I’ve had the good fortune to work with many talented people over the years. Some of these people taught me lessons outright, and from others, I learned just by watching them. It’s impossible to condense their collective wisdom into an article, but here are some things that stuck with me:
Competition Is Everywhere (Carlo Voelker)
I didn’t understand competition until my first boss broke it to me as I was leaving to start a business with a friend. I boasted that our idea for a website had no competition, but Carlo told me a bitter truth: Competition was everywhere. If someone watched a movie instead of reading our website, the movie was a competitor. If someone went outside to play soccer instead of visiting our website, then soccer was a competitor. When a business revolves around people spending time with a product, then anything that steals attention or occupies time is a competitor.
Don’t Take It Personally (Tony Costa)
I worked as a graphic designer in the beginning of my career, and like many artists, I was defensive about my work. Tony broke me of that defensiveness and made me a better designer. He just kept bombarding me with more revisions than I could possibly defend against. I remember designing 85 different covers for the retail package of one video game. At certain points in the creative process, I’d scrap my work and start with something fresh. Then we’d tweak the new artwork until it came alive or until we scrapped it for something better. The end result was always better than the starting point.
Integrity Is All or Nothing (Glenn Hall)
I caused a stir in my first week in Glenn’s newsroom. On my recommendation, one of our reporters wrote a story that attacked the business model of a major advertiser. I learned this when the head of sales came gunning for my head in front of everyone. Glenn, who is as even-tempered as anyone I’ve ever met, inserted himself between us and told that executive “too damn bad.” Glenn gave his news team complete confidence to write anything as long as it was fair, accurate and it served our readers. And he demonstrated integrity under pressure because integrity is all or nothing.
Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission (Mike Carmine)
I was a film major at NYU and I got a taste of how bureaucratic it can be to make a movie (even a short one). I once spent an entire day bouncing between two NYU administration offices trying to get permission to film something on campus! Mike was one of my professors there and he had a different attitude: Just do it. Don’t ask. Just do it as long as you’re not putting anyone in danger or someone’s property at risk. I’ve used that advice many times in my career.
Opportunity Is Everywhere (Eddie Hertzman)
After our business failed in 2009, Eddie took a job touring clothing factories around the world (he had previously worked for a clothing company). When he was in countries like China, Pakistan and Vietnam, he noticed things like extreme weather and political drama. Those factors might prevent a company from getting its goods on time, regardless of how the factory was performing. So he started a paywalled blog and talked about what he saw. He offered trials to apparel executives and fashion schools and grew that blog into the biggest trade journal in the textile industry: Sourcing Journal.
Be Honest With Oneself (Stephen Berner)
I reached out to a friend when my business was failing in 2008. She worked in HR for a media agency and I was looking to get an advertising job. There were no job openings, but she brought me in to speak with an executive. I have no idea why Stephen agreed to meet with me. He took me to lunch and we talked for hours. I told him all about my business. It was failing, but I was talking about it like it was a success. Stephen patiently listened to everything that I had to say, and when I was done, this is what he told me: “Sounds like you have a hobby, not a business, but only you know that for sure.” It was no fun admitting failure, but it was necessary for me to move on.
Never Stop Learning (Marie Arteca)
I really wanted to get into advertising, so I put together a spec ad portfolio and sent it off to recruiters. Nobody bit. So, I followed up with phone calls. Nobody answered, except for Marie. My portfolio stunk. She told me so in a gentle way. Then she told me to take a night class and gave me a few programs to look at. She knew all of the instructors and recommended a class where I’d get boot-camped into shape (or find a different industry to dream about).
Help Those Who Help Themselves (Kash Sree)
I took an advertising night class at J. Walter Thompson’s New York office with Kash Sree, the Executive Creative Director. I thought I nailed my first assignment. Nope. Kash ripped my ad to shreds and then he ripped me to shreds because I had only brought in one idea (and I made the mistake of defending that idea). It wasn’t pretty, and a handful of students stopped attending after that night, but I had something to prove. When I showed up for the next class, I was packing 30 different ads. Kash tore those ads to shreds, too, but he praised me for the volume of ideas and told me to keep at it. He was a busy guy, but if a student made an effort, Kash was generous with his time. Even after the class finished, Kash made time to look at my work.
Do Something Different (Kurt Tietjen)
When I was stuck in a rut, Kurt told me to stop whatever I was doing and take a walk. When I was on a roll, Kurt would sometimes tell me to take a step back and look at things in a different way. If I was in the office every day, he’d suggest working from home. Do something different. Kurt taught me that the only way to get a complete view of things is to constantly change my perspective.