Ode to a summer of inspiration
I can’t help but get a little nostalgic this time of year.
As the summer winds down, I’ve been thinking back to all of those years in grade school when we all had to write, “What I did on my summer vacation.” Remember those assignments?
So before this summer leaves us for good, I wanted to reflect on what’s happening here:
Talks, Travels & New Territories:
Travel is something that never fails to inspire me. This summer we’ve been to Boston, Chicago, Portland, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and NYC for new client meetings and speaking engagements. While the places are all full of wonder, there’s something about flying above it all that gets my mind thinking about things differently.
Conferences & Speakers:
From the inspiring MAX talks at SMPS, to keynote David Meerman Scott in Boston, to the insights from our AAF chapter delivered by Scott Jorgensen, Cory McCall, and Ingred Sidie, conferences provide a wealth of ideas. The challenge this year? Simply deciding which things you want to act on, and realizing you can’t possibly do it all.
Back to the Books:
Be on the lookout for the new book, Town, Inc., written by my friend Andrew Davis. I had a chance to read an advance copy. You just may be inspired to change the world by starting from your home town. Another fav of mine this year was Ready Player One.I don’t often read fiction, but this 80’s-inspired view of the future was a blast, and I’m brimming with ideas from this fun, fast-paced read. I’ve got The Martian queued up next.
Audio Inspiration:
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of podcasts, but two of my favorite recent episodes came from the Tim Ferriss Show. Check out his convo with the founder of Evernote, and Robert Rodriguez. The latter is chock-full of creative inspiration. Also, loosely in the category of audio, the Foo Fighters concert in Indy this year was one of the top three rock shows I’ve ever seen. Not to mention, Dave Grohl performed the whole show with a broken leg, from his “throne.” If you have a chance to catch them this year, don’t miss it!
Announcing the MilesHerndon Merger:
This has been one of the biggest professional challenges I’ve ever undertaken, but it’s hard to explain why it has gone so smoothly. Today I have a business partner, and our team has practically doubled overnight. We’ve spent the past few months dialing in our processes and structure, and while we’re not done yet, I’m energized by where we’re headed.
A Quest For Kickball Glory:
Every year, the Indianapolis chapter of AIGA organizes an agency kickball league. Since we came in second place last year, we thought we had a serious shot at the championship this summer. But it turns out everyone brought A-game. And although we finished fifth overall, we got to spend every Wednesday night together competing, laughing, and hanging out at the local watering hole. Check out the full kickball season recap by Stacey McClure.
New Work and Fresh Content:
We’ve been cranking out a lot of new work and fresh content over the past few months, and we’ve been getting some positive feedback on the content our friends and clients are finding helpful. Keep your eyes peeled on MilesHerndon.com for our new and improved website, featuring a ton of new work, and a brand new blog, coming this fall!
It’s been a full summer, but I’m looking forward to applying all of this in the coming months, and ready to encourage our team and clients to push themselves beyond what we all thought was possible.
Wishing you endless summer vibes,
– Josh