“Success in life is learning how to be necessary,” my grandmother told my 5 year-old self. Being a 5 year old, I had no idea what she was talking about.
But once I wandered into advertising, I realized grandma had me given me the algorithm for successful advertising. I could use it to sell the good, the bad and the parity.
Going to Pratt Institute helped too. Entering as a future “artist,” I realized I couldn’t draw, paint or sculpt and immediately re-imaged myself as a future “writer.”
This led to a job at a small PR firm where I learned to write press releases and dream up promotions for the few clients they had. Too much plant-watering drove me to take advertising courses at the School of Visual Arts.
Now I’m a creative director, copywriter and strategic thinker who’s devoted most of my career to freelancing. I love creating big ideas and the 360 campaigns that surround them. (Partial credit belongs to an older brother’s constant, “Hey, what’s the big idea?” and “Where’re you going with that?”)
I’ve launched new brands, refreshed old ones and pitched new business for over 50 agencies, consultancies and graphic design firms, as well as directly for clients.
I’ve not only helped agencies win business, I’ve helped keep business from walking out the door. And I’ve won awards doing it. (Over the past few years, I’ve been involved in 11 new business pitches – and helped win 10. Art director partners for these wins were Florence Buchanan (5), Tod Seisser (3), and Leslie Sweet (2).
Is the ad business changing? Always. But as the saying goes, “the end of something is the beginning of something else.” A great time to think about, “What’s the big idea?” Or “Where’re you going with that?” And, of course, “how to be necessary.”