What lessons have you learned from 2021 that you will apply to 2022 and/or what processes and practices necessitated by the pandemic will continue even when the pandemic is (hopefully) over? (Remote work, use of Zoom enabling more people to be involved in the creative approval process, etc.)
The biggest learnings and best practices I’ve employed for success have been empathy and energy. We know that Zoom fatigue is very real, which results in tedious, slow, unproductive, unfocused, monotone meetings filled with awkward silence and weird, small talk. Being empathetic to that and providing levity with enthusiasm can change the tone and outcome of a meeting. Getting everyone excited about the project rather than just sitting there on mute encourages everyone else to join in. It may sound trivial or obvious, but it seems like many people have given up on having fun in meetings. In most of my meetings, we are talking about music which is a source of joy and passion for most creatives. I want any meeting I’m a part of to be something to look forward to. I often play music at the start of meetings to break the silence while we wait for everyone to join. I often end meetings by sharing links to recent music I’ve discovered, too. This passion of mine helps sell great music and projects for internal and external-facing meetings. I can’t wait to bring this infectious energy back into real life meetings.
What recent work are you most proud of and why? Or what recent work (advertising or entertainment)–your own or that of others–has struck a responsive chord with you?
I am most proud of the Meta work we created during the summer. It was a suite of 4 spots simultaneously in production with unique creativity and tight ship date. Two of the spots utilized four tracks for a total of 10 music tracks across four spots, which had to be creatively sourced and secured within a few months. I worked with an internal team and external partners to help pull it off. We did countless rounds of music pulls and outreach for each of the music cues. One spot had featured Ghanain music which was a massive challenge creatively and executionally. This was the most difficult spot, but the most fruitful for music discovery. I’m proud of the range of musical genres we used, the speed we were able to execute, and the ability to maintain creative excellence across the work.
