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I’ve always been pretty open and honest about my feelings and opinions. This has been both beneficial and detrimental to my career. One event stands out in my mind.
Working in-house at a startup as CCO. The CEO forced us to use her gold digger husband’s “music” for their first ever TV spot. Despite everyone’s misgivings, his involvement was mandated. The asshole then launched a verbal assault at a 17 year old girl during the V/O record, as well as the entire crew.
I hustled the production crew and talent - all of whom were the loveliest people and utterly undeserving of such an attack - out of the studio. Then I went back inside, alone. I proceeded to have a quiet word with the man, expressing my disapproval of his behavior in no uncertain terms.
After that, I drove directly to the company’s office, bawled out the CEO for putting everyone in such a situation, and walked out, leaving a decent six figure salary and a 1% share of the company unvested behind me.
I have zero regrets.
Chief
1. A 6pm Friday email, after 2 weeks of 10-12 hour days (including the weekends) telling us a bunch of stuff we needed to have done by Monday morning, on top of the dozen other things we were already working on.
2. A $30 gift card on my 3rd work anniversary to "reward my excellent contributions." Would've rather they sent me nothing instead of making me pretend to be grateful on an email chain of c-suite. If they wanted to reward me, they could've given me the raise they told me they would and never did.
Chief
I’d rather get the $30 giftcard than company branded swag that I got. That package went straight to Goodwill.
After working late nights often, one day I came in 15 mins after the usual time, and my boss pointed it out. Figured if they appreciated boring and thoughtless structures, they’d never appreciate my sacrifices. As you get older, flexibility is everything.
When my team and I presented a few ideas for a big campaign refresh. One was what our ECD and CD teams kept hyping up, but mid to junior levels lamented that it was tone deaf. The other was championed by "the juniors", and we felt it worked better for the audience. Our idea was always referred to as "secondary" or "the backup", like it was never gonna get picked but it was a smoke and mirrors piece to prop up the first one. Get to the client meeting and what do you know they say ditch idea one and move forward with idea two because it fit all of the business needs. Afterwards, we had a post-mortem for a client presentation, let that sink in, and how we let down our leaders by letting our idea rise to the top. As punishment, we got taken off the assignment and were reassigned. Left shortly after, and eventually the client fired them as AOR.
I was told I’d have to work as an ACD without the pay or title for a year before I could be “considered” for a promotion. I quit and took a job as an ACD with the title and pay. That was 4 years ago and I have doubled my salary since leaving.
Had a toxic manipulative boss who kept stringing me along for a promotion. Near the end he basically dared me to leave when I asked for a raise after winning a bunch of awards. I left, and nearly tripled my salary. He still texts me every now and then, trying to be cool, and even mentioned that they want to freelance me. Lol. No thank you. And good riddance.
My boss ghosted me for a whole year.
Working another car brief.
the 30+ resignations, constant harrasment, and being passed up for a promotion