The "Out of our minds" promotion.

2009 is the year of the start-up. Or so it has seemed by the numerous requests for corporate identities that I have received this year. Many recently laid-off people seem to be skipping the job hunt and opening shop instead. For years I have had a minimum rate for logo design projects. This year as well, only I have lost several projects to starving designers now offering bargain basement pricing and the growth of “crowdsourcing” sites.

I thought long and hard about this problem and the question that kept nagging me. How can I sweeten my proposals to ensure I win them? Was I willing to take a pay cut? Sure, if I had some help.

The idea hit me one day like a load of bricks. I even had a name for it.

Offer 2 professional designers for the price of one. Even better, I’ll offer the client 3.

I emailed two very professional and seasoned freelancers I know, Brad Choma and Denny Kurien, with the invitation to meet over breakfast.

I shared my idea with them, we discussed it for 2 hours, and left with a partnership.

The “Out of our minds” promotion was born.

Working together, yet separately, we are offering a unique promotion to any start-up for the duration of 2009.

3 professionals working independently on the look of your brand, for roughly the same price you would typically pay for one.

We will share the final concepts with each other and polish them as a team before presenting the client with 6 finished identities to choose from.

Unlike the Crowd-sourcing sites that can see thousands of amateur designers competing by submitting logos in the hopes of having their design selected, “Out of our minds” is unique as it immediately brings 3 extremely seasoned professionals to the table. The client doesn’t have to spend weeks going through thousands of entries in the hope that one stands out.

We research our client’s business. We speak to them directly and we’ve all been working on some of the world’s most recognized brands for a very long time. Anybody starting a business has to have a strong identity in today’s market. They need a look that stands out from the crowd. We’ve just made getting one not only much easier, we’ve made it extremely cost-effective.

3 Professionals, 6 concepts, one low set price.

$2009 during 2009.

www.outofourminds.ca

When life hands you lemons, go for the jugular.

The last few months have been an interesting ride. A scary ride. You know when you receive an email from a known working creative director asking if you need any help, that things can’t be too good. I have many friends in this industry and many of them are not working at the moment. I have spent the last 3 months creating and executing a game plan. If you read my last blog post about my website going down and the email blasts I created to follow it, this paid off well and resulted in several projects that I am currently working on. I believe that when this economic slump is finally on the upwards swing again, those that have prepared and put all the correct pieces in place will reap the rewards. Many of you that read my blog (or know me) have figured out that my biggest passion in life is Poker (I’m heading to Las Vegas to play in a World Series of Poker event in a few weeks… fully sponsored). Many of the lessons you learn in that game carry forward to real life. I have won a lot of big tournaments because I understand that when the big stacks are showing weakness, that is the perfect time to go after their chips. Right now, big agencies are hurting. REALLY hurting. This has been the perfect time to meet with their clients and show them some much cheaper alternatives for their creative needs. This game plan has been taking up the majority of my time. I have not only received some projects from one or two of them, I have also been referred to others in their rolodex and have 6 meetings next week with the heads of different companies. I also figured out that during bad economic times, some of those recently laid-off will skip looking for a new job and instead take a shot at starting up a new business. I have been targeting these people as well. I am currently working on two large corporate identity projects and have several more waiting to sign. I also had a serious idea for a promotion, brought two other people on board, and we will be launching this week. If all goes according to plan, you will hopefully read about it in the industry press. My point to all this is that you should keep your chin up. All is not hopeless. Nothing is easy. Nothing happens overnight. It’s all up to you and the steps you take now. You can’t give up. You can’t take no for an answer. You knock on one door, it slams in your face, you move on and knock on the next one. Eventually, one should open. If I told you it has been an easy ride, I would be lying. It has been the hardest grind of my career so far. 16 hour work days with nothing to show for it but alot of talk and promises. Thankfully, some of them are starting to come through. I could be back to square one tomorrow. But I don’t believe in giving up. As we say in the game of Poker, you have to constantly be mixing up your game to win. And right now, there are many opportunities to come out of this thing a winner. Fortune favours the bold. Go get them Tiger. Until next time, keep dreaming.

Shop Closed.

The last week has been one of the worst in my freelance life. For the first time in my career, I felt an unbearable feeling of dread. That sick, queazy, stomach turning stress that almost made me physically ill. Last Monday, I lost my website. The Friday before went extremely well. I had some new work I created (for Nestle Canada) launch nationwide. To a freelancer, the day something goes live is the equivalent of Christmas morning. The main way to gain new business is to always be promoting yourself. When you create the majority of work months before you are allowed to show it to anyone, you look forward to the day you can finally announce it. I sent an email blast showcasing the new work on Friday to my contact lists... agencies, clients, potential clients, friends and family etc. Friday afternoon was spent deleting the emails that bounced back (and it seems there are many during this economic downfall) and writing thank-you follow-ups to those that responded with compliments. I also sent off a few proposals for some potential business. The weekend came and went. Monday, I had to run a few errands and at roughly 11:00 am, I was standing in a Home Depot aisle with a full cart when my phone rang. A close friend and colleague called me to deliver the news. “Buddy, I hate to tell you this but I was just about to forward your email to somebody when I noticed it’s completely blank. I checked the internet and your site is gone. It also says your domain is no longer registered in your name, and it expired today.” I left my full cart right where it was and bolted from the store. I also believe I would have beaten Mario Andretti on the road back to my house. Now, I’ve been in a lot of emergency situations in my life (where I had to remain level-headed) but my adrenaline was pumping so hard that I had to slow down for the operator at the hosting company to understand what I was talking about. It turns out, years ago, I had a web-savvy friend offer to register my domain name and do all the dirty work involved with the process. He had several email accounts and for some reason, he registered it under one of them that he no longer uses (instead of mine). This combined with an expired Visa card number means that my site didn’t automatically renew itself and went into what is called “Redemption”. Redemption is the equivalent of internet purgatory. Getting your site out of redemption (once my friend uploaded forms transferring emails/rights complete with government issued identification) takes 5 business days. That and hours (upon hours, upon hours...) on the phone making your way through different people, managers, and departments. The good news, I eventually got my site back. The bad, everybody opening my promo email on Monday got a dog’s breakfast. Anybody I sent a proposal to with the invitation to check out my website, would have seen nothing. I equate this to advertising a big weekend sale in my store, only to get there in the morning when a large crowd starts to gather and realizing that I have lost the keys. For one week, I was completely shut down. Imagine how you would feel if you had several big creative directors scheduled to see you and you just lost the only copy of your portfolio. THAT was the feeling. There is however, a positive spin to all of this. For every yin, there is always a yang. Thanks to the mess-up, I was able to send out my promo twice. Double exposure. My first basically became a teaser (a really lousy one). My second was an apology for the blank email followed by the promo once again. It did its job rather well and I was more than pleased with the response. There are several lessons to be learned from all of this. The most obvious is that I will ALWAYS make sure everything related to me is in my name and my contact information is up-to-date. The other is just a reminder that without a website in today’s world (or any form of internet exposure), a business is nothing. It has no clout. My door is now open. It will remain that way. Feel free to browse.

It's a dog-eat-dog world.

It’s now over 4 months into 2009 and I have noticed that compared to the last economic downturn, it seems that there is complete anarchy in our industry. Many creatives have been downsized, and they have now jumped into the freelance pool. Competition is fierce. Back in 2001, when I became a full-time freelancer, websites where companies can search for RFPs (and pitch against 80 others for each one), or online sites promoting ads and logos for sale (for a mere $99) did not exist like they do now. Anybody with a computer today can go after a project. And it seems as if they are. The main challenge facing our industry today is that there is no structure. We don’t have set rules and guidelines. We don’t have any form of a union. You don’t need initials after your name anymore to be considered. Many with hacked versions of Photoshop consider themselves “professionals” and have opened shop. The computer (and the design programs) was supposed to make our job easier. What it actually did was destroy a profession that was once well-respected. A free-for-all has ensued, and companies/clients are taking full advantage of this. 2 days ago, I saw an RFP for a project on a worldwide freelance site. The client wants a 1000 page booklet revised and designed. The entire budget is $250. Sounds crazy right? Last time I checked, there were 8 proposals already submitted for it. 8 designers/firms from around the globe thought this budget was worthy of their time. Seeing things like this has always infuriated me. For those of you that read the forums, I have spoken out about spec contests where designers submit free work for the chance to win prizes/money. I would be lying if I say I haven’t participated in this type of work myself in the past (the winning 2010 Vancouver Olympic logo is very similar to the Inukshuk version I submitted) but eventually, I came to the conclusion that these “contests” are nothing more than requests for free work, which undervalues our time, effort, and our profession. No other industry has this kind of crap going on, yet for some reason, we allow it to continue. A few days ago, I was competing for a large design project against another designer. The client contacted both of us by day’s end on Friday (after work hours) through email to tell us that we were selected as the final two and he would be making up his mind over the weekend. When I called first thing on Monday morning, I learned that my competition had already submitted 8-10 concepts. The client was thrilled, decided to use one of them, and I was out. 8-10 concepts, and they worked all weekend without a signed contract. How does one compete with something like this? I have two choices. I can play this silly game, or I can simply choose not to and at least lose with my dignity intact. Recently, I went out for breakfast with a good friend who was the Canadian representative of a Stock Photography company. He was recently let go after the company decided to close the Canadian division. He asked me what I thought about websites where advertising creatives (or anybody that considers themselves one) can submit ad concepts with the hope that a client will purchase them. I told him it undervalues what I do for a living. He then asked me if I have ever contributed any photography to online photo sites? I have. I dabble in photography and have actually made some decent money by contributing to one in particular. He then responded with “Why do you think I am now out of work?” He was right. It hit me like a hammer. I am an absolute hypocrite. I had no problem submitting my work to a site that undermines professional photographers with cheaper pricing, yet I complain about sites that do the same on my end. I’ve decided it is simply a dog-eat-dog world. I’m considered to be on the expensive end as a freelance creative. However, compared to an ad agency (from where I came) I am an absolute bargain. I’m going to shut up and stop complaining about these bargain basement designers with their spec-work that have been wooing my potential clients with their incredibly shameful pricing. I no longer consider them my competition and they can do whatever they please. Submit your logos to these $99 sites. Open up a chain of ad sites where companies can download amateurish concepts for pennies. Work your tail off on 50 projects with the hope that somebody uses one of your ideas. I don’t care anymore. I will now use this same philosophy and strictly go after bigger fish. The clients that want a cheaper alternative to their expensive agencies. The clients that are used to spending big bucks on their projects and are now feeling the economic pinch. I can easily do much of what they need for a lot less. I’m being undermined so I’m going to take it forward. This is my new goal. To undermine those above me, not below. Until we get some form of organization and rules as to what constitutes a professional, or a set of guidelines that we all adhere to on what should be standard rates and fees in this business, it seems at the moment, in this troubled economy, the cheapest guy will most often win. Large agencies are in trouble, I’m in trouble, we’re all in trouble. The industry as we knew it has gone down the drain. Try explaining your rates to a clueless potential client whos “cousin knows somebody who designs stuff with a computer” that quoted him $100. We need to stand up as an industry and say “no more”. To do something and improve what it has become. A governing council if you will. If a client wants something legally produced, it has to come from within the organization. Without it, companies will continue putting out RFPs for $250 and expect this to be an acceptable going rate. Are my thoughts realistic? No. It’s an old-school way of thinking and it is WAY too late. But I would rather starve than see my education, experience, and credentials worth less in the eyes of a company owner than the guy that serves them their morning latté. If we’re going to go down, I for one, will go down gracefully. Until next time, keep dreaming.

Freelancing during the recession.

My name is Ronnie Lebow. Back in 2001, I became a full-time freelancer because I was sick and tired of packing up my desk every time the agency I was working for lost a big account. Thanks to the economic spiral after September 11th, it was really my best and only option.
I figured, if I’m going to be in an industry where there is no sense of job security, I may as well be a free agent. I already had experience from working full time for almost 10 years, and I also understood how to sell to clients having been in many boardrooms. So, it only made sense to me to go out and find my own clients and stop relying on “here-today and gone-tomorrow” agencies to provide me with a paycheck. I guess you can say that I came to the conclusion that nobody ever really gets rich working for somebody else*.

Flash forward to today.

I’ve been writing articles about my freelancing experiences for several years now and contributed to this blog where I have continuously stressed the fact that this economic storm was coming. Of course, there are many in the industry that thumb their noses at freelancers and consider them not only unworthy, but as those that simply couldn’t “make it”.

My how the times have once again changed.

In the last month, I have received so many emails asking for freelancing advice that truthfully, I am actually starting to despise them. People losing their jobs, people about to lose their jobs. Many scared individuals wondering if becoming a freelancer is also their best and only option? Somehow, I have become the expert that everyone is turning to and I thank you all for it. I truly appreciate the fact that I have become a considered expert in an area of this industry. However, you can kind of understand that I would rather these “freelance” emails come from agencies and companies looking for my services than from those that will end up out on the street as my competition.

So, for those of you now in this boat (or thinking about it), I’m going to (once again) be a nice guy and offer a few bits of advice.

Some agencies do in fact need freelancers at the moment. I am working for one in particular that has kept me very busy. However, the agencies that are thinking about firing staff will keep on a few to handle the work/clients they still have. They don’t need you right now. They may need a freelancer at a later date when things start to pick up. But probably not at this very moment.
My guess is that they are also being inundated with calls from those recently laid off. If you are not already on their roster, you may want to forget this route. You can put your name on their list. But there are a hundred others on it as well. Very rarely do I call agencies looking for work. Most often, they find me.

The one question I get asked the most is “what should I charge”?
There are a dozen factors to take into consideration. What’s your level of seniority? What will you be working on? Which agency/company? Etc. Etc. Etc. I like to find out immediately what their budget is for my services. It changes often. If you are hoping for a set rate/price, and are unwilling to budge, you won’t be working much.

Companies (if they are smart) MUST advertise right now. Your mission is to find them and convince them of this. This is in fact a full time job.
The most important thing I can tell you is this…NOTHING in this business is overnight. If you get a client interested in your services, expect at least 6 weeks (or more) before something is signed and you begin. To put this into perspective, I’ve had a few proposals out since August and I am still waiting to hear if I have a go-ahead. Waiting is absolutely normal. In the meantime, keep going. Keep looking. The proposal you have out there has more of a chance of not going ahead than proceeding. So try and put many out there. I like to equate this to fishing. Keep throwing out baited lines. The more lines you have out there the better your chances. Eventually, one of them has to land a fish. The fisherman that relies on only one rod is going to starve.
Also, keep in mind that once you finish the project, expect 30-90 days before you receive final payment. If you need some immediate cash, insist on a retainer. In all my years I have NEVER received a retainer from an agency. With other clients I insist.

There will be months where nothing happens. If you can’t handle this fact, freelancing is not for you. It took me years to finally understand this. Please read my blog post “Recharging your Batteries”. Develop a serious hobby. You’ll need it. It will help take away from the stress of having nothing going on and hopefully to help find some new contacts. I hand out many business cards on the golf course and at the poker tables. Sometimes these introductions work out, often they don’t. But one thing is certain, you must ALWAYS be selling yourself. If you are shy, or are not good at striking up conversations with strangers, get over this hurdle quickly.

And last, some of us have been preparing for this for quite some time. Think it’s coincidence that some of this industry’s top people evacuated their posts to start up their own companies? Rather than slamming them in the industry forums for having the massive kahonas to take such a leap, you really should have been paying attention to the fact that the rats were fleeing the ships.
Becoming a freelancer is exactly like starting a business. It may take months and even years to get the ball rolling and keep a continuous supply of eggs in your basket. Sometimes, no matter how good the last year was, you will be back to square one and must find new eggs to fill up your basket. It can be extremely rewarding. It can also be a very rough ride.

For those of you thrown recently into the unemployment pool, I’m going to tell you straight out how it is for I have NEVER sugar-coated the truth. Many of you are going to drown. Prepare your game plans. I lost a lot of friends (in this industry) in the last economic downturn.
The light at the end of the tunnel is that when all of this blows over, when things start to really pick up again, there will be jobs that need filling.

In the meantime, I thank you all for your emails and leave you with this final statement as we head into a long downward slide…

Every man for himself.

Good luck.


*This statement does not include those that originally joined a start-up company called “Google”.

The D&AD Awards screening in Toronto

Last night I attended the D&AD Awards screening in Toronto.
To say I had a good time is to put it mildly.
Once again, Ihaveanidea (and its sponsors) did a great job.
For those of you in the remaining cities - San Francisco, Miami, and Los Angeles, you should go. Simple as that.

Here are some observations from the evening…

Winning a Pencil takes big budgets. Much of the work involved was not produced on a shoestring. If your goal in life is to win one, you really should not work at the little boutique with clients like “Joe’s Diner”.

The timeframe between being 22 and 39 years of age goes by in a flash. For one of the first times in my life, I actually felt old.
With this in mind, I was shocked at how few senior creatives came out. The majority in attendance were young. Juniors and students. I would think that a show celebrating some of the best work in the world would bring the creative teams out in droves.
Somebody made a comment about this to the tune of “If they aren’t in the show, they don’t bother”. I’m hoping there isn’t some truth to this.
Watching a reel of great work (for a very low price) when you are in the industry makes sense to me. Especially when acquiring one of the annuals to peruse is next to impossible.

I had a lot of respect for those that came out. I know I’m going to get some flack for saying this but truthfully, I saw way more enthusiasm in the people I met last night than I did at Portfolio night.
At Portfolio night, I felt I met some students that went through their programs because they thought it was a good idea rather than a lifelong desire to be in this industry.
I’ve met many young wannabes trying to break in over the years. The passion isn’t always there.
Last night, for all those in attendance, I sensed very strongly that the passion IS there. These are kids that want to soak up everything. They want to be in this industry. They want to know what wins, what’s considered great work. They WANT to be inspired.
There was a lot of energy in the room.

I applaud those that came out…and for those hoping to break in, I wish you all the very best of luck.

After some drinks, I hopped a subway home around midnight.
As I analyzed the ads above my head, chuckling at a few, I once again remembered that this industry is supposed to be fun.
And that’s what last night was all about.

Don't let them bend you over.

Recently, I experienced a very ugly work situation.
This post has been written to share my experience and for you to understand not only the steps I took to deal with it but also how I managed to win the battle.

In this business, you will often work on side projects.
Friends, family, whomever, somebody always needs something creative produced and they will ask you. They say that the only thing certain in life are death and taxes but I can assure you, your friend’s engagement party invitations (or whatever) are also on that list when you work in the creative field.

My side projects became so heavy over time that I ended up leaving my full time position to focus on them.
You will have these projects, and sometimes they will end on a sour note. Some people in this world are assholes. It’s as simple as that. This is a story that I hope will give you some food for thought and will make sure that you take all the necessary precautions to keep the ball in your court.

Here’s the quick story. I was hired to produce a logo and business cards for a company.
We agreed to a price, the work was created, and everything went extremely well.
Until my client took the work to his printer for production.
According to my source (an employee of the client), the printing company (also a design firm) asked who created it and for how much?
When my client told them, they said they could have done it much cheaper and proceeded to bastardize my work by creating their own versions. It’s completely wrong and immoral, but it happened.
They showed it to my client, he liked what he saw (and the price), and decided to go with their version.

There was really nothing I could do about it. I wrote the printing company voicing my concern but they basically told me I was making false accusations and they had no idea what I was talking about.

So, I let it go. I sent my invoices to the client and they went ignored. I then got the reply when I pushed that I figured was coming…

“I really feel that you did not do your job fully in this case. I have a lot of family in this business and your pricing (which I don’t believe I agreed on a final price on) is completely absurd. I had the work completely redone and it was done for a fraction of your price”

Now, here’s the thing, in this day and age, you can’t lie when I have a paper trail as long as my arm with emails (and proposals) stating how much I am getting paid, and numerous approvals with “great work” and “we love it”.

This is where things got ugly.

I sent a final invoice (with the approval emails attached) stating that if my bill is not paid, I will have to take legal action.
The client sent an email back to the tune of “my lawyer can beat up your lawyer”.

Step 2, I sent a “cease and desist” letter. The letter claims that the client can’t use anything that resembles my work since I own it and they had not paid me for the privilege.

They wrote back claiming they came up with the logo by instructing me on what they wanted. They considered the whole matter “closed”.

I had enough. It was time for action.

Many are under the impression that the small guy (in this case me) will simply not bother going to court because of all the trouble involved.
In a way they are right.
Here’s how it works (in Ontario)...

To get lawyers involved is a fortune. To go to court (or small claims court...for unsettled disputes up to $10k) is a joke. You have to go to court, pay, and file papers. You have to make copies. You have to serve them. You then get a date (months later) to meet with a moderator BEFORE the case goes to trial to see if you can work it out. If you don’t, it goes to court (months later). Providing you have all the proof, you can usually win. The courts hate it when the small business owner gets screwed out of their money.
Now here’s the thing, even if you win, the client still may not pay you. This means you have to go through the whole court process once again in order to get your money. Many give up and depending on the amount owed, it is simply not worth it.

I wrote back to the client one last time.
The reply they gave is not suitable for print. Clearly, I was not dealing with somebody of sound mind.

Now, here’s how it ended. That night, I made one phone call. To a collection agency.
I like to think of them as “legal mafia”. I basically called in “Luca the collector”.
For 25% of the invoice (which you can actually write off as a loss) they will get your money for you.
Once the bill is in the hands of a collection agency, if the client doesn’t pay, they risk tarnishing their credit rating. Good luck to them if they would like to take out a one dollar loan on a stick of gum.

5 minutes after I got off the phone with the collection agency, the client received a phone call.
A few days later I had the money.

The lessons…

When you start a project, make sure you keep records. Get the client to sign a written proposal (outlining everything you are giving them) before starting. If they don’t sign, don’t begin.

Keep every email they send you during the project. Every one. This way there can be no arguments. No “he said, she said”.

Never let anyone make you believe that the ball isn’t in your court. If you’ve taken the proper steps and kept records, it’s always in your court.

Some people will try anything they can to get out of paying a bill. It has nothing to do with you. You could have given them a masterpiece. You'll still get the same scenario. It's in their nature. These are usually the same people that complain about the bill at a 5-star restaurant stating they didn't like the food.

You deserve to get paid for your work. Period.

Recharging your batteries.

It was an interesting summer. As many of you that read my blog are aware, it’s been a while since I posted. This summer, work slowed down. As an independent businessman, this year was much different than last. I have heard from several in different parts of the industry (and other industries) saying they were extremely quiet. Right down the line…printers, staffing companies, photographers, etc. That ugly "recession" word is being thrown around. Many (including myself) spent the summer hustling to bring in some new work or to find the next gig. I have always compared this to going fishing. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to break into this industry or looking for that next great project - it’s all the same. You have to keep casting out lines. Right now, you may have 10 lines in the water and a few fish following. But they may not be biting. Maybe one will bite, hopefully all 10, all you can do is keep throwing out more lines and hope for a strike. Nothing beats 10 lines getting hit at once, but as this year moves along, the fish seem to be in a holding pattern. They are all waiting. Some fishermen will give up, others will probably starve. It’s stressful to be in this type of situation. You can make phone calls, you can try as hard as you like, pitch as hard as you can, in the end, there’s only so much you can do. As the summer went on, my stress started to grow. Then it hit me. I walked away from a lucrative position because I hated the stress that went with it. Thankfully, I’m paying my bills. I have food on the table and a roof over my head. Why am I trying so hard when summer quickly comes and goes? Many aren’t even at their desks anyway. These are the months when people take vacation. I switched my thinking. I’m not making progress. I’m simply wasting time. There’s way more to life than the work that you do. There’s more to life that trying to win all the awards in the world. There’s more to life than waiting by the phone or watching your email. In the end, did I want the summer of 2008 to fly by, and I missed it because I was worried about socking more money into a retirement plan so I can hopefully live long enough to use it? Screw that! I have learned once again this summer to simply go with the flow. You make hay when the sun shines. When it’s slow, you recharge your batteries. I spent the entire month of August deep in the woods, far away from work. I hardly watched TV, I made very few telephone calls, I didn’t even shave. Now I’m home. Alive and stress free. I’m going to start casting. I hope you had a great summer. Tight lines everyone. Until next time, keep dreaming.

PORTFOLIO NIGHT 6 - The view from the other side.

On Thursday night, I had the privilege of attending Portfolio Night 6 in Toronto as a VIP/guest. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. I hung out at the bar with the sponsor representatives and spoke with several young Hopefuls (Students? Wannabes? what do you call people hoping to get in, but aren’t actually IN the business? Let’s go with “hopefuls”) and CDs that passed our way. In the last period, I got thrown in to review some books and chose to do it at the bar rather than sit at one of the tables. I found that this made for a relaxed atmosphere and the Hopefuls opened up easily and weren’t as nervous. Okay, the truth is I had more room and didn’t want to spill my scotch on their books.

I noticed several things during the evening and there were a few memorable moments that I will now share with you.

I was blown away by the number of laptops in the room. When I got into this industry, it was renderings in your book. Marker comps have been replaced with electronic slideshow presentations. This is not a bad thing, I simply found it interesting as hell. I began trying to envision what would be in 20 years.

I noticed there were a large mix of ages in the room. There were 22 year olds, there were 30-somethings. There was no “look” or stereotype of somebody trying to enter the business today.

One of the Hopefuls came over and I asked how it went? She replied “he was mean”. I asked who she saw? Blank expression. She couldn’t tell me. I asked who she saw for the last two reviews? She couldn’t tell me. I found this unbelievable. I would have not only made sure I got their business card, I would have also had the name of their assistant and the best time to call them in their office to set up another review once I had a chance to revise my book. But that’s just me.

Humber copywriting students were the most outgoing and friendly. They were also the ones that stuck around and had (drinking) CDs looking at their books even after it ended and the majority had left the building. I even got an email from one of them yesterday thanking me for looking at her book. Well done (and much appreciated).

At one point I was speaking to a CD that has worked around the world. He told me that in all his travels, Toronto was the hardest city to break into. Where he was offered 4/5 jobs immediately in the United States, it took him 8 months to land a gig once he landed in Toronto and it was a very bumpy road to do so.

One CD informed me that many of the Hopefuls (when asked) mentioned that they wanted to work at one agency in particular. Call me strange but I would have worked at any agency that gave me the chance that evening. Every table held a CD that was worth working for.

Another CD was quite peeved about something he witnessed. He told me he overheard a few Hopefuls waiting their turns (downstairs) telling each other who to see and who not to see. Here’s a bit of advice guys, every person in the room is there for a reason…even a junior who has been in the business for 6 months. They are in the industry. You aren’t. They obviously know what it takes to get in and you can learn something from them.
I had one of the biggest names (at one of the best shops) in Canada come over and inform me that if I happen to see anybody with potential, to make sure I send them their way because they are looking. See that? Even the guy hanging at the bar that evening can help start your career. We all know each other. Next time, if there is a next time, be open minded.

It ended quickly. Once it was over, 90% left the premises like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
My guess is that it was a long day for CDs that came directly from work etc.
There were several there I would have loved to have spoken to (ex-partners, CDs I’ve worked for) but didn’t get the chance.
We stuck around for a bit, I got kidnapped and taken to another club for some more drinks, getting home at 2am.

On another note, two people during the event/evening (including the bartender) approached to tell me I look exactly like the lead singer from “Tool”. I have in fact been told this before. On at least 8 different occasions, I have been asked for my autograph from adoring female fans thinking I am Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor on “Smallville”). After posting this entry, I will have to go onto Google images to see the resemblance for myself.

Congratulations to everyone that made this happen. I can only imagine what goes into making this event a reality every year and you really should pat yourselves on the back.
I will never forget being invited to the first Portfolio Night (the one where I got the date wrong and missed it) so I was quite humbled to be invited again (and especially, asked to review books). Thank you again. Needless to say, I’ll wear the TShirt proudly.

Until next time, keep dreaming.

Wearing all the hats.

It’s been a while since I have written an entry.
When you freelance, not being busy means that you have to REALLY keep busy.
Going into my second year working on my own full-time, I have learned that this way of working in the business has many ups and downs. Truthfully, it really isn’t for everybody.
If you aren’t one to pick up the phone, or work extremely hard at marketing yourself (and convincing people to use your services), your chance of success is extremely limited.

I love being really swamped with work. Creatively speaking that is.
The secret to freelancing is to constantly have projects lined up.
I have learned not to wait for projects to come in and I have no choice but to go out and get them.
This involves a load of prep work that usually (being a creative leaving an agency environment) I have never experienced before.
For a while, I had nothing coming in. I had a few little projects keeping me busy but the horizon was empty. I spent 3 long months compiling mailing lists, putting together my new website, making calls, going to networking events etc.
Thankfully, a valuable inside source told me that agencies were trimming down their creative departments this year so I concentrated all my efforts for a few weeks towards calling and getting in touch with agencies.
This paid off. In February, I worked for 3 different ad agencies. 2 as an Art Director and one as a Copywriter. I have learned over the years that freelancing for agencies is great for two reasons. One, they have the workload and two, I don’t have to quote them on a price. They typically tell me what I will be paid for the project. The downside to working for agencies as a freelancer is that you will be paid around 60 days later and often, you will have to place a phone call to enquire about the status of your paycheque. You also can't promote the work as yours (most of the time) and getting copies for your portfolio is not easy (see my blog entry "The Ghost" for more on this).

Anyway, 3 months of business development (which I have absolutely hated) is finally paying off. I have several future projects lined up, agencies using me as well, but there are still some weeks that are empty. If you need that steady paycheque every two weeks, or you don’t want to spend 3 days on the phone or answering emails and writing proposals, this side of the business is definitely not for you.

Yesterday, I learned that I won a gold and a silver trophy in the 2008 Summit International Creative awards. I’m thrilled.
However, as I have just pointed out, there is nobody besides myself to do all the work that this now involves. I have pushed all my creative projects aside for the next day or two and will now spend my time writing press releases for the industry publications, updating my website's “latest news”, my resume (for agencies), including the win on all of my company literature, creating an email blast to send out and then, erasing all the outdated email addresses that bounce back to me. Not fun stuff. But necessary if I wish to make the most of it.
Meanwhile, I have a bunch of ideas bouncing around for a project I’m working on that I would love to put on paper. It will have to wait. When you wear all the hats, being creative ends up becoming only a portion of the weekly schedule. Something I am learning is the reality of being a freelancer.

Until next time. Keep dreaming.

Working for friends. Part 2.

My last post “Working for friends can lead to battle” dealt with the hazard of working for friends and family.
I stressed that you should always get a contract no matter whom it is you will be dealing with.

There is something however that I did not touch upon, and that is before sending out that written proposal, you should question your client to the best of your ability, know their exact budget, and understand what they expect from you.

In the aftermath of my last post, it turns out that no matter what I quoted my friend to create his project, it would have been deemed too expensive.
As I mentioned, my quote was 15% of what I normally charge as a favour to the company. Far less than industry standard. This was for concepts and production of 2 direct mail postcards which would be sent to households across the city.

I now understand why my friend went ballistic over my quote.
The creative "professional" they have hired to do the project (instead of me) is charging them…

Are you ready for this?

$200.

$200 from concept to completion. A direct mail piece for a company that has a service which probably earns 5 times that amount in commission off one single customer.

I am speechless.

I was told that my higher quote ruined my credibility.
I’m wondering what kind of credibility you have when you charge $200 for a project of this nature?
The truth is, if this is what your potential client is looking for, then should you even bother from the very beginning?

Let’s now look at this in another way…

You buy a house and decide to paint the entire interior.
One qualified painter quotes you $2,000 for the job.
Another quotes you $100.
Who are you going with?
Would you really trust the guy willing to do the job for $100?
It seems some do.

As Red Adair so eloquently put it..."If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur".

In cases like these, I find it’s better NOT to quote based on the information you receive. It saves you the headaches. Also, you have a choice. You can be known as "expensive but worth it" or "the cheap guy".
Simply chuckle to yourself, say no thank you to the project and walk away. Which is a whole lot easier to do when it's not a family member or close friend.

An aquaintance of mine (who is a very successful designer) wrote me and said “you give discounts to family and friends? You should charge double for pain and suffering”.

Wise words. I will forever keep them in mind.

Until next time. Keep Dreaming.

Working for friends can lead to battle.

As a creative person, you will get asked time and time again to create something for friends and close family members. Somebody opens a business and they need a logo, maybe a business card, a small space ad etc.
Of course, they will immediately call you.

Such was my case recently when a close friend joined a new company.
I was brought in to meet the company owner and they decided they wanted me to produce a direct mail campaign.
I asked their budget and they really had no ideas. So, it was decided that I would simply produce some concepts and we'd take care of it when the time came.

This was a HUGE mistake.

I created concepts for the piece over the course of a week and they absolutely loved it.
They would like to run not one, but two of the ideas.
They asked what they owed me and I gave them my price.
It was 15% of what I would normally charge for such a project (and have in the past).
15%.
They went ballistic.

You would think that one of your closest friends would accept your price as fair. That they would know you enough not to think that you were trying to rip them off with your fees.

My friend questioned me “what do you think you are, an ad agency?”
“You only worked a few days on this”

My head started to boil.

Just so I get this straight, if I take all of my work related equipment, my computer etc., and move it from my home office into some fancy office space downtown with a big view of the lake, hire an account person and a secretary, then I can legitimately start to charge gobs of money? How does this change the quality of the work I produced? Besides, my full fee is only a fraction of what they would pay if they actually went through an ad agency, with me hired on as an art director creating the work.

The “it only took you a few days” is the number one thing that drives me insane in this business,
How many years of experience does one need in order to produce something in a few days that would take a less experienced creative over 2 weeks? Clients always ask why I don’t charge for projects by the hour? It’s simple. If I work twice as fast as a junior, should I make less money?
I like to bring up a story that I love (and I tell often) in regards to this matter and it goes like this…

A man and his child are walking through the park one day and they spot Picasso sketching a picture. The man taps Picasso on the shoulder and asks if he would mind sketching his daughter. Picasso agrees and produces a perfect likeness of the girl in a few minutes.
The man, overjoyed, asks Picasso how much he would like for the sketch?
Picasso replies “$25,000”.
The man (angrily) “But that only took you a few minutes”.
Picasso – “no sir, that took me a lifetime.”

We, as ad creatives and designers, own computer equipment worth thousands of dollars, we have software that costs thousands of dollars, we have many years of experience, some of us at large shops working on recognized brands, and forgetting all of this, people seem to think we have magic buttons that say “make it pretty” and the work simply pops out.
With this in their minds, the conceptual direct marketing pieces I produced (that should increase their sales tremendously) should cost nothing more than a few hundred dollars.
Unfortunately, as they mentioned, there’s always somebody out there that would eagerly produce something for this price.
I told my buddy to go find them.
Upon further discussion, it turned out that he assumed since I was his close friend, I would swallow the entire bill anyway.

Here’s a lesson for you that I have written about before, and I (hypocritically, for the last time) did not listen to my own advice.
I don’t care what you are doing or for whom you are doing it, make sure you get the client to sign a proper proposal outlining EXACTLY what you will be giving them and for how much BEFORE you start putting pen to paper.
Be it your best friend, your aunt, even your sibling.
And save yourself the pain of watching close relationships come unglued thanks to a measly 15%.

The Movie Critic.

This week, I shoveled snow. When I say “this week” I mean literally…this entire week.
My city keeps getting hammered, and I've loved every second of it.

One of the reasons I enjoy working from home is because every day (at some point), I get out for an hour or two for some exercise and fresh air. Usually in the form of a long walk.
Rain, sleet, snow, heat and humidity, I don’t care. I dress for the weather.
To me, going outside to shovel snow for a few hours is better than going to a gym.
So, I worked out all week.

Now, you’re asking where this is going?

After 4 hours of fresh air and strenuous exercise one day, I didn’t really feel like doing much afterwards. I decided it was a perfect night to laze with a movie.
I walked out to my local video store and asked the kid (when I say kid, I mean 23 years old) behind the counter to suggest something.

Being in advertising, I pay attention to (a movie’s) art direction. I enjoy great writing and brilliant cinematography. If it gets me thinking, I’m all for it. I don’t want fluff or something adapted from a crappy TV show. I’m not looking for a movie most of the time, I’m looking for a film.

Back to the kid behind the counter.
His suggestion sucked large.
Yes, “The Matrix” was awesome. “Fight Club” is in my top 5.
But that 23 year old behind the counter may not relate to you…the artsy ad creative.
He’s generally not going to know about something a little bit older, that has great art direction, Oscar worthy performances, one of the first “Sixth Sense” style endings and metaphors galore throughout. A movie that will stick in your head as you ponder it. One that you’ll have to watch over and over again just to catch things you missed the first 4 or 5 times around.

Because of this, I take it upon myself to suggest such a movie to you.

Fellow deep thinkers…
On your next movie night, rent the 1990 film “Jacob’s Ladder” starring (academy award winner) Tim Robbins.

Pay attention, and I mean to EVERYTHING.
Every detail. Every sentence. The wallpaper.
Even the name.

Until next time, keep dreaming.

The Ghost.

It’s 4:00pm on a Friday.

My call-display indicates that the incoming call is from an ad agency I’ve been really pushing to work with. I strap on my phone’s headset and hit the talk button. I’m happy as hell they are calling and I think I can guess why.
Their question is immediate.
“Hi, we were wondering if you are available over the weekend for a quick turnaround project?”
Of course, as a freelancer, I am available for every project. As the saying goes, “make hay when the sun shines”.
The agency sells me on how “quick and simple” the weekend project is. Once I agree and start finding out the details, I realize that I just sold my entire weekend and any plans I had are now changed or most likely cancelled.

This is typically not a problem. Weekdays, weekends, it’s all the same to me. Unless I have some solid plans, I’ll simply take Monday and Tuesday (once the work is done) to do whatever I was planning to do over the weekend. My days of the week are generally blurred.

What I least enjoy about this side of the business is the fact that I work hard but once the project is turned over to the agency, I no longer have anything to do with it.
I equate this to delivering a beautiful baby and then handing it over to some other parents that will nurture it and watch it grow.
Unless I am getting paid to take the project all the way to final production, the agency will usually see my ideas through to completion and in the end, the work will get promoted as theirs. It’s like I was never there.

After this week, I will have completed several projects for 3 different ad agencies this year (2 as an art director and one as a copywriter) and besides the paychecks (and possibly a future mention on my website’s client list), I will have absolutely nothing in my hands to show for it.

Last week I was contacted by a CD who asked why I haven’t put some new work on my website. I had some explaining to do.

As a freelancer, I sometimes feel like I have a secret identity. Besides my viewable work, I also have the secret portfolio. The one that stays hidden unless its appearance is requested.

So, I continue skipping along the freelance path.
I’ll jump back out there with both feet tomorrow looking for a project that I can hopefully add to my website. And of course, this ghost will eagerly await the next Friday phone call.

Evolve or Die.

The holidays came and went and with it, a new year began. 2008 marked my freelance company’s rebirth. A time to clean shop. A time to explore new directions and forks in the road. Out with the old and in with the new.

Truthfully, I was never happy with my website. It was clean and displayed my work nicely but that’s about it. I created it myself after taking a 6-week introductory Dreamweaver course and it didn’t really project the company image that I wanted to convey. There are a zillion advertising agencies and design studios competing on the internet. When I pitch new clients, I want to stand out. The internet is exploding with possibilities and there are many opportunities out there if you know how to market yourself properly. I decided that 2008 is the year that I grab that bull by the horns and hold on tight.

First, I decided on a complete make-over and spent over two months working on my new website. I proudly launched it last week. The question that remained is how to pitch it? How can I get word out that I have a new site and draw attention to it? Something I read while exploring this very site inspired me. In a recent “Ask Jancy” answer, they suggested that one should now look beyond “traditional media” for marketing solutions.

With this is mind, I basically went back to school. I spent a few weeks online, exploring internet marketing. I subscribed to webinars and read blog after blog about this subject. I took a course about doing business online. One thing that kept popping up is “bouncing sites”. There are several sites out there that will get picked up from other sites. A virtual domino effect for your entries. Let’s face it, the more pages you or your company display on Google, the more successful and important you are in today’s world. I started researching the competition. I started researching agencies. Many have not yet even begun to take advantage of this and according to a few internet Gurus, it IS the future of marketing. Don’t advertise your product directly to one audience. Advertise to all. Let people find you.

So I decided to take advantage of all this free internet marketing. The question remained…How should I do this? How should I market myself on the open airwaves of the world wide web?
I went back to the roots and created a 30-second, self-promo “TV” commercial. Nothing fancy. No million dollar production. Just something really simple that explains what I do. I figure, what’s better than a commercial running 24/7 on several worldwide “stations” with free air-time?

At the beginning of last week I sent out an email blast with the announcement of my new site and my promo video. I also uploaded the spot to a few of those bouncing sites I mentioned. I’ve already seen it “bounce” onto sites where I haven’t submitted it.
The same hour I sent the email, an American ad agency (that was on my list) called me with a decent sized project. One hour after that, a new client I’ve been trying to win over quickly signed to create a few ads.
Internet marketing works and I only scratched the surface.
I had a greater response off this quick blast than a direct mail piece I created last year and mailed out at a cost of over $1500.

Lately, I’ve been getting some business off “Facebook”. At my age, there are many old friends and connections that own companies and need work done. Yesterday I went onto the site and submitted my video to a few business groups I belong to. It seems that once you have a video created, you can upload it anywhere on the site and to any group with a simple click of the mouse. As soon as I uploaded it, I started getting hits on my website. Time will tell how this will pay off.

In the next few weeks I will explore these marketing possibilities even further. In many ways, I feel like a junior in new territory again. 2008 is still fresh and I’m slowly taking baby steps down this new path. I’m hoping that by the end of the year, I’m at a full sprint.

Here’s the promo…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp4jwngm0q8


Until next time…keep dreaming.

Opening week.

Happy new year.
My last post was the first week of December and I’m starting off 2008 with a quick recap.
My first year as a freelancer working strictly from my home-office was a successful one.
I had a variety of companies and agencies sending me constant work however, once the Halloween decorations came down, the workflow seemed to slow down (to a mere drip) for the year.
My biggest client finally hired somebody in-house so my services weren’t really needed anymore (except on a few rush jobs) and a marketing agency that was feeding me projects finished all their print work and started concentrating on the radio portion (which didn't involve me).

This simply goes along with the territory.

This can be seen as a negative or a positive depending on how you look at it.
November came along and I had the metaphoric angel and devil on each of my shoulders. The angel pat me on the back while claiming that the benefit of working on my own is 3 months of vacation time each year (so I should relax and enjoy it), while the other yelled at me that the next paycheque is a while away and I should be working my tail off to get the ball rolling for 2008.
I listened to both of them but the devil seemed to win the majority of the time.

People didn’t really want to talk business over the holidays. Most of my phonecalls were met with a “call me in the new year”.
Interesting enough, I had 2 calls from agencies and 1 from a headhunter each wondering if I was interested in a creative director position. I met with two of them (I always go to hear what they have to offer) but the holidays quickly took priority and one of the positions involved moving to another city so that was out of the question.

On the same note, I also know of an art director’s position to work for an ad agency in Bermuda.
Now, if I was young and had no roots in this city THIS would intrigue me.
Drop me a PM if you are in Toronto and interested (and have over 5 years of agency experience) and I’ll forward you the info.

Back to ME (after all, it’s my blog).
I started doing all the nitty-gritty details involved with running a business…

Making phonecalls.
Getting my tax information organized.
Creating a new website (which should be hopefully launching this week).
Making sure all my marketing materials were up to date.
Creating a PDF portfolio of the work I did in 2007 and sending it out to potential leads.
Entering some pieces into award shows.
Writing an article (which is hopefully going to appear in the next issue of a major industry magazine).
And finally, networking.

Networking is the absolute best way to promote yourself. No matter what business or industry you are in. Full time, freelance, it doesn’t matter.
I used to buy tickets to the industry award shows just so I could walk up (with a drink in my hand) and schmooze with creative directors. I even got hired full-time at an agency once because of this. If they like your personality in a social setting then you already have one foot in the door.

I went to 3 of these events. One took place in a nightclub and to my delight, it had a poker table (my favourite hobby).
So I sat at the table and rubbed shoulders with Presidents and CEOs of companies while we played and exchanged business cards. I sometimes even lost purposely just to put a big smile on their face. I guess you could say I played the game AND played the game.
As an extrovert I find these events very enjoyable.
It's like speed dating but for business.
Now I’ll have to wait and see if any of it pays off.

6 weeks of solid legwork with no immediate results.
I really, really have a new appreciation for account people.

As I type this I have been cold calling all day, following up with all the business cards I collected. Thanks to voice mail, I think I spoke in total to 2 human beings.

That’s the only problem with having a good year. You have to follow it up with a better one.
And the ugly word "recession" is starting to get thrown around again.
I have my work cut out for me.
As they say in the business world...“feast or famine”.

If anyone knows of an agency in need of a freelancer, you could always save me some time.

Here’s to 2008.
Hope it’s a happy, healthy and prosperous one for all.

Until next time. Keep dreaming.

The year in review and the lessons I learned.

It’s been almost 1 year since I made the jump and left a cushy office environment to work from home full-time. For those of you that are just tuning in, my first blog post "A New Beginning" was the start of this career fork in my road.

I find, on this last week in November, that everything is slowing down.
This is the time of year in the business world where interest in the upcoming holidays prevails over other matters.
In the past, I’ve always taken pleasure in hearing the first Christmas carol because it means I would have a more relaxed schedule in the next 6 weeks.
As a freelancer, I have to admit, it’s an anxious, unnerving feeling.
Even though it has been a successful year for me, I’m not as relaxed because of all the questions running through my head…

Did I meet my goals and expectations this year?
Were my clients happy and will they come back?
When will I get my next paycheque?
Etc.

I guess what I have to do is simply accept the fact that by not being on a payroll, I have a bit of time to kill at the end of the year. I have tried quite hard to get the ball rolling in the past few weeks, and there is some potential for some upcoming work, but for the most part, I have been met with the same answer…”We’re winding down…call me in the new year”. So, it seems that I’m really working on my schedule for the second week of January at the moment.

I’m going to spend the last month of the year entering some pieces into award shows, burning backup DVDs of work and all the personal video I shot this year, and hopefully improving my website and business materials.
I also have the I-Tunes gift certificate I received from this website as an award for this blog. I-Tunes just released the entire Led Zeppelin collection so I’m finally going to spend some of it. Once again, I thank you. It was great to be recognized in this manner.

I’d also like to thank many of you for writing me personally. I got emails from all over the world originating from this site with questions, comments and even praise.
Winning an award for the work you do is great. Having strangers tell you that you have inspired them is even greater.

So, I guess the only thing left to do before I hit the holiday party circuit (and its free-flowing single malts), is to tell you what I learned working from home this year…


When it comes to business (and for the most part, life), there is typically no such thing as “a sure thing”, no matter how sure it seems.

A high paying rush job will always come in after you’ve committed to a lower paying rush job.

Have some respect for your account people, it’s not an easy job.

The project you spent all night on won’t be needed or looked at for at least 2 days.

The client that calls you needing a quote because they want to get started right away will then sit on your proposal for a month.

The new client that sounds like they will be a pain in the ass will in fact be a pain in the ass.

A 45-minute walk outdoors at lunch each day is great exercise (I lost 20lbs and I’m a small guy to begin with).

Charge the client that wants a discount because they “know people and promise that you’ll get more work out of it” the same as anybody else.

Do not keep all your eggs in one basket and if you do, make sure you take very good care of that basket.

Your hobbies and relaxation time are as important as your career.

Spec creative contests are unethical and undervalue our profession.

A client you enjoy working with is worth its weight in gold.

Nothing in the world is more enjoyable than being at home the moment your child gets back from kindergarten armed with a painting they made for you.

Free press-release websites and online listings are powerful marketing tools.

There is no such thing as rush hour in the city of Toronto anymore. It’s always rush hour.

Get everything in writing, and signed, even if you're doing a project with your best friend.

People driving through my neighbourhood don’t seem to care about stop signs.

Have your business card on you at all times. Even at the Supermarket.

The internet and it’s forums are like drugs. Make sure you limit your intake and don’t let them take over your life.

Writing a blog is a very enjoyable recess.

The clock runs quickly. In an office, it was always “I can’t believe it’s only 2:00pm”. Working from home, it’s “I can’t believe it’s already time for dinner.”
Life goes by fast. Real fast. I can’t believe an entire year has flown by.

And finally, Family comes first.
Always.
No matter what.

Have a happy holiday season (whatever you celebrate), and may 2008 be a great year for you and yours.

Until next time. Keep Dreaming.

PAY THEM ALL.

Since we were old enough to leave the house without our parents, many of us worked at a variety of jobs to earn some extra spending money. We marveled at the little bank-book we were handed when we deposited our first paycheck, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of purchasing something for the first time without the help from mom and dad.

My first job was as a paperboy for the Toronto Sunday Sun at the tender young age of eleven.
Those Sunday papers were damn heavy. I had two routes, one through the streets of my neighbourhood, and the other, in a “government assisted” building not too far away.
If you want to toughen-up a kid, make him shake down people in the projects for $2 each week.

That first job was followed by a number of other jobs, until I finally landed in this industry that I chose for my profession.

It was a busy time and there were many changes going on in the industry. I went to school for four years and in that very first year upon graduation, many of the skills that I learned were about to go out the window with the introduction of computer design programs. One thing seemed clear, CDs weren’t about to take a chance at that moment on an inexperienced kid.

Drastic times call for drastic measures and I dreamed up a clever little idea. I approached some of those agencies again and told them that I would be willing to work for free, to gain some experience. They had absolutely nothing to lose.

One agency took this chance. It was a tiny shop where I got my start. I sat all day with the two seasoned partners, brainstorming on an office furniture account, listening to them bicker over the concepts like an old married couple while I sat at the drafting table drawing up layouts with an array of markers. It was a load of fun.

The partners felt that even though I offered my free service, they should at least buy me lunch and we went out every day to a different restaurant.
About a month into this arrangement, one of them dropped a bomb on me that would forever change my life.
“I was out at an event last night and was mentioning your situation” he began.
“A reporter for the Toronto Star is going to do a story on you and how you are working for free to break into your industry”.

It seems what I was doing was unique at the time.

My story ended up on the front page of the Sunday “Business” section later that month and my phone rang off the hook. Several different industries came calling but thankfully, I was able to take advantage of this new found “fame” by securing my first paid position as an Art Director for a much larger agency working on clients such as “Burger King” and “Budget Rent-a-Car”.

Since that day, no matter how grateful I am that I became a part of this business, I have always felt a sense of remorse. A deep disgust with myself that I was part of something that I believe, has become a plague in this industry. Unpaid internships.

When juniors come looking to get into this business, many are at a point where they are ready to leave the security of their parents for good. They are renting their first apartments, they are dating, partying, buying their first cars, doing everything that comes with a hefty price tag.

We should be ashamed for taking advantage of them.

As I have grown older and wiser I have come to the conclusion that no matter what type of work you do, you deserve to get paid. If you dig a ditch, you get paid. If you deliver pizza, you get paid. If you create an ad, you should get paid.

What kind of self absorbed, egotistical, "holier than thou" industry are we that we believe that working for us is a gift? Something that these kids should appreciate and savour until their three months are up and we send them back out in the street, no different than a drug dealer that gets them heavily hooked and then cuts them off.

We’ve all seen these kids. They call and email us every day. “Please take a look at my portfolio. I just finished an internship at “XYZ” and need advice so I can get back in…I HAVE to get back in”.

Of course, they are also completely strapped for cash because they just spent the last three months working for free, paying their expenses out of their savings, and haven’t had a second (while they were trying to impress) to do something else to make some much needed money.

It saddens me. And I will forever be sorry that the industry has embraced this practice.

Because of this, and going back to my conclusion, when I hire a junior to work with me (which is a rarity), I pay them. Period.
I’m a very small fry in this industry. Not some multi-million dollar ad agency making a tidy profit off the sweat of these individuals.
If I can afford to pay them, everyone else can too.
Let us change this horrible practice. For good.

As a kid, even some of the known prostitutes and drug dealers in the projects tipped me for delivering their papers every now and then.

The fishing trip.

As a freelance creative working from a home studio, I have a lot of creative work to do. Unfortunately, I also have a ton of NON-creative work to do. You have to keep constantly on people. I work in my office with a phone headset wrapped on my head. I'm either dealing on the phone with current clients, or looking for more clients. Looking for new clients is the part I dislike. It's a never ending search because you never want to be left without eggs in your basket. This is why I always appreciate working with agencies and marketing firms that bring me the work.

A friend of mine who's a corporate salesman just left his job with a major player last month.
We went for lunch a few weeks back and I told him that now that he's off, we should take a day and go fishing together on an autumn lake.

Later that week we are in a boat in North Ontario, in full rainsuits on a perfect, crisp, overcast, still, misty, drizzly morning.
It's early on a quiet Friday, the leaves are in full colour, the fish are biting, and we even watch a deer swim straight across the open lake.
Not a sound that day except for the light rain falling on the water every now and then.
He mentions that it doesn't get any better than this.
I look over at the relaxed smile on his face.

That's the exact moment when I decide to drop the bomb on him.

"Ever thought of going on your own and making your own schedule?
Here's an idea...you keep doing your sales thing, bring me clients and I'll give you a percentage of all the work I bill them."

Now, I've written about this in my blog in the past, if I had 3-4 of these guys working to bring me new business, directing potential clients to my website, from whatever location they want, virtual account people...it would be beautiful.

He quickly agreed and we continued fishing. We never spoke a word about it again that day.

I'm meeting with the first client tomorrow.

Until next time. Keep Dreaming.

Enough with the SPEC Contests already.

Today I am seriously angry.
It turns out that our leading industry magazine in this country is turning 100 years old.
100 years of being the voice of our profession.
This morning, I logged onto their website to read the daily news and staring me in the face was something I could not believe.
They are promoting their anniversary by holding a logo spec contest.

I felt like I was slapped in the face.
All my trust, all my respect is now gone.

How can a magazine that speaks for us, that stands for us, turn it’s back and promote an unethical competition that undervalues our profession?

As designers, we get paid for our creative skills. If every company had a contest like this when they needed some creative work, we may as well hang up our hats.

No professional designer with some self-respect should take them up on this opportunity.
We have years of schooling (and thousands we have paid in tuition).
We have expensive computers with design programs (that we once again paid thousands for) and we have years of experience under our belts that we would use to design their logo. All for the chance for them to print our artwork in their magazine, pat us on the head and say “nice work”?
Disgusting.

A colleague of mine, Neil Tortorella of “Tortorella Design” (Ohio, USA) says it best…

“Would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?

Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!).”

100 years old. And still they have much to learn.