30 Apr Against the Wind

April is known for its showers. At WilsonMcGuire, we’ve had our share this month. We’ve been busy – working on print, TV and banner ads for Pinehurst and the USGA; packaging for Lucky Country Licorice; collateral for St. Joseph of the Pines; and the creative campaign for the 2013 Wyndham Championship. Yet, in the midst of all this, we said goodbye to one of our longest-standing employees. A strong wind to add to a steady April rain.

Over the past ten years, we’ve learned to weather storms like this: The coming and going of employees. The buyout of one of our largest accounts. The recession of 2008 and 2009. The lack of payment from a start up or two. We’ve had stellar years, breakeven years and everything in between. Yet, we’ve never been in business for the money. We’re in it for the work.

We get to create new ideas every day. From TV spots to websites to print ads to videos, we get to inspire people with engaging messaging and provocative design. What we do requires a daily renewal of inspiration and creative juices. But, just as exercise increases your energy, tapping into your imagination increases your ability to generate creative ideas.

But it’s the business side of this creative business that we’ve had to learn. We’ve learned when to stand up for what we believe in – and when to sit down and listen. We’ve learned that while the client is not always right, s/he’s not always wrong either. We’ve learned that preserving the quality of the environment we work in is as important as the quality of the work we turn out. And we’ve learned that business, like life, is often about compromise.

We’re forever having to determine when it’s appropriate to stand up for what we believe in and when to bend like a reed in the wind.

“You have enemies?” Winston Churchill once said, “Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

Here’s to standing up for what’s right. . .even when it hurts.