• Chat Pack Friday: What’s YOUR favorite story?

    Posted on January 7th, 2011 by and currently 5 commenting.


    Cool photo of Jay Chiat, even though it’s fuzzy.

    I love the card I pulled out of the chat pack box today. Because it’s involves storytelling and you know how we feel about stories.

    Your company is the stories people tell about it. (page 5, Brains on Fire)

    Hmmmm.

    Stories and story telling are how we remember things. We seldom remember facts, but a good story is told again and again and again.

    Story can inspire a name, a community and even a movement. I can’t tell you the number of times I have told the story of Love146.

    Today’s question is simple and fun:

    Most people have a favorite story or experience they love to share with other people. Here’s your chance: What is YOUR story?

    For fun — let’s make it work related and one that helped shape the way you think.

    Okay, in chat pack tradition, I’ll go first.

    Years and years ago, I was at a conference in NYC. And Jay Chiat was one of the speakers. I admired him and and his company and really wanted to speak to him. I had worked with his son Marc (when he was just starting out as a director) on a small television project and loved him, but I had never had a chance to meet his Dad. I was alone at this conference. Not my favorite thing to do. They had one of those cocktail parties the first night. (Some things just never change, do they?) I decided to go. I walked in, not knowing a soul. And I did what most folks do. I went to grab a beer. And stood awkwardly looking for someone to connect with.

    Then I saw him – Mr. Chiat. He was alone in a corner for this one little moment. So I quickly walked up and said the STUPIDIST thing, “Hi Mr, Chait, I am Robbin Phillips and I am so excited, it was one of my goals to meet you at this conference.” He was completely silent for what felt like an hour. Not a smile on his face. Then said, “Get yourself some new goals.”

    Remember now, I am really young when this is happening.

    My knees kind of started shaking. And he turned away without much fanfare to talk with some other folks, I meekly took a step backward. The couple he was talking with walked away and I don’t know where this came from, but I just went back. And this time I said, “Hi Mr. Chiat. I am Robbin Phillips and I have worked with your son Marc. I think he’s the real talent in the family.” Laughter. And a kind smile as we genuinely connected about a passion we honestly shared, our kids. He was really nice to me. We now had something in common.

    But it gets funnier. After a short while, he was bombarded with people wanting to connect. I just walked away, sat my beer down and went out to grab an elevator down to my floor. Ever noticed how some elevators take forever. Well yup, you guessed it. Here comes Mr. Chiat. We get in the elevator together and continue talking — about my son this time. I showed him a photo. I got so carried away I not only forgot to get off at my floor, I walked him to the lobby and out the door. Then he looked at me and said, “You following me home?”

    I turned around. Feeling silly again. But this time it was alright. I said goodbye. It was an experience that stuck with me. For two reasons. Be real. That is the only way to be. Ever. Don’t try too hard, don’t try to be something fancier or smarter, just be real. And this: We all have more in common than we think we do. All of us are connected somehow. Just listen for it…

    Now, you go. I want to hear YOUR stories.

  • Julie Turner

    Mine is about finding my first job (and mentor) in advertising before I graduated from high school.

    As I watched my sister graduate from college not sure what she wanted to do, I decided that my career was going to be in advertising. So I did what you did in 1988. Got out the Yellow Pages and called every ad agency in Columbia to try to secure what I now know is called an internship.

    Out of all these people, only one would even consent to seeing me. Cathy Rigg (now Cathy Monetti), who had just started her own small fledgling design studio, met with me and offered me a part time job for the summer that ended up lasting four years.

    She has proven to be a dear friend as well as mentor for more than 20 years now. I am not really sure why she saw something where no one else did but I am ever grateful she decided to take a chance on a little high school kid all those years ago!

    Thanks for the opportunity to share this story. I love telling it!

  • http://www.riggspartners.com Cathy Rigg Monetti

    My version of Julie Turner’s story goes like this.

    “My name is Julie Smith and my sister just graduated from college and she still doesn’t know what she wants to do and I already know I want to work for an ad agency and even though I am just in high school if you will give me a chance I will do anything you need even if it’s just take out the trash and it’s okay if you don’t even pay me.”

    I had to say yes, if only for the boundless energy of that young pup.

    Twenty years later that decision ranks as one of the most important of my career. Julie proved to be a talented creative, yes. But she taught me a lesson that has shaped every aspect of my life since that very first day I met her as a young, brave, passionate, hopeful high school student:

    No force in the universe is as powerful as positive energy.

    Thanks, Jules.

    And thanks, Robbin, for your positive perspectives via the BOF blog. I am a big fan and a faithful reader.

  • tracy

    I took my car in for a repair estimate. The garage called and left a message for me to call them a.s.a.p. – which I did. Hi, I said. This is Tracy. I’m calling about my car. Is it really bad and really expensive? The service rep said, oh, we’ll get to that in a minute. First I have something really important to ask you. Hmmm. I thought. Well. I thought. Okay, I said. To which Dave said, I heard your voicemail and I want to know what the hell an engagement strategist is? I laughed and explained, very briefly, what my work entails. He said, well, that’s a relief. Relief? I asked. Yup. He said. You see, my Mom really, really wants me to settle down and I thought maybe she had HIRED you to get me engaged to my girlfriend. We had a good chuckle. And then we talked about my car. So I love this story because it’s an ever present reminder that what I do and how I do it and WHY I do it may not be obvious to, well, anyone. So when I go out into the world I think of Dave and explain what I do. I do not rely solely on my job title as my explanation. Though it’s good to know I have options when this gig ends and I won’t even have to change my business card.

  • http://carlabobka.com Carla Bobka

    On the cusp of the last recession I started job hunting. I interviewed with Iron Mountain, and got to the 2nd round of interviews when I met the hiring manager, Janice Raphael. We hit it off during the interview, and I decided this woman would be a great manager. When I asked about her leadership style her answer was “There are a lot of ways to do this job well. I’m not interested in your weaknesses, unless they are holding you back.” Wow. Now I was all in. A few moments later she asked if I had any other questions. “No, but I do have one thing to tell you. I am 4 months pregnant.” She paused long enough for 1 heartbeat to pass, as I held my breath.

    “Congratulations.” That gave me an opening to explain howI loved being a working Mom (it was my 2nd child) and had great daycare and a hugely helpful husband.

    She hired me. It was a great job, and she was a tremendous mentor. We worked together for 8 years, and are still friends.

  • Lisa Moose

    I was a student at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University (I’m so not telling you when I graduated) and I took a class taught by a group of people who worked at Eric Mower & Associates, a local agency. Our assignment was to develop a campaign. Creative, strategy, the whole works. Just like a real agency. Our client was Hathaway shirts. I believe ‘the Hathaway man’ wore an eye patch. I can’t believe I remember that?!?!

    At the end of the semester we presented to a group of creatives and account people from the agency. All I remember about that was that I was terribly nervous and was probably wearing a very bad 80′s outfit. I so just ‘dated’ myself. We turned in our individual presentations. When I got mine back there was a note on the back that said ‘Come see me when you graduate. A+’.

    Foolishly I didn’t.

    Fastforward about ten or so years….I was looking for work. Eric Mower & Associates had opened an office in my town. I was able to get in for an interview with the managing partner who also happened to have been my professor at Newhouse. I handed him my original presentation. He handed me a job.