forgetting to drain the swamp + other lessons of running a creative business

Rochester Institute of Technology / Division of Development and Alumni Relations

FORGETTING TODRAIN THE SWAMP

Doug Eymer ’84 EYMER BRAND Laboratories + Think Tank

+OTHER LESSONS OF RUNNING YOUR OWN CREATIVE BUSINESS.


“WHEN YOU'RE UP TO YOUR NECK IN ALLIGATORS, IT'S EASY TO FORGET THAT THE INITIAL OBJECTIVE

WAS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP."


MY CAREER TIMELINE


2 HUGE EVENTS THAT CHANGED CREATIVE BUSINESS FOREVER.

1.THE MAC ENTERS THE CREATIVE STUDIO. (1987)

2.THE WORLD WIDE WEB CATCHES FIRE. (1991)


• TIGHTLY COMPRESSEDPRODUCTION SCHEDULES WERE INTRODUCED

• ‘TECHNOLOGISTS’ COMMANDEERED LEAD ROLES WITHIN CREATIVE PROCESS

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

• METHODOLOGIES DEVELOPED OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS, WERE NO LONGER RELEVANT

• ‘NEW RULES’ WERE INTRODUCED ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS

• ‘HAND WORK’ WAS TRANSFERRED TO UNTESTED TECHNOLOGY–IN MOTION


• COMPRESSEDPRODUCTION TIMEFRAMES WERE INTRODUCED

• ‘TECHNOLOGISTS’ COMMANDEERED LEAD ROLES WITHIN CREATIVE PROCESS

• THESE CONTRASTING MINDSETS IGNITED IN-HOUSE POWER STRUGGLES


• EXPERIENCED PROS WERE FORCED TO ADAPT TO A TOTALLY NEW MINDSET

• CONSOLIDATION OFSPECIFIC ROLES–PLACED MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE DESIGNER



• ASSERTIVE HI-TECH MARKETING, PROMISED INSTANT GRATIFICATION TO EAGER CLIENTS.

• THIS SAME MESSAGING, CONVINCED BUSINESSES THAT THEY COULD BYPASS CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS–IN FAVOR OF ‘DOING IT THEMSELVES’ THROUGH ‘DESKTOP PUBLISHING’.

• THE FIRST VICTIM? QUALITY.


ÜBER-THEME

EVOLVE !

(OR PERISH!)


GETTING HIRED 101

MAKING YOU+YOUR BUSINESS,RELEVANT+SUSTAINABLE


4 CREATIVE GENIUSES

Socrates Tesla Van Gogh Melville


4 CREATIVE GENIUSES

Socrates Tesla Van Gogh Melville

WHO DIED PENNILESS.


RELEVANCE+SUSTAINABILITY

• CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS IS NOT ABOUT YOU.

• CLIENTS ARE NOT PAYING YOU FOR SELF-EXPRESSION.*

• THEY ARE LOOKING FOR YOU TO RELIEVE THEIR PAIN. AND TO HELP THEM TO MAKE MONEY!

• DO THIS SUCCESSFULLY…AND YOU WILL BE WELL-COMPENSATED.

*you might be thinking of a fine artist.


• YOU MAY JUST BE THE WORLD'S NEXT CREATIVE GENIUS…BUT FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, PEOPLE MUSTEMBRACE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND.

• EXCESSIVE SELF-EXPRESSION MAY INADVERTENTLY PROLONG YOUR WORK SEARCH.

• WEIRD IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ‘SELL’.



ÜBER-THEME

A PIERCED NOSEIS DISTRACTING

AND BUSINESS INAPPROPRIATE.


• FROM THE MOMENT YOU WALK IN THE DOOR, PROVE THAT YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TO MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL–IMMEDIATELY!

• FOR AS ALONG AS POSSIBLE, PLACE THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION ABOVE YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DESIRES.

• EVENTUALLY, YOU WILL EITHER BE REWARDED FOR YOUR EFFORTS–OR YOU WILL KNOW THAT IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON.



• ALWAYS, KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY.

• AFTER ALL, EVERY CREATIVE JOB HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE.

• NEVER BURN ANY BRIDGES!



KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT,DURING YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER

(THROUGH EITHER DESIRE OR NECESSITY) YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

“STRIKE OUT ON YOUR OWN”.


• AS A CREATIVE PERSON YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A WONDERFUL GIFT.

• MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE FAIRLY COMPENSATEDFOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK. SURGEONS ARE NEVER ASKED TO PERFORM OPERATIONS ON ‘SPEC’.

• “FREE WORK BEGETS MORE FREE WORK.”EVEN IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A PRO BONO BASIS, PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD BE CHARGING.

YOU MY FRIEND,HAVE A GIFT!


• THE HARDEST DECISION IN ANY BUSINESS IS KNOWINGTHE RIGHT TIME TO HIRE THE FIRST EMPLOYEE.

• ANTICIPATE AN EMPLOYEE SHELF-LIFE OF 2 YEARS. THIS IS A BUSINESS OF TRANSIENT LABOR.

• THE FASTEST WAY TO TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS IS TO HIRE YOUR FIRST EMPLOYEE.

• ADD A SINGLE EMPLOYEE, AND YOU WILL BE INSTANTLY PROMOTED FROM ‘HANDS-ON’, TO UPPER MANAGEMENT. YOU NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.

EMPLOYEES


EMPLOYEES

IF EACH OF US HIRES PEOPLE WHO ARESMALLER THAN WE ARE, WE SHALL BECOME A

COMPANY OF DWARFS.

BUT IF EACH OF US HIRES PEOPLE WHO AREBIGGER THAN WE ARE, WE SHALL BECOME A

COMPANY OF GIANTS.

David Ogilvy


• GIVE EACH PROJECT A JOB NUMBER.

• DEVELOP A PROJECT PLAN AND PROPOSAL. NOTHING IS MORE SATISFYING, THAN HAVING THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION–WHEN A PROJECT HITS A TREACHEROUS PIECE OF HIGHWAY.

• INVOICE ASAP.

• REQUIRE AN INITIAL PAYMENT –BEFORE STARTING THE WORK.

PAPERWORK


ÜBER-THEME

CASH IS STILL KING


ÜBER-THEME

BUT POOR CASH FLOW IS A KILLER!


• KEEP AN EYE ON TECHNOLOGY, CONSTANTLY LOOK FORWAYS TO ADD EFFICIENCIES TO YOUR PROCESSES.THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CUTTING CORNERS–JUST WORKING SMARTER.

• BE TECHNICALLY SAVVY. • MOST COMPUTERS CRASH DURING CRITICAL PROJECT STEPS (USUALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT). • PRINTERS + PROJECTORS WAIT UNTIL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE–MAJOR PRESENTATIONS.

• WHEN A PRESENTATION INVOLVES A PROJECTOR: BRING AN EXTRA BULB + A FEW SETS OF PRINTED COPIES.

TECHNOLOGY


BUILDING A CAREER LIFE RAFT !

SURVIVING THE EVER-CHANGING TIDES

OF BUSINESS(+LIFE!)


ÜBER-THEME

EMBRACE CHANGEWITH A PASSION! !

(NOT JUST A GOOD IDEA. IT’S THE LAW!)


• INSURANCE AGENT BUSINESS INSURANCE

• PLUMBER, ELECTRICIAN,CARPENTER

• SALESPERSON !

BUILD A SOLID NETWORKOF TRUSTED ADVISORS

• BENEFITS PLANNERHEALTHCARE LIFE INSURANCE DISABILITY INSURANCE

• ACCOUNTANT

• BOOKKEEPER

• COMPUTER GURU !


DEVELOP YOURAMBIDEXTROUS BRAIN.

solid business practices

client-focussed creative solutions


BEWARE OF THE DANGLING CARROT.

“Lets see how thisproject goes…

…before,we talk about more.


LEARN TO TRUST YOUR GUT

walks like a duck… !talk likes a duck… !…a chicken?

(BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY RIGHT)


DESPITE WHAT YOUSEE ON MAD MEN…

• EAT PROPERLY

• EXERCISE REGULARLY

• SLEEP WELL

• KEEPING IN MIND THAT MOST OF THE ORIGINAL MAD MEN ARE, WELL…DEAD.


AT THE END OF THE DAY !

DO WHAT MAKES YOU(+YOUR FAMILY)

HAPPY!



THINK HOW LUCKY YOU ARE– CREATING THINGS FOR A LIVING!



HAVE FUN!


PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH

DOUG EYMER | [email protected] EYMER BRAND Laboratories + Think Tank

eymer.com | 781.383.8844

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