nerves

It can really do a number on your nerves when you know you have one shot. One shot and maybe five minutes of someone's time. It's exciting but often exhausting. You spend hours upon hours staring and fixing the slightest alignment issue. You scour all of the content, looking to add more while trimming the fat. There are opinions coming at you from all sides, and you have to decide which ones stay true to who you are and what you are trying to accomplish. Once you are done, you realize the word finished doesn’t exist when it comes to something that potentially affects your future. I could have stared, added, subtracted, moved, and changed for 30 more days. Eventually, you have to tell yourself "what is meant to be...is simply meant to be." I've got an email and maybe five minutes, ten if I'm lucky, and 15 if I'm the luckiest person on the block. I feel pretty good because I know I tried my best. In the end that is all we can do, isn't it...?

school #7

We presented to Yahoo! yesterday. It was our final presentation for the VCU Adcenter. I expected to feel my body exhale in a joyous relief because I am finally crossing the finish line. Instead, I looked around at my peers and realized there would be a period of mourning. A mourning that is expected when you know it's time to move on and away from all of these brilliant people who are your friends. Congratulations class of 2007.


I did have one other reaction: Did that just happen?

subliminal advertising

I have two immediate thoughts:
First, is it real or scripted?
Second, is it subliminal or simply taking in the world around us and applying it to our work?
I believe the more we keep our eyes open to our surroundings, the more we can tap into what is driving and inspiring others.

I thought it came from my Adrants newsletter yesterday, but I can't dig it up anywhere. I apologize for not attributing the find to the right place.

school #6

Today marked our last Communications Strategy class with Caley. I remember our first class with Charlie Kouns. We used straws and marshmallows to build a tower. It wasn't that long ago when I looked around the room and faced strangers who knew nothing about one another. Today I left the room feeling exhilarated and sad. I know last names and first names. I know little snippets and details of each person I knew as strangers one year and nine months ago. It is such an odd feeling to know that in 18 days the people we've grown to trust and rely on won't be around the corner.

Caley said a few things this morning that almost broke my heart. She said that as a military child she grew accustomed to leaving but never felt the pain of someone else leaving. She was so sad but so happy for all of us. She encouraged us to stay in touch and call her during the good and bad. I have no doubt I will use the invitation. Caley is a wonderful person, and I hope to make her proud.

She asked us two favors and it is definitely something I plan to always keep in mind:

1. Raise our personal bar high. When we meet that bar it's time to raise it even higher.
2. Tend our own garden. Don't lean over to look at someone else's garden.