The Drift

2024 rolled up on us fast, and before I knew it an entire quarter had passed without us posting a new Drift. Like a pebble in my shoe, the choice of what to write about and how to break the drought was always present.

And then yesterday at 3:26 pm, on the shore of Lake Champlain staring at the dark side of the moon during totality, I found something truly worthy to share. What kept repeating in my head was. Tell them to start looking at it from the other side.

Our celestial moment has, of course, passed for now. No second bite at that apple for another 20-plus years. But we can all immediately start looking at our jobs, our goals, our relationships, the things we build and do from the other side of our careers.

Now in my mid-60s with 30 years in digital and 40 years in media and advertising, I see things through a different lens; a view that I wished I’d been able to access in my 20s, 30s and early 40s. On that side of one’s career it tends to be all about the striving, about what may be, what may come from it all. On this side, there’s a certain clarity about what has ultimately mattered, what and who have withstood the tests of time and circumstance.

To those on the other side of the career spectrum – and even for some closer to my own arc – here’s what it looks like from this side.

With every conversation and interaction with your peers, you are building your legacy – one way or another. Considering how you want to be truly remembered and valued years from now is a great way to make your choices today.

Own your intent and assume good intentions from others. Doing something just to win the point or to make someone else feel less than will never lead you to the best moves. Have an honest conversation with your inner voice.

Love the excellence over the victory. A successful sale, a monster quarter, even a killer IPO represent a handful of fleeting moments over a career. As victories go, they are transient and short-lived at best, pyrrhic at their worst. Excellence happens every day and the pride you take in your work – and the work of others – nourishes and sustains.

Your career is a network. Tend to its connections with care and generosity. While we must drive outcomes, we do not have to be transactional. Show up when you’re not expected. Put good stuff out onto your network not because of what will come back, but because it will make your whole ecosystem healthier.

Make the Choice. Be the change. Choose to be the teammate, the friend, the colleague, the mentor that you would like to have more of in your own future.