea. Your work is done. Right?

Not quite yet.

The hardest part is making your idea see the light of day. From here you'll have to earn the reality of your idea by overcoming production hurdles, and proving to your client that you can deliver on your vision and your promise.

With every new idea there will be new hurdles and even more concerned people. Ideas that are breaking new ground are usually unfamiliar spaces that create fear. Why? No one wants to fail. Inside they're saying "I don't want it to come down on me!" Then they say things like "If we don't have this nailed down by tomorrow it can't be done. We'll have to push it until phase two." What do you do then?

My tip: Stand up for the idea. And push back. Politely.

How you take on and apply leadership as a leader can make all the difference in how effective you are. The best way to approach people functioning under fear is to "Kill'em with kindness". Because when you make everyone comfortable you'll eliminate fear and can get exactly what you want. Or more importantly what the client expected.

This completely unexpected video should help you remember this very important "peer-tactic".

The 'Picture Painting' Gene

Artwork: Claude Monet, Bathing at La Grenouillère (left), Chuck Close, Self Portrait (right)

The 'Picture Painting' Gene

In the book Instinct, Thomas Harrison describes many ways to leverage who you are (using your DNA) to promote success in business and in life. Of the many natural genes he mentions, one gene that may be hidden inside of you is the "Picture Painting" gene—a natural desire or way to create an evolving picture of yourself.

Before you get into it, ask yourself this: How open are you to experiences?

When you're open to experiences you can allow yourself to grow in a changing and evolving world. You allow yourself to change—because deep down you know you have too in order see things evolve in your life and your career.

The most ambitious people have had many, many goals in their life because ironically, they create them. I have an old friend that recently listened to her picture painting gene and took off from an ad agency to pursue her career as a film screenwriter. Sure she was already a great writer but what did it take to make that leap? It took a lot of mental practice and yes, she used her picture painting genes to see the opportunity, her potential. The late nights, the imagination, the planning had ultimately given her the confidence to take that step. I'm glad she did. Good luck Amy.

When you share your picture with a friend, get ready for a comment like "Hold on, don't get ahead of yourself." Don't let their comments, or cynicism diminish your vision. Instead, remember that that's the point—getting ahead of yourself.

Awake your 'picture painting' gene to help you make your next move. I promise that when you do so, you'll feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable with the next scene of your life picture.

Happy Sunday everyone. If you're happy with The Emerging Times, please pass it to a friend.

Gladwell's 10,000 Hours Rule

Gladwell's 10,000 Hours Rule
-How are you shaping your talent through commitment?

When I was 18, in my first year at college, my father (who owned an agency at the time) gave me my first Apple computer. It was instant access to the mother ship for a creative—it's what gave me an early advantage. Not many people, let alone students had a computer then, and knowing this made it even more inspiring. I could spend more time working, obsessing, and I didn't have to go to the labs to work because I had it all right there. I soon felt like a guru, an early adopter. Come 1998 when I entered the industry, I came in knowing that I could execute and navigate my way around anything. I knew that I could be the go-to-guy. By 2004 I had put in my 10,000 hours, heck it was probably more like 20,000.

I remember I used to come in exhausted on a lot of days, after working all night on creative and constantly re-challenging myself to develop something that got people excited. My coworkers and agency managers would say "wow, the work is great. Great job! The meeting is going to go wonderful. Oh, and what the heck we're you doing up so late?" Deep-down, I was comparing myself to everyone around me, proving to myself (through hours) that I was better. Everyday I'd ask myself "Have I worked harder than those guys?" People constantly would ask me "why do you work so long and hard? You should take it easy. You have your whole career ahead of you. Don't burn yourself out." Honestly, these comments used to really piss me off.

I used these comments to motivate me. I knew that I gained 8 hours of progress that night, so I did it again the next. And if I kept it up, within the next few years I'd be more ready than they we're—ready for what's next.

Everyday I took ideas, did sketches, then created beautiful comps for presentations. That's all I focused on delivering early in my career. It allowed me to feel confident in my trade, and allowed me to really focus on what I needed to develop as a creative in advertising—concept development, marketing, public speaking (pitching ideas) and building deep relationships and trust with the people I worked with. Teamwork.

Then about 2 years ago Malcom Gladwell supported my beliefs with the 10,000 Hours Rule. If you haven't read Outliers yet, go read it and pass it along. In short, he outlines that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. But the real tangible take away is that commitment maximizes your potential, creates skill, and shapes talent.

If you haven't yet, adopt the 10,000 hour rule this decade to something or somewhere you want to be. It will allow you to learn a new technology like mobile, enable you to travel faster up the ladder, and you'll feel more confident along the way knowing that you put in the time. Time enough to trust yourself and even get ahead of your coworkers, client's, and competitors.

The Element of Surprise: Advantage You

The Element of Surprise: Advantage You
Waging a great war requires the element of surprise.

Here are the requirements:

    1. Patience

    2. Knowing your enemy or hurdle

    3. Strategy/Angle of attack

    4. Preparing for battle

    5. Execution/Focus

Today at 10am, Apple is releasing their new Tablet along with a new digital distribution model. And during this launch Apple has done a great job at anticipating the marketplace and being patient before entering. Now they are ready to do something totally unexpected.

There's something to take away from all this hype both as a marketer and as a person within a larger organization. Ask yourself "What does everyone expect from me?" Do you just keep on giving them the same thing? Wow. How expected of you.

How are you surprising them with your ability to grow and constantly impress the people around you? When you present to a client do you stick with the same power point, keynote or agency reel? How are you preparing to surprise the competition or your boss on your next challenge? If your sticking to your same old routine then you just might get stuck in the mud of repetition.

As my old buddy, and creative director John Gilbert used to say "come in the side door". Today you have a chance to do something unexpected of yourself and get what your want. Take today seriously, calculate your next move. Make it intentional. Surprise everyone with your ability, your talent, and your intelligence.

Go ninja. And remember, a well planned surprise will always work to your advantage.

*I also suggest reading The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. You can buy the audio book here for your iPhone. I sometimes play it in the background while working on pitches. Inspiring Ninja character above by Shawnimals

Sunday Zoom: The Art of Zooming

The Art of Zooming

We're always evolving as professionals in this business. If your not, then your dead in the water. Regardless of whether your a seasoned senior-level vet or a young Padowan (Jedi Apprentice), chances are your climbing up a ladder. The steps to your next big thing. Your next promotion, your next car, your next Marc Jacobs handbag.

As you get to each level, your role changes slightly and more people come to depend on you. Your managing more or your responsible for more. It's always more.


As you climb, one thing that's for sure is that there will be more challenges ahead. Those challenges will be primarily with yourself.



By practicing "Zooming" (and I do mean practicing) you can discover something great—Yourself. Constantly put yourself in the position to see the big picture. 

Zooming is an exercise, a practice. 

Follow me for a second here. Can you see yourself from a satellite?, then at 30,000 feet?, then as a guest character on an episode of the The Family Guy? 

But the big question here is can you see yourself the ways others see you? 

Go ahead and try to answer that right now...

As I said before, making Zooming work for you takes practice. You have to be honest with yourself and your strengths. You need to figure out how you make an impact and affect and infect others with your perspective. 

Your presence is key.

How you get to the next level is being aware of who you are.

I think that the leaders of the best companies don't spend all day going around and patting people on the back. Why? Because they are (hopefully) the ones doing the best work, or most likely the most effective work—the work that impacts the business the most—the office's culture. 

The role of the leader is to know their role, how their staff and co-workers perceive them. If you want to to be a leader, you have to be able to see yourself and be willing to lead by example and motivate people with more than pats on the back and bonuses.