Ambiguity is my
comfort zone.
I’m a 12-year strategy vet with a knack for building brands that people care about.
I’ve learned to find fun in the subjectivity of it all and how to be the one brave enough to put a POV up for slaughter. Because at the end of the day, giving people something to react to is the only way to get from “what are we doing?” to “what are we waiting for?”
Throughout my career, two pieces of advice have stuck with me …
1. "A strategist needs to be the open mind that opens mind." — I love the permission behind this idea. At its core, strategy is a lot of inspiration and playing in the gray. It takes letting go of bias, turning over a lot of stones and getting others to take a ride with you, even if you run into a few dead ends along the way.
2. "Always remember that great advertising existed before strategy was a person." — I love the reality check here. Because of the nature of their job, strategists often know more than others. But too often, they get framed as “the smartest person in the room,” which is not only a lot of pressure but also a very dangerous space to operate from.
Things I’ve learn along the way …
Supporting young strategists and advertising students has always been a passion. I created and led an agency intern program from scratch and ran it for several summers. And I take everyone opportunity I get to guest lecture in the classroom or mentor a semester-long project.
When any of them asks me for advice, here are some personal beliefs I share with them:
#1 – Search for the energy, not the answer.
There is no answer. But if you find something everyone gets excited by and can’t stop talking about, you’re on the right track.
#2 – The worst thing you can be is boring.
Getting people to think is what it’s all about. They may not always agree, but it’ll spark a new thought that gets to the unlock.
#3 – Don’t just author the strategy, shepherd it.
The more that others get involved and have their fingerprints on it, the better it will be and the easier it will be to make it happen.
#4 – Make your case, and make it strong.
It’s less about being right and more about convincing them that you are. Evidence helps, but conviction is what’ll makes it sing.
#5 – Less will always be more.
You know more than you should and way more than anyone needs to. What you don’t bring up is just as important as what you do.
#6 – The real job starts after the sell-in.
Strategy shouldn’t live in a deck. It’s more than a clever line. It’s something that should constantly inform the now and the next.