What career advice would you give your 30-year-old self? 😇

I’m 28 but here are my thoughts: trust your gut, it never fails you... relationships, work, love, life etc. Never live in the what if, be decisive. The best and worse decisions I’ve made in my life so far have been gut oriented. Most successful/ No regrets / fulfilling / loads of learnings. Explore, be passionate. Be curious. Don’t waste your time in guys/girls you don’t see a future with. You can easily end up in a long unhappy place. In bad times..even when things seem fucking bad, they always work out, live in the present. But be focused, have an end goal. Identify leaders that see good in you, learn, poke them, don’t be afraid and demand , demand from them. You will learn. Enjoy little moments in life..like the underside of your pillow when is cold or fucking pasta al dente. And last but not least remember clients, bosses, coworkers, CEO’s, CMO’s they all are PEOPLE....like you... wanting to be someone. Figure out what it is.. what keeps them up at night! Once you understand their own interests/ personal goals you would be able to connect, be smart and adapt.

Some of this world sound like platitudes to my now MUCH younger self, but I now say to my close to 30 year old kids: If you're working at an agency, start planning your next career. Think about time being currency as important (if not more) than money. Remember that many people in your life in both the short and long term are far more important than any of your personal work related accomplishments. Keep learning, exposing yourself to new information, new ideas and different perspectives. Look forward to being surprised - it will keep you young. Try very hard to get out and stay out of debt. It's incredibly freeing. Make a gratitude list every single day. I've learned this keeps me on the positive side of life. As someone who grew up learning to drive in the snow, I was taught, if you get into a spin, DON'T look at the ditch. If you do, you are GUARANTEED to end up there. Look to where you want to go. You may not always get there, but you stand a much better chance of being on a better path. Drive towards the things you want for your life. If you focus on the negatives, you will bring them into your life.

Be nice. Don’t talk shit about people. Be a work horse, not a show horse. Career, health, love, family - cultivate all. Build your confidence by trying out new things outside of work that you can be proud of. Call your mom, often. Trust your instincts, careful with senior execs - they always have an agenda. Think of your career as a portfolio - not only for creatives but work you can be proud of. Ethics and doing right is best, no matter what the situation. If you find yourself getting angry or the stress is affecting your health - resign, rest, and restart. Save 10%, donate 10%. Find your purpose by experimenting and trying all the fun things - within reason. It’s all about relationships- always take the coffee. Meditate. Repeat. Sleep.

Watch out, you’re going to get fatter and more resentful.

If you're dating someone and it doesn't feel like love, then leave. Introduce yourself to guys you have a good feeling about. Don't be shy. Oh, and you know that other type of writer you sort of would love to be? Do that instead. Run towards it w full force. Stop smoking cigs. Start using good eye cream. Go.

Don’t trust people who put sugar in their coffees

It’s not all about money and promotions - get a life and find joy outside of your professional success

I dont know im not 30. Hope this helps! Best, Account Executive

Bring your own lunch and work out everyday. Because this industry will make you fat and angry.

Don’t stay at an agency too long. They will eventually turn on you

Watch out for those people with the big leadership titles. They’d rather watch you sink than help you rise when the going gets tough.

Chill. You’re not curing cancer (unless you’re on pharma...)

26 here. My advice to my 30 years old self would be if you’re still in agency world by then, it’s time to get out.

Start losing weight now; it only gets harder and those extra pounds contribute to other problems. Calm down. Save for retirement. Have a more solid career plan, rather than just constantly saying you want to do something different. Leave advertising before you’re 40.

30 y/o here - eagerly watching this thread 🍿

First few years in my 30’s were awesome. Really started to understand who I was as a person, stopped letting the insignificant stuff get to me. Felt like I was in a great place professionally and at that time, it was enough. Flash forward to mid-30’s and now I’m paralyzed in fear as to what I really want to be when I “grow up”. I’m too much of a wimp to leave this paycheck behind to chase a dream (especially as a single person). Make sure you carve out time exploring what makes you passionate and excited. Don’t put all your eggs in the work basket, because the gratification fades and you need something else to keep you going if you plan to be here a while.

At 42, I’ve realized all that matters is time and what you do with it. Travel, spend time with family and friends. Make friends outside of work or hold on to the ones that you don’t work with anymore. Take risks. Pay attention to life’s details. Don’t be afraid of not making enough money. Write great memories down because you will forget eventually . Realize that most of what you do at work is just senseless bullshit, even if you enjoy it. You’re never going to look back and say “I’m so glad I worked all those long hours", neither are your family and friends.

Read as much as you can on a variety of topics (economics, marketing, social science, etc). Continuous learning and applying those learnings will take you further, faster.

For god's sake, stop eating carbs! Learn how to make cauliflower rice. Buy a spiralizer and some zucchinis. Never look back.

Start saving for retirement