blog

I have seen a lot of people come through the doors at Barefoot. Not just full time “Toes,” but bright-eyed, hopeful candidates and students looking to better understand agency life and I get asked this question a lot, “What’s the most important thing to be successful in this business?” My answer used to be simple: passion (and I still believe that is incredibly important). But I’ve also met a lot of “passionate” people who did not possess what I now view as the most important thing to be successful.

So, now my answer goes a little something like this: “Be a sponge. Be open, listen and learn as much as you can every day. Understand that as good as you think you might be, there is always someone better, smarter, faster, more talented. And once you can understand that and truly believe it, half the battle is won. The rest is up to you. Become a student for life and never believe that you are “there,” that you have arrived.

I can’t imagine that day will ever come for me, because the day that happens is the day I am no longer growing. Regardless of the promotions, pats on the back or awards I win, I continue to believe I am only as good as the last thing I have done. And that keeps me pushing myself, growing and I believe it helps me to be a more valuable contributor to the creative team and to Barefoot everyday.

So, I guess what I am saying is that be patient, listen a lot and enjoy the ride. Don’t be in a rush to get to the top and make the most money. Enjoy the journey, because that’s exactly what it is. Yes, passion is great to have, but in my opinion, being a sponge is even better.