A bunch of really cool people whom I admire have been writing about their dreams. They’ve taught me that sharing a dream is powerful. And a little scary. In any case, I feel compelled to have a crack at sharing what I know of mine.

I say what I know because I’ve had many dreams. Some better than others.

Turning seven was a big dream of mine. The first I recall anyway. Not sure why this was such a big dream, but suspect there was a cool kid I looked up to who was seven and figured I’d become cool by virtue of being the same age. I didn’t.

Being a Musketeer, or Maverick from Top Gun being the next two to make an impression. Later I dreamed of being a pro skateboarder; Olympic swimmer; Michael Jordan; fashion designer; music producer; graphic designer.

I had a go at most of those dreams (yep, even Maverick), but the harder I pushed the harder I failed. Often spectacularly.

The up side is trying led me into some cool jobs, gave me unforgettable experiences, and eventually saw me making a modest living freelancing. Here my dream was to make enough money to retire early. I indulged this fantasy frequently until I stumbled upon a tough question: what would I do if money were no object?

After the cliche thoughts of big houses, fast cars and a playboy lifestyle, something far more tangible struck me. I wanted to study philosophy at one of the world’s top universities. That might seem a tad odd to those who don’t know me, but made perfect sense to those who did.

So, I applied for University. One year in I read the Australian National University was one of the world’s top ranked schools for philosophy… Naturally, I packed my bags and moved to from sunny Perth to… Canberra.

A new city (if you can call Canberra a city) meant a bunch of new clients. It was also where I met my wife. During this time I decided to play with some other careers. I took a part time job as a personal trainer. Wrote a monthly column on men’s health and fitness for a Queensland paper. Had a bunch of other stuff published to see what being an academic felt like.

With so much good luck I began wanting more, fulfilling. I’d taken up a second degree in Asian Studies (to have a better look at Eastern philosophy, of course) and it got me thinking about all those people without the same amount of freedom to choose the way I could. “Why not,” I hear you say.

After considering a bunch of government agencies I landed at an international development agency, accepting the job after the first interview question concerned a philosophical paper I’d written rather than professional experience. It was perfect.

A coupe of years on and my dreams have seen my wife and I move to Melbourne. I’m now paid to indulge my passion for online marketing and work with a great team, contributing to something that makes a difference in the world.

What I’ve realised is dreams change based on what makes you happy. Like flying, living life in pursuit of happiness is scary at times, but fear is followed by adrenaline and exhilaration after that.

Flying really is the coolest dream.

Read more about #DreamLink by checking out the bottom of Richenda’s blog.

I didn’t notice it happening, but as I got older I stopped trying new things. It began logically; this is like that, and I didn’t like that so I won’t like this.

But it didn’t stop there and by my mid-twenties I’d become content living in my own ignorant bubble, judging people and things without giving them a chance.

I wasn’t a miserable old turd or anything, just content. And contentedness is the place where dreams and innovation go to die.

The only way to avoid becoming content is to never be satisfied with the way things are.

Celebrate wins, just don’t fool yourself into thinking a win is a destination. Be greedy, do what scares you, want better.

Sorry if this post comes across a little too self-helpy, I just wanted to remind myself why satisfaction sucks.

Now I’m feeling truly unsatisfied, I can sit down and write that report on the future of digital media.

While using your passion for pixels to earn a crust might seem like a top idea, a word to the wise: think before diving down the rabbit hole.

Here’s my 10 reasons not to work in digital:

1. Many employers don’t know what they want

Community manager, social media manager, content editor, strategist, analyst, admin assistant, front end developer, the list goes one. A business might understand online communication is important, and that they need to recruit someone to do that for them. But don’t expect them to know what it is they actually need. If something seems off, it probably is.

2. Managers manage what they (don’t) know

Who is your manager? The marketing manager, communications manager, ICT manager, customer service manager?

Where a manager sits will tell you a lot about how the business sees online communication and their expectations for the role. Your new manager may or may not admit they know what they’re talking about when it comes to the brave new online world, but they sure as heck will manage you according to what the do know.

By way of example, a marketing manager wants sales, metrics and demonstrable ROI. A communications manager wants reach, impressions and engagement. And rightly so.

This is all fine if your personal approach matches that of your manager. If it does not however match your manager, be prepared to fight the good fight.

3. You’ll generally be under resourced

If a business is in the early stages to understanding how the online world can benefit their business – and most are – then be prepared to be heavily under resourced. You can only do what you can do, but keep in mind that your new employer might not know that companies doing well online are making a sizeable investment in the area. Facebook metrics, such as cost per fan, have possibly never entered their psyche let alone the thought of cutting traditional media spend and putting it into digital.

4. Be prepared for a pay cut

If the above three points hold true, then it makes sense that remuneration will match the business’ understanding of, and investment in, online media. I am pleased to see this changing, but the majority of new digital jobs are paying near entry level rates. I mean really, how hard is it to post status updates or pics to a website.

5. It’s COMPETITIVE

Digital is a competitive space. Ignoring the fact that heavy competition drives down salaries, you must either bring demonstrable results from previous roles or have a strong enough online presences to prove you’re up to the task. In either case, it’s getting tougher for people to make the career switch.

6. You’ll be laughed at

Go on, see what happens when you tell your mother, friends, or a perfect stranger that your job is ‘social media’.

7. Innovation is hard work

Sure we have a few case studies and plenty of data, but each business is different, and for the most part you’ll be innovating. Ask Da Vinci, Galileo, or Simone de Beauvoir much fun that was.

Going against the grain and doing something new is exhausting. Is this what you really want for your career?

8. Limited career prospects

Once you’ve chosen to specialise it will be hard to go back. The problem is that digital teams are generally small, which means there is limited scope for progression. You can always switch job every couple of years, but as those who stay put typically get the big opportunities, you might be doing the same job for a few years to come.

9. Everything will be digital soon, why specialise?

All media will be integrated and online within the next ten years. By that point, professionals will all (hopefully) understand how it works. My prediction is digital will have circled back to being field for the ICT crowd. You might therefore be better positioned as a generalist who understands digital.

10. It can get boring

If you don’t like data – and I mean a lot of data – or not willing to push boundaries and stand alone out front of the pack, then you’ll probably find digital to be pretty boring.

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On the other hand, working in digital is one of the coolest jobs in the world for many of those same reasons. I love the fact that everything is new and evolving so quickly. I love that the rules are being rewritten each day, leaving us to figure it out for ourselves and when we do, share it with our friends.

My advice to those looking to make the switch and specialise in online communication is to look, learn and really think about whether this is for you. If the above 10 points don’t phase you then it just might be.

The above points are written from a client-side point of view. It would be great for some agency folk to add to the list.

With pressure from clients or the powers that be, sometimes it’s easier to just create than debate.

The amount of rubbish business blogs, Google+ accounts, applications, and even website content stand testament to those of us who at one time or another surrendered to outputs over outcomes.

My goal is to take an analogue approach to digital planning in 2012.

I plan on asking myself how a particular platform, advertisement, and piece of content will add value in the real world?

Like the newspaper clipping my best mate cut out and mailed to me because he thought it would be of value to me, everything we create should be of value to our audience, in their day to day lives.

When I look back on the year that was, I sincerely hope I can say to myself that everything I was responsible for creating online (at work and at home) adds value offline.

Let’s create. Value.

*This is a thought that’s been marinating for a while now, but flagrantly lifted from a post called 2011: What We Learned on Big Spaceship’s blog. This is hands down the best corporate blog I’ve come across, so do yourself a favour and check it out. 

These are the words of ten year old by Arfa Karim Randhawa (1995-2012), a programming prodigy who was a Microsoft Certified Professional by the time she was nine years old.

Passing away this weekend, I was struck not just by her wisdom but the seeming cruelty of loosing such a remarkable human being at such a young age.

As a child we are taught to do what we’re told. Go to school, do homework, play sport and learn an instrument. Think about what we want to be or do at some distant point in the future.

In short we learn to follow the crowd and await permission to truly live our dreams and do something remarkable.

Most of us take this into adulthood where we continue to wait for permission. Arfa didn’t.

Arfa’s message is that we are whatever we believe ourselves to be. If you think shy, you’re shy. If you think you’re dumb, you’re dumb.

On the contrary, if you think confident, you’re confident. If you think you can so something, anything, you can do it. The only thing stoping you is you.

We don’t need permission. We just need believe in ourselves and do whatever it is we dream of doing.

The reason I wanted to publish this tribute to Arfa is so I’ll never forget her lesson. I’d like to think it will serve as inspiration for others too.

Up until last Saturday I was one of those people who respond immediately to emails, messages and mentions across any number of social networks.

Rarely did I think of it as work. I even took pride in being someone who was seen as always on. I also liked reading what others were chatting about and sharing.

That was until my wife confessed to feeling that she was competing against my phone for attention, and loosing.

Not wanting to be one of those husbands, I had an honest think about the time I was spending navel gazing: was I giving my time freely, acting compulsively, or just having my attention demanded by the stream of email and social media notifications?

I watched and listened to everything around me while sitting, phone free, on the Darling Harbour wharf. 90 minutes taking it all in and I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. A little Zen even.

This feeling inspired me to switch off my push notification a week later.

The first 24 hours were tough. Without the regular vibrations I felt isolated, a little on edge and unable to just sit on the couch and relax.

Then silence.

My mother used to say silence is bliss. A week on and I couldn’t agree more.

I flinch at the thought I might have had a problem. Not that it matters.

What does matter is I’ve started noticing more in the real world. I’m more relaxed, get less distracted and am generally happier. My wife is happier as well.

The conclusion of this little experiment is that too much of a good thing isn’t healthy. Push notificatications are an option, not an imperative.

Imagine shelling out for premium tickets to the grand final if you’re not into football. A ten thousand dollar bicycle is absurd if you’re not an avid cyclist. If you were into art however, spending that same amount on a painting might represent value for money.

Value doesn’t necessarily refer to money. With so much competing for our attention, you give time to things which represent value. This includes family, friends, a Seth Godin blog post, Red Bull facebook page, or the latest book in the Twilight saga.

It’s easy to say this is all relative and different people value different things. True, but easy. And if your – or your client’s – business depends on getting people’s attention, you want to know how your audience determines value.

You value what can relate to

Influencers play a big role in making things valuable. But this doesn’t answer the question. To do so we need to go back in time. We’ll be back in a jiffy, don’t worry.

You’re six and in the playground near where you live. A kid you’ve never seen walks over. After a moment of silent staring they ask your age. It sounds more like a challenge than a question. Hey, you’re the same age. “Let’s be friends.”

You’re twelve now, it’s the first day of high school and don’t know anyone. A kid starts talking to you. You ask them what they’re into. What, you’re both into surfing? Cool.

You walk out of the cinema with your friends. You’re seventeen now, and just watched Fast & Furious. You don’t have a car yet, but hell yeah! Paul Walker’s character was crazy cool.

And we’re back.

I’m stating the obvious now. You connect to what you can relate to. The closer the relation, the more valuable something is to you. If you follow a brand on facebook, regularly read a blog or magazine, it’s because you relate to it.

The opposite naturally holds true also. A cruel example is the refugee debate, with ignorant fools believing themselves to have nothing in common with refugees. To them, these people have no value. It’s sad how many wars are fought for this same reason.

Some final thoughts

Content is becoming more important. Getting and holding the attention of your audience requires you to produce content they relate to. The more your audience can relate, the more of their attention will be given to you.

This requires a different type of understanding. Just like the six year old you in the park, you need to give people something they relate to. As simple as this sounds, few businesses are doing it.

Worked well for J.K. Rowling. Can you imagine how much her first manuscript is worth these days?

If you think this post is worth it, please share it with your friends and followers. Thanks.

The down side of being so enamoured with work, is I find that it chews the majority of my time. When not applying what I know, I’m plugged in. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.

The problem is my mind is constantly occupied, which could one day lead to  professional fatigue. Whereas social media is my day job, the same applies to any profession.

If you’re into what you do then you’ll seek out others within the same tribe. Soon you’ll be spending all of your down time up, leaving you feeling a little upside down.

As more people discover the joy (addiction) of social media, I imagine more will suffer the same fate.

It struck me the other day, feet up on the couch, that there is an exception to the rule: Instagram.

If you’re not familiar, Instagram is a photo sharing iPhone application. It incorporates filters that allow even the most amateur photographer’s shots to look classy. Like most social platforms, followers, likes, and comments are all part of the fun.

Maybe it’s me, but the act of sharing and looking at photos is so simple. People shed their corporate garb and are become everyday people, as opposed to CEO, Creative Director, Digital Strategist, or Taxi Driver.

Not once have I felt the need to share an image relating to my job. The same seems to go for other to. It’s just real people sharing pics of places they go, things they see, friends, family, and whatever else takes their fancy. There’s something beautiful about this.

Instagram provides me with an alternative to other, more work focused social platforms, relieving the fatigue which can accompany them. There’s no need, no place, no desire, for it to become other than what it is.

So on behalf of all us who love our jobs but need a little down time, thank you Instagram.

What do you think. Is it just me, or do platforms like Instagram have an important place in the social media universe?

Ever heard two physicists talk shop? I have, and I’m the first to say that I had NO IDEA what they were on about. It wasn’t anything complex, they were using specialist language unfamiliar to me.

The same holds true of any tribe. You will struggle to follow a conversation unless you’ve been initiated.

Communicators have the horrible habit of using specialist language when trying to express an idea. Yet we get frustrated when people don’t understand us (evidenced by how few people actually understand what it is we do).

Keep this all in mind the next time you’re speaking to people who haven’t been initiated into our tribe, or a sub-tribe (social media comes to mind).

You don’t have to dumb it down. Just leave the specialist language at home.

The video below always gives me a giggle. This could be because I am a card carrying member of the philosophy tribe. I’m betting that it will make little sense to others.

Hat tip to Mark Pollard and Cathie McGinn who both shared insightful posts on language in recent weeks. Thinking starts here. 

As Alex Bogusky says, fear is the moral enemy of creativity. If we accept this – and I do – courage is the lifelong friend of creativity.

This post looks at courage and creativity in the form of disruption. But first, a little story.

A little story

He was famous for being obnoxious and getting about in garish attire. He attracted all sorts of attention, little of which was positive. Luckily he was a swordsman, quite skilled so the story goes.

Nobody liked the obnoxious fellow, naturally. When passing through a small village, he was challenged to a duel. But this was all the norm for the peacock swordsman.

The big day arrived.

Not wanting to let an opportunity pass, some local lads decided they’d do all a favour and knock him off. This was of course unbeknown to the challenger who was also a swordsman of repute.

As soon as the two swordsmen were set to duel, the young men let fly with arrows. Our villain died. Dead, before he could draw his sword. Crowds cheered and the lads felt pretty chuffed.

Our friendly challenger however, cried. The boys prostrated in front of him, apologising for taking his glory.
The older man scored them. “Idiots. I wasn’t chasing glory. This man was far more skilled than me.”

The boys looked at each other, shrugging shoulders and shaking heads.

“Why do you think he acted and dressed the way he did? He looked like an ass to draw attention to himself, to provoke people into challenging him.”

The man stood up, preparing to leave. “It takes courage to put yourself out there. All young people should aspire to be like him at least once.”

Courage, disruption, success

There are many lessons that could be drawn from this little story. The one I want to focus on is having the courage to disrupt.

If you want to get people’s attention in our busy virtual marketplace, you have to let it all hang out. You have to put something into the public domain that’s wild enough to get people to look. I mean really look. And then tell their friends.

But doing so takes courage. Namely, the courage to sell the idea:

1. To your team. Whether you’re the CMO or an intern, saying something outlandish will likely get odd looks. But if you liked mediocre and hiding in the back, you probably wouldn’t work in marketing communications.

2. To your bosses (or other decision makers). This takes more guts as these people a) can fire you, and b) will immediately see how failure affects them. But you influence people for a living, so I’m sure you’ll have them convinced in no time. Plus, if you thought failure was a real possibility you’d have come up with a better idea.

3. To your client. Clients want you to make them look good and cause them little/no stress. So enchant them. Show examples of similar things that worked for others, give them facts and figures, as well as the tools they need to sell the idea internally. Don’t forget, they’ll need as much courage as you.

In short

Don’t be discouraged by the fact that the guy in the story died. Being a samurai was a far tougher gig than a communicator (and they have swords so are automatically cooler).

Our industry is also full of examples of wildly creative ideas. Just remember, each of those ideas started with someone who had the courage to draw attention to themselves.

My challenge to you is to do something that scares you each week (bonus points if that involves wearing happy pants to work). I dare you.

*My little story is based on a historical account I read in Kendo World magazine. Alas, I cannot recall the author or swordsman’s name.