"If you got one foot in tomorrow and one foot in yesterday, then you're squattin' on today." - Brian's grandma

Our favorite stories:

• 3x author, professor, and agency chief turned clinical therapist
• Over 20 years in China leading perhaps the most storied industry-shaper J. Walter Thompson on accounts like Kraft, Nike, and Microsoft.
• There was a lot of proud when you saw your work up there... there was a lot of social cache. Investment banking was a big thing and consulting was too, but there was no shame in saying "I went to a business school and went into advertising."
• "There was never a CMO... the relationship between agency and client was taken very seriously. Agency reviews were meant to consolidate relationships instead of cracking open fissures that might be helping in reducing fees."
• On moving to China: "You could tell very quickly who was going to thrive... I came in and was immediately moved by the aspirational sparkle in their eyes... the willingness to absorb information..."

Big moments from doing the work:

• "There was tremendous focus on strategy and creative as the center of gravity... Leo Burnett and JWT had review boards making sure the leadership of the agency was collectively endorsing what was going on. There was no question the decision making was not focused on media."
• "I helped launch Lunchables... the marketing head and I were very good friends and I knew his family and we went to multiple football games... cookouts... that relationship was particularly warm but not unheard of at the time."
• "Living in the lanes... not a high rise where the ex-pats were... once you learn the language (Chinese), it gives you insight into how the Chinese view their relationship between the individual and society and the cosmos..."

Career advice we'll live with:

• People are very frightened about digital technology. The people who have command over the digital ecosystem are the new aspirational characters in the industry.
• Down-funnel: a shift in the center of gravity; those who could understand and could harness the power of data vs ideas. Ideas were left by the wayside.
• "Clearly there are areas in communication communities that are still brand-centric. The question that I have is, whether people that are part of these part of these functions are ultimately going to scale the ladders of the power structure."
• Ask yourself, where can I feel most at home?
• The fundamentals of what a good insight is... what a good brand purpose is -- these are not being taught, in fact they are being slightly ridiculed. You fall back on brand guide books that are overly prescriptive.

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Our favorite stories:

• "I started Bakery when I was 27... I didn't know how to do anything but I thought I knew how to do everything better than everyone else."
• "If you're from a place like the Dominican Republic, you're surviving... there's very few career tracks. You have a main career and a lot of side (hustles)."
• "Once puberty hits... I was out there tagging walls... and then I had a mentor."
• "This is the passion of my life, working with people who are way more talented than I'll ever be."
• "As an immigrant kid, you feel like there are these gatekeeping moments. Like that's not for you, and then you get into it, and people want your opinion..."
• "Having great people in this industry, with nothing in return, give their time to someone that they don't know... it honestly makes you very humble, it makes you understand this is a give-back industry..."

Big moments from doing the work:

• Launching BioWare / EA Games - "it was like a school I never had"
• From :30s at a time to an industry that keeps people's attention for 200 hours at a time
• Failed multiple times - Bakery went out of business 4x - "I had to reinvent myself and the agency."
• "...Decidedly an old school place. I wanted it to be a creative hub... like the agencies I grew up idolizing. Less digital, less data-driven... boring the crap out of me. Vaporware."
• Starting KEN media with Shiner Beer AOR - a great example of clients giving you opportunity to grow. "I wish this kind of relationship on any agency. We use the word Partner so often... when I say partnership, they are on my mind. We are both in for the benefit of our people."

Career advice we'll live with:

• "Please stay dumb and curious"
• "I'll out-work anyone in any room I'm in. That's the super power..."
• Moving from survival to thriving model of thinking - "...we're in a Renaissance of indie agencies... there is something to be said about the agility afforded to you by independence."
• "Capitalism never sleeps. Every time the checks have more 0's on them... as an immigrant to this country, the idea of the US is to make it. You have to come to terms with what that means to you."
• "There was a pitch floating around... I want to do this just to see all the things we need to fix. If Bakery took off at this rate [like KEN], I'd be calling you from Air Force Bakery."
• "I believe in know what you're good at and what you're not good at, and letting people do what they're good at."
• "Watch Canada."

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Theo Gibson, ECD of Joan Creative and visual artist Bank Moody, joins us from Joan's NYC office to share his Jedi-like wisdom around authentic artistic creation, and how it has served him during an award-winning advertising career, from his early days building a creative community in Toronto, Canada, to his current role and life in NYC.

Our favorite stories:

• How a friend's words, "sketchbook Theo is the best Theo," reminded him to re-prioritize making art with his hands
• Intentionally curating your own inspiration; "our experiences shouldn't just stay with us"
• Being a horror buff and Theo's favorite quote (and solid advice) from "Hellraiser"

Big moments from doing the work:

• Learning how to and the value of picking your agencies even as agencies are picking you
• Straddling/pushing the line of safety to make good work
• While others are focused on RTBs, KPIs, etc. focus on making the work resonate with those who are watching

Career advice we'll live with:

• Your own essence will inform the work better than the industry standard
• If you haven't made anything in 2 years, it's on you, not the agency
• Never think of it as a performance

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