October 5, 2012 smz-blog

Dad’s life lessons

– Mary Bridget Gielow, VP/Account Supervisor

I love a list and very often live by them – home to-do list, work project list, vacation menu choices list, Christmas list.  So, it’s not surprising that lists with little snippets of self-improvement or humor or ways to make life easier always catch my eye. I don’t think I’m alone.  In this crazy, never-sit-still-life we live, a fun, quick read is just the ticket.  In a few minutes you might learn something, ponder a new idea or laugh a bit.  And these snippets can be easily shared with friends, family or colleagues in any of our social arenas.

I recently came across Josh Linkner’s “7 Lessons I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me.”  http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshlinkner/2012/07/31/7-lessons-i-wish-my-dad-had-taught-me/ It’s a great combination of lessons that can now be applied to my life after 20+ years in advertising and shared with my children. They may not appreciate them all now, especially the teens, who, of course, already know everything.

I learned number 6 “Winners make mistakes, but only losers blame others for them,” as a young account coordinator.  I made a mistake, admitted it to my client and had a resolution as to how to move forward.  It wasn’t a life or death situation; in fact, I don’t even remember the details. What I do remember, is that my client appreciated my honesty and agreed with my recommendation.

Number 7 on the list is critical in our world of digital evolution meets traditional marketing: “There is only one thing in life you should fear more than change: no change.” We‘re embracing this change with the exciting opportunities it brings to all of us in the agency world as well as the clients we serve.

And speaking of lists, they are often the most opened and read links.

My dad taught me many things in life, like never have chipped nail polish and well-polished shoes are mandatory.  Even those small tidbits have stayed with me over the years and make me smile.

What lessons would you like to pass on?

photo credit: Great Beyond via photopin cc

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