What Happens When Plans Don’t Work Out?

It was my first interview. The room was well appointed with a sleek conference table and plush seating for eight. It had contemporary conference cabinets designed with smooth edging and soft corners. The porcelain whiteboard was front and center… ready-to-go. This room is perfect for board meetings!

A friend I worked with suggested the meeting. We worked together at one of the top 25 ad agencies in the country, with billings more than $400 million. I worked on major brands like Nestle, Taster’s Choice, McDonalds and many more. We were in Pittsburgh, the 3rd largest corporate headquarters in America at the time.

But things were very different now. The recession was in full swing. Businesses were downsizing. Unemployment was rising. Ad budgets were being cut everywhere. Clients were bringing their marketing in-house.

Our agency had been sold…  In the past year our office went from 300 people to just a handful of us. My work week chiseled down from 5 days to 2½.

Here I was… exploring moving to the client side. It was a pathway that proved to be successful for many of my colleagues. They were moving to Atlanta, Chicago, even California. Working at Pepsi, UPS, Alberto Culver.

A gentleman entered the conference room. He announced, “The Marketing Director job we were about to discuss was suspended by a hiring freeze.” Well that didn’t go as planned. He said it was okay to leave… or stay and talk anyway.

I chose to stay… we had an excellent conversation. He said he’d refer me to his contacts who might be hiring. I picked up my maroon leather briefcase and trench coat when it was time to go. Then he surprised me by saying, “…if you find another account like me, I’ll hire you as my ad agency.”

I didn’t believe him at first. It sounded crazy! “I hadn’t thought of that,” I said. “Would you really do that? Hire me as an ad agency?” “Yes, I would,” he replied.

I stopped by a coffee house and ordered a Walkover sandwich with a latte. How could I make this new idea of being a freelance ad agency for in-house marketing departments work? I changed my networking strategy and started making phone calls.

Two weeks later the jackpot call came in. I landed my first account. Consolidated Natural Gas… the largest integrated energy company in the world at that time. It was an exciting beginning to a new venture. With lasting friendships, and long-term productive relationships.

And the gentleman I interviewed with? I called him and he came on board, too!