So 12 months today, I started at Colenso.
Twelve months!!!
A lot has happened over this time.
Highs … lows … weird … funny … successes … lockdowns.
You name it, we’ve had it.
Overall I’ve enjoyed myself.
There’s been some surprises – from how many agencies are in a country of only 5 million people to how bizarrely bitchy the whole industry is, which genuinely makes me laugh out loud – but it’s been good.
Now this is the point where I could go on and talk about some of the things I’ve helped do and some of the things I’m going to do. From the big global business wins we’ve had to the culture book we’re putting out … but instead, I thought it would be far more interesting if I asked my lovely team mates what their first year with me was like.
Was the 7 month wait, worth it … or do they just wish NZ immigration had been more diligent in keeping me away from the border as if I was some sort of human covid pandemic?
Well I got good news and bad news.
If I’m being honest, I expected I’d just cop a load of abuse.
“Annoying”.
“Loud”.
“Terrible clothes”.
Chaos magnet.
But actually, I got things like this:
Shot. of. adrenaline.
Invigorating, motivating, entertaining.
I say ‘things like this’, but …
1. That’s exactly what it said.
2. That’s all I got.
Now the last time I looked, my team was a lot more than 2 people and me which means this …
Most of them couldn’t even be arsed to insult me.
Not even a “old fuck”.
Which as annual reviews goes is the equivalent of ‘get your coat and get the fuck out’
However, on the positive:
1. That’s the sort of undermining I can get behind.
2. They’re stuck with me, so I get my revenge.
So as first anniversaries go, I consider that a win:win.
Except for those 3 corporate toadies with their crawler compliments.
They’re properly doomed.