Today we lost a hero, a visionary, an incredible mind.

Steve Jobs has always been an enigma. He changed the way we work (otherwise our entire lives could have been  as disappointing as Lotus Notes). He’s changed the way we connect. He gave us what we needed before we knew we needed it. While he was never known to “crack” what we generally refer to as ’social media,’ he gaves us the means to do it. He was the most incredible strategic and creative mind our generation has ever known.

I’m looking at my social feeds this evening and am completely awestruck at the impact he has had on the creative community. Yes, I used to work at Chiat/Day, the home of Apple advertising and it has an enormous impact on many of my friends lives (and my own)–regardless if we worked on it or not. But it’s bigger than just Chiat. Our advertising world has been shaped by the innovation of Jobs and Apple. We could not do what we do without his technology. We would not be building apps, creating our digital experiences and amazing broadcast spots, playing with Instagram, sharing our lives the way we do without his vision.

He changed the game of advertising — with a little help from his agency of course. He had the guts to take the risk. Buy work that wasn’t conventional (hello, 1984?) The Think Different ad got me into advertising. On my toughest days early in my career, it KEPT me in advertising. It gave me hope that one day, maybe I could help make something that would make me feel the way that did. That’s what good advertising does: grabs you in a way you’d never expect, hugs your heart and makes you want a piece of whatever they “got” at any cost. So here’s to the crazy ones.

Beyond just what he helped create, was the attitude and the swagger that he brought to the world of technology. Before Apple, one could argue that technology was looked down upon many as just another “nerdy pursuit.” Technology was for “them” not “us.” Apple made technology desirable. Who wanted to be a suit PC when you could be the smart-assed Mac?

While the physical manifestation of the “Mac” persona may be true-yes, many of us wear our funky sneakers and tote our iPhones as if they were actually attached to our bodies–what’s beneath the surface is probably even more fundamentally true. We all live to be the pirates. We want to have strong opinions, bold ideas, a don’t f*ck with me attitude and perseverance to survive even the worst moments. We want to be curious and live in a world of wonderment. One where anything and everything is possible…

My favorite part of his Stanford address is this. I’ve read it several times this evening and to be honest, it’s inspiring me in this moment to follow my heart.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Rest in Peace Mr. Jobs. And thank you.

– Steve Jobs narrating the timelessly incredible Think Different ad:

Click here to view the embedded video.

First of all this sounds far more morbid than it should. ***This is not for when you die*** (well, I guess it could be…but I assume you have a few more things going for you outside work).

I have this firm belief that when you start at a new job you have to set your intentions. It’s not just a clean slate for starting a new “McJob,” it’s a beginning of a new chapter, but as any good strategist will tell you, you kind of have to know what you want the ending is going to be before you start the book.

Yes, things change. Ideas evolve, assignments shuffle and expectations evolve. As they well should. But if you force yourself to really think about what you want to get out of the experience you’re entering it sets your own expectations. I find it a handy tool and wanted to share.

Since I’m in the habit of oversharing anyways, here is my (personal) planning eulogy:

• “she changed the way I think about what “planning” does/is capable of as a discipline”
• “she challenged me to think in a way I never thought to go before”
• “she was a little unrelenting in her desire to make things better and make people feel like they were important parts of the process”
• “she’s a person I can look up to, this is (visibly) her passion. she has a lot of integrity in what she does and believes in making great work”
• “she was a lot of fun to work with — made the workplace more enjoyable”

The other thing this exercise does is focuses you on the “right” thing–takes it away from the silly stuff. The politics, the meetings and brings it back to what’s most important. The people. The work. The journey.

There have been a onset of fabulously provocative articles written lately on what constitutes a good/innovative/new “idea.” My favorite is last weekend’s NY Times article (that has been RT-ed endlessly) The Elusive Big Idea. Elegantly written and very smart. While I don’t agree with every element of it–it’s a bit too cynical even for cynical little me, essentially postulating that nothing is an idea anymore because we’re so inundated with information, I do believe there are some really relevant pushes against any one who works in the “ideas business.”

There was a time where we had incredibly evocative thinkers: from Gore Vidal to Steven Pinker to Noam Chomsky, who dreamed and thought BIG…there was room for interpretation and formulating elaborate hypotheses and form thesis’ and opinions. At the time, there was value (monetary and respect) in being able to be a big thinker. Flash forward to today where we tend to thrive on very rational, numbers driven, easily monetized smaller “ideas” or thoughts. The desire for the bigness of idea tends to fall less in the public eye.

So we’re all a bunch of idiots now?

Not at all. Culturally, we’ve just evolved to value something slightly different. Something easier to process. But it doesn’t necessarily make it right.

If you work in advertising, some of this post-enlightenment era academic speak may be vaguely striking a chord…

We’ve all heard it, “Down with the big idea! They are expensive and arduous! (I agree). “Think smaller” is definitely a smart thesis in and of itself (the ever-awesome Gareth Kay describes in his excellent presentation Think Small). But when we focus solely on the small, do we run the risk of losing a little bit of the magic?

I’m currently reading Sir John Hegarty’s book “Hegarty on Advertising.” He talks a lot about “magic.” Yes, I believe it’s a bit of the old ad world’s self-importance speaking, but I can’t help but be a little inspired by his mantra. There IS an element of inspiration that I believe that this industry can bring. At it’s best, it has the power to make people FEEL something. It’s not to say that small is unfeeling, but there’s still a truth and value to bigger emotional provocations that can lead to really smart work.

Brands vie for that elusive place in a consumer’s heart. Be useful. Absolutely–it’s the smartest way to a consumer’s heart today. But we can’t forget that as a brand you also have the power to be something they love…and that’s where I believe there’s still room to play with BIG ideas that come from big, thoughtful places.

So planners, take yourself to a place where you aspire to think like a Betty Friedan or Stephan Jay Gould. It’s not an ounce of bullshit big idea talk–quite the opposite. Smart, well crafted thoughts that ladder up to this crazy thing called an idea.

Here’s the Canadian coming out of me…do we live in a world that can embrace both? Big emotional ideas, that have small, smart and utility driven elements? Maybe? Examples?

Pictured above, three of the smartest and loveliest in the biz, that I happened to be able to catch up with one awesome evening in London. Thanks @melex @patsmc @dddiana for your mugs.  ;)

Gender equality and advertising…a story we’ve all heard (unfortunately) nearly ad nauseam. I wish it could be just *done* with already. We’ve heard many points and counter points, watched panels come and go where women are fiercely underrepresented, watched plenty of episodes of Mad Men and then the “IRL” experience of my (short) five years in the business I can confidently say, yes it’s still a problem.

Enter the past year or so, prominent figures in the industry like Edward Boches and Cindy Gallop, taking the problem on head on, and Farrah Bostic providing a “go-to” list for women to serve on speaker and judging panels (as well as potential mentors and beyond). Strong, incredibly smart women continue to lead agencies the way forward in an increasingly forward thinking industry. But we all look at the “main events” of our industry and it’s the same (albeit lovely) faces. Check out the hashtag #toomanywhitemen for some colorful debate at any time.

So why oh why does this persist? Many far more interesting, smart people have sounded in on it and I’ll add my two bits worth. It’s deeper than an awards show, it comes from the place of truly asserting and “joining the big boys table”(never forget your spot AT the table as Sheryl Sandberg so elegantly shared in her TED talk). There’s always an ounce of fear when it comes to stepping up in this way. The spotlight (which I hate to even use that term) is a hard one for many women. Humility is ESSENTIAL in this industry. Being kind, fun and humble is the only way to be–however this can’t be confused with quiet, meek and lacking confidence. Throughout college I took classes in gender equality in the workforce, completely fascinated by the double standard every woman faces when in any sort of position of power. The delicate balance between traditionally “feminine” qualities (generally being kind, lovely and maternal) and the way that can play in sharp contrast to what “wins” in the business world (strong, ball-busting ways). Err to far either way and no one will hear your voice.

There are ways forward. I believe very strongly in the idea of learning from other strong females (which is why it’s so important to be on these speaking and judging panels): mentorship and support is one of the most valuable things we can provide and be provided with. I feel incredibly blessed to have the MOST incredible women to look up to and share problems/stresses/ ideas/happy moments with (many of these amazing ladies to be found here and of course the owner of the list @melex) Awesome organizations like SheSays are standing up and the industry is listening. It’s not an easy or short road but we’re getting there. Would be incredible to see the “big award shows” (ahem, like the one we’re all just spinning off of now: rhymes with “mannes”) be completely fairly represented. Not because of us having to “push” it there, but because it was a natural fall out from the prominent figures rising to the top of agencies AND the spotlight.

If you have not seen this talk I mentioned earlier, sit yourself down immediately and watch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already here again! This is just a note to say how THRILLED I am to be attending again this year. I’ll be in the audience this year, the wonderful planning skills of Ms. Claire Grinton and Sir Mark Lewis will undoubtedly make this another stellar year. THANK YOU guys in advance for truly keeping the fire burning on this and putting on what I know will be totally amazeballs.

Planningness changed my career back in 2009. Hell it changed my life. I sound like I’m doing some strange preachy infomercial, but it’s the absolute truth.

It seems to bring the best out of people–rooted in the ethos of the conference itself: it’s completely about collaboration and as a result, attracts people who <gasp> enjoy such things! That first year for me, as a strategy person living on the “outskirts” of the hot-stuff cities, it was eye opening and inspiring. I couldn’t believe I was in these little collaboration groups with the ilk of Edward Cotton and Mark Earls (yes THE herdmeister). And realizing that not only were they the brightest folks I’d talked to before, but were ALSO incredibly generous and open with their thinking (and nice to boot). It’s a unique experience to say the least.

So if it’s your first time to Planningness:

Ideas will be exchanged. Words will be had. Beverages will be had. Planner-ish-ness will be spoken. We will meet some of the closest friends of your life and carry them for years. It’ll be one of the most valuable experiences you’ll have in your career. Just have fun and be yourself.

It inspires and then we all go home with enthusiasm, ideas and spirit. Then it’s each of our responsibilities to keep that fire alive…that part proves to be the hardest.

Tickets are sold out for this year, but stay tuned here for all the updates. http://planningness.com/

And of course follow the #planningness on Twitter May 19-20.

And word on the street there may be more Planningness on the horizon for later this year…Stay Tuned!

We live in mushy times. It’s not easy. Strategists are acting more like “creatives” and “creative technologists”. Creatives and CTs can be better at strategy than strategists. It’s amazing! In the wise words of my (former) fearless leader Lee Clow, “Creative people RISE UP! They can’t do s**t without us!” Strategy people you’re included in this–MAKE THINGS. It’ll make you a better, more balanced strategic thinker.

Stop waxing poetic. Start making stuff.

We have all said this. Multiple times. There are too many talkers in this industry. Make something. Even if it’s not at your “job” bloody well, try to create something in the world. Watch it breathe and grow on the internets. Sit in your garage and construct something out of found objects. Motivate a group of like-minded people and do something amazing for your community. This industry breeds some of the most fascinating, intelligent people in the work force. Take advantage of it, be inspired by others and just break free and create. There are so many inspirational makers out there, I was at a gallery this weekend where creative people from all orfices of the agency came together to START a gallery. And it’s magnificent, one of the most tangible “makery” places I’ve ever seen.

I also have come to realize that this last one is not always attainable from the “regular” job. Actually it probably won’t at all. It has to be 100% self-motivation outside to just push and create. The exercise in and of itself will make you better at your day job. But what it will give you is far greater. It gives you purpose.

My old boss who I’m very lucky to have in my life as a great friend recently gave me this piece of advice, which I literally read every day.

“ people always think about their next promotion, next job, or what’s around the corner. They don’t think about being bigger than that, because they can’t imagine themselves being it.”

So what have I done? Well, unfortunately not much I can share yet. But I’ve begun. And it feels great. A little overwhelming, a little crazy, but a lot fulfilling. Who knows, it’ may never come to full fruition, but I’m going to understand the process, I’m working with one of my best friends and it’s going to be amazing.

BE AMAZING.

Lame title. Deal. Sorry.

It’s funny, I spend a lot of time talking about how behaviors are what drive the development of new tools/technologies and are core to functionality and usefulness. Behaviors evolve over time and changing interactions, but I’ve always been of the mindset of that direction relative to causal influence. While I don’t believe it is wrong, I started thinking (selfishly) about how these “tools” have changed me and how I interact with the world around me. There are more and more examples of how the tool is shaping behaviors.

Instagram is quite an interesting example of this. Not only do I constantly need to check it (I love peeking into my friends’ lives and seeing what’s beautiful, funny, in their lives) but I realized something today: the days that I don’t have “something’ to instagram lately are typically a little underwhelming and maybe even a little depressing. Lead me to a question (terrifying self discovery): is a day that you don’t have anything to share, one that was worth living? That sounds way more dramatic than I mean it to, but broadly speaking, it reframes the way you can look at your day. Shouldn’t you strive to have a moment in your day (fleeting or not) that fills you with enough joy that you want to share it?

I think that’s a big part of the power and lure of an instagram or even Facebook. Making you think just a little more critically about the life you’re living. When you look back on the collective memories that you’ve shared (or not shared), is there a point in which you can actually see the unhappy breaks? Eras of joy/optimism hope? Maybe this could be a tool for therapy–tracking your visual history to see where things went “wrong” or “right”. I truly believe there’s an incredible intrinsic value to tracking memories and creating tangible “memory buckets”.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, these personal logs create incredibly rich places and spaces as “marketing” folks to be able to mine for insights into the way people really live. Would be amazing to be able to look through someone’s FB or Instagram feed and juxtapose to the way that they answer questions in a focus group (on their will of course)…there are some things you just can’t “make up”…

Back from vacation is always a hard time…regardless of how exciting life is, it’s never as exciting as being on a fun little escape from the everyday. My little trip over the pond yielded so many points of inspiration, I can barely contain in a post (but hell, I’ll try). First and foremost, I feel so incredibly blessed to have amazing friends (in the industry and outside) that made me feel incredibly at home. I called it my own little “SXSW”, as so many people I admire and interact with on a (near) daily basis live out in jolly old London.

Warning: this post will be a little self-indulgent. I just don’t want to forget what I learned and want to share with those who are interested in similar learning, that’s all. {smile}

The most important thing I walked away with is a renewed sense of curiosity. A common thread of the interactions I had was the perpetual questioning and intense desire to know “but why?” and “what’s next?” There is always more to uncover, and the minute you feel like you’ve answered all your questions, it’s time to turn a new stone. There’s also a bit of a natural unrest — restlessness that I think comes from always wanting to know more and frustration that you don’t actually know everything you want to.

Further from “learning about learning”, I think we all know that in this business there’s a lot of smarts/skill that go into what we do everyday. And there is also a very important part of what we do that is completely intangible. It’s a charm, a charisma, a way of taking clients (and co-workers/friends) on a journey through conversation and being *truly* engaging. We rarely talk about this because it’s so ubiquitous. However, when completely inundated with it, it becomes completely clear that there are some folks that just have “it”. The only way to “get it” as I decipher, is A) god given talent and B) maturing around it.

A lovely lunching with the hilarious, frighteningly smart @malbonster (Tim Malbon to those non-twitter/instagram-ites) reminded me why I love creating things of value for the internets. It’s just not about simply making an ad or a communication…it’s about creating valuable properties that live WITH/FOR people other than just to tell them about something (If you’re curious about this, check out @madebymany blog, which is an incredible source of information/inspiration).

Lucky enough to meet up with a trifecta of a few of the smartest ladies I know (@dddiana, @melex, @PatsMc). As a gal slowly coming up in the ranks in the industry, it’s so inspiring to know such a powerful/dynamic generation of (female) leaders are at the reigns. A sisterhood of strong opinions, strong ideas and good shoes. I’ve never felt so optimistic about the future of our industry as I did after that little dinner. Totally humbled by their ideas and ambition.

Other “work-ish” folks of note are a couple of my biggest inspirations. I met a couple of very smart fellows at the original Planningness conference (also the time I decided I wanted to take the advertising/strategy world by the horns and steer away–pre-Twitter/social media days). Now creative directors, these guys (who are also incredibly humble) are taking the world by storm–focusing on creating things that live and breathe in the world that truly help meet unmet needs (not necessarily just ads), pushing brands forward in a very relevant way, that many of us talk about and admire. Needless to say, doers.  And also incredibly interesting and simply the nicest kind of people.

Net-net: the art of inspiration can be quite simple: make friends with people you really, truly respect and are completely humbled by. And then expect mind = blown.

And some fun (touristy) snaps from the trip below…

Instagram has gotten loads of attention lately. From proliferating numbers of users (3 months to 1MM, 6 weeks to 2MM), to opening up the API to developers to truly start having fun with the social capabilities of the application, there seems to be a bit of an insatiable growth to this (very) simple application. I could wax poetic about all the super awesome spin offs that emerging (from Gramfeed, the desktop app of Instagram to the new ideas spinning off by the day like Stickygram, which turns your instagrams into fridge magnets), instead I wanted to take a quick think on they “why” we love it so…

The proposition is simple: It’s sharing photos. Through a beautiful lens. So what, may be what you’re asking right now. Really? It looks like a 70’s polaroid. Whoop dee dee. But back up and think about the behavior before the dose of haterade. There is an element of art to the instagram. Edward Boches had some great observations on the benefits (and fallacies) of this. However, I still feel like there’s more to it. There’s something incredibly special and personal about sharing images as opposed to just words. It’s different than Twitter, Facebook or anything where you’re crafting a thought/idea/status update. This is *actually* your life (or something quite close to it). While your life isn’t lomo-fied, it most certainly is an aggregation of the activities and places and people you share your life with. Simple, honest truth. And we all know the most successful things in the world are based on these simple truths.

There are lots of people I’ve met through the lens of social media (twitter in particular). Without sounding creepy, this ups the ante a bit more, taking a truthful peek into their lives (and in turn of course, I allow them into mine). It’s a fascinating social dance of sorts and I think that’s incredibly intriguing.

And then getting back to the “art” of it. I have some friends who take absolutely gorgeous pictures (yes, Seth Weisfeld and Dylan Viner I’m looking squarely at you guys…you have amazing sensibility in creating some exquisite images). Personally, I have no false illusion of my “skill” as a photographer. I know my images aren’t balanced, perfectly shot or even mildly attractive in some cases. But they are funny little glimpses into my weird and wonky life. It serves a fun role in my life, it can be a welcome diversion in a crazy day. Something just a bit more beautiful in my mobile stream.

Did my 2010 retrospective on things that inspire me, now some introspection that may (or may not) help frame up what your plans are for 2011. It’s not about resolutions, it’s about resolve. 2010 has been a rocky, wild one and I am certainly ready for things being less chaos driven. Some tenants I’ve penned for myself, nothing epically profound, but hopefully it spurs something in you as well

1. Forgive, move on, bless.

Self explanatory.

2. Work/life balance is a fallacy. Aim for a full life in every sense of the word.

There was a great article I will take with me throughout 2011. Family first. Friends second. Everything else comes after that. My work has my heart without question, but to be good (really good) at what you do, you’ve got to be able to come to the table with a balanced perspective. I’m lucky in that I’ve found a job I truly love, but every now and then it gets a little overwhelming — there’s something about your person being so tied to your day job that gets to be a little much. Every night vow to have at least an hour to yourself. To work out, to read (non-work), to reflect…

3. Create opportunities, bring people together.

Career “milestones” aren’t always going to be your own. Some of my most proud “accomplishments” are seeing people I’ve worked with or mentored move on to be incredible, successful people in their own right. This is one of those things that’s easy to forget, being busy acting bigger than our britches, but those interns will inevitably end up YOUR boss one day. Just wait…

4. Dream big. Be humble.

Simply said, I hate weighty egos. Ambition is wonderful, however there is a fine line. I’ve been lucky enough to meet (and even luckier to become friends with) trail blazers in the industry, but are equally amazing people. Tim Malbon (@malbonster) is one such person. Simply one of the smartest folks I’ve ever met, with a balanced perspective of all things of the interwebs and moreover the intersection of human behavior and digital behaviors. Inspiring person, with the best sense of humour and genuine good nature. Makes me want to be better, work a bit harder and carve a space for myself that I can be as comfortable with myself and do the best work of my life.

5. Do something that terrifies you. Other than work.

Adrenalin rushes in healthy doses are fabulous for the soul. For me, fashion’s always been a really important form of self expression. Six Items Or Less has fascinated me from the get-go, with the fab Heidi Hackemer at the reigns, I’m super stoked form my month-long voyage starting January 10 It  will be awesome. Terrifying the day I wake up the morning of a big meeting or dinner, without having that “shiny new outfit”, but that’s the point of it all. Learning to live with less.

6. Do something you love.

Finding time for passions is so important. It doesn’t have to be keeping a blog about the industry. Or a blog about anything for that matter. It could be fueling your passion for opera, Greek mythology, silent film or ice skating (ahem). Whatever you love, as random as it may seem, nurture it. Allow that side of you to grow, creatively, intellectually, emotionally. Everyday we get little dings on our person — work, personal, etc. You need to have those special little likes (not Facebook likes, but REAL likes) that help define who you are.

Image via: http://enormouschampion.com/products-page/shop/ever-and-a-day/