There comes a time when we all have to make tough choices. Nowhere is this more true than in marketing where you can continue to be a cog in the machine or be a Linchpin.

1. There
comes
a
+me
when
we
need
to
chose
a
direc+on

2. You
need
to
make
a
decision
about
your
career
in
marke+ng

3. Do
I
follow
the
crowd
or
do
I
chose
to
become
indispensible,
and
to
produce
interac+ons
that
organiza+ons
and
people
care
about.

4. It
has
become
easier
for
companies
to
turn
employees
into
replaceable
cogs
in
a
vast
machine.
The
easier
people
are
to
replace,
the
less
they
need
to
be
paid

5. If
you
want
a
job
where
it’s
okay
to
follow
the
rules,
don’t
be
surprised
if
you
get
a
job
where
following
the
rules
is
all
you
get
to
do.

6. But
consumers
expect
a
lot
more
from
brands
and
companies
today

7. Even
tradi+onal
adver+sing
is
not
working
anymore

8. What
do
I
do
?

9. Well,
first
acknowledge
that
all
barriers
can
be
overcome
eventually

10. It
requires
a
vision
and
self
examina+on
of
what
you
want
to
do
with
your
career

11. It’s
going
to
challenge
you
to
be
your
best
overcoming
barriers

12. Along
the
way
you’ll
be
building
new
capabili+es

13. And
leading
changes
that
is
some+mes
revolu+onary
and
evolu+onary

14. But
you’ll
become
indispensible
and
a
marke+ng
Linchpin

15. Linchpins
are
willing
to
learn
and
lead

16. Linchpins
don’t
give
a
damn
that
some
people
have
MBA’s

17. Because
it’s
not
about
quan+fica+on
and
spreadsheets.
It’s
about
“what
have
you
done
to
make
it
happen
?”

19. It’s
breaking
the
old
chains
that
constrained
and
confined
thinking
that
wasn’t
customer
focused

20. It’s
taking
a
calculated
risk
for
your
brand
and
business

21. It’s
balancing
life
and
work
but
looking
forward
each
day
to
having
a
career
instead
of
just
a
job

22. Sooner
or
later,
all
marketers
have
to
make
a
choice
between
following
the
crowd
and
being
loved,
or
making
yourself
indispensible
by
doing
what
is
best
for
your
customers
and
your
brand

23. Successes
will
out
number
failures
when
you
are
a
Linchpin

24. There’s
no
road
map
to
tell
you
what
direc+on
to
take.
It’s
a
decision
that
you
and
you
alone
have
to
make
“where
do
I
go
from
here
?”

25. So
what
are
you
going
to
do
?

26. Are
you
going
to
follow
others
?

27. Or
are
you
going
to
lead
others
?

28. Can
you
make
people
understand
that
marke+ng
has
changed
today
?

29. That
consumers
have
a
hell
of
a
lot
more
power
than
marketers
?

30. And
that
in
order
to
succeed
you
need
to
be
customer
focused
and
align
all
business
processes
around
your
customers
?

31. Beware
that
in
your
quest
to
be
a
Linchpin
there
are
those
whoa
are
ready
to
sabotage
your
efforts.

32. Are
you
willing
to
take
that
risk
because
today
could
be
a
turning
point,
a
once
in
a
life
+me
moment
when
you
get
to
make
a
choice.

33. Instead
of
focusing
on
complying
with
management
as
a
long
term
strategy
for
geRng
more
stuff
and
being
more
secure,
you
have
a
chance
to
describe
a
powerful
vision
for
our
future
and
to
actually
make
it
happen.

34. The
new
dream
isn’t
about
obedience,
it’s
about
vision
and
engagement

35. It’s
a
keen
understanding
that
we
can’t
con+nue
to
do
business
the
same
old
way

36. So
eventually
you
are
going
to
have
a
make
a
choice.
Which
direc+on
are
do
you
want
your
career
to
go
?

37. Run
away
from
the
pack.
Set
your
course
and
do
what
you
know
to
be
right
for
your
brand,
company
and
customers.

38. Your
customers
will
thank
you

39. You’ll
have
success
aTer
success
with
your
career

40. And
you
may
even
climb
the
stairs
to
lead
more
people

43. About
me
• Richard
Meyer
• My
resume
hUp://www.richardameyer.com
• My
marke+ng
BLOG
hUp://www.richsblog.com
• MY
DTC
BLOG
hUp://www.worldofdtcmarke+ng.com
hUp://www.twiUer.com/richmeyer
hUp://www.facebook.com/richardameyer
hUp://www.linkedin.com/in/richardameyer