Insights: 5 Things I've Learned - Db CMO Jon Weaver
How to make your workplace your creative outlet, with the Db marketing honcho and industry stalwart.
I go back a long, long way with this week’s guest contributor Jon Weaver.
He’a a dear friend, and also one of the few absolutely trusted people I go to for advice about my own career and creative pursuits.
Maybe it’s because I think there are a lot of parallels in the way we’ve approached our own careers, both of which have been varied and multi-faceted. (Incidentally, I believe this is the reality of most creative careers, especially in our industry)
But I also think it’s because we share the view that ‘creativity’ is about problem-solving, and it can ultimately mean whatever you want it to.
And that’s one of the things I’ve always admired about Jon. Whatever situation he’s in, he’s found a way of turning it to his advantage so he can continue to follow his creative interests and instincts.
Sure, this has led him to independent creative endeavours such as his Anti-Blueprint Project books, or his brilliant Substack, in which he analyses brands and marketing campaigns.
But it’s also mainly evident in the work he and his teams produce under his leadership and direction. Look at Db’s recent creative ad campaigns, for example. Or the Pack Heavy Chase Light book, above. Or the Db Fund, a project I’ve collaborated with Jon on for the past four years.
This is also the reality of the creative life for most of us: we have to carve out of own opportunities for creative expression based upon the circumstances we find ourselves in. The workplace is an absolutely key part of that.
It’s why I enjoy the continuing intellectual challenge of running my agency All Conditions Media; fundamentally, as I have said elsewhere, I see this as a creative process.
As you’ll see when you read this piece, such creative pragmatism has also been the foundation of Jon’s career. As such, the learnings he shares here are so pertinent to anybody looking to make the most of their current situation, or find fulfilment in their own working life.
This ‘creativity is where you find it’ ethos is at the heart of Jon’s career, and is what I asked him to explore in this Insights piece.
Insights is the Looking Sideways section, exclusively for my paid subscribing community.
It’s an absolute treasure trove of the - well - insights and wisdom imparted by over 250 Looking Sideways guests; as well as from the 25 plus years I’ve been pissing about for a living as a journalist, author, podcaster, business owner, mentor and speaker.
It’s where you’ll find exclusive blogs, podcasts, video chats, guest posts and articles all geared towards answering that two fundamental questions:
How can I spend more time doing the things I’m passionate about?
What does a ‘successful’ creative life actually look like?
Here are a few recent Insights articles to whet your appetite:
Matt asked me to write this piece and it instantly got me thinking back over the last 20 years - what I wish I’d known earlier, and what things I need to constantly remind myself about.
To set the stage: I currently work with Db leading the marketing team. Before this, I worked at Nike on the brand side across football, the womens’ category, training, and snowboarding. My career proper started even earlier at Burton Snowboards in Innsbruck.
Along the way, I've always had things going on the side: writing for Whitelines for Matt, making videos, writing my book The Anti-Blueprint Project, building drinks brand ūmmi Kombucha with some friends, and now writing a Substack exploring how brands grow.
Here are five things I’ve learned during that time. I hope you find them usefull!
1. Learn to speak in public
Now that I have kids, I try to show them that there's nothing to fear about speaking in front of others. It's one of the greatest career accelerators I know - especially once you're in a large or growing company. The ability to convey your ideas clearly, and to get others to believe in what you're saying, is a huge advantage.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Looking Sideways to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.