Confirmation that the small stuff isn’t worth sweating over

Whether someone recently entered the advertising industry or they’re a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience, the field is constantly evolving. In this series, Mythic asks team members to share industry and career advice based on what they’ve learned, regardless of how many years they’ve been at it. After all, here at Mythic, “Be More” is the ethos we work and live by, so naturally, our team members are eager to share what they’ve learned from the moments that have helped shape the trajectory of their careers in hopes that others can reap the benefits.

Eliza Carney, an Account Director at Mythic, has spent the last 17 years in marketing and advertising and believes creative energy is contagious. Throughout her career, Eliza has found that surrounding herself with people who have an inspiring, passionate, creative energy motivates her to make a difference.

The following interview is a window into Eliza’s career and the lessons she’s learned along the way:?

If you could go back in time, what is the one piece of advice you would give your younger self about either about how you approach your career??

“Don't sweat the small stuff. You will do your best, and that will be good enough, and you will succeed because you are enough. When you're earlier in your career, the tiniest little thing, like a typo in an email, can feel like the end of the world, but you’ll learn from it, and everything's going to be okay. ”

As you think about the challenges and opportunities you face in your career today, what would you tell your future self as you navigate those?

“You've got this! Even as a more seasoned professional, it is very easy to feel imposter syndrome. And as you become more and more elevated in your career and take on more leadership responsibilities, sometimes those feelings of doubt creep in. But again, it's similar to what I would tell my younger self: You've made it this far, you've been successful, you know that you can do it, and you will continue to learn and grow.”

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve ever received and why??

“Someone once said to me, 'Opportunities don't happen; you create them.' That stuck with me because I have seen the benefits of that in many parts of my life. My mom always used to say on my first day of school, ‘Be a sponge. Learn all you can, apply that to the next thing and the next thing, and keep growing.’ I’ve found what you put in is what you get out, whether that's energy, relationships or work.

? I've definitely seen this throughout my career journey. Job opportunities don’t just fall in your lap and many times you have to really put in the work to make it happen. There were two jobs in particular where I went through multiple rounds of interviews and made it to the final rounds but ultimately didn't get either on the first try. Despite this initial setback in both scenarios, I was still really interested in the opportunities. So I continued to learn about their business, and I kept in touch with my contacts, periodically sharing tidbits or interesting things I came across in their respective industries. By consistently nurturing these connections, when additional opportunities surfaced I was top of mind and was able to land those jobs the second time around.”

In a world where attention spans are limited, we're glad you stuck with it and made it to the end of this article because we certainly think it was worth the read. If you’re interested in learning more about Mythic’s culture or exploring career opportunities, please visit our website and drop us a line if you have any questions.