Search the Archives

  • Being True to Who You Are

    Posted on May 19th, 2009 by Spike and currently 10 commenting.

    Caution: potential horn-tootin’ ahead.

    With this whole pain-in-the-ass financial thing going on out there, I’ve been studying shops in the creative services field with a close eye. Because it is so incredibly easy for us to break ranks and waver in out beliefs. Even as we pull out of this mess of a downturn, we’re seeing the cracks in agencies who are bending their belief systems and taking on things that they wouldn’t normally take on (which we all have done) or even worse, doing work that they don’t believe in for clients they don’t even like.

    I’ve been at Brains on Fire for 9 years now. And there are some here that have been here way longer than that. But now people are starting to look at us and ask, “How do you do it?” The book mentions. The Fast Company shout outs. The recognition in the industry. How do we do it?

    By staying true to who we are and what we do.

    It’s not easy. At all. And we’ve gone into conversations with large and small brands knowing that we probably won’t get the business because they want buzz. And we ignite movements. They want viral videos about themselves. We ignite dialogue. They want some of the social media stuff. We share our work where 90% of word of mouth happens offline.

    When we first started talking about bringing identity and WOM together to create programs/movements seven years ago, people looked at us like we just got off the spaceship from Mars. But we knew it was the right thing to do. So we kept at it. And others around us started to speak the same language. We found those kindred spirits. And now we’re finding more and more.

    When you stay true to who you are, all the gray is taken out of the world. It’s black and white. You put a stake in the ground and stand firm in the knowledge of what you do really well, and what you refuse to do. It becomes so easy to connect with those that have the same beliefs. And you rest easy in those relationships.  Because of the trust that is shared.

    All this to say, if you’re a company or agency or individual, being true is hard, but rewarding. And it makes life so much easier. Take your favorite brand, your favorite person, your favorite shop and ask yourself why you are drawn to them. My guess is that it has something to do with them being true to themselves.

    Share The Love
    SubscribeBlinklistBloglinesBlogmarksDiggdel.icio.usFacebookFurlMa.gnoliaNewsVineRedditStumbleUponTechnorati
    Tags: , , , , , ,
  • http://youngie.prblogs.org Paull Young

    I’ve long hated pompous quotes on Facebook info pages, but there’s a reason I’ve kept one from ole Bill Shakespeare on mine:

    “This above all: to thine own self be true,

    And it must follow, as the night the day,

    Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

    Great post, couldn’t agree more. Whatever this social media revolution ‘is’ – it’s people with these values that will come out in front.

  • boobie mcgee

    Hmmm… I think the Romans were solid like that, too. In fact, history it littered with folks who refused to budge; who saw the world in black & white (instead of shades of grey); who ignored the writing on the wall; who didn’t evolve with the times.

    It’s great to know who you are right now. It sounds like you’re tooting your horn to the tune of “Knowing Who You’re Going to Be in Five Years”. Same old, same old, right?

    Being solid isn’t nearly as smart as being liquid. You can know what works for you right now, but you must be prepared to change course when necessary… To be fluid.

    I’m just sayin’…

  • http://brainsonfire.com Spike

    Great point, um, “boobie.”

    I’m talkin’ about being solid in your beliefs. In what you stay true to. In where you put that stake in the ground. As technology changes and communication channels change, we all have to be flexible. I know that I personally hold to the fundamentals that were instilled in me as a young’en. But I’ve changed along the way when it comes to things that aren’t a part of my core. But the basics? They’re still there.

  • http://www.vistasad.com atul chatterjee

    Being uure to what you are is a good principle. There are times when the times require you to change either at the personal or organisational level. When a person becomes hungry he is wiling to do all sorts of things, and if he starts starving, then…

  • Matt

    To back up what Spike said- If you look at where Brains on Fire was 5 years ago and where we are today, it’s totally different. But if you look past the outer layers (what kind of work we do) and look at the core- what we believe, how we act, how we work and what kind of shots we take- those things are still the same.

    Other people can do the same thing we do but the results will always be a bit different since they have different beliefs at their core. Also, they probably don’t get the awesome tequila that we get :)

  • http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivier blanchard

    “We’re seeing the cracks in agencies who are bending their belief systems and doing work that they don’t believe in for clients they don’t like.”

    Word.

    Though… You’re assuming they had belief systems to begin with. Chances are that they didn’t. What makes you guys different is that you’ve had a belief system all along, which isn’t unheard of, but still pretty rare.

    That being said, beware the trap of belief systems: It’s easy for people and organizations to get so caught up in a belief system that defines them to the core that they stop evolving. You don’t want that. Keep an open mind and stay flexible.

    … As if you didn’t know that already. Meh.

  • emme

    What I think you’re talking about here is a way of life rather than just a job. When you carry the strength of your beliefs with you the truth will always be evident…to your friends, your clients, and everyone you encounter as well as yourself. This is where trust develops.

    You become very approachable and conversations start. Life can only be richer for it.

  • http://www.thesocialmediahandyman.com Paul Chaney

    I appreciate the fact that you promote the culture of your company more than you promote your services. It’s easy to see that you put a great deal of focus on ‘who you are’ as opposed to ‘what you do.’ Obviously, one has to do with the other. At least, the one has to do with the “manner” in which you do what you do. And you do it well!

  • http://www.hyperdrivei.com Dan Heimbrock

    Spike, this hit home with me in a big way. Our business is similar to yours and WOM has certainly come up on all of our client radars. Being true to what you know works has been the key to our success. If clients can’t see it or want the “bright shiny object” instead of solid long-term customer community building, then we tend to take a pass….and that has worked out well for us, and our clients.

    Happy clients with a happy agency working on making happy customers.

  • http://twitter.com/tamadear Tamsen McMahon

    While I agree wholeheartedly with your point, my take has always been the opposite:

    When you stay true to who you are, you’re able to *add* the complexities of detail–all the shades of gray–that aren’t possible if you’re constantly trying to be this or that. You’re able to more fully realize what you are, and in so doing, give a richness and depth that’s not possible through facsimile.