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I was having lunch with a 21 year old entering into the world of advertising and marketing. She was asking thoughtful questions about the industry, what path to take and for general advice. As I started to answer and reflect across my career, I paused to think what advice would I have wanted to receive when I was sitting in her seat. And, boy, there is a lot that I wished I knew back then (and plenty I still need to learn). Here’s what I wished I knew and still need to keep reminding myself of often. Hope it resonates with you as well.
Be Fearless. The quote from Henry David Thoreau has a whole lot of truth to it. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined.” Take chances. Be brave. Be innovative. Be weird. Be creative. Be fearless. Embrace differences. Keep learning. Mix it up.
Dare to Dream….and dream BIG. Don’t hold back. Get clear on a dream that you are so excited about you can’t sleep. You know, that big, hairy audacious goal that we’ve heard about. This is not the time to be shy….just go for it with confidence…and give it all you’ve got.
Don’t wait to get into the game. There is a magic in doing. Start something great now. If you’re still in school or looking for a job, brand yourself, start a business, volunteer, write a blog, dive into social media (not just your facebook account), do freelance work, follow and reach out to leaders that you admire, have an opinion and share it with the world.
Find your passion…and fan the flame. While talking to my lunchmate, I asked her what she was drawn to about the advertising and marketing industries. With a mix of excitement, curiosity and passion, she detailed the reasons why she choose advertising as her major and why she wanted to be on the account and business development side of the business. Find your passion and fan the flame. Dive in. Get lost in your passon and enjoy learning everything about it and becoming great at it. Stay current. Sharpen your skills regularly. Reach out to others who share your passion, who are leaders in the field and learn from them. Keep your approach and voice uniquely you.
Stay curious. Stay humble. I was so impressed by my lunchmate’s curiosity about the industry and humility in her own accomplishments. She then relayed a story about someone in the industry that she and her friends admired. He was a respected CEO who had spoken at her college and impressed the audience. He encouraged the students to reach out and connect with him by email or social media and promised to reply….to answer their questions and to help in any way he could. Unfortunately, when my lunchmate’s friend did just that, said CEO acted like, well….a jerk. He went from hero to zero to a young, eager students who adored him. Bad call. We live in a small, connected world. Be nice to one another out there. It is good business and just the right thing to do.
Don’t go it alone…and choose wisely. Trusted friends, mentor(s) and coaches who are willing to share their experiences and advice and have your best interests at heart are invaluable. Surround yourself with positive, honest people with integrity who lift you up, have your best interest at heart and who cheer on your success while you do the same for them. They are gems. Value them. They can help navigate careers and politics and see challenges and opportunities coming before we can. If you can, get more than one mentor or coach and remember to listen closely, value them, always stay true to yourself and make your own decisions. Particularly early in our lives, we can be strongly influenced by others. Choose wisely and carefully. And, pay it forward. Give back freely and often when you can.
Stay in integrity. ‘Nuff said.
Find your voice….and speak up. Ask questions. Be confident. Listen to your intuition. Know that your opinion is valuable. Give respect to others, but most of all respect yourself, your voice, your work, and your values.
Have fun. Enjoy the ride and the people your with along the journey. It goes fast so laugh often. Work hard, but don’t take it so seriously that it interferes with your health or important relationships. And, never forget that it is the relationships in our lives that truly matter most.