Ten years New York has been on my mind. An urban jungle in its truest form, bringing together the brightest minds of the last two centuries, ever reaching higher physically and figuratively. Working my way on to the annual University of Oregon advertising trip to the big apple for Creative Week was a no-brainer.
For
ten incredible days I was immersed in the melting pot of The City at
the center of humanity. With sixty strategic minds from the University
of Oregon I went exploring its nooks, picking the brains of its driven
advertising professionals, and connecting with people that I had only
looked up to from a distance before. Even for all my visions of
grandeur, I expected to find a different picture than I was idolizing,
as I usually find when I travel. No, New York lives up to everything I
hoped for and more. There's nine million driven people there, each with
their own story and lessons I want to learn.
Probably
the most valuable insights I took away from the many agency tours
revolved around how an account manager can best serve his/her team. I
heard many perspectives, some of them contradictory and bitter. Though
in the end, I feel it comes down to trust, respect, and remembering that
as an account person, I am there to work with the team including the client, not for the team or client. Prove the partnership, and help the people around succeed doing what they do best. And always keep the brief brief.
It
also became apparent that we at UO are coming from a very different
background than much of the up-and-comers from around the country. I
think the best way the program was described was "progressive." If the
concept of everyone being capable of creativity and strategy in their
own way is uncommon in advertising, then I'm excited to see where
today's Ducks take the industry tomorrow. A million props go out to the
staff and student leadership in the SOJC for saying no to the status quo
and demanding tomorrow's advertisers rise to the next level.
It's more than a major city or an advertising hub. New York is life; raw human energy. New York is where potential can be fully realized if you have what it takes.
There's no way I can't be there. Now, I'm finding myself asking a whole
new set of questions that will define my career and my life. Some of
the questions are very hard. Some of the answers are reshaping my plan
in bold and uncomfortable ways. And I'm okay with that. You need to
follow what calls to you, and Manhattan is calling to me. I've got my
work cut out for me, but I couldn't be happier.
