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8 advantages you can learn from your assistant

i used to be an advertising assistant with 3 VPs to look after. i recently transitioned into an account person role in digital and they offered me a two-step-up promotion from where I was. I felt proud and appreciated knowing the office gurus and my old and new bosses had my back.  i wanted the promotion, i could taste it, and i fought for it.

but now i can't help but think how i had the advantage in the first place.  being the assistant is like having a direct line to the top.  your work is minimal.  expectations are basic.  you get the coffee.  you get the picture.

being an assistant taught me 8 keys to success.

you're expected to figure it out.  it's your time to shine.  take the little direction given to you and impress them with your approach.  de-clutter, reason, organize and tackle. asking questions is okay, but it's not rocket science.

my secret, after working for one of the smartest guys in the agency, was to figure 'it' out myself.  after he'd request something, 18 questions would pop in my head, but i'd mull it over before each question slowly disappeared, and i'd do the job.  

some people will always be above you, and that's a good thing.  don't pretend to be higher than anyone else.  even if you are the CEO, the underlings around you won't show you their drive and honesty about their work if you act like you have no time for them or aren't open to their ideas.

never never dis the big guy.  so what if your boss' boss praises someone else in front of you.  even if they offer another employee a porsche their opinion of you will only get worse if you criticize their own decisions. your turn will come.

expand your workload.  take on new tasks that are out of your scope.  ask people what they're doing and if they need help.  they'll likely say no, but at least you show interest.

do what small tasks others ask of you.  bitching and moaning about doing someone's photocopying or making the coffee will get you nowhere.  

you have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. listen, engage, and don't be afraid to speak up when it's right.

dress the part.  assistants are the face of the company.  they are the first to greet guests, new clients, old business partners, and they do it with a friendly smile.  if you're dressed for the role you want, people will treat you that way.

remember your background.  as you excel and head further up the rungs, remember to keep your head in perspective and occasionally try to think like you once did - how am i going to make people happy, do the work needed, and still find time to break that glass ceiling.

M83's 'Skin of the Night' makes bones move

80s-sounding band, but clearly of this century, M83 has captured that melodic, deep gyration that makes you look like you're in a slow-motion crash test dummy commercial when you try to move to it.

I'm so glad I discovered my new M83 obsession of the moment...

This band makes me happy.  Also sorry I discovered this so late.

10 #NXNEI takeaways that will make you sound like a rockstar

the nxne interactive fest was in toronto until firiday.  after three days of sessions i picked up some of the best tidbits and takeaways from the event.  here are some of those guaranteed to make you sound like a rockstar:

- it's all about mobile.  duh.  but what's important from this takeaway is that it's not just apple's game.  also, people, canadians are on their phone 23% of the time, but adspend for mobile is at just 1% - i hear a leprechaun on a gold mine chuckling from afar... @marlonrodrigues


- i learned that this is a really cool video and that if you haven't seen this (separate video) you are missing out big time @rosiesiman

- that there are 8 steps to making an idea stick, and one of them is that the impossible is possible, it just takes a lot of work (envision you, a long rope, a high climb, and some slips) @mavylala

- iPhonography is a thing, and 38% of Canadians are sharing photos online @flashlight

- that you need to check out qloud, monnix, brainpicker, highlight (app), buzzword bingo (app), cameramatic right now! just google it

- that influence isn't something charlie sheen, ashton kutcher, or even karl wolf has - it's something brad the fishing expert (@clarancetweets) has with his 150 followers who love his posts and expertise on the sport.  you can't generate influence without the right amount of audience and inspiration. @saulcolt

- back to the mobile tidbit, it's really hard for developers to hit it big writing apps for apple @kenseto

- a good tweet goes a long way.  my "sh*t people say at nxnei" tweet was retweeted about 10 times - thank you for that! - and metro toronto paper picked it up for their voices section friday morning. @melaniereiff (me).

- not only this but a lot of great tweeters interacted, met up, and exchanged their takeaways - all on twitter.  just look up #nxnei on twitter for the best feed on the festival - twitter is the new pen pal

- a pitch isn't just about what you do, it's a chance to give something of value to who you're pitching - and that mailing it as a hard copy in between two pieces of plywood is a good idea. hey, it worked! @schutzsmith



and the fun extras, because we're all human...
- it's easier to remember @handles after you've used them - most of the ones from this post are from memory

- 2 glasses of wine at lunch may hinder my ability to focus on the last few prezzies

- doing the robot is easier after you've had a few cupcakes @vitaminT @drafted_boy @ldillonschalk

- nxnei staff take this event seriously.  it went off without a hitch, save for the odd microphone mishap.  i had my nametag accosted by a few pair of eyes when i crossed the barrier without the words 'interactive' visible to the staff.  good on them.

thanks for the great time, nxnei!