Samuel L. Jackson didn’t make it big until his forties
James McMillan
They convinced me I could do drama school after my university education, and I reluctantly allowed my combusting desire to be dampened.
All the names above the door were creatives
Dave Dye
Before long, we were having secret chats about what a creative agency for the new millennium might look like.
Please don't reach out
Emma Judd
I understand the need to talk the same language as your audience, but does it really have to come at the cost of our beautiful language?
The bitterness and cynicism of the untalented
James Cross
The ones with zero self-awareness and who offer only disparaging critiques of the latest creative work.
Did yoga just change my life?
Katie Kelly
I’m always dressed in yoga pants but my choice of attire was purely down to the flexibility of the waistband, not because I was on my way to yoga.
Give it a year and you'll be advising the United Nations
Matt Desmier
Juiced up on my own self-importance, I had an air of invincibility. I was untouchable.
Good ideas are worthless until you make them real
Joel Stein
It’s also a reminder to keep the “what if…?” spirit alive that tends to come more naturally in our youth.
Fighting the ‘prove branding works’ brigade
Kevin Chesters
The thing that angers me as a planner is having to spend so much of my time justifying why people should invest money in their brand.
Spending too much time in burnout city
Ben Goodey
I've always worked in startups, and the "we're a family with a higher mission" attitude often leads to a lack of personal life and a complete lack of balance.
Marketing managers who can't use Excel
Jordan Stachini
My advice for anyone who is employed would be to remember it’s not your business. You shouldn’t be expected to care as much as the person who owns it.
Wear sunscreen
Jo Watson
We need to learn how to respond, rather than react to other people online.
The mother of all mistakes
Bethany Joy
There’s no other single thing that’s had as significant and negative an impact on my career as having children.
Surviving the 9-5 and buzzkill frameworks
Juliana Jackson
The fact that I am built like complete professional nonsense has made me the worst hire possible. It’s a miracle I’m employed at the moment.
CEOs called Elizabeth and how to get lucky
Giles Edwards
Luck plays such a significant role in so many successes, yet it seems somehow disingenuous or deceitful, so we look for rational reasons instead.
Presenteeism
Katie Thompson
The 9-5 mindset is so outdated. Measuring someone’s performance based on how many hours they’ve been in the office, will get you nowhere.
Marketing has no barrier to entry
Gareth Morgan
The sheer amount of blagging and bullshit in the digital marketing world has been pissing me off on a daily basis for nearly 20 years.
Climbing the ranks
Dan Knowlton
I was managing 9 staff and 250 rental cars with next to no experience, and I was shit at it. I was working ridiculous hours, running myself into the ground and hating life.
A death-threat-inducing fuck up
Nick Ellis
Although 10 years on, and since the death threats have stopped, there’s part of me that is secretly pleased to have this anecdote. So here goes…
Losing your life savings
Manoj Ranaweera
Immediately after my MBA at Manchester Business School, I joined a tech startup as an investor employee, investing £50k into the business.
How to improve your judgment
Ashley Friedlein
The most important thing for success is good judgment. But there are very few rules, or best practices, around improving your judgment.