To make it as a creative in advertising, you must be both tenacious and diplomatic.

When I was in my twenties, I was an absolute tyrant to work with. I was unwavering when it came to my creative vision. As Honey Copy has matured into an agency that works with Fortune 500 enterprises, it has forced me to learn diplomacy.

I'm just as tenacious as I've always been. I'm just more diplomatic about it. Brands hire us for our conviction. They hire us for our point of view. They hire us for our ability to create audacious work. They hire us to show them what "eleven" looks like.

However, once we've done our job, it's ultimately up to the enterprise to decide if the creative risk is worth the commercial reward. While my answer to this question is always a resounding "yes", I'm also off the hook if the campaign implodes. This is diplomacy. It's recognizing your creative work has both good and bad consequences. It's taking that resposibility seriously.