Friday Field Notes: 1/17/2025
Happy Friday, folks.
Here’s a quick thought that I’ve been seeing play out in the job market.
Lots of agencies are hiring, but they’re also struggling to find candidates.
I think a challenge we’re running into is a sense of entitlement rather than ambition across the market.
Here’s how I define them:
Ambition: You can close the gap between what you have and what you want. Entitlement: You want others to close the gap between what you have and what you want.
Now, obviously, this is a blanket statement, and not everyone is falling prey to this thinking. Just wanted to throw out my thoughts in hopes it helps someone with their own.
Lessons Learned This Week:
1. Opportunity is more important than money.
I’ve passed up plenty of offers for cash in the past that could have been incredibly helpful at the time.
However, I’m now seeing more opportunities than ever, and most of them stem from the fact that I turned down the quick cash earlier.
Don’t take the money if it means killing your options. You may regret it later when a better opportunity passes you by.
2. To think the most independently, you need to be safe from ramifications that hold others back.
When we have worries about whether our ideas will be well-received, it’s because we care too much about the opinions of others.
But it’s with good reason. Stray too far from what society says it’s acceptable, and you’re painting a red X on your back, making yourself a target.
It’s important to find your tribe. Find those who won’t judge you for potentially outlandish ideas because they understand those ideas might be what lead to the most success for everyone.
3. Don't just discount. Make someone enter a discount code. It makes sure they know there's a discount and makes them more likely to use it.
I haven’t fully tested this one, but it makes sense in theory, and I wanted to share the lesson.
If people see and feel the discount code—if it’s tangible—they perceive its value differently.
It becomes a reward rather than just an ambiguous thing.
Content I Enjoyed:
I got to join
for an awesome episode of Futurecrafting.We covered a lot of ground. I very much enjoyed the conversation, and I’m sure you will too.
Quote That Slaps:
“Sacrificing your desires doesn't make the world better.” - Anon
Sometimes feeling like a martyr makes I feel we’re giving back to a worthy cause. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of leader neglect to take care of themselves because they were prioritizing their team, only to lose everything.
This is one of the reasons I’m bullish on Agency Design. You don’t need to sacrifice your desires to create a win-win situation for everyone.
Content Roll Up:
Have a great weekend!
Comment and share any of your learnings this week!
