Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce: are you inspired?
If you watched Mad Men’s finale the other night, and have even an ounce of entrepreneurial blood running through your veins, your heart had to start pumping a little faster with thoughts of being in that hotel room at the Pierre, ready to start something new. Nothing is more exciting than the launch of a new venture.
Of course in those days, it took money; the Madison Ave boys (and girls) estimated they needed $30 million in billings to start the new Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce. Fear and the risk of failure come cheap. But office space, Xerox machines, furniture, and phone lines all called for a hefty balance in the checkbook.
Granted even then it was possible to start a new company with less. Anyone who has ever worked in Boston has undoubtedly heard the story of Jack Connors, the legendary founder of Hill, Holliday, who launched his agency with a “roll of dimes and a phone booth on Newbury St.”
But today it really is a lot easier. Your only mandatory equipment is a laptop, an Internet connection, and cell phone. Free platforms, free applications, free tools and free advice are the norm.
If you’re making a new ice cream machine or a product that has to be manufactured and distributed, sure you need investors and capital. But if you want to start an ad agency, a social media consultancy, a company that designs blogs and websites, or a new online publication, you don’t need that much: just a crazy commitment to working hard, an abundance of imagination, and the ability to dream.
In the last few months, I’ve watched my friend John Winsor announce Victors and Spoils. I’ve cheered on Erik Proulx as he’s started plans to grow his Please Feed the Animals blog and service. I’ve met the folks at Dart Boston, who are encouraging under 25-year old entrepreneurs. I’ve envied the likes of Laura Fitton who’s introduced us to oneforty, the new Twitter app “store.” I’ve gotten to know Gary Vaynerchuk as he’s brought yet another new venture online. All these folks work their asses off. Some of them did have to raise money. But from what I can tell, they’re pretty happy. None of them are sitting around complaining about the economy or what’s happening to them, they’re too busy making things happen for themselves.
Recently I’ve been working to satisfy my own urge to start something with The Next Great Generation. It’s energizing. I highly recommend it.
Maybe you’re out of work. Maybe you’re tired of working for someone else. Maybe you just need a change. If so, now’s a good time to start something. What’ll it be?
Photo by: Carin Baer
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16 Responses to “Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce: are you inspired?”
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Seth Simonds and edwardboches, Seth Goldstein. Seth Goldstein said: RT @sethsimonds: Crisp & Timely inspiration from @edwardboches http://bit.ly/4482Jv [...]
The great entrepreneurs always seem to have 5-6 projects going on at once. Perhaps because starting projects is fun or because they know that even great ideas often fail to gain traction?
If I might, I’d add something to your list of things you need to start something. You need friends. We have more ways to track how social capital is leveraged but I think the value of friends and co-dreamers has always been far above that of the apathetic banker.
Best!
Seth Simonds´s last blog ..Unsustainable
Couldn’t agree more. Would even add that there is great joy in being a friend. I have gotten tremendous satisfaction from helping Erik Proulx with Lemonade and consulting on his projects, and also with supporting John Winsor’s launch of V&S. Not quite, but almost as much fun contributing to other folks’ launches as my own.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by mslavenov: Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce: are you inspired? http://bit.ly/1kF2qq...
I wasn’t inspired to start a new agency but i was re-inspired about the agency that i am already a part of and how lucky I am to be in a small intimate and amazing group of creative people who are as passionate as Don and his cohorts.
Small, intimate, amazing is as good as it gets. Glad to hear that. I must say I fondly remember the days of there being 12 of us in a place not much larger than the suite at the Pierre figuring out how we would pull it off. Doesn’t get any better than that.
Half the time, I’m hoping to be fired so as to light the fire under my ass. Then again, I’m not as goodlooking as Draper nor as charismatic as Sterling.
Two essential elements often overlooked.
But can you hold your liquor?
I had the pleasure of working for Bill Cahan of Cahan & Associates in SF for 7 years and was 1 of 2 Partners. After 25 years, he decided to take a sabbatical and we let go 20 plus people. We started Emotive Brand on pure adrenalin, a methodology we had been dreaming of implementing and a team we believed in and trusted. The next day we were on the phone with lawyers and haven’t skipped a beat and couldn’t be happier. With the right business partner and a vision, you can make anything happen.
Tracy:
You should share your story and success and how to’s in as many places as you can. I have found that there are many blogs, organizations, panels, etc. that would love to have people with stories like that to share. And you’ll find great joy in inspiring and educating others in how to be successful or even get up the courage to do it.
Thanks for mentioning PFTA, Edward. The list of those who would rather bootstrap their own idea than go back to The Office or The Agency
is endless.
Highlighted in Lemonade alone:
1. Michelle Pfennighaus, who started findyourbalancehealth.com.
2. Bob Weeks, who now owns and operates redeyeroasters.com
3. Tom Van Daele, who created cardsofchange.com and runs his own agency, unknownlab.com
4. Kurtis Glade, who is making his own film about surf camps for kids for Cystic Fibrosis: http://www.vimeo.com/5649691
5. Hank Leber, who started agencynil.com
6. Todd Gallentine and Ronan Doyle, who became partners in relaunching grayandpartners.com
7. Lisa Hickey, who reinvented her advertising career into a social-media business, launching projects like http://www.goodmenbook.org/
8. Jeanne Schad, who now owns http://internalrelations.com/
It goes on, and on, and on. And I hope it never stops.
Erik Proulx´s last blog ..The Person Who Did __________
I was tickled and excited by the hotel suite scene in the season finale, and it really rang true for me. When in San Fran some years ago, I jumped ship from McCann-Erickson (oh, the Mad Men irony!) to work for a smaller entrepreneurial agency starting an SF office, and we actually worked out of a residential apartment suite. It was one of the few times I had a big grin on my face going to work every single day, from the sheer adventure of it. (Umm, we also had a 20th floor wrap-around view of San Francisco harbor from the GG Bridge to the Bay Bridge, which didn’t hurt…)
While watching Don emerge from the bedroom on Sunday and take in the scene above, one of my first thoughts was; “I’ll bet Edward Boches posts on this during the week…” and here we are.
Couple of other things about this scene:
• It happens just after Don has ‘lost’ his own family. This is his new family.
• Don is separated from wife + kids because he has been living a lie for the last decade. Many of the people in the Pierre are there because he finally ate some crow and revealed his true feelings about them–and how essential they are to the success of this new venture. If you’re working with people towards a common dream, it helps to remind them occasionally how much you value their talents and hard work.
To that end, Edward, thank you for your blogging over the last six months. During a difficult and challenging time in this business, your posts are always insightful and often inspirational without being Pollyanna-ish. I look forward to more of the same.
P.S. How about Trudie with the 10 varieties of sandwiches? Is it just me, or is she way too good for Pete Campbell?
Trudie is way too good for that little weasel. But we all have our weaknesses. Your comment is interesting in its acknowledgement that these people (funny, charming, complex, troubled and selfish) all need each other. But all that aside, it’s a blast to start a new agency. Even if your partners are flawed in more ways than one.
Edward-you would probably have more knowledge of this, having been acquired by the holding company that owns McCanns, but shouldn’t the personal services contract Sterling, Cooper and Draper signed after being acquired by Powell Putnam and Lowe prevent them from walking away with a $25m account?
I guess we’ll call that dramatic license…
I’m now reserving Sunday nights for TIVO’d episodes of Arrested Development.
I was inspired. And, I totally agree that the economics of starting a company is dramatically different than it was 20 years ago. For me, that was a few companies ago.
Thanks for the inspiration, Edward.
John Winsor´s last blog ..Of Crows And Prehistoric Tadpole Things: Avoiding The Consumption Of One, Helping The Evolution Of The Other.