Sometimes life and marketing are about taking risks.
About trying something different in order to grab the attention of your target audience. In a positive way of course.
Big brands do it all the time, one because they have (or had) the budgets to do so. (2020 was a gamechanger for sure.)
So, once upon a time, about a decade ago, I was looking for a job. I saw what I believed to be the perfect opportunity. I didn’t have all the skills they required but I was going after it anyway. I knew I had to make an indelible impression and would have to send more than just my resume and portfolio. I had a story and I didn’t want it to get lost in a cover letter either.
With not a whole lot of time, I wrote a children’s book that told my design turned marketer story. It was a poem complete with stock illustrations. And let me just say that finding diverse stock illustrations in the same style that corresponded with the poem was a miracle.
I reviewed my book.
I reviewed my resume.
I crafted my email, attached my book, and hit the send button.
It was done. I had just done something unheard of and I had no idea if it would pay off or not.
All that was left was to wait and see if I’d get a response.
And I got one!
They LOVED my book and thought it was the most creative thing they’d ever seen.
Still, I didn’t get the job.
There were more skilled candidates and they went with another candidate.
No one likes to hear no and I was a little disheartened. But I did make a connection and validation of my work and creativity was a nice bonus. I accomplished my goal of standing out and making a positive impression.
Here’s what I learned.
Sometimes you have to take risks and go after the thing you want. Sometimes you get it. Sometimes you don’t. What’s important is that you fail forward. Learn the lesson and leverage that into your next experience.
If you want to create something amazing and unheard of, let’s chat.
If you’re not afraid to take a few chances, I’m full of ideas.
