Back to the future
At the end of 2004 I was working for a global advertising agency. They had just made me Managing Director of the whole group rather than leaving me to run the media company where I was extremely happy.
Weighed down by an unprofitable set of globally aligned accounts, very few local clients and changing regional management, the creative side of the business was a drain on me. I had been given a dog, was the last 'man' standing and I was bitterly unhappy for the first time in my career. It prompted me to turn my skills to me. I analysed myself and what it was that I loved to do, personally and professionally, what I didn't mind doing and what I loathed doing.
Going through this process allowed me to put myself into career 'learning buckets' so that I could move forward. I took away six points I could agree on about myself. At the top of the list was media and I took on a reinvigorated approach to my media craft.
To cut a long story short, I then created three television 'stations' with a heap of content ideas. I failed at getting the stations off the ground but a few of those television ideas stuck around. I am a firm believer that if an idea is strong it will stand the test of time. Now nearly 15 years later, we are in pre-production for one of those concepts. I could not be prouder. Saving Australia hype reel is below.
Just in case you are curious about what I had determined my strengths were, I checked over my notes. Here they are:
Media: I have a passion for media
Change: I am able to embrace the constant evolution media goes through. Not everyone can do this.
Research: through my work with quantitative research I am able to forecast trends and translatable insights impacting upon people, media and industry verticals.
Creative: I have an analytical and creative side to my brain, but I am not a 'creative' and I am not good at managing creative talent. My analytical side is too 'cut and dry'.
People: I am not the best person at what I do. Lot's of people are better than me but I have the ability to find a talented person or two that helps make me shine.
Tenacity: I never stop at the brick wall.
Saving Australia will be in market hopefully in 2020 should everything go according to plan. I will be even prouder when I can share an episode.
