Together We Rise

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

~ Helen Keller

Based on how it’s often portrayed on television, one might think the profession of advertising and marketing to be glamorous and exciting. My experience the last several decades in the job would not support that premise. Don’t get me wrong, there have been more than a few “wow” moments, and it beats digging ditches (for me, at least… you may love digging ditches, in which case I energetically and happily celebrate you). Launching a new product, for example, is extraordinarily stressful – attended by a bucket or two of stomach-churning anxiety and doubt. I agonize over product names, branding, messaging, copy, taglines, photography, videography, posts, and a lot more for months and months leading up to a launch. It’s classical and clinical self-torture. The exclamation mark on the experience is that I rarely get any sleep the night before the launch date, as sleep gives way to second-guessing and inward-facing distrust. Ugh. It’s rough.

I was recently tasked with introducing a new product line at work and made the unconventional decision, about three weeks before a large video and photo shoot, to release the creative agency we’d hired to produce the shoot and to do it in-house, instead. We love the agency and they’re fantastic, but in hindsight the project wasn’t a good fit for them or they for it. What our internal team accomplished in those three weeks was more than a little miraculous, amazing, and inspiring.

Our head videographer and I split up responsibilities and got to work. We took the basic concept of the video spot previously developed with the agency, which gave us a decent base from which to build, and we rewrote the script and reimagined the shoot overnight. Literally, overnight. The next day, I got started on hiring talent, wardrobe, and makeup. I secured a large concert hall in Chicago for the shoot while our head videographer hired local film crews and rented all the necessary film, lighting, and sound equipment. Fortunately, my favorite photographer from Seattle was available so I was able to hire him and arrange his travel and stay. Last, with the help of a local production company, we rented staging, props, etc. Once we decided the shoot was better served with our direct management, we fell directly into get-it-done mode and didn’t give any thought to the notion that we might fail. It was a massive flex in a frighteningly short period of time.

An important side note: I think what I found most inspiring was the level of support we received internally. Associates from all over the company showed up, offering much-needed expertise, time, effort, and sweat so that we could pull off the shoot. I work with some very fine humans.

A two-day shoot was planned and executed. We captured enough amazing and effective footage for a few videos and a ton of great photography, all of which was used in online and offline advertising campaigns, at trade shows and other live events, and a lot more over the following year. Truly, a wealth of content was captured in those two days. I was the last one out the door around 11 pm on the final day of the adventure. Surprisingly, I was not exhausted or spent. Quite the opposite. I felt inspired and full of energy – physically and mentally. I rode my motorcycle home that night through the dark Chicago cityscape and into the sleeping suburbs, smiling while reviewing the previous three weeks with an immense amount of joy. It was a sweet, solitary commute. I slept deep that night with zero concerns, worries, or anxiety.

I’m confident in my abilities and have learned to trust my gut. I knew we could execute this project, producing as good or better a shoot ourselves, saving time and a lot of money. Decisions were made. The project planned. The work accomplished. None of this could have happened without an incredible team of associates who jumped in, jumped on, and jumped up. Surround yourself with good humans with whom you share similar values, goals, and vision and watch good things – great things – happen.