Do you really stretch? Can you? Will you?
Peter Swanson is the one on the left, this is graduation at CU back in May, but the story really starts back two years ago. “Hey, I think I want to go into advertising” after I fully recovered, composed myself, I’m like,” ok go for it, but this is how you need to spend the summer”…
The summer reading list…
And then the stretch began. His world was filled with great work, great shops, ideas, and the dream of breaking into a place where he could really stretch…he could really get this business from the ground up and firmly plant his flag in creativity. Three internships, emails, trips for interviews, tons of work, you just don’t fall into this business anymore. He wouldn’t compromise, came back from some interviews “wow, that place is just not for me.” Self awareness is a good thing. But he keep grinding, keep pushing, did not give up…stretch and stretching.
Ever heard the phrase “good enough is NOT good enough”?
Came from Lee..
Lee Clow
Peter now starts at Chiat LA on Monday. He’ll do well, he’ll be a better ad guy than me. Wide eye curiosity, unbridled enthusiasm, smarts, savvy and the ability not to back down and having a point of view, he’ll do well*.
But this isn’t really about Peter and how badass he is (he is badass), it about stretching. Lisa Spielman always talked about “good enough is NOT good enough” stretch.
Are you willing to keep learning? Morph your job and career fit the times? Take a risk for a better payoff? Look beyond the obvious? Make it hurt? It the start-up you?
The Swanson are all swimmers, we know how to compete, to stretch.
Can you? Will you?
*It takes a village to raise an ad guy, so here goes to the thanks for making Peter-Don Swanson, Jeff Graham, V&S, Cathey Finlon (how NOT to run an agency), Patti Ziegler,The Michelin “Baby” campaign, CU Boulder, The Westport Water Rats, Mark Ray, The Wachowski Brothers CP+B, The BBH guy who wrote about “your first job is like you parents, it teaches you everything, but unlike your parents, you get to choose your first job”, Daniel Pink, Jon Castle, the drive of the under 21.0, Peter Tate, the great work of Nike, Gary Yankle, Radiohead, Wade Paschall, Brent Levin, Piers Blyth and The Dalai Lama (big hitter)
#pwstbwa
