The work is what counts.
This adman gave the greatest "career advice" you'll ever read.
Unless you’re balls deep in the world of advertising, you’ve likely never heard of the adman Tom McElligott.
He was a Midwestern boy. He was the son of a preacher man. It’s difficult not to read that in the voice of Dusty Springfield. He was tack-sharp, despicably shy and as nervous as those bug-eyed whippets that shake uncontrollably if you raise your voice above a whisper.
He was no Don Draper.
While McElligott could sell a creative vision with the prowess of David Ogilvy—and had the creative chops to back it up—it was rumored he’d fill a waste bin with vomit before stepping into client presentations.
Unlike others of his time—who were motivated by corner offices, six-figure salaries, meaningless awards, grab-assing with the good old boys and the occasional afternoon shag—McElligott cared only about producing great work.
This dedication to craftsmanship is what led him to create some of the most compelling advertising the world has ever seen.
Words of wisdom.
After McElligott retired, he did an interview with an ad student, sharing a piece of advice I think everyone should read (whether you work in advertising or not)...
“Don’t be distracted by anything. The work is what counts. There are a lot of things that can get in your way, that take up your time and your emotional and intellectual energy; none of them account for anything. They mean nothing. The only thing, in the final analysis, at this stage of the game, that really counts, is the work. The work is everything.”
He continues, reflecting on his own career…
“The years that I spent in advertising I saw an awful lot of people who had the potential to be good lose a lot of their ability to distraction, to politics, to fear, and to who has the bigger office. You’ll get the bigger office; you’ll make the money. Anything you want will happen, but sometimes it’s hard for people to see that when they’re in the middle of it.”
Finally, he ends his counsel with a bit of flair…
“It looks like it’s incredibly complicated. Well, it’s not complicated at all. In fact, it’s so uncomplicated it’s amazing. All it is about is the work. Finally, if you do the work people will notice and you will get what you want. That’s it. It’s as simple as that.”
When your hands are in the dirt and you’re doing good work that’s receiving little to no attention, you’d be forgiven for shrugging off McElligott’s advice.
But, it’s worth remembering these words came from a man who wasn’t nearly as celebrated as his contemporaries: David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett and Bill Bernbach.
Yet, despite his lack of notoriety, McElligott was able to make a handsome living doing work he loved for a handful of clients who believed in him.
So, in closing…
Do the work. Do the work. Do the work.
If you do the work, you might not get famous, but you will be known well enough by the right people that, eventually, you will get by.
By Cole Schafer.