Incorporating an Executive Mentality to Streamline Your Success
Balind on 10 Sep 2008 | Musings
It’s been said that ones mental attitude and ability to communicate are key to their success. I’m going to outline the aspects of an Executive (Sales, Project Manager, Producer), mind-set and how these traits can be combined with your Creative talent to potentially chart your path quicker.
When I was 19 I studied Entrepreneurship at UVic. I chose Business for the same reason everyone else does - I didn’t know what I wanted to do, just that I wanted to make money. After a year, my father reminded me of the option to pursue a career making use of my creative talent.
A year later, while studying Illustration at the Sheridan Institute, I noticed subtle differences between myself and the bulk of my fellow students. While I was focused on building a portfolio and mapping out my future, they all seemed to be judging their personal development based on their grades, satisfied to just ’see what happens’, after graduation. So odd.
Traits of the Executive mind-set every Creative should incorporate:
- Ensure success. Clients base a lot of their decisions on what they consider to be ‘proof’. If you work in a manner that demonstrates results at intervals, you’re more likely to retain creative control.
- Break everything down into goals. From individual projects to your entire career, every work related aspect of your life will evolve quicker if you have milestones and a final destination in mind.
- Become incredibly organized. Your desktop and folder structure are a direct reflection of your mental dexterity.
- Be passively ambitious. Don’t do what’s asked for and hope for the best. Make sure your work covers every angle before you present it. The less the client has to manage you, the happier they are.
- Focus on the client. Each project should have two main goals, equally aligned, (a): An extremely positive experience for the client and (b): Creating a totally unique interactive piece.
- Be cool. If you grew up playing video games in your parents basement rather than competing in sports or talking to girls, that’s fine - but it’s the real world now. Learn to enjoy intense discussions and key decision making with clients and co-workers. Make developing your inter-personal skills one of your favorite hobbies.
Top executives are motivated, goal-oriented winners - there’s no reason why you can’t leverage the same attitude.
Juan on 10 Sep 2008 at 10:29 pm #
Great post man.
I am a student at the Art Institutes of Fort Lauderdale ( Miami soon). and I am living that experience of not understanding people that are just ok with a grade and going home and do something else.
I find myself thinking i might be out of place when I talk about reading a book about AS3, or a new resource I found on the net. It,s like some people just carry on with their day.
Cheers!
Christian Kragh on 11 Sep 2008 at 7:51 am #
Hey Balind.
Another great post! Of course I’m at the very beginning of my career, age 20, but I agree with everything and relate to it. I’m always thinking of ways to better myself in business and personal aspects. Recently, I even thought to myself that working on developing myself is one of the things I enjoy doing. I know what you mean when you say “Make developing your inter-personal skills one of your favorite hobbies.”
I’m also very ambitious… I’m excited to see how it all turns out… 
Again thanks for sharing man.
Christian
Jayden Lawson on 12 Sep 2008 at 1:10 am #
Excellent advice. Thanks Balind.
Daniel on 12 Sep 2008 at 6:08 am #
Excellent post. I like how you go over all aspects of life that pertain to success. I too believe that success can be a models formula encompassing several more areas than just talent. Life in general is truely a balance between mind, body, and soul. I think this post touches on all three.
Balind, what was the learning process like in your earlier years? Did you tackle the programs head on working through the road blocks with determination or did you learn the programs first before diving into the creation stage?
Balind on 12 Sep 2008 at 9:15 am #
Hey Daniel,
I would definitely say I tackled the programs head on. I spent an entire summer between my sophomore and junior year studying 3d Max, the next summer was dedicated to Flash. I learned from doing, which is why self-promotion has played a key role in my development.
Thanks for the comment.
eismann-sf » Design Leadership & Management on 14 Sep 2008 at 9:13 pm #
[...] your soul too, you know). Balind from Red Interactive (of UFC fame) has some advice about this here. Posted In: [...]
Isocase on 15 Sep 2008 at 6:48 am #
Nice post! Good to see your determination has definitely paid off. So when are we going to see some new work from Red
?
Balind on 15 Sep 2008 at 11:26 pm #
We launched this today. enjoy: http://experience.eagleeyemovie.com/
Rishi on 16 Sep 2008 at 4:30 am #
Hey Balind,
I just saw the Experience. NICE work! Really lived up to the anticipation. I love the parallax. How did you guys make that part? The way u move ur mouse and then the movie clips move and whenever u leave window and come back it comes easing in.
Really nice work. Did you do the 3d stuff also?
Love it.
Waiting for more new sites by you and FF0000!
Rishi on 16 Sep 2008 at 9:54 pm #
Very nice reel Balind!!
I will graduate with a research in the use of motion to enhance user experiences. Your sites really show that. Thanks!
YAPP on 18 Sep 2008 at 7:46 am #
Hey buddy, saw your new reel featured on FWA Theatre…slick little reel, good job. Another applaus for the new Eagle Eye website, liked it alot. Keep it comin brother.
Jason
Evan on 25 Sep 2008 at 10:12 pm #
Great post as always. Thanks!
Donald Sieber on 09 Oct 2008 at 11:08 am #
Balind William:
A review of your blog to make it more substantial is suggested. Being self-employed is generally used as a prelude to starting a company. The difficulties require a well rounded diciplined person. Insight into both the productive and managerial side requires great personnel developement beyond being highly interested in the field of endeavor.
Dad
Daniel Patterson on 29 Oct 2008 at 8:21 pm #
When will we get a new post Balind? I’m dying to learn about mingling tactics at the club, tips on balancing the mind, body, and soul. Or what would really blow us away is some design tips in After Effects or Maya.
p.s. - I think its awesome your Dads checkin up on you.
Rishi on 09 Nov 2008 at 2:16 am #
Ah finally the FWA for Eagle Eye Experience! Congrats! Any new sites coming up?!
Balind on 09 Nov 2008 at 4:03 pm #
Hey man,
Just wrote a new post about Eagle Eye.
Spent the last 3 months working on a site for Toyota Venza. have a few things in the works with CNN and ESPN but there won’t be anything new to show for quite some time.
Rishi on 09 Nov 2008 at 4:12 pm #
Aite. Sounds interesting. If you took 2 weeks for UFC 80…then 3 months for a site shud be very very interesting to see.
Still hope you’ll return to some UFC stuff though.