Categories: Articles

How To Think And Be A Creator

Are you an Entrepreneur? Are you entrepreneurial?

There is an implied pressure on people in the workplace today, that if you’re not an entrepreneur, you are resolved to a life that includes frequently being at risk of being fired. It’s not hard to see why. We’re seeing how technology changes the dynamics of business, and it seems like the big winners in this new economy are the entrepreneurs who are figuring out the latest app or technological disruption that pushes big corporations back on their heels. The folks that are being acquired for billions of dollars. They know something that the rest of us don’t.

Maybe we’re thinking about it all wrong.

Last year, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Marc Ecko. In one sentence: he is one of the most fascinating people that I have ever met. I was asked to interview him live and onstage in Toronto, and then had the pleasure of having him on my podcast (SPOS #377 – Marc Ecko Builds Brands That Sell But Don’t Sell Out). I knew that he was the creative and fashion genius behind Eck? Unltd (which has become a billion dollar fashion and lifestyle company). I also knew that his marketing antics have been well documented (remember the tagging of Air Force One?). Before researching and meeting him, I imagined him as an older gentleman in his late fifties (like a Tommy Hilfiger or Kenneth Cole type of persona). It turns out that Ecko and I are almost the exact same age, and come from a very similar upbringing. Ecko is still semi-actively involved in the multiple fashion brands that he created (Eckored, Marc Ecko Cut & Sew and Zoo York), but spends the bulk of his current time working on Complex Media. As if that’s not enough, he is one of the most generous philanthropists out there. Last year, he also released a stunning business book called, Unlabel – Selling You Without Selling Out. He is, simply put, an amazing individual who is very real, practical and friendly. This past week, I came across this presentation he gave at the 99U conference. The title of his presentation is Embrace The Mess. In it, he looks at how we, as individuals, are all creators and that we have to be very leery that we don’t let others both define our careers and, potentially, rob us all of our natural potential. So, as he describes so eloquently in this 20 minute presentation, it’s important we all embrace our creativity and artistry by knowing and understanding that we are all creators. It may be easier for us to see ourselves as creators instead of artists, don’t you think?

It’s a powerful message… watch it here: Marc Ecko – Embrace The Mess.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.