By Eytan Smith

At this pivotal half way point, I took the time to reflect.

Here are 30 lessons I would never have learnt before SCA.

1. Never invest your money or your heart in a project you utterly disagree with. If you have to invest, try and believe in it.
2. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail, then prepare to regret it everyday for the rest of your life.
3. Show up. Not showing up is worse than showing up less prepared than you’d like to be.
4. Expect people to disagree with you. Expect it, then prepare for it, then prove them wrong.
5. When something is wrong, tell someone about it. A clear perspective is only achievable if you have someone else’s to contrast it with.
6. Like Medusa, avoid eye contact with Marc- he’ll never let go.
7. Hannah probably knows best.
8. Don’t hug Frazer.
9. Hug Edwina.
10. Don’t ever have sex with someone in the office.
11. Marc will mindfuck you. Fucks can be painful, but fucks can also be pleasurable- you decide.
12. SCA is the best for a reason. You’re part of that. You’re here because Marc wants you here.
13. If you’re white, male and well-spoken, appreciate it. Then respect everyone else. We are way luckier than I realised.
14. When something tough needs to be said, say it face to face or on the phone: no one respects you when you send bad news in a text.
15. If you don’t know what people are talking about, its worthwhile asking.
16. Do the extra curricular stuff. This is a race and being interesting is a booster.
17. You don’t need to hate anyone to want to win the most.
18. Winning is better than sex.
19. Hydration’s half the battle.
20. Be first in line to ask for help.
21. No one is a perfect judge of character, look at Marc; he hired Kizzy.
    (MARC’S NOTE – NO I DID NOT! THAT ONE’S ON HANNAH.)
22. Compartmentalise. Go to work and leave behind your home.
23. Creative techniques: use them.
24. SMPs are subjective. No one knows exactly what they are, but they’re monumentally important.
25. I have an addictive personality. I get addicted to briefs. That’s fine as long as it’s not unhealthy.
26. Account Planning is not really part of a Creative’s job, don’t let it be the thing you spend the most time on.
27. The one thing you didn’t get round to doing, that you really wanted to do, but knew was unnecessary, will be the thing that you never get round to doing, and you’ll feel like you’d be so much better off now if you had done it. Just do it now.
28. Read during every journey.
29. When Marc says try something, just do it, unless it’s illegal, in which case, think about it before you do it.
30. Everything will be ok, as long as you do something about it.

Thanks to everyone -and I mean everyone- at SCA, I’ve learnt a lot from you.

May the next half of the year be even more educational than the last.