Name Tags Change.

I give a tremendous amount of time, effort and resources to developing young professionals in my business. I answer every inquiry email, whether I’m hiring or not; I take students to coffee and learn about their stories; I offer to be their mentor; and I help them find connections in our industry that could lead to their next internship or job, if I can’t hire them myself. It’s something that’s been deeply personal to me since I was a student myself. I remember emailing every agency in town – and dozens around the country – trying to get their attention, an interview, even just a response. It was lonely, it was depressing and I found myself worrying for many years, as I fixed iPods and iPhones at the Apple Store, if I was ever going to get my big break.

But I did. And when I was settled in, I promised I’d never let another student feel that way if I could help it. I’d do my best to send the elevator back down, to help people get where they wanted to be.

It’s been about a decade since I began that mission, and I’ve always included the same advice:

Be kind to everyone you meet, even when there’s nothing in return. We’re just people, shuffling around from place to place, most of us trying our best. You never know when you’ll be able to help someone, and you never know when you’ll need help in return. Name tags change. 

I’m about to put on the fourth name tag I’ve worn in as many years.

The first change happened after five years at a creative agency that is now essentially out of business. I did my best to protect my team from toxic people, and after I left, they all moved on to bigger and better careers (and if you’re reading this: I couldn’t be prouder of each of you, truly).

The second change happened after a short stint as the creative at the PR agency. They were a lovely bunch with big ideas and great culture, but it wasn’t for me. I felt the ground shift underneath me there, slowly and subtly, and I knew I’d have to follow my instincts and move on. Sometimes people get on the wrong bus. Don’t kick open the back door and boot them out into the road. Let them off safely at the next stop. Fortunately, I found mine.

The third time happened just last week. I oversaw creative and client service at a brilliant little creative studio that just won more advertising awards than any other agency in our market, including over agencies with exponentially larger staffs, budgets and clients. I brought my very first intern there with me in January. We did some impactful, effective, amazing things. But the ground shifted beneath me, I felt a sense of dread I haven't felt in a couple of years, and I knew, even before we’d said it out loud to each other, that it was time. The CEO and I, who were and remain very, very close friends, knew. We hugged. We cried. We closed our partnership chapter and began our friendship chapter. It was sad. It was beautiful. It was weird.

Name tags change.

I just gave that advice to a friend over drinks a couple of weeks ago. I said it to a room full of PR professionals as I sat on stage in a panel with one of my best friends, another former coworker-turned-confidant. I taught it in two marketing classes at a university last month. I’ve spoken it to my fellow board members in American Marketing Association and American Advertising Federation, many of whom have bonded with me over many years of alternating, awkward “my turn for help!” phone calls.

Now I’m giving this advice to you, reader, because you might need to hear it, and because as I take a sharp turn in my career and begin something brand new to me next week, something that’s scary and different from anything I’ve done before, I need to hear it, too.

• Don’t let your ego overtake your common sense.
• Don’t let the brand on your business card drive your identity.
• Don’t let the people in your office grant – or take away – your sense of self-worth.
• When you make – or anyone else makes – mistakes, err towards grace, not shame.
• When someone wins, celebrate them.
• When someone fails, grieve with them.
• When it’s your turn to offer help, give it.
• When it’s your turn to need help, accept it.
• When you’ve done wrong, own it and apologize.
• And when you’ve been wronged, let it go.

Name tags change. Friends remain.