BROADCASTS.com

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWelcome to Episode 27 of Navigating the Fustercluck\u2014a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the alternative reality that is the world of creativity.\xa0My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and we\u2019re here to talk about you, and how you should bet on yourself. Maybe even start a side hustle or whatever term you prefer.Some time back, I went to Miami with 400 other planners for the Jay Chiat Awards. A conference celebrating the very best in strategy.\xa0To be honest, I don\u2019t remember much about the event. And that\u2019s not because of the nighttime cocktails. However, I\u2019ll never forget the second day\u2019s keynote speaker, Eric Ryan.Eric\u2019s background was as an advertising planner where he had worked at multiple top tier agencies, laying down the foundation for world-class work for world-class brands.He\u2019d done well for his clients, agencies and himself. So, it was interesting to hear Eric open with these words:\xa0You\u2019re all idiots.Yep, he called us all idiots. Man, we paid a lot of money just so we could be called idiots.\xa0That said, I will say, he said it in the nicest way possible. Because Eric is a nice guy.\xa0I\u2019ll also say this: He got our attention! So what if he pissed some people off. Because what he said next opened my eyes, and I\u2019ll always appreciate Eric\u2019s insight & honesty.Each and every day your thinking helps make small fortunes for your clients and agencies alike, Eric said. Dumb people can\u2019t do that. What\u2019s dumb is that you don\u2019t share in that wealth. Sure, you make good money, but you\u2019re adding way more value than what you\u2019re receiving in return.Damn! That was a gut punch. Hard truths hit harder.\xa0And Eric had every right to say it. You see, he and his college roommate, Adam Lowry, had co-created Method Cleaning products. Some of the first toxic-free products in their category. They had cracked the code and produced clean cleaning products. With awesome packaging. And they had made millions doing it. Hundreds of millions, I believe.Eric\u2019s words never left me. And from there on, I knew I had to bet on myself. That corporate America wasn\u2019t going to provide with the wealth, and more importantly, the satisfaction I was seeking. Betting on yourself, however, can be daunting, and I tried to keep in mind the words of Nelson Mandela:May Your Choices Reflect Your Hopes, Not Your Fears.\xa0And there are many things to fear. More today than back then.Creativity is on the verge of becoming a commodity.\xa0Few clients are comfortable placing their business in the hands of creative types.\xa0There are MBA\u2019s who go to school so they can go out into the real world and change the status quo. They often end up as the entrepreneurs who succeed or fail have to shake things up.Then there are those MBA\u2019s who regardless of how they see themselves were put on this earth to maintain the status quo. They usually move on to large companies figuring out how to eliminate risk, not take it. To them, \u201crisk\u201d is a four letter word.My apologies for the generalizations, but unfortunately, I\u2019ve discovered this:\xa0MBA does not necessarily stand for \u201cMakes Better Advertising\u201d.That\u2019s why there\u2019s nothing better than a great client.But you need great teammates, too.Is your leadership committed to creativity? Your whole team?Everyone wants great creative, but do they need it? Demand it?Fight for it? Both with you and the client?I really hope that they are. And that you are, too.Unfortunately, with the emergence of AI and more direct platforms, creative is seemingly being devalued. Meaning that you may be undervalued, too.And with cost-cutting continuing to gain momentum, you may want to look for an alternative path or a side hustle or two.But don\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t call you an idiot. As you\u2019ll see, that honor is apparently reserved for me.Which brings us up to our second story. This one took place a few years ago when I met my ol...