A young woman asked advice on behalf of her husband who lives in a rural area and has high hopes of breaking into comedy, but because he’s not near Second City or a well-known comedy shop is struggling. Fred said, “Tell him to stop thinking about what already exists. Invent something else; make your own thing.” While totally unrelated to me, his answer resonated with me and reminded me of some very important things I try to carry with me daily.
I’ve done other large conferences, but this was a whole other bag. An estimated 20,000 people participated the interactive and film tracks (which overlap) with content that spanned from journalism, emerging tech, design, development, business, dynamic keynotes and far beyond. Advertising is at its height at this place. Everywhere you turn, you’re tempted by some bright color, emerging technology the ability to Catch or Drive a Chevy.