While I am not in school anymore, the idea, feeling and image of going back to school still lives within me. Using one of the new sharp looking book covers of the fine universities across the USA or the best ones, the one fathers make out of brown paper bags still take me back to my schools days. My dad was genius when it came to folding paper whether it was for a book cover or an airplane.  

A new project is almost as exciting as the first day of school, except there is no new clothing involved. I want to get all my folders organized and ready to go. I want to get my forms ready to be populated, the ones on the server, the ones our Marlyn team shares and the ones to be shared with the full production group. All the addresses and contacts inputted with care, the first bit of information comes in from the client, you read it, you file it, all is going well.

The first of many conference calls is scheduled. The one where we all introduce ourselves, explain our roles and responsibilities, this one will kick- off the project right, you say to yourself.

Then the call comes as you are on your way to the airport. The producer says, “I need you to be on a call in 5 minutes, it will only be an hour”. The first call with client and team, no prep time. Not only am I not in front of my computer but I am in a cab to the airport, and then I need to go through security in the same hour. None of this is what I had envisioned at all.  

That is the way it goes from time to time, always needing to improvise, roll with the moment and rely on the foundation that has been built over time. The same skills are required when working on an event, the foundation, the process you create makes it possible to deal with changes and unexpected circumstances…. both creatively and when budgeting.

Build a solid foundation that can handle any obstacles that comes your way but at the same time allows you to be flexible.

Let’s have a great school year!