Early in my career, I was being recruited by multiple ad agencies and at a bit of a professional crossroads. So during my lunch break, I jotted down a handful of beliefs I held about advertising. More than a decade later, I’m still reviewing those values and trying my best to live them.

1. WE CREATE ADS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE AND HEAR.
People look forward to seeing and hearing our ads like they do to watching shows, listening to music, and browsing social media. Our ads don’t just create buzz about the products they advertise. They create buzz about themselves.

2. OUR ADS WORK THE FIRST TIME THAT ONE SEES OR HEARS THEM.
Our work doesn’t strive to be “creative,” “out-of-the-box” or, heaven forbid, “edgy.” The ads we create are flat-out effective. Creating effective ads that people want to see and hear will regularly result in strategies and tactics that others will deem “creative,” “out-of-the-box” and maybe even “edgy.” That’s wonderful. It just isn’t our intention.

3. WE CAN DO IT.
Until proven otherwise, everything is possible. We remember, however, that just because something is possible, it doesn’t mean we should do it.

4. WE KNOW THE BRANDS WE ADVERTISE BETTER THAN ANYBODY.
And “anybody” can sometimes include our clients. We don’t make this statement out of arrogance or based on past history. Quite simply, we allocate the time and resources necessary to become experts on each of the brands with which we work. Otherwise, it would be impossible for us to make any sort of credible marketing recommendations.

5. WE PROTECT THE BRANDS WE ADVERTISE BETTER THAN ANYBODY.
We protect our brands aggressively and without apology, like a mother bear protects her cubs. Many threats to our brands will come from outside the traditional world of marketing. We’re prepared for them.

6. PEOPLE LIKE WORKING WITH US.
Clients like us. Vendors like us. Coworkers like us. We’re friendly, humble, and we make other people’s jobs easier. We keep our promises—including deadlines, and we remember to say, “Please” and “Thank you.” We don’t do this just to be nice (although we’re nice people). We do it because it’s good business.

7. WE HAVE FUN.
Advertising is a fun business. It’s a demanding and frustrating business, but it’s fun. We play with ideas. We entertain. We sell. If you’re not having fun, the business is just demanding and frustrating. Everybody should have the goal of working someplace fun. If you haven’t found that place yet, keep looking.

8. WE MAKE MONEY.
We make money for our clients. We make money for our agency. We make money for ourselves, in that order. Our goal is to have lots and lots of clients making lots and lots of money, of which we’ll take a well-earned percentage.

9. WE’RE BETTER TODAY THAN WE WERE YESTERDAY.
In this business, you’re either moving forward or falling behind. Momentum tends to build quickly, so it’s difficult to change course. We have forward momentum, and we do what it takes to maintain that momentum. 

Later, I added a tenth value. (How prescient that I initially stopped at nine.)

10. WE VALUE DIVERSITY.
Diversity of backgrounds. Diversity of lifestyles. Diversity of opinions. We actively seek out new perspectives, fresh approaches, and the people who provide them. We practice candor and kindness. And we generate more creative ideas and solutions, as a result.