The document reflects on the author's journey over the past 15 years in the creative agency world, emphasizing the importance of learning rules to break them and maintaining a balance between personal and professional well-being. It argues for the necessity of training and mentorship within the planning discipline, especially in light of an expertise crisis, while offering advice for both millennials and industry leaders to foster a more supportive work environment. Ultimately, it calls for a shift towards valuing and investing in emerging talent to strengthen the future of the industry.

1. WOLF & WILHELMINE
TO BREAK THE RULES
YOU GOTTA KNOW THE RULES
Stockholm APG
WOLF & WILHELMINEMAY 2015

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Everyone has a story…

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FOUR YEARS AGO…

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FOUR YEARS AGO…
BBH
BIG ACCOUNTS
BIG CREATIVE
MANIC CRAZY SEXY FUN LIFE
PLANES, HOTELS AND DIET COKE
TWITTER/BLOGS/INSTAGRAM/4SQUARE/ETC
MEETINGS UPON MEETINGS
NEVER SAY NO
GO GO GO

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FOUR YEARS AGO…
BBH
BIG ACCOUNTS
BIG CREATIVE
MANIC CRAZY SEXY FUN LIFE
PLANES, HOTELS AND DIET COKE
TWITTER/BLOGS/INSTAGRAM/4SQUARE/ETC
MEETINGS UPON MEETINGS
NEVER SAY NO
GO GO GO
AND THEN…

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THE UNIVERSE SMACKED ME

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The core question of the experiment
that is Wolf & Wilhelmine:
Can we do the work we love without
killing ourselves?

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A core belief of the experiment
that is Wolf & Wilhelmine:
The lives and the work are
inextricably linked. To take care
of one, you must take care of
the other.

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TO HONOR CREATIVITY…
FREEDOM-LOVIN'
FREELANCER-LOVIN’
MISFIT-LOVIN’
PROJECTS ONLY
DEFINED DELIVERABLES
DEFINED TIMELINES
BESPOKE, FLEXING TEAMS
BREAKS & NAPS
NO SHINY OFFICES (IE GOLDEN HANDCUFF JAILS)
7/SATURDAY RULE
WE SAY NO
HOT WASH TO BE BETTER
UNAPOLOGETICALLY DRIVEN BY LOVE

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SO FAR…
CLIENTS WE GENUINELY LIKE
PROJECTS THAT ARE GENUINELY RAD
OUTPUT THAT IS THE BEST OF MY CAREER
REGULAR SHUT DOWNS
A LOT OF POPCORN, CHOCOLATE AND WINE
ONLY ONE ALL-NIGHTER IN 1.5 YEARS
USUALLY OUT BY SIX
HEALTH INTACT
A LOYAL WOLF PACK
A SECRET DEN
(& A BIT OF SNIFFING AROUND ABOUT WHAT WE’RE UP TO)

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SUCH A *MAGICAL* STORY

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BULLSHIT.

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Here’s the problem: the last four years of
my story are the ones that get the most
attention. But those four years would have
never, ever, ever happened without the
eleven years that came before it.
The story really started in 2003…

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net net
NOVELTY IS ONLY POSSIBLE
THROUGH TAPPING INTO TRADITION
T.S. Eliot: Tradition and the Individual Talent

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IN OTHER WORDS…
TO BREAK THE RULES
YOU GOTTA KNOW THE RULES

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[four years] [year and a half] [three years]
THE LINEAR YEARS OF LEARNING RULES

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[two years]
THE FREELANCE YEARS OF LEARNING RULES

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I HAD…
GOOD TEACHERS
GOOD INFLUENCES
GOOD INVESTMENT
I BROUGHT…
OPEN EYES
SELF-AWARENESS
HUSTLE

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OVER MANY YEARS,
I BUILT A FOUNDATION OF EXPERTISE

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EXPERTISE = FREEDOM

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EXPERTISE = FREEDOM
FREEDOM TO GO ON THE ROAD
FREEDOM TO FREELANCE
FREEDOM TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH CLIENTS
FREEDOM TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH MYSELF
FREEDOM TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW

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EXPERTISE IS EVERYTHING
Planning is a craft. Expertise of this craft is vital.
Whatever your own professional journey through planning,

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VALIDITY
ENERGY
INNOVATION
Expertise drives our discipline’s…

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VALIDITYWhen we’re good,
we belong in the room.

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ENERGYProfessional confidence is
sexy shit. It feeds a team,
driving everyone towards
better work.

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INNOVATIONTo create something new, it’s
essential to have building
blocks to play with.

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WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF
AN EXPERTISE CRISIS
There’s just not a lot of well-trained planners/strats out there

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WE DON’T HAVE A
CULTURE OF TEACHING
My hunch why?

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You can’t Google strategy.
VAL-ISM

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NO TEACHING CULTURE BECAUSE…
PLANNING ISN’T A CRAFT TO BEGIN WITH
MARGINS ARE TOO THIN
PEOPLE ARE SPREAD TOO THIN
CAN’T INVEST IN EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
CAN’T INVEST OUR TIME
THE WORLD MOVES TOO FAST
DATA IS MORE IMPORTANT ANYWAY
EVERYONE IS A PLANNER/STRATEGIST/NINJA
MILLENNIALS ARE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ANYWAY
BAPTISM BY FIRE WORKS
IT GOES ON…

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Irony?
Clients want us more than ever.

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Sad truth?
We should be in the
golden age of strategy.

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You can’t present a problem
without ideas about a solution.
HEIDI-ISM

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GET MAD. DEMAND TRAINING.
THE SOLUTION?

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Your training is up to you.
No one’s going to do it for you.
You get out of it what you put into it.

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BRAINS&HEART
You are always simultaneously developing

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BRAINS&HEART
Always work on your craft so you
can be a kick-ass practitioner.
You are always simultaneously developing

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BRAINS&HEART
Develop as a person.
Understand the authentic role
you play on a team and
eventually as a manager.
You are always simultaneously developing

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BUILD YOUR T-SHAPED CAREER
OPPORTUNITY/SCARINESS
Planning is a sprawling discipline
with many ways to be a planner.
OPEN YOUR EYES
Figure out what you love about planning
and the complementary brain&heart
skills that you’ll need to rock it out.
[This will evolve with you. That’s okay.]

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LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
You’ll learn faster if you have a self-awareness and
humility about what you still need to learn. It will get your
spidey-sense up and looking for those that can teach you
that. And don’t be afraid of “looking dumb” and asking
questions. Looking dumb shows tremendous character.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE LEARNED FROM
ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE & EVERYTHING
We all want to learn from Yoda, but sometimes we get Vader.
Remember, sometimes the biggest lessons are to learned from
those that suck the most. Look at challenging situations as
ways to learn how NOT do things.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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FIND TEACHERS
You need them. Take jobs because of them, not because of some
hot-shot campaign that was done last year. When you find
teachers, honor and use them. But always meet them at least
halfway - people like helping people who help themselves.
And say thank you dammit.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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PUSH YOUR FRIENDS
Want to learn to present better? Write better? Don’t wait for
permission or funding: team up with people at roughly your level,
figure out what success looks like and then coach one another.
You’ll be amazed at what you intuitively know.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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SHUT UP AND WATCH (THEN DO)
Clock people that do things well that you want to learn. Observe
them. Figure out what it is you like about their vibe. Imagine
what they would do and then trying doing it in your next
meeting (but in a you-way, not a Single White Female way).
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP

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Set up post-mortem meetings after projects are done to honestly
assess what went wrong and what went right. Make it a moment
of learning and building, not pointing fingers. Then optimize…
you included.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP
HOT WASH

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The process of giving a talk or setting aside teaching moments
pushes your own beliefs and approaches. You don’t have to fly to
another continent to do this. Cancel one stupid meeting a week
and use the time to teach a young’un something instead.
LEARNING UP LEARNING SIDEWAYS LEARNING FROM THE TOP
TEACH

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ONE LAST THING…
I’M HERE BECAUSE I WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT
HOW WE HAVE A LOST GENERATION OF PLANNING
TALENT, HOW MILLENNIALS HOP AGENCIES SO
MUCH BECAUSE WE DON’T INVEST IN THEM.
THEY’RE SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT,
STUNTING THEIR CAREERS. WE’RE SHOOTING THE
DISCIPLINE IN THE FOOT, NOT STRENGTHENING IT
FOR THE FUTURE. SO SOME LAST WORDS TO THE
MILLENNIALS AND BOSSES OUT THERE…

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FOR THE MILLENNIALS

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CALM DOWNStop thinking about leaving every six months. Map out the long game.
Show that you’re invested and that you really want to learn. Be self-
aware about the journey of your career. And remember, your bosses are
super busy - think about how you can work with them, help them,
guide them so that you can get the training you need.

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FOR THE BOSSES

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WAKE UPOkay, it’s true - Millennials bring expectations to the table about work
that no one has ever brought before. But, they are essential and also
our future. Ultimately, they want to feel valued and invested in - we’re
not doing a great job of showing them that in our industry, so they
hop. But a little effort and thought can actually go a long way.

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THANK YOU