The Art of Listening

No matter which job sector you work in, you’ll benefit from adopting a knack for listening. If you deal with other humans, you will need to be able to build relationships with them—and relationships are built upon good communication.

Culture, Advertising, LeadershipAshley VillarrealFebruary 11, 2020listening, agency, creative, jobs, relationship, client, marketing, advertising, information, smart, change, media, politics, brand, science, ideas, content, Lit Hub, articleComment

Making Them Care in B2B

This past week, Tom Geary, Executive Creative Director and Founder of School of Thought, spoke in a podcast interview with Sweet Fish Media about building a better B2B marketing landscape.

Advertising, Culture, NewsAshley VillarrealMarch 27, 2019Sweet Fish Media, School, Thought, podcast, director, creative, Tom, Geary, week, speak, interview, B2B, marketing, landscape, advertising, company, small, business, Adobe, agency, Nike, brand, human, emotion, safe, idea, build, founder, different, unique, B2C, partner, client, San Francisco, Bay Area, believe, careComment

Too Small to Be Comfortable

Would you rather work with a team that’s willing to travel a few miles to put in some face time with you and your colleagues, or one you have trouble getting on the phone because they have too many projects going on simultaneously?

Advertising, Culture, Diversity, LeadershipAshley VillarrealJanuary 16, 2019hustle, entrepreneurship, business, company, help with business, agency, marketing, health marketing, awards for marketing, small, brand, branding, research, underdog, risk, bett, better, top, advice, AdAge, survival, happy, work, San Francisco, Bay agencyComment

For a Stronger Brand, Find a "Black Hat"

As I sit here typing this, Mark Zuckerberg is mea-culping live on CNN about Facebook’s privacy breaches. In parallel, our good friends (forgive the sarcasm) in Russia are endorsing their candidates for the 2018 U.S. elections. Not to mention, the credit reporting agency Equifax has—well, the kimono isn’t just open, it’s gone.

Advertising, Culture, NewsTom GearyMarch 26, 2018advantage, agency, benefit, best, black, brand, business, campaign, company, content, critical, data, Experian, Facebook, failure, finance, hat, headline, impact, important, Mark Zuckerberg, marketing, media, mistake, perspective, Prudential, retirement, Schwab, smart, speech, startup, strategy, success, tech, technology, thinking, tomorrow, transform

Check Yourself, Before You Tech Yourself

Like the frog slowly, unwittingly boiled, we are being transformed by technology—faster than we realize. And while this advance is filled with possibility, it’s important we remember that where it goes from here is up to us.

CultureNick ComneyJanuary 24, 2018advance, advertising, agency, best, brand, fast, growth, industry, marketing, offer, San Francisco, school of thought, skill, success, talent, tech, technology, time, top, video, viral

Verizon Gives the Super Bowl the Heisman

It’s no secret that each year, dozens of brands from all over the world descend upon the Super Bowl to air their latest and greatest commercial. While some take the high road during the evening to speak out on social issues, others forge a less flattering path by attacking their competition.

News, AdvertisingNick ComneyFebruary 13, 2017advertising, agency, best, brand, business, buzz, commercial, company, competition, creative, fans, football, fresh, game, influence, marketing, million, sports, Sprint, story, superbowl, T-Mobile, top, verizonComment

Right place. Right time. Wrong decision?

There are few times in life when you have the opportunity to experience terrible decisions in history as they unfold around you.

NewsConor HaganJune 23, 2016ad, advertising, agency, Bay Area, best, brand, branding, Brexit, citizen, content, creative, culture, documentary, good, Hagen, history, innovate, local, London, marketing, nearby, passion, San Francisco, top, unique, video

Oh, do we have thoughts