In 1993, when I was unemployed and straight out of school, the phone rang. It was Advertising God himself, Luke Sullivan, calling my barely-able-to-pay-the-bill phone from Fallon asking me to come to Minneapolis to interview. That was the beginning of my radical career.
Never a day goes by without someone Googling Luke Sullivan and ending up here. He was, and continues to be, an inspiration to the next generation of advertising talent. Besides his incredible gift for getting to the heart of a subject, he’s also known for being both humble and whipsmart. In the podcast below, you’ll see just how accurate that reputation is.
One of my favorite things Luke says is, All of our failures in advertising are very public. Ahh, so true. And in a few rare moments of openness, Luke discusses his own career from a very personal standpoint. He describes careers in advertising, including his own, as having three distinct phases: First we go for the fame, then the money, then stability.
Do you agree?
Whether you’re in the “fame” phase or the “stability” phase, Luke offers tips for taking a portfolio from mediocre to meteoric (even if you can’t quit your day job).
If embarking on a career in advertising, I highly recommend Luke’s book, a modern advertising bible, Hey Whipple, Squeeze this- but Luke suggests you get the Adweek book, Pick me first (as long as you buy 2 copies of Whipple!) to help you crack the code of the ad business. It’s got 31 tips from me in it, but, if you click on this link- you can see the complete unabridged 83 things I wish someone had told me while I was learning to be creative.
Listen to Luke in a way you might not have heard him before. His voice launched my career. Maybe it can jumpstart yours, too.
Luke Sullivan Podcast
17:24 15.9 mb
