Welcome to Hollywood

Ahhh…the life of a superstar. All the luxuries. All the perks. What a life.

I’ve often had people throughout my career in this industry idolise what we do in much the same way. “You must love all the lunches and the trips and filming TV adverts and being ‘creative’ all the time. You must have the BEST job!”

I’m sorry to say…it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Much like a Hollywood Star, you only ever see the ‘pretty’ stuff. You never see all the real hard work that takes place. They all seem like overnight successes – despite the years of training and rejection.

Things are not dissimilar in ‘Agency Life’.

While people love to see all the creative aspects that we output, the real work all happens behind closed doors and often it’s not easy. There’s demands, requirements, specifications, timelines and budgets. All which impact upon the creative process.

The only part of that statement that is true, is that I have THE BEST job in the world. That might sound like a contradiction after what sounds like a bit of whinge about ‘all that hard work’.

That’s because we make it fun. Being part of an Agency should be fun. Sure it should be hard work but having fun is part of the gig.

But the fun doesn’t come from pulling back to back 16hr days on a Television Shoot or having to be away from your family and friends while you stay in an empty hotel room. Or having to hit the Gym at 10pm because it’s the only way you can work off the rich food you’ve been fed at another lunch gig.

The fun comes in working with other creative people. Solving challenging problems. Developing concepts that inspire people and change their lives. Seeing the excitement on the clients face as you present their new brand or their new promotion. That stuff NEVER gets old and I love it as much today as I did 23 years ago when I started to cut my teeth in the industry.

This is a really rewarding industry to be in. With so many diverse clients and industries, you meet amazing people, explore new ideas and watch businesses and organisations grow. We have a powerful tool at our disposal and using it to affect change is liberating and satisfying.

Just don’t get distracted by all the pretty lights and fancy sparkly bits. Just like Hollywood, it’s all part of the show. What we do is hard work. We are passionate and we don’t just ‘come to work’ each day.

There’s no doubt there’s a touch of magic in what we do. It’s a special place. Our creative space. Whether your part of the ‘audience’ or your ‘on set’, there’s no doubt it’s one of the most exciting industries you’ll ever find.