On Thinking Small

Recently I visited some family in Los Angeles.  My aunt and uncle own and run a successful branding agency so in addition to catching up on our lives, I decided to pick their brains for wisdom and advice pertaining to the industry.  My uncle mentioned that some of the best advice he ever received was to aim small.

Unusual perhaps- since most often we are told to aim big, shoot for the stars, raise the bar. But he went on to explain that if you are trying to break into the industry, it doesn't make sense to show your sketches to Nike or Old Spice- they already have successful campaigns and an incredibly talented team.  Instead, (pardon my french) focus on a crappy brand, and fix it.

Everyone wants to be a part of a winning team.  If you're looking to break into the industry, it's the dream to work for a brand like Disney, Starbucks, Chrysler.  It's satisfying to claim ownership in a successful campaign.  And it definitely holds some bragging rights.  But the people who truly hold bragging rights are the ones who created these campaigns.   

To truly achieve greatness, there has to be risk.  As Seth Godin says, "The world has too many cooks.  It's begging for chefs." Food for thought: Instead of aiming big and staying at the bottom of the chain, why not try aiming small and leading one?


Mood: Determined