Coaches: Merlee Jayme, Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu International APAC / Chairmom of Dentsu Jayme Syfu, Manila; Eugene Cheong, Founder / Creative Director, e the agency, Singapore and Ronald Ng, Global Chief Creative Officer, MRM.
I just wrapped up my third coaching session today and wanted to express my gratitude for the incredible opportunity to be a part of Creative LIAisons and meet/learn from some of my industry heroes. This experience is one for the books and definitely a huge boost to my career.
Thank you to everyone at LIA for creating this initiative for young creatives like me. Here is my story:
No one's ever ready.
I enjoy spoilers, and occasionally watching the ending before starting the first episode. It’s a weird quirk, but I prefer knowing to stay in control.
In Advertising, nothing prepares you for what’s ahead. It feels like a scene from a dystopian film in which characters must make their way out of a maze. Every day, you get new briefs and have to work with different people. Surprisingly, I enjoy it. However, it’s both anxiety-inducing and thrilling.
Through Creative LIAisons, I met my personal heroes who braved the unknown and made their own plot to success. It’s not every day that I get to speak with them, so I took the chance, and they offered a few tips they picked up along the way.
Merlee Jayme discussed the complexity of the industry and how, in order to thrive, it's critical to master the language of the people I work with, from clients to fellow creatives.
When it comes to ideas, she expressed that no amount of packaging can cover a flawed idea. To bullet proof it, it must be true, thrilling and with purpose for it to transcend any barrier.
Eugene Cheong taught me to never wait for an opportunity; instead, I should proactively find one for myself. Each year we get thousands of briefs, but only five are good ones. I should get them out of the way quickly, focus on the good ones or come up with new ones that will push my creativity further.
He also explained why I should surround myself with like-minded people. Advertising is all about teamwork, and if we’re all on the same page, we succeed together.
Ronald Ng discussed the importance of having a positive insecure mindset. It's about pushing my work till I'm confident enough to share my ideas with the rest of the world.
He then emphasized that the number of years I have in the industry should never diminish my value as a creative. While I only have three years to my credit, I am more than capable of doing something beyond what I can imagine.
After wrapping all three sessions, I took a pause to contemplate what I needed to continue and relearn before I resume. Although the meetings were fleeting, learning from Asian leaders who have experienced similar issues in the past, as I do now, was both enlightening and reassuring. It’s a reminder that if they can, then so can I one day.
The industry will not always present itself to my liking and I may not be ready for what’s looming around the corner, but I'll use what I've learned as I plot the next chapters of my career, and see how it unfolds in the future.
In Advertising, nothing prepares you for what’s ahead. It feels like a scene from a dystopian film in which characters must make their way out of a maze. Every day, you get new briefs and have to work with different people. Surprisingly, I enjoy it. However, it’s both anxiety-inducing and thrilling.
Through Creative LIAisons, I met my personal heroes who braved the unknown and made their own plot to success. It’s not every day that I get to speak with them, so I took the chance, and they offered a few tips they picked up along the way.
Merlee Jayme discussed the complexity of the industry and how, in order to thrive, it's critical to master the language of the people I work with, from clients to fellow creatives.
When it comes to ideas, she expressed that no amount of packaging can cover a flawed idea. To bullet proof it, it must be true, thrilling and with purpose for it to transcend any barrier.
Eugene Cheong taught me to never wait for an opportunity; instead, I should proactively find one for myself. Each year we get thousands of briefs, but only five are good ones. I should get them out of the way quickly, focus on the good ones or come up with new ones that will push my creativity further.
He also explained why I should surround myself with like-minded people. Advertising is all about teamwork, and if we’re all on the same page, we succeed together.
Ronald Ng discussed the importance of having a positive insecure mindset. It's about pushing my work till I'm confident enough to share my ideas with the rest of the world.
He then emphasized that the number of years I have in the industry should never diminish my value as a creative. While I only have three years to my credit, I am more than capable of doing something beyond what I can imagine.
After wrapping all three sessions, I took a pause to contemplate what I needed to continue and relearn before I resume. Although the meetings were fleeting, learning from Asian leaders who have experienced similar issues in the past, as I do now, was both enlightening and reassuring. It’s a reminder that if they can, then so can I one day.
The industry will not always present itself to my liking and I may not be ready for what’s looming around the corner, but I'll use what I've learned as I plot the next chapters of my career, and see how it unfolds in the future.