19 Things I’ve learned

Today marks the 19^th anniversary of Markham Yard. It’s been a crazy journey to get to where we find ourselves, and inevitably, we’ve picked up some stuff along the way. Some useful, some weird, some inspirational, and some, like a cockroach after Armageddon, dumb but immortal. I feel fortunate to have worked with hundreds of awesome people along the way, and while we’ve done (and continue to do) some truly incredible work, I have always felt (and continue to feel) like our best work is always still out there in front of us. It’s what keeps me up at night, and drives me to get up and go to work the next morning. We moved out of the office on Dixie we occupied for the last seven years this week, and will be moving into new digs in the Gables in a couple of months. We have had three offices in our history – in a strange twist, I can see our original 2005 office from the window of our future one. This is always a weird part of the journey: I’ve always felt that our space held a certain part of our mojo. Like a new pair of jeans, new digs take some wearing and washing for them to start feeling like they fit you, but I am truly excited about where we are going. I’ve never had another job this long, and I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity: I want to thank all of the amazing team members, cohorts, partners, clients, mentors, friends, muses, cheerleaders, troublemakers, instigators, practical jokers, rascals, kids, and dogs that have all played a part of our success over the years, and look forward to everything out in front of us. And a special thanks to my incredible wife and partner @SaraCronin, without whose support, hard work, talent and belief none of this would have been possible or even happened in the first place.

1. Life is important- It’s OK to love your work, but remember why you’re doing it.
2. I could not do this alone.
3. Sometimes the craziest idea is the most sensible solution.
4. Ginny Moro was my guardian angel. RIP you lovely human- Love you always.
5. A good plan executed today is way better than the perfect plan executed never.
6. Survival is not a mission.
7. Trust your gut. No matter what sensible and rational arguments there are, your experience and intuition are vital instruments that are ignored at your own peril.
8. Life provides the fresh ingredients that make great work. So get out and live.
9. Sometimes, the other guy is right.
10. Focus on doing the best work you can, and most everything else will fall into place.
11. Most advertising problems can be solved with cash.
12. Being a good mentor is a vital part of your job.
13. Dogs are important team members.
14. Root for everyone on your team. Their success is you succeeding.
15. It pays to have a thick skin and no short-term memory.
16. Your Mom is proud of you, even if she has no idea what you actually do.
17. I work best in the morning. The afternoon (as my old friend Luke Sullivan says) is for phone calls and arguments.
18. Our work is worth way more than the time it takes to make it.
19. There are a lot of people to thank for where we’ve found ourselves.