The advice I got from my mother on leaving Uni into the big wild work of work. Thanks Mum!!

Advice from my dad. It served me pretty well...but you should probably ask some of my bosses.

Courtesy of Thomas Edison.

Fom my first boss at ad agency Young and Rubicom.

This is one all us dyslexics love.

Said to me by a CEO before meeting the lawyers. If you want to get the best return from time with someone think what you really need to ask.

Courtesy of Einstein.

One from my grandfather.

Borrowed this from Scott Adams (Dilbert cartoonist) many years ago.

I think that one of the biggest issues people face is their own inner voice that holds them back.

Read that out loud! Slogan Creative Orchestra had painted in big letters on the wall. I have no time for people who give up or say it can't be done before they tried.  

I discovered it’s from Voltaire. It’s cherished wisdom handed down to me by my Dad. A great aphorism and a reality check when business gets weird.

Everyone says it but it’s no less true for that.

Based on decades of research, a day that starts having to empty a dishwasher holds less creative promise than using that time to sit and think about what you are going to achieve.

Courtesy of George Bernard Shaw

You can't learn when you are talking.

When someone asks you to do something you can ask why?

Taught to me by Chris Sutcliffe. I still use this today as a problem agitator, to run through some random stimulus to try and solve that problem. I did it today actually.

Maybe not always great advice but essentially it's all life is better for taking risks

Totally stolen and mildly bastardised from the great ad creative Dave Trott.

My father told me and I've never forgotten it. I've also passed it on to a few people who had awkward life decisions to make and it really helped them.

From Dr. Seuss. There is a greek word, telos, which means purpose. As in the purpose of a knife is to cut. Your purpose is to be you. Now then, how are you going to change the world or make it a better place?

The reward for great work is more work.

Meant as encouragement originally to women whose voices are heard less frequently. All it takes for evil to flourish is for good people to remain silent.

Dalai Lama XIV.

Media is a ruthless game with not too many principles. Be good, be honest and trust people well and whilst it might cost in the short-term, it pays off in the long-term.

Courtesy of brand legend Robin Wight and one of my favourites.

Not philisophical, but comes in handy when you have seen as many ad briefs as I have.

One I would share with my teams at various times along the way from my working experience.

Courtesy of Henry Ford.

From Adventures in the Screen Trade - William Goldman.

From my dad on salesmanship. His philosophy was that you had to go out there and make opportunity.

It's by Mark Twain on the futility of worrying.

Find your passion and follow it and you'll be a very happy person. Sadly few people follow their passions.

As a blogger I've experienced the wisdom in this. Many of my original pieces would probably have caused me no end of problems (as well as contradicting my rule - never move jobs for money).

The advice I got from my mother on leaving Uni into the big wild work of work.

Courtesy of Frank Cockman my first Board Account Director in advertising.

There is no evidence that this was said by Michelangelo or Ruskin. However, it is still a pretty good thought in how you change and shape companies.

I picked this up from Simon Woodroff (founder of Yo Sushi!) Basically "Don't do average."

From Carl Jung (psychoanalyst) as it requires consideration. Until you make conscious and integrate the hived-off elements of your own psyche you will keep meeting them in your day to day life

Paraphrasing Maya Angelou. American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Hollywood’s first female black director.

Written by Rob Siltanen who wrote the Think Different ad campaign for Apple.

Remember who is making the decision.

From Viktor Frankl. Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor.

If something is so big and obvious you can't ignore it.

Courtesy of Wayne Gretsky Ice Hockey Legend.

From Einstein on the essence of problem solving.

Courtesy Michael Jordon.

Next time you come up with an angle or positioning, try it in a conversation first. If you feel uncomfortable saying it face to face, don't say it via an ad. Try telling someone 'you should try that Aperol Spritz because together you'll joy' ?

Courtesy of Steve Covey's seven success lessons.

Taught to just about any officer in the UK/US Armed Forces.

Atributed to fellow dyslexic Henry Ford. Sometimes bend is replaced with break or rewrite. Essentially it divides us into 3 types, the latter being the creative, innovators.

Even a crappy situation has some positive upside! As true in life in general as professionally.

Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Great advice across all areas. We live in a world that seeks to make the simple complicated, but the person who can simplify the complicated is the greater.

From Mark Ormrod MBE. Former Royal Marine, Invictus Games athlete

Advice to me by Steve Richards then COO at brand consultancy Woolf Olins.

Take the job if it advances your career, if it will make you happier by allowing you to fulfill your potential. If it comes with more money, great. But never move only for the money.

Courtesy of Frank Zappa. American composer, guitarist, and satirist.

One of the many pieces of wisdom learned from legendary agency leader Nigel Sharrocks.

Courtesy of Amelia Earhart.

That's helped me literally (especially travelling through Africa) as well as figuratively in careers and personal life.

Courtesy of Sam Malone (barman in Cheers TV show).

My dad's words of wisdom. He was all about playing fair but said we should never let ourselves be taken advantage of.

Don’t aim off what you really want for fear of failure. It’s as easy to to go for it as it is to guarantee missing the mark. Courtesy of Nick Horswell.

My father's DIY advice has saved me on many occasions and is applicable beyond carpentry.

From Katie Vanneck Smith, former Global President, Dow Jones - as I entered my first job in marketing. This has helped me hugely in soliciting and listening to a wide range of feedback and knowing when to take it on or not.

Learned from my father. Be prepared for the worst, in other words. When it doesn't happen, 99.99% of the time you can be pleasantly surprised.

From my mum.

Early in my career my father gave me this advice. 35 years later I had dinner with one of my old mentees who recalled how she tried to live by it.

One I have increasingly tried to remember the older I get.

Anon.

The Fifth habit of Stephen Covey's “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.

My dad said most people (especially bureaucrats) say "no". So just do it and face the music afterwards. 9 times out of 10 no one says anything and if you pull a success off you get the praise.

Explanation on joining the board at Saatchi & Saatchi.