Lia Eastep’s Post

Being pushed to be consistently creative and pushing for innovative solutions at work can, conversely, leave you feeling uninspired and drained. 😴 This week’s question: “I work at a design agency and we’re all about creating innovative solutions. But given the current economy and the work we’re getting, honestly I find it quite boring and it makes me not want to do any of the work. I thought it was a phase and blamed it on the winter, which turned into blaming it on my time of the month, to now actually accepting that I just don’t have the motivation to be the creative that I know I am. Is it just me or can anyone else relate? Why don’t I feel creatively inspired and motivated at work?” This week, Alex Bec (CEO of It's Nice That, Creative Lives in Progress and If You Could Jobs). Alex Bec gives advice to a reader looking for some much needed motivation, which you can read over at the link below.⁠ Read the article now → https://lnkd.in/euxJ7GrG Submit your own questions here → https://lnkd.in/eWyFWABP Have you been creatively stuck at work before? How do you stay inspired? Let us know in the comments below!👇 Creative Career Conundrums, is our weekly advice column on It's Nice That, where seasoned professionals answer your burning creative career and workplace questions.

Is 'book-ending your work day' a thing? If it is, I've achieved it handsomely today. (And if it isn't, I'll take a bow for the concept nonetheless). Today, I finished a morning run with a quick scan through my phone's diary to see what I had in store. First thing - a meeting for which I was already second-guessing the likely outcome, and feeling nervous given the lack of prior face to face client contact. Last thing - an online meeting with a client's 'client', to zone in on 'issues' and capture some meaningful storytelling which might serve a greater purpose for the company's marketing and comms strategy. And here we are, nearly 12 hours later, and I'm emerging from a work day which has been so full of unexpectedly powerful and positive moments. Those two book-end occasions actually turned out to be great reinforcements of why I am in the career I am. They reminded me about the ever-present Chimp in my life, and my ability to, if I choose, tame it and playfully tease it to good effect. What a day. Am so grateful to the client who shared his time generously and who so candidly set the scene about my role and his regard for my delivery on behalf of the brand in question. And I'm so grateful to the client's client. He shared the most inspiring hour of his time, telling me about his career, sharing his experiences of my client's product and giving me a glimpse into the political arena around his sector - all of which allow me to ace a comms response strategy for my client. If you wake up and fear what lies ahead, give your chimp a talking to. Reinforce your internal voice with words of positivity. And then go get it done. You'll be glad you did! #PR #communications #justdoit

Well, here it is... the story of how I discovered my purpose from failing miserably in one job to thriving in another. As any typical youngster going to university, I had to start making some money to pay for my car and rent. So, I applied to become a server at a bar. I had zero experience working, but this pub gave me a chance to start as a hostess and eventually moved me up to become a server. Now, I am a highly detail-oriented person who hyper-focuses on any given task (as creatives do) and I was very introverted. In order to make tips in the service industry, you must be outgoing, work very fast, and essentially just get the job done. After the end of each shift, I went home defeated and exhausted. I felt like I had to prove to myself that I could be just as good as all the other servers if I just pushed through my mistakes and faked my confidence. It finally clicked one day why this job drained me: I was trying to be something I wasn't. Though I learned a couple of valuable skills like talking to people and learning how to be organized, it's safe to say this role was a disaster for my personality type! After attending design school, I landed a couple amazing graphic design jobs, each for about a year which helped me to advance my skills in the field. These jobs immediately felt so natural and I actually enjoyed myself, while getting paid! The creative industry has allowed me to gain confidence and feel good about the work I create - something I had only dreamed of during my serving days. I've had the pleasure to work with several local businesses with incredibly talented and driven owners. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing their vision come to life and knowing that I played a part in making it happen. I have also been told that I work incredibly fast. Funny how that worked out. I am grateful for all of the jobs I've had over the years as they have taught me so much about myself and have allowed me to develop valuable skills that drive my work each and every day. If your gut is telling you that you're not in alignment with your purpose (trust me, you'll know), it's probably right. Take away what lessons you can from each experience, and keep on doing you! There is a role for everyone, it's just a matter of time before you find it ⭐

Before I start, I want to say, you don't have to be qualified. You can do the thing you want. At 19, I dropped out of college after a shooting threatened my life in front my dorm. I partied, got by doing design jobs and moved to Chicago for a job that paid no money in a live/work space. I worked hard. But I was 22 and the whole thing was doomed to fail. I knew that when I saw my coworker constantly doing coke off my desk on the weekends. MY DESK. He HAD a desk. 10 months in, I got fired. I partied, got by doing design jobs and went to festivals as music blogger. Went to New York to meet some friends and shared my portfolio with a great guy who worked at an agency I wanted to work at. I got the job. It was in Social at 360i. In the first 6 months, it became clear to everyone around me that I had no office experience, I had never been on a client call with a company like Guinness or Coca-Cola. I didn't realize you weren't supposed to directly email the C-suite. But I learned fast. I got drunk, fell asleep on a train, lost my laptop, somehow didn't lose my job. At my first review, my boss told me that he wouldn't have hired me. (His boss put me on his team) But I'd improved a lot, and he was surprised. But soon my entire department was folded into the Creative department. Not long after, I was fired. I partied, looked for work and suddenly I'm 25 and working at Havas. I was there for 3 years, working on Liberty Mutual. I got tired of the work I was doing. Wanted a change. Wanted to move up. Got told there was no path. No path. Rough. Thanks to Jen, who worked at Havas, and had left, I got an intro at a young agency called Leijas. Now it's called Six+One. I got the job. I had the ears of the founders. I felt like my voice mattered. I got much better at design. I learned. But I was still young, still dumb, still learning. I would be late to work, and I didn't understand the issue, I got my work done. I got into it with one of the partners. I was out of line. He wanted to fire me. Somehow I didn't lose my job. Thank God. That woke me up. I needed to chill with the confrontational energy that was a mask for my insecurities. I focused on work, on getting better. But eventually I had to move on. I finally hit a stride in my career. I worked at 3 agencies straight, over an 8 year period before it happened again. I got fired. Thankfully, I'd been through this, I've had to start again, start again and then start again...again. But each time, I've learned a little more, grown a lot and I realized, I have it in me. I can start my own thing. You are not less deserving because someone said so, because someone said no. Go for what you want.

Last night I sat down the bottom of the garden with a beer reflecting on things a bit. One of the things I'm really engaged with at the minute is working with smaller companies. Not only do I like the prospect of having lots of friends in that space, but it occurs to me that actually, I prefer working with smaller businesses. Don't get me wrong, working with huge enterprises has it's advantages: It's complex work that is challenging, fun and of course has a big pay day at the end of it. But in those situations I'm just a cog in a bigger machine, a specialist parachuted in to fix a specific problem or find a way through a complex brief. I'm working to another creative director's vision. Which is fine, I mean the creative industry is inherently collaborative. It has to be to achieve anything at scale, and it's one of the things I adore about it. But that being said, when I think about where to real joy in my work rests, it's with the smaller work where I'm the CD and it's MY vision that I'm fulfilling. That's the work I'm always most proud of, most eager to show off. Which is why I'm really keen to build a much bigger stable of regular smaller customers, because if the big projects are food for my belly, the smaller projects are food for my soul.

Happy 5 Years at Thrive to Me! 🎈 Sept 2019 was when I left my career in freelance TV production to join Thrive full time, my last day in TV involved a wrap party in Poland with Danny Dyer - but that's a story for another day... A lot has changed for team Thrive over the past 5 years so I thought I’d take a moment to highlight some of the biggest changes in the business during that time: ▪️ Weathering the post-pandemic industry slowdown - we’ve embraced change and transformation. We've expanded from our roots as a freelance unscripted TV talent business to now partnering with some truly amazing clients across the broader entertainment and media landscape, placing talent in senior leadership and C-suite roles. Working on my first CEO hire a few years ago was a huge milestone for me. ▪️ We rebranded from We are PiP to Thrive, aligning our identity with our broader vision and who we’ve become. ▪️ We’ve launched our new website, which perfectly reflects the company’s evolution and mission moving forward. Take a look here: www.thr-v.com ▪️ We’ve refined our values and purpose and partnered with some incredible, like-minded individuals along the way including Value Squared and Sam Margaritis. ▪️ We’ve gone fully remote, with monthly team meet-ups in London, which allowed me to move back to my hometown in Suffolk! ▪️ And, of course, I’ve been part of more Zoom calls than I could have ever imagined (or wished for!). Despite all the changes, one thing has remained constant: our rigorous process. Whether we’re finding the perfect Executive Producer for a Netflix documentary or placing an Executive Creative Director at a leading creative agency, we are always committed to ensuring our clients get the right fit—every time by leaving no stone unturned. I don’t think anyone really knows what lies around the corner for the creative industries, but I believe collaboration will be key in this ever-evolving landscape. 💫 

My biggest achievement this week has been surviving. Working at an agency means some (most) weeks are go-go-go. Some days, I think 'f*ck I can't wait for a less hectic week'. Other days, I think 'I'm going to spend some time this weekend researching and getting ahead'. What most people don't see about agency life is how relentless it can be, especially for a Writer. A service-based business means every month you need to resell your value and worth to clients. You can see how that can create a high-pressure, fast-paced environment. But I don't wish for any other job in the world even for a second. Because the upside of working at a large agency is that you get to learn from some of the smartest people in the world. To be honest, working in Personal Branding has spoilt me. Every time I read job descriptions for other roles on LinkedIn these days, the only thing I can think of is 'my god, that sounds so boring'. Having colleagues who are the best at what they do helps me get through these kinds of hectic weeks. As with everything in life, it's the people that make anything worth doing. #agency #personalbranding #work

I’ve tried making my debut post so many times. In fact, I’ve posted before, but at some point, I deleted them. But now, I know it’s time to show up. It’s crazy to think I’ve managed some LinkedIn accounts for people, yet couldn’t keep up with my own socials. So, I’m putting an end to that, not because I have the perfect bio, the perfect thumbnail, or the perfect profile picture,but because it’s now or now! Meet Me: I’m Oluwafunke Ajewole. A few months ago, I started a full-time 9-to-6 job (well, more like 9-to-6... plus the extra hours that come with working in a creative industry) as a Personal Assistant to @Bolanle Olosunde Jenrola. When I saw the job posting, I was torn between being excited and just applying. But I did, and I got the job! Yes, I’m super glad I did. Media and public relations have always been a huge passion of mine. I want to be involved in every aspect of it. So, working with the CEO of a storytelling agency? It’s fascinating for me! When I’m not working, I want to take my personal brand seriously, hence this post. And on the days when I’m not doing either of those things, you can catch me curating thoughtful gifts or simply appreciating beautiful things. (Yes, we’re going to dive into that side of me here, too!) What you should expect: - Corporate and creative world shenanigans - The projects I embark on, the success stories, and everything in between - And of course, real-life stories So, let’s connect, network, inspire one another, and build a community that stands on a global stage, tapping into all the greatness inside us! Before that..... Can I meet you? #Oluwatifunmike #theworldismyrunway #Executiveassistant #projectmanager #medistrategist

Sometimes, I feel like giving up. There are days when it feels pointless—waking up to a message from a client saying, “We can’t continue,” or dealing with unusual texts from an employee. Days when I don’t have answers to problems and when, despite being the hardest worker in my company, I also seem to carry the most stress. I wake up on some mornings dreading a sales call or not wanting to show up at all. But then I remind myself: not everyone gets to live this life. I have the power to create job opportunities, to build a team that’s not only interdependent but also empowered to grow, to become more self-reliant and even more skilled than I am. I’m building a culture where people want to come to work, and a company that clients love collaborating with. I’ve been chosen for this journey, and I’m grateful for every bit of it. Building a six-figure agency isn’t easy. Carrying the responsibility of a team and helping them grow professionally isn’t easy. Getting abundant opportunities to work on some incredible projects is not easy. But all of this is what gives me purpose and a reason to wake up every day. What motivates you to wake up everyday?

⭐Welcome back to our ‘Meet the Team’ feature series⭐ In this regular insight, we want to shine a light on our wonderful team so you can get to know us better. And in this week’s edition we would like to introduce you to Chloe Wilson. Chloe looks after all of our marketing here at Vision Techniques and when she is not looking after our social media, writing press releases, designing new marketing materials and many more marketing jobs, she enjoys reading lots of books, spending time with her family and travelling. We asked Chloe some quick fire questions to find out even more about her: ·      How do you spend your weekends, any hobbies? I love to spend my weekends reading and book shopping, spending time with my family and going for days out exploring new places. ·      What do you enjoy most about your role at VT?  I love to be creative so making new posts and new marketing materials is so much fun, I also really love the team I work with. I have only been at VT for four months and they have welcomed me with open arms. ·      Coffee or tea?  Both, massive tea drinker but love a good cup of coffee too. ·      Early bird or night owl? Night Owl. ·      What three emojis would you say describe you best? 📖✈️🌇 Reader, traveller and I love a good sunset. ·      If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?  Lorelai Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls – Would love to live in Stars Hollow for a day. ·      If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Chinese. #VisionTechniques #Meettheteam #Vehiclesafetyandsecurity