You’re struggling to find your place in a creative strategy career. How can you make your mark?

Struggling implies the presence of obstacles, frustration from lack of alignment between your objectives and your activities, or even the general feeling of being stuck. If you find yourself in this situation, there are many actions you can take. The most important is to commit to taking deliberate, regular steps to build knowledge of and exposure to creative strategy leaders and practices, and to dedicate a specific time block (at least a couple of hours) per week to focus on it. Examples: Find strategy leaders to follow on social channels (Roger L. Martin is a personal guru). Read or listen to books on the topic. Find networking opportunities to make connections. Identify Workshops/Conferences to attend. Action is the key.

The intersection of what you're good at, what you're passionate about, and what the market/brand/business needs is where you should focus your energy. Avoid the security blanket of being a generalist. It feels safe because it is safe. Too safe. And if you manage to pull off being a successful generalist for a while, the clock is ticking until burnout. Don't get me wrong here. It's fine to have some broad knowledge. Just don't go after all of it so aggressively. Choose a handful of things and become the absolute best you possibly can be at them. If what you've chosen as your areas of focus are in demand, this is one of the best deliberate paths to success.

Em "Coco", Miguel demonstra que deixar sua marca requer seguir sua paix?o, mesmo diante da adversidade. Na estratégia criativa, isso significa buscar autenticidade nas suas ideias, ousar ser diferente e ter a coragem de experimentar novos caminhos.

I've gone down a shameful amount of skill-related rabbit holes over the years. Sometimes it's really valuable to explore different things. Other times- it's simply chasing dopamine. (Or worse- trying to pile on skills due to imposter syndrome) Specifically for this mindset of upping your game and finding your place as a creative strategist... it's so important to carefully select where to invest your time and energy. There are more ways than ever in history to learn new skills. Just be intentional about what you choose.

The internet is full of incredible tutorials, many of which don't have a paywall. Even just starting with YouTube. Find a content creator you like who does tutorials and follow them and their ideas. Once you've got some groundwork, start expanding who you watch to get different takes on things. It takes time, but it's worth it.

One of the hardest things about creativity is that it's subjective. However, there is also an element of objectivity that can be implemented into feedback. For example, if you were creating a social media post with text. Rather than asking for feedback on if they like the look of it, ask for feedback on colour schemes and how the text sits on the page. These are more based on awareness on conventional practices than if they like it.

When you're putting together a portfolio, always treat the examples of your work as case studies. Even if there was limited data involved a primarily creative/branding project, dig deep to tell great short stories about the intentions behind the product, the collaboration involved, and some of the key decisions or pivot points in the project. With this sort of approach, you're not simply proving you're capable of excellent work - or simply credible. You're giving a glimpse of your thought processes, your drive to find the best outcomes, and even what it's like to work with you.

To establish a reputation in the creative industry, winning creative awards can be very helpful. To achieve this, one must first produce creatively excellent work. It's beneficial to look into the annuals of creative publications to see the type of work currently winning awards. One shouldn't simply copy these works, but rather gain an understanding of what it takes to win awards. one can create opportunities to win awards independently through your own website or videos for platforms like Instagram. Next, it's advisable to target reputable awards such as Cannes Lions, ADC, New York Festivals, etc. Winning awards from these prestigious platforms can help one build a name in the industry.

It's not a case of jumping in and making waves. Social media praises the top talent and they make it look easy. But they didn't start yesterday. They are where they are because of years of mastering their craft. Do the same. Even if it comes naturally, put in the time. Time will also benefit creativity, not hinder.

One should not be afraid of cold calling. The most important aspect, naturally, is acquiring customers. Before venturing out on one's own, it's advisable to have worked in the segment for some time to establish as many contacts as possible that can be helpful. Nonetheless, new potential customers must also be sought and found. Since it can be assumed that everyone already has a network, the goal is to make oneself stand out in order to offer potential customers added value compared to existing ones. You will receive many rejections; however, one must not be discouraged but rather persist with fresh enthusiasm.