Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Awards, Cunning, Devious Strategy, EvilGenius
No, the title of that post is not wrong.
I have recently been informed that I’ve been named one of the top 10 leaders of 2021.
How good is that?
I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am at receiving this accolade.
Unfortunately, it’s for an industry I don’t work in … by a ‘magazine’ I’ve never heard of … with an award that no one cares about.
That’s right … it’s another one of those dodgy awards, like the ones we used to get for cynic, despite the company having closed – where someone who describes themselves as a ‘magazine editor’ then asks for money so they can feature the accolade they bestowed on you, in their own magazine.
So basically it’s a scam.
But beggars can’t be choosers – especially when your iPhone tells you each of your passwords has been involved in countless data breaches – so I felt I should honour the accolade by writing back to the magazine with this …
_________________________________________________________________________
“What an email to receive.
I cannot tell you what this means to me. I have already ordered all my stationary to be updated to include this accolade.
Please can you tell me what happens next?
Do you fly me to wherever you are to pick it up?
Will you cover flight and hotel costs?
Can I bring my family?
Can I approach security companies with an offer of me being a social media influencer?
I may be in security but you have stolen my heart with this news.
Thank you, thank you, thank you … I cannot wait to hear more”.
_________________________________________________________________________
So far, I’ve heard nothing.
But I have my fingers crossed.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, China, Colenso, Comment, Corporate Evil, Creativity, Culture, Distinction, Emotion, Empathy, Management, Nike, Otis, Perspective, Relevance, Resonance, Wieden+Kennedy
Lot’s of companies talk about doing good.
Sadly, of those who do, many have both eyes fixed on what’s in it for them.
A headline.
An award.
A chance to win favour with someone they want to connect with.
An opportunity to distract attention from all the bad stuff they’re doing.
Now there are some companies who mean it.
Who have a set of values that truly is reflected in a set of behaviours.
However, in my experience, I’ve found it’s often more to do with the character of an individual within the organisation rather than the organisation.
Not always, but often.
What I’ve found is the best way to identify the real motivation behind an act of generosity is to see how inconvenient it is for them to execute.
The more inconvenient, the more they care.
I’ve seen some amazing examples of people going out of their way …
There was the time Simon Pestridge – when he was CMO at NIKE – got me a signed Wayne Rooney, Manchester United shirt so I could give it to a random taxi driver I’d met in Atlanta. Or the time San – also from Nike – humoured me by getting me green M&M’s [my attempt at reliving the Van Halen ‘brown M&M trick‘] when they asked me to pull a global preso together at the last second.
That’s proof of people who give a shit about others.
But I’ve seen the other side.
The food brand who ‘donated’ $100 to a group collecting food for victims of an earthquake.
Or the travel company who gave schools a 3% discount for train tickets so city kids could see a beach.
Or the international conglomerate who talk about purpose and their desire to help humanity but continue to profit from cultural exploitation and acts of prejudice.
But where you would normally expect me to leave the post there – with a bad taste in your mouth – I’m not going to.
I know, who the fuck am I?
You see a while back I got asked by Coca-Cola if I’d give a presentation to their Asia-Pac marketing team.
I decided a while back, that I’m going to start ‘exploiting’ my so-called position by trying to do things that can positively change things for more people.
So I told them I’d do it if they agreed to hire a young woman [full-time or a long-term paid internship] who hadn’t gone to university and came from a more humble background.
Then – proving I’m still a selfish, blagging bastard – I said I’d also like some Coke Zero for me.
Amazingly … brilliantly … awesomely they agreed and were nothing but kind and open about making it happen – which also helps explain the photo at the top of this page showing Otis with an outdoor furniture set made of Coke Zero supplies.
They didn’t have to do it.
They could have just asked someone else to do the talk.
But they did … and while there are many things people could throw stones at them for, this was more than many and more valuable than most.
Which leaves me with this …
If you’re asked to do a presentation or a talk or even a panel for someone, maybe you could consider doing a similar thing to me.
Let’s face it, if they would do it for me, they’ll DEFINITELY do it for you.
And if they say no, then you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing with.
But maybe they’ll say yes.
Maybe it won’t be an internship, but it could be something else.
A partnership with a school.
An introduction to one of their partner companies.
Some mentorship.
A donation.
And while it might not change millions of lives, it could change one.
And that is most definitely better than none.
Just a thought.
Thank you Coca-Cola..
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Chris Jaques, Comment, Emotion, Fake Attitude, Fear, Fulfillment, Honesty, Interviews, Management, Parents, Point Of View, Relationships, Relevance, Respect, Standards, Teamwork, Truth
Recently I was interviewed by 2 creatives who have set up a podcast about imposter syndrome.
As I wrote a while back, imposter syndrome affects pretty much everyone in the industry and can be utterly debilitating.
In that same post, I suggested one way to deal with it, is not to hide from it, but to embrace it.
Because in some circumstances, imposter syndrome can help your career.
Seriously.
It means it never let’s you phone something in.
It means it always demands you push your talent further.
It means it will force you to keep exploring possibilities.
I’m not saying that isn’t painful, but it may change your relationship with it … because instead of undermining your career, maybe you can use it to build it.
Maybe.
Anyway, I was interviewed about this and a bunch of other issues connected to imposter syndrome and if you want to listen to that – or the much better ones, such as Nils from Uncommon – then you can go here and find out more about something that more people than you’d imagine have to deal with.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Customer Service, Experience
As many of you know, I am a big believer in chaos.
Hell, I even did a talk about it with the brilliant Martin Weigel at Cannes.
But the chaos we were talking about wasn’t random stupidity.
An exercise in self destruction.
No, in our version of chaos, there is method to the madness … an attempt to make something more powerful than it would be otherwise. Something that resonates deeply with the audience we’re talking to rather than some superficial, passive relevance.
Basically, it is the opposite of this …
What the absolute fuck?
This was in a lift in Taipei years ago.
I remember walking in and thinking I was in an episode of Punked.
It took me 10 minutes and a severe headache to work out how to get to my floor. And then, that night, I was woken up by my room swinging side-to-side as we were having an earthquake.
I swear the reason I didn’t seek safety on the streets below was because the idea of getting back in that lift was too much for me to deal with.
I didn’t take the photo above … sadly, I lost my phone at the time, which meant I lost the image. But a friend recently sent me theirs, as a reminder of an experience even Tim Burton couldn’t conjure up.
I still wonder what the hell they were thinking.
And why they allowed it to stay that way for a while.
But regardless what it the reason, it ensures that however bad this week is for you, it’s not going to be as messed up or headache inducing as this.
You’re welcome.
Filed under: Anniversary, Comment, Dad, Daddyhood, Family, Fatherhood, Jill, Love, Mum, Mum & Dad, My Fatherhood, New Zealand, Otis, Parents
Tomorrow my dear Otis turns 7.
Seven!
In some ways it seems impossible it has been that long …
Hell, it only seems like yesterday Jill went into labour and we walked to the hospital from our apartment in Shanghai.
But it can’t be because since that day, so much has happened.
We’ve lived in 3 new countries, started 3 new jobs – not to mention started 2 new companies – seen my wonderful mum pass away, get made redundant, gone through a global pandemic and turned 50.
Even for 7 years, that quite a lot.
And yet, trying to remember my life without him in it, seems almost impossible.
Sure, I can remember certain parts if I try really hard …
The travel.
The dinners.
The concerts.
The ability to go wherever we wanted whenever we wanted … without having to spend 2 hours ‘preparing’ for the trip.
But while that was all very nice … and, to be fair, I still get to do a version of it all at times … it’s so much better now.
Being a Dad has had a huge effect on my life.
What I care about, what I value, what I aspire to achieve.
That doesn’t mean I’ve lost all sense of personal ambition, drive and selfishness [hahaha] – it’s just I view achievement in a different way.
Whereas once it was very much about where I get to in my career, it’s now much more focused on what I can change.
More specifically, what I can change that enables others to win.
I know that sounds the sort of pandering statement you used to hear spouted from a Ms World contestant, but it’s true.
I’ll talk more about that in another post, but while I hope I’ve always been a compassionate person, Otis has made me more so.
But more than that, he’s also impacted the decisions I make.
There’s been situations I’ve faced where the decision I made was the total opposite of what I would have done prior to him being around.
Hell, even moving to NZ has more to do with him – and his Mum – than anything I’d have thought of doing previously, even with the temptation of the lovely Colenso.
Having Otis made me think about what my decisions would teach him about all manner of things.
Life. Money. Career. Happiness.
And because of that, it’s had the effect of teaching me what is really of importance to me now.
I was pretty old becoming a Dad – 44 – and yet, when Jill was pregnant, the issues that affect many soon-to-be Dad’s were affecting me.
Mainly money.
Would we have enough to give him a good home?
Would we earn enough to give him what he needs?
It was ridiculous, especially given the immense privilege we were enjoying in our life, but it was there and it was real.
Then he was born and everything changed.
Suddenly money was not the focus, instead it was about doing things that would make him proud of who his parents were. Helping him have a life of excitement, enjoyment and fulfilment. Exposing him to situations and circumstances that would help equip him with how to deal with things in life.
And while there have been stuff-ups along the way – predominantly by me – the joy of this adventure has been incredible and infectious.
It even made me feel grateful for COVID … because while I would not wish the suffering people have had to endure on anyone, it has been an utter privilege to basically be together 24/7 for almost 2 years.
See him wake up.
Have breakfast together.
Take him to school [when we could]
Have lunch together. [when we couldn’t]
Have dinner together.
Chat, laugh, play.
Put him to bed.
Before that I didn’t really get to do much of this. Maybe at weekends … otherwise it was a hotchpotch of a bit of this and a bit of that … and doing it all the time is much, much better.
And while he is growing up far too quickly for my liking – resulting in me getting obsessed with random lookalikes in the Guardian Newspaper – I have to admire the evil genius of how parenthood works.
From the moment you have a kid, you want them to stay exactly as they are.
Everything they do is just perfect and you revel in getting more of who they are.
The sounds. The squirms. The way they look. The way they react to things.
But you can’t stop evolution and bit by bit, more and morenew things happen.
Now while that should be annoying because the things you love get overtaken by the new … you deal with it, because those new things become a whole new set of wonderful features and quirks you fall in love with.
And this keeps going and going.
Each step of evolution takes you to somewhere even more adorable.
Until you’re here.
At seven.
Which forces me to write this:
_______________________________________________________________________
My dear boy.
Oh how I love you.
I can’t put into words how wonderful I think you are.
I’ve loved watching every second of you exploring, experimenting and discovering the world you’re in.
I’ve laughed at your good-natured cheekiness
Felt pride at the way you’ve embraced the challenges and changes I’ve forced on your life.
Been overwhelmed by your level of compassion, consideration and kindness.
And been in awe with your ability to learn and absorb … even when that has meant seeing you beat me at certain video games and horrify me with your use of Roblox slang such as, “call those muscles, look at these guns”.
To me and your Mum – and maybe even Rosie – you are perfect.
It’s an honour to be your Dad.
I still can’t believe I could have something to do with creating someone so wonderful. Sure, your Mum has the most to do with it, but I’m in there too.
I hope the next year is even better than this.
I don’t simply mean in terms of you being able to go out and enjoy life without restrictions and limitations … I mean in the adventures you have and the friends you create mischief with.
You have handled the past 12 months with such amazing grace.
Now houses … new schools … new countries … new friends.
It is a huge amount for anyone to deal with – and more than any young boy should – but you have taken it all in your stride. But I do not take that for granted. And I do not forget I have put you through this 4 times in 6 years. But I can assure you I won’t put you though it again for a very long time. So embrace your new home. Enjoy the possibilities of the world you have. You are a delightful kid and the world is better for having you in it.
Happy birthday my dear Otis …
I hope you have an amazing day.
I am so, so proud of the person you are and excited to see the person you become.
Love you.
Rx