TURKEY_SCRAPS_v170

life is a leaky bucket

Nearly 100 versions ago, I wrote about how I loved the idea of my job.

Well I also love the idea of my car. It’s a cherry red ‘96 4runner with just under 150000 miles. It’s objectively a cool car.

[buckle up, this is more preamble than pay off]

Well, like any old car, it is also a pain in the ass.

Recently, it started leaking whenever it rained. This is not ideal when you live in Western Washington, where it regularly rains for 20 days straight.

I did some research and learned that no sunroof is water proof, just water resistant. But Toyota accounted for this by installing sunroof drainage tubes – which can sometimes get clogged. Problem is – to reach them, you need to remove the entire headliner of your car.

headliner schematic

Turns out that wasn’t the issue, so I started putting rubber sealant on the inside of everything that looked like it might be leaking and hoping something would work.

Here’s the thing though. Leaks are when water gets inside. But a leak is a symptom of something failing on the outside.

Before removing the entire ceiling panel, or instead of blindly applying sealant, I should have just given the roof a closer look from above.

After I took off the roof rack runners, I found the rubber screw washers were totally corroded. Problem solved… except now I have a bigger problem of a stripped interior.

Still with me? ok here’s the crossover lessons –

• Problems don’t start where they first appear. A leak first appears inside, but the problem is a failure on the outside.

• Treating the symptom without understanding the root cause can often make everything worse.

• It’s very hard to make things water proof in the rain. i.e. the most important time to diagnose is when it isn’t a pain point.

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I was on a podcast called down to debate, and my episode just dropped. It’s about whether or not kids should have jobs.

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identity formation is inexplicably linked to the urge to consume…

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Some thoughts from the past;

Word of Mouth marketing should just be called what it is.. Astro turfing

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Maybe ads need to break the fourth wall less…

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How would you write your brief if you could do it anonymously?

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A couple worthwhile substack reads

Power Is Shifting Rapidly to Indie Creators

Ted Goia is my favorite jazz critic turned cultural theorist. One of the few substacks I pay for.

a few choice quotes:

Web platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, etc., are really in the business of managing and motivating creative talent.

With each passing month, social media is less social and more about media.

Too much discontent = less content.

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Why you aren’t getting better.

This is really good and likely will enter my pantheon of recommended must reads.

you are not getting better because 3 main reasons, which I have listed below, along with my own commentary.

1. You’re only learning from the same people as everyone else. I hate self praise (to a fault) but this is something I try to remedy with this newsletter. An aggregate of learnings from beyond the beaten path.

2. Confusing your style for your craft. This is a big one. I am a huge proponent of developing a style, but it must come after knowledge of the craft.

3. Working to the wrong audience / objective. If you only read one section (which would be weird), read this one. Here’s the first paragraph of this portion:

   Everything done at an agency has several audiences. Bad work happens when you pick the wrong one, and unfortunately, you will be constantly encouraged to pick the wrong one.

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For no reason other than encouraging everyone to revisit old saves, here is a newsletter edition from may of 2021.

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THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR
_STRATEGY EDITION_

• I’m thankful for project managers: thank you for staying on top of things, so I can focus on getting to the bottom of things.

• I’m thankful for account teams that go to bat for creative work

• I’m thankful for research budgets

• I’m thankful for creative teams and their vulnerability.

• I’m thankful for an industry that allows for absurdity, even if its less than I’d like.

• I’m thankful for casual conversations, spontaneous huddles and creative collusion.

• I’m thankful for clients who see the value in hiring indie consultants

• I’m thankful for agencies that value quality over efficiency

• I’m thankful for every single subscriber to this continued experiment of a newsletter. Thank you for the support, comments, emails and shares. Sometimes this industry feels bleak, but it’s worth the frustrations knowing that its an industry full of curious minds who want things to be more interesting.

  • I’m especially thankful for those of you who have replied with your own thoughts and comments on something included in a newsletter.

/sentimental ramblings.

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I don’t know what this means, but it feels like something I would enjoy if I understood it.

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WEEKLY MONSTER

colored pencil and marker

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A special shout out to everyone for whom the holidays are difficult. Those with strained family relationships, without family, with substance issues, with mental health challenges. For those recently dealing with loss or illness. You got this.