It’s very well known that daring to do great things makes us uncomfortable. Which is why the vast majority of people never do anything great in their careers or their personal lives. If we can’t embrace the nausea we feel when taking risks, we shouldn’t expect great things to happen.

One of my techniques for overcoming internal resistance to risk is to imagine myself as an old man on my death bed. In that moment, realizing that I always played it safe would be far more stomach churning than any single risk I could take now. 

To inspire you to take a giant leap, I’ve compiled 15 powerful quotes. Enjoy. And dare to do something great before it’s too late.


“Courage is really about choosing what’s right over what’s easy. Practicing your values, not just professing them. And choosing to be brave over being comfortable.”
-Brené Brown


“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
-Nelson Mandela


“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
-Muhammad Ali


“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
-Winston Churchill


“What is the difference between a hero and a coward? . . . No difference . . . They both feel the same . . . the hero is more disciplined and he fights those feelings off and he does what he has to do.”
-Cus D’Amato


“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
-T.S. Eliot


“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
-Theodore Roosevelt


“I think any time people behave in a way that's truly them, then they'll never fail. You get in trouble when you try to copy others.”
-Gabrielle Reece


“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”
-Aristotle


“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.”
-Michael Jordan


“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
-Thomas Edison


“I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”
-Rosa Parks


“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
-Napoleon Hill


“Success is 99 percent failure.”
-Soichiro Honda


“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
-Mary Pickford



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It's bound to happen sooner or later. One day, out of the blue, the ECD at your company will quit or get fired. Suddenly all that time you spent proving yourself and establishing your reputation will be vaporized. All those privileges you enjoyed will disappear overnight.

The new ECD will naturally bring in his own people, as they always do. And those longtime employees (the “legacy” people) will become marginalized, no matter how talented they are. 

It’s interesting how different employees react in different ways. Some begin brown-nosing the new ECD right away. Some just walk around grumbling and complaining. Some get offended and submit complaints to HR. Some hide quietly in their cubes. And a few people simply quit. 

Everyone that stays must sit and watch the new hires come in and get the juicy projects and promotions. It’s an incredibly awkward and frustrating time, to say the least.

I'm pretty sure the same thing happened in Greek and Roman times. I can almost see the new general or senator coming to power, quickly bringing in his cronies while all the legacy people walk around in their togas, pissing and moaning. 

If you’ve been with a company for a long time, soldiering in the trenches and earning your keep, then suddenly this happens to you, what can you do? Well, you only have three options. Accept it, resist it or quit.

If you decide to accept it, you’ll likely be given the least interesting projects and you’ll probably become embittered. If you decide to resist it, you’ll have to work nights and weekends to prove yourself all over again to impress the new ECD. If you quit, you’ll have to search for a new job. So each of these options can be a strain.

Look at it this way: there will be times when you’re on the other side of the equation. You’ll get a call from a former boss who wants to hire you. So you’ll accept the offer and now you’re the crony. Personally, I’ve experienced both sides and it really gives you perspective. I’ve always tried to integrate into a new position as much as possible and make friends with the longtime employees. I hate being despised just because I’m new.

Occasionally, surprisingly, a new ECD will not bring in his own people. He’ll get to know the existing people and discover their individual strengths. Perhaps because he knows the problem is rarely with the employees, it’s with the leadership and vision. So changing the face of the entire creative department isn't always necessary. I'm always impressed by those ECD’s. The ones who make department speeches and learn people’s names.

Then again, sometimes an agency needs to clear some dead wood and bring in fresh blood. I’ve seen it transform the work for the better. 

The point is, it’s not worth crying over. Just deal with it, you’ll survive. Life’s a journey. Just chalk it up to experience.


A final word of caution to those who see themselves become marginalized: if you just take it, you’ll likely lose respect, whereas people who quit in protest (assuming they’re not in agreement with the new leadership) are likely to gain respect. Why? Because they refused to compromise and be relegated to second class citizens.

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You’re the boss and you’re there for a reason. You worked your butt off, you won the acclaim and you earned the right be in charge. The only problem is, you’re a micromanager.

You’ll ruin it for yourself unless you learn to let go, because you’ll eventually be hated, no matter how nice you are. You’ll chase talented people away and news of your meddling will spread. In an increasingly connected world, you can’t afford that.

You might consider yourself a perfectionist and maybe that’s true, but great leaders don’t carry tweezers. They don’t hover. They don’t manipulate. They focus more on strategy and less on execution. They hire talented people and give them space to do their work. 

When you give people autonomy and room to grow, they flourish. And you reap the rewards. But when you second guess everything they do, you’re forcing them to spend their time trying to predict what you’ll want instead of using their own best judgment. 

The world is full of diverse points of view—the myriad pigments that make our world so colorful. So why are you trying to color everything with your one color? Do you really want everything to be monochromatic? I’d guess not. 

Perhaps you didn’t hire the right people after all. If you’re constantly overruling, dictating and mandating, perhaps you need different people. People you trust.

Or maybe now that you’re in charge of strategy, you really miss the execution part of the process. In which case, you’ve got a serious problem.

Here are some suggestions: 

Take a poll. Ask your direct reports if they feel you’re micromanaging. And be big enough to listen to criticism. Then do something about it.

Collaborate early not late. If you really can’t resist meddling, go ahead and involve yourself in the process. But do it in the early stages of idea development instead of changing everything to fit your personal tastes at the end of the process. 

Better yet, don’t meddle at all. If you feel inclined to re-write, re-design or re-think someone else’s work, stop. Stay at your 30,000 foot altitude instead of focusing on the weeds. Don’t suggest replacement language or alternate designs. Instead say, “This needs to be more authentic and colloquial.” Or “This needs to be more simple and iconic.” Then let your people execute from that feedback. Keep it in broad terms, otherwise you’re turning your people into puppets.

If you resist the urge to micromanage, you will effect massive change. You’ll get better work from your team. They’ll spend less time guessing and predicting, and more time using their brain. Plus, you’ll win their favor.

It’s a mindset. Leaders aren’t supposed to do the work, they’re supposed to lead and inspire those who do the work. Sure, it’s not easy to let go, but it’s best for everyone.

If it helps, think of it in these terms: You’re a museum director. Your job is to curate. Your job isn’t to re-paint or re-sculpt every painting or sculpture. Simply choose the work that speaks to you and fits your vision. This way, you’ll keep it diverse and interesting, and you’ll succeed in creating a surprising and amazing experience for your audience.


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For years, fictional storytelling reigned supreme in the advertising world. I was always envious of fantastical, big budget TV ads, such as those from Guinness beer and Levi’s jeans in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Tall tales and entertaining absurdity.

But we’ve really seen a significant shift in recent years. A lot of brands are taking a documentary approach to storytelling using real people interacting with their products. Or telling stories about product craftsmanship. All with incredible results.

Storytelling has always been a key to brand building, but more and more companies are discovering that telling true stories is more powerful. Perhaps because consumers have grown tired of fictional depictions. Or perhaps because true stories have always been more effective and we’re all just starting to realize it. Even in the film industry documentaries are surging in popularity.

GoPro has brilliantly exploited the real stories approach. One hundred percent of their marketing efforts are put toward finding authentic, consumer-generated videos shot with their cameras rather than make believe stories using actors and big production dollars.

A few years ago, Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn conducted an experiment. They called it, The Significant Objects Project. It’s an amazing testament to the power of product storytelling. They purchased objects for no more than a few dollars from thrift stores and garage sales. They enlisted writers and paired them with the objects. Those writers then wrote backstories inspired by the objects and they listed them on eBay. Incredibly, these unremarkable objects suddenly became “significant” objects with greater value.

They sold $128.74 worth of thrift-store junk for $3,612.51. A “Hawk” ashtray, purchased for $2.99, sold for $101. A Missouri shot glass, purchased for $1, sold for $76. A mallet, purchased for 33 cents, sold for $71. 

Their experiment taught them that, “Stories are such a powerful driver of emotional value that their effect on any given object’s subjective value can actually be measured objectively.”

A lot of advertising creatives turn up their noses when they get a brief to create a “product story.” They’re perceived as boring. Nobody wants to film a factory. But real product stories don’t have to be boring. When they’re done right they can set a brand apart. They can add enormous value and create an emotional connection.

Take Apple for example. They’ve done an amazing job telling stories by demonstrating their products in fun, interesting ways. They’ve even gone to extremes to create videos that romance the raw materials that go into their products. This shows their obsession with quality and makes us feel a stronger connection to them. 

The Man Who Walked Around The World is another example. It’s a long form video created a few years ago for Johnnie Walker. In it, a man describes the entire history of Johnnie Walker whiskey. Despite the fact it was somewhat lengthy and used a spokesperson with a strong accent, it seemed to resonate more than the fantastical TV spots that were previously created for the brand. 

In the car category, Lexus in the US and Honda in the UK are also great examples. Their advertising has been effective for years by talking about their design and engineering in cool, interesting ways. They’ve wanted to be known for their products and thinking, not just for entertaining ads.

If you want to build brand affinity and loyalty, telling interesting true stories about your product or service is essential. It even works for human beings. The more you know about a person, the more you are likely to feel an emotional investment and therefore a stronger connection. Unless they’re a jerk, in which case you might dislike them even more.

I doubt things will go back to the way they were. I think truth will dominate from here on. Sure, fiction can still capture attention, but it can’t keep the attention. That’s because without substance interest is fleeting. To keep attention, people need to know who you are and what you stand for.


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Just by making a few small adjustments in your daily behavior, you can gain respect, admiration and inspire people to work harder for you. Follow these six principles and you’ll see your stock rise immediately.

1. Say hello. You would not believe how many creative directors walk around ignoring people. Some do it because they view themselves as royalty and don’t want to mingle with the commoners. But most do it because they are simply insecure. I’ve known many CD’s who never made eye contact or acknowledged your existence. It’s very dispiriting and belittling to a subordinate. If they only gave a friendly “hello” in the hallway or in the kitchen or wherever, on a consistent basis, they would change perceptions almost overnight.

2. Smile. A smile is incredibly powerful. It’s so powerful that the other person is literally compelled to smile back. Try it on the cashier at the supermarket or the highway toll collector or the TSA guy at the airport. People feel an instant connection with you. Around the office it works like magic.

3. Be interested. There are moments throughout every day when you, as a creative director, come into contact with a subordinate creative. It might be in the elevator or at the coffee machine or wherever. These are opportune moments to start a conversation. All you need to do is ask them about their project or their weekend or anything. Nothing serious, just small talk. Your interest in their life shows you care (even if you don’t, but you really should). It will release tension and reduce awkwardness. For both of you.

4. Be grateful. A simple thank you and warm hand shake after someone has worked hard for you goes a long way. When you’re appreciative, the long hours they put in feel worth it. Especially when you thank each person individually, not just as a group. Perhaps even bring beers or treats or whatever as a token of gratitude. You’ll be amazed how effective this can be.

5. Learn names. This is a difficult one, especially in larger creative departments. But even if you can’t remember a name, be honest and just tell that person that you forgot, then ask them for their name again. It’s a deeply personal gesture and they will be charmed.

6. Be kind. If a creative person is presenting to you and you really don’t like a particular idea, be honest. But be kind. Say, “I’m not loving it, but let’s move on and come back to it.” Or say, “I’m not sure I totally get it, but explain to me it again. Perhaps it’s going over my head.” Or even, “I’m not crazy about it, but you seem passionate about it, so tighten it up and bring it back later.” Don’t be wooden and emotionless. Nothing ruins the mood like a blank stare and complete silence.

Many CD’s believe they need to keep their distance from people or be drill sergeants in an effort to “toughen up” their creative department. They don't care if they're liked. Unfortunately, these are missed opportunities. Being liked has many benefits. 

Treating people as valued members of the team, not as cogs in the machine, breeds love and admiration. And remember, there are plenty of talented CD’s in the world that are just as good or better than you—who aren’t jerks. Be a leader who inspires, not a manager with a cold shoulder. You can still push people hard and have a high standard, just do it nicely and you will leave a lasting impact.
We all hold ourselves to a high standard. We want to produce the best work for our clients and be responsible brand stewards. But as we ascend the corporate ladder we tend to become more rigid and intolerant of “dumb” ideas. We perceive them as a reckless, like running with scissors.

There are many psychological forces that must be resisted over the lives of our careers and this is one of them.

We are not accountants or building contractors. Nobody will go to jail or die if we do something stupid. We are creatives in the idea business. An extremely crucial part of doing the best work is allowing ourselves to be stupid, trite and silly in the early stages of the idea process. We need permission to follow our inspiration, wherever it takes us. 

It’s a mindset. It’s how we approach creating. We can shackle our feet and be mature or we can let our selves run wild and think or say anything, no matter how stupid.

Here’s why: when you give permission to be stupid, better ideas happen. That’s because random, seemingly ridiculous ideas can trigger other ideas. Random words can inspire. Gobbledygook can evolve into pure genius. 

Most all innovations in the last few hundred years flew in the face of convention and “better judgment.” Personally, I don’t believe any of those ideas would have become a reality if people weren’t allowed to try stupid things.

Let’s free ourselves from the grown-up mindset of conformity. Let’s stop considering ourselves brand guardians, at least while in creative exploration. There’s a time and place for maturity. But until then, let’s not be afraid to run free and naked, like an unashamed 2-year-old just out of the bath.

[Thank you Tom for inspiring this blog post.]

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