Using the hustle muscle

This post is about discovering new muscles.

It's not related to my every other day pumping of the iron in my garage. Or how I am easily bench-pressing my weight (impressive for a fat 44 year old). Or even how the curling is producing the desired veiny bulge in my biceps.

My wife still won't let me walk around the house with sleeveless tank tops.

No, this is about musculature of a different sort.
The professional kind.

You see lately things have gotten a little wonky in the ad agency world. Holding companies in NY are demanding more and more profits. Which means agencies, particularly the LA satellite agencies, have to run leaner and meaner.

Leaner, meaning anyone with 5 years experience in the biz, is too expensive.

"Can't we get an intern to write the Super Bowl spot?"

And meaner, meaning: the floggings will continue until morale improves.

Couple that with the growing glut of freelancers (skilled art directors and writers Getting Quit, see above) and you'll know why I haven't stepped foot in an ad agency in more than 3 months. Of course I still field remote work, but I do occasionally find myself missing the smell of day old pizza as well as the stench of crushed dreams and broken careers.

Anyway, to keep the coffers filled here at Rich Siegel Worldwide, I've been working directly with clients.

This is where those new muscles come in. Because as you might expect, playing Account Guy, Planner Strategist and Chief Financial Officer are not exactly in my comfort zone. They're not even remotely in my zip code.

Nevertheless, Adopt.
Adapt.
And Survive.

Lately I've found myself writing proposals, negotiating project scope, and running to the local printers to fire off some spiral bound decks. By the way, the lazy asses at my local Kinkos can fuck off with their 24 hour turnaround. The nice people at OfficeMax across the street knocked it out in 3 hours. People in a service industry should learn the fundamentals about service.

It's almost like I'm starting a little ad agency of my own. I wonder which holding company I should sell myself to? I know Omnicom has those fat dividends. And that nice yacht in Cannes.

Next week I should hear back from a small adult beverage distributor about some project work on a growing brand of alcohol. This would be perfect.

I can supplement my new muscle growth with an invigorating workout for my liver.