Don't Look Down When You Get to the Top

My supervisor is on vacation this week ("Is that why you're blogging during work hours, Drew?") which means I'm a Lone Ranger for a while.

The first time Danielle (my supervisor) went on vacation, I was terrified.  Granted, we were very busy at that time and we're only a two-member team, but I really didn' think I was going to make it.  I came in early and stayed late every day and over-prepared for everything.  A couple of times, questions came up with both clients and vendors that I had NO idea how to address.  They would call and say things like:

"Could you do a week-over comparison on today's wrap and let me know if we should take out a two-by-seven on the Times for Friday?"

"Absolutely!"

"Do what you can to get a discount."

"You bet."

Then I would immediately Google Search "week-over", "wrap", "two-by-seven" and "how to get a discount with the New York Times."  ASTOUNDINGLY, Google is not (yet) personal enough to tell me how to interact with clients (or build a relationship with the New York Times in an hour), so occasionally I would have to reach out to real humans who have been doing this longer than I.  Sometimes I would get short, semi-helpful answers, and sometimes I would get answers like this:

"This is not what I do.  I could help with this, but not today.  Unless YOU want to handle Bring it On and Tyson post-openings for me."

(That's real.  I copy/pasted.)  I didn't know if I should be embarrassed or pissed.  Yes I was mad, but I still didn't have an answer! Then I got an email from a woman on this same email chain saying “Ignore him.  He’s obviously having a day.  This is what we’ll do….”  I almost cried I was so relieved.  She ended up being my mentor for the week.  She was patient, helpful and encouraging.  It was a big huge deal in and of itself that she took the time to do that for me, but to give you the full picture I need to tell you a bit about her.  She’s not another AE who’s been here a couple years longer.  She’s currently the Editorial Director of our Interactive department.  She and her husband owned a digital agency that is now a part of Serino/Coyne.  Believe me, of all people, she had better things to do that week. But she never seemed exasperated or annoyed; she would just say “Don’t apologize, let’s figure this out” and then we would.  To her, I’m sure it really was no big deal because that’s her nature.  But to me it meant everything.  It not only meant that I could get through that week on my own and actually do a GOOD JOB, but it also meant that there are people who have been at the top, in a Manhattan ad agency, and still remember what it felt like to be the little guy – and not only remember but CARE about the new little guy in the office. It matters. It's easy to forget that it matters, but Laurie didn't forget and I'm not going to either.  I gained more confidence in that week than I had in the 3 months leading up to it - and Laurie was a big part of it.

It's been about 2 years now, and this week has been a heck of a lot smoother than that one was.  Laurie just stopped by my desk, left a piece of chocolate and said "Remember how nervous you were when Danielle went on vacation for the first time?"

There are a hundred things a day that we do/say without thinking, but they matter to someone.  When you're short with someone because someone else made you mad earlier, when you decide not to say "thank you" because you're in a rush, when you put someone else down (even subtly) to look a bit taller in front of co-workers... those things matter.  And when they stack on top of one another, they start to matter a lot.  Don't forget how that feels as you rise in the ranks.  Acting like a big-shot won't take back those times someone made you feel like crap when you started.  Be kind, be helpful, be understanding.  The work will be better, and it will means something.

I'm going to do whatever it takes to remember.  Let's all be a 'Laurie' when we grow up.

I'll keep ya posted,

- d