The one thing I wish I'd known: "you don’t need everything figured out"

What do you wish you'd known about the industry when you were first starting out? That's the question we posed to a range of creatives recently, and we got a range of answers.

To discover answers discussing openness and technology, see the first in this 'one thing I wish I'd known' series. For more tips on thriving in the workplace, see our time management tips and piece on the importance of saying no.

For now though, here's what our design leaders said when asked the question, 'what do you wish you'd known about the industry when you were first starting out?'

It's all about the people

I think we can all safely say that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of someone – boss, mentor, colleague -– along the way. Most of our leaders agree, including Justin Bajan, co-founder of Familiar Creatures, who posed a series of questions that he felt were vital to finding yourself in the right place. Spoiler alert – it’s not always about the sexiest shop.

He says: “I wish I had known that the people you work with and for can lead to the best work of your career. Are they inclusive? Do they hoard work or are they generous? Do they feel threatened by you or will they champion you? Is there space for mentorship or are you on your own? Do you have to work hard to fit in or can you be yourself?

“Of course you want to work at a ‘hot’ shop. But if the vibes are off, you might be on the struggle bus and that's hard to deal with after spending $$$ at a ‘hot’ portfolio school.”

Georgina Macphail, associate director of new business and growth at Havas Play UK is also a community leader of Elevate, a free community for mid to senior-level women in marketing, focused on peer connection, shared learnings and practical career development support.

She says: “I wish I’d known earlier that you don’t need everything figured out. And that most people don’t have it figured out either! As a woman in marketing going from entry to mid-level and on to more senior roles, you’re often expected to hold a lot together. From learning new disciplines and staying visible in constantly changing organisations, to building an external network and balancing extremely busy personal lives.

“Despite facing similar challenges at every stage, many of us simply muscle on, often without the space to talk openly about it. Over time, through asking questions, networking and opening up with peers, I realised how common these experiences are. My ambition is that Elevate will make a meaningful difference for others navigating similar challenges.”

Svenja Frahm, creative director at Pixel Artworks believes that good leadership is all about recognising the power that comes from being part of a team: “When I started out in the creative technology industry, it was dominated by men and I felt the pressure to prove myself anew every day. That pressure is a huge distraction that takes you away from focusing on creating the best work and collaborating.

“Over time, I've learnt that leadership in the creative industry is not about control or holding on tight. It's about knowing your strengths and specialisms, as well as those of the teams you work with, so you can open up space for the best ideas to surface and grow. I wish I had known this when I joined the industry as it would have saved me a lot of time.”

For most leaders, they’ll reach a point when the importance of the people outweighs the importance of the work. Claire Petzal, a hybrid marketer and career coach agrees: “There comes a point in your career where you feel it becomes less important how technically good you are at your role, and more about how you bring people with you. How you make people feel when they leave the room with you.

“This isn’t about being ‘liked’ necessarily, but whether people will leap off the bridge with and/or for you. No amount of well crafted emails, executed campaigns, punchy copy lines can create this. You have to work on this – nurture relationships, build connections – from the beginning.”

And when it comes down to it, your family can be just as powerful as the people you work with, as ceramicist Sam Andrew has discovered: “I have always had a mentor – my mum. She studied ceramics at university, under the top potters in the country and then taught me pottery since I was young. It has been invaluable to bounce off ideas and questions while I was learning the craft.

“Just having someone to reassure you you're on the right path is encouraging. This may be your pottery tutor for example, or it could be someone who is experienced at selling. The more you know, the more you realise you don't know, and having someone who has tried and tested things you haven't can really get you ahead. I'm now at a point where I'm searching for my next mentors, as I see there is still so much for me to learn.”

Making work is about more than just the idea

Although the work is at the heart of what we do in the creative industries, the idea isn’t everything. There are so many surrounding and often competing factors that can lead to that idea succeeding or falling flat, as Diego Limberti, chief design officer of Droga5 São Paulo discovered: “I wish I had understood sooner that creativity, on its own, doesn’t transform anything.

“Without context, timing and real articulation, an idea becomes just another layer of noise. There can be an obsession with originality as an end in itself, when in reality originality only gains value once it finds the right conditions to exist and to spark movement. The real challenge isn’t having a good idea; it’s making it happen.”

Deb Button, senior art director at Bray Leino says it’s the clients that are just as important as the ideas: “I wish I’d learned sooner that it’s not just about having great ideas, it’s about bringing clients with you. The best work isn’t won in a pitch, it’s built together.

“Clients bring their own instincts and pressures, and the magic happens when you listen and shape the work with them. It’s less about protecting your idea, more about making something everyone’s proud to stand behind.”

While having opinions is key, Tom Lander, senior creative, M&C Saatchi Group UK believes it’s also important to be able to have your mind changed: “The importance of having strong opinions, lightly held. It’s important to believe in your own thoughts, and to be prepared to stand up for them. But when evidence provides otherwise, or you hear an idea articulated in a different, or let’s be honest, better way, be prepared to welcome that into the fold too.

“Have your opinion. Stick up for yourself. But stick up for other, beautiful, bizarre, different, convincing thoughts too. It’s your duty to a good idea. Oh, and that it’s cool to be kind. Then people want to go to the pub with you.”

For Ben Parsons, executive creative director at tms, it’s the art of persuasion that will get good work made: “Creativity is only half the job, the other half is persuasion. Early on, I assumed great work would speak for itself, breezing through meetings to universal applause. In reality, the creative solution is only one side of the coin. How you tell the story behind it matters just as much.

“I think of it like maths in school. You got marks for the right answer, but also for showing your working out. The same applies to presenting great ideas or designs. Don’t just show the work, explain why it works, what it’s doing, or how it guides the eye etc… That thinking is uniquely yours and super important if you want full marks! So don’t worry that great work often needs backing up, because strong persuasion is simply logic and emotion working together.”

What’s often not discussed when talking about a creative career is the importance of commerciality within that, as James Donnelly, creative director at Colewood Digital explained: “I think one of the most important aspects that’s not really taught or talked about a lot for those wanting to enter the creative industry is commercial awareness. Whilst you don’t want to block the creative juices flowing to produce excellent work, if that work isn’t viable due to technology limitations, social perception or stakeholder buy-in it could lead to insecurity or self-doubt.

“Creatives work better when they have a greater understanding of the final goal which isn’t always provided. It’s also a two-way street. If you feel you don’t have enough context or information, ask. I often preach the power of asking questions. It doesn’t make you look weak if you’re asking for clarification or additional information if you’re going to yield a better result from it.”

For Paola Nannelli, CEO of Pulse Advertising, it’s vital to remember that your work will rarely speak for itself. You need to do the talking, as she says: “The one thing I wish I'd known: the work alone won't build your career. Your visibility will. When I started out, I believed that doing great work was enough. It isn't.

"The creative industries are full of talented people doing extraordinary things in silence. What separates those who rise is not just craft, it's the willingness to put a point of view into the world, to talk about their work, to have opinions in public.

“I spent years perfecting decks nobody outside a boardroom ever saw. The moment I started writing, speaking, and showing up in industry conversations, everything changed. Doors opened that great work alone had never unlocked. Talent is the entry ticket. Visibility is the game.”