Three Lessons for a Long Creative Career

Mat Zucker
Nov 12, 2020
3 lessons for a creative career
Photo by shams NAJJAR on Unsplash

As I wrote about 30 years in advertising and digital marketing, each job led to specific lessons that people can use selling brands, building relationships, and managing careers. Three in particular stand out for folks going through a transition during these times. I capture them in a video clip below:

  1. Ask for what you want: People can only help you if you tell them what you want. Some will disappoint, but everyone else is everything.
  2. Find your people: Colleagues and clients will be people you work with again and again.
  3. Swing big + be early: Just as I got into interactive marketing at the very beginning, it’s still early in emerging areas like A.I., voice, AR/VR and many others.

Each of these is backed up by a specific story or moment, which made its indelible mark and, in hindsight, provides the lesson. After all, we learn not via the aphorism, but by the sweat of an experience.

One additional lesson that I thought was implicit was to keep creating. Along the way, I’ve started different projects (e.g., an advice video series for those coming into the industry; a podcast about moving from the city to the country; even this book) that fueled my curiosity, honed some skills by the act of doing it; gave me a sense of completion; and continued to build a “portfolio” of work.

Hope you can get something out of each one from watching the video, buying the ebook or paperback, or starting a conversation about what it takes to be resilient yet satisfied.

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Mat Zucker

Marketing + content leader. Host: Rising & Cidiot podcasts. Author of career guidebook and memoir: Bronze Seeks Silver. linktr.ee/matzucker