2022 Reposted for 2023 (Because I Just Read This Again And It’s On Point)
(Just insert 2023 wherever you see 2022)
2022 was one hell of a year. For a number of reasons. We lost some clients, gained some new ones (that’s pretty much the norm in this industry) and came up with some great creative and strategy ideas that we know will bear fruit for our clients. The reason I’m lying about this being a great year is very simple. We lost Bob O’Dea. He didn’t leave to go work at another agency for more money, he didn’t start his own shop, he didn’t get out of the business and start working as a shaman somewhere where it’s warm out. Bob died. Suddenly. Nobody saw it coming, there was nothing that anyone could do. He just left. After getting over the shock, pain, sadness and anger of losing him, and I’m lying because those are things you never get over, I’m left holding a box full of memories, of funny ad ideas, disagreements over project creative direction, fake ads and video created to blow off steam. It’s a box of funny sayings, really bad band album covers, again designed to blow off steam, photos, really bad copy ideas and annual report ideas, bad brochure covers, funny billboard and digital ad ideas that would never be presented to a client because, yes, you guessed it, they were created to blow off steam.
You see we have to blow off a lot of steam in this industry because it’s over-saturated with bullshit. Fake people with fake handshakes looking you in the eye and saying “give me a call and we’ll talk about working together” when they have absolutely no intention of even attempting to remember your name once the conversation is completed. You see this industry is full of people working for companies who have absolutely no respect whatsoever for your time, your experience or your capabilities. They ask for Zoom meetings, strategy proposals, creative ideas and more - with no understanding of the amount of time and cost that an agency has to put into creating those proposals. And Bob was a MASTER at sensing that bullshit oozing out of some of the people and companies that we crossed paths with. It’s just one of the million reasons I’ll miss him.
I’m still waiting to set up a follow-up meeting to present our marketing strategy proposal that we were asked to create for a company in 2020 haha. Multiple phone calls, emails, in-app messages and the result? Crickets. I’m still waiting for a call from another company that we pitched that said they would get back to us with an answer in early 2022. When in reality we were just a quota number they had to have to satisfy board members and their own guilty consciences. There’s two additional companies that I’ve had 5-7 meetings with each that still won’t give us any work and realistically never will. It’s sad but it’s part of how business is done nowadays. If they’re not interested in working together, they just ghost you. It’s a lot easier than being a true professional and drafting an email or making a phone call and saying no. Wherever Bob is I know he’s pissed because he put a lot of time into those potential client projects. And shame on me for not going with Bob’s recommendation on two of them. For that I’m sorry Bob. I knew better than that and you knew that I knew better than that. The joys of the new business pitch, right Bob?
Bob and I worked together since the 90’s, and developed a friendship built around our love for music, comedy, good marketing, I could go on and on, but the point is I’ll miss the guy tremendously and even though the year is about to change, that box of memories will still be there, for better or for worse. And I’m not going to replace Bob. Ever. You don’t replace someone like that. I’ll find people to handle the workload and become part of the Creative House family, but the bond that Bob and I built on both a friendship and professional level ended the day he left. And that’s what sucks about 2022. All of the good that happened (thank you loyal clients for all that you did in 2022, it was indeed a pleasure working and interacting with you) was overshadowed by losing Bob. It’s nobody’s fault, there’s nobody to blame. It just sucks, and hurts, and will take a long time to figure out what the new normal is. But I’ve got that box of stuff, which is a good starting point I think.
Life reduced to a box. I have to admit I’m still trying to come to terms with that one.