The Perfect Fit

We're Ready + Willing . . . Are You?

I'm very proud to be a collaborator in the founding of a new organization in St. Louis called ready+willing.  I invite you to visit our website to learn a bit more about us.

ready+willing was founded to give back to the St. Louis community.  Participants in ready+willing will be marketing professionals at every level (both agency and client side) who want to help St. Louis charities.   We will work with non-profits and charities who are unable to get marketing support through any "normal" channels.  These are the charities who are "left behind", despite the value the deliver to their stakeholders.  ready+willing can and will help!

We’re currently looking for the “willingness” from the marketing community, with the “readiness” to follow!  We need volunteer “mentors”.  Mentors have experience and likely start at the Account Supervisor, or Associate Creative Director levels and above.  We’re asking for a couple of hours a month in supervising younger professionals who are executing the tactics of the marketing communications, while they build their books with "real" work.  It’s the mentors’ job to do just that . . . mentor!   r+w wants the mentors to make sure that the quality of the work produced is as good as r+w's aspirations!

ready+willing is being composed of a mix of experienced, multifaceted individuals that come from a diverse range of backgrounds including nonprofit management, marketing, advertising, strategic development, management, graphic design, public relations, communications, and business development to name a few. More importantly, the talents and skills of these individuals can be represented in the quality work they have become known for and their dedication to the St. Louis Community.

We’ve finalized our first “client” and are ready to ask for your help.  r+w is appealing to those of you who want to contribute to our community, and help younger professional advance in their career.  You’ll have the chance to work with this organization, for the benefit of the client organization and in so doing sustain and enhance its impact on the St. Louis Community.

Client Organization: The St. Louis Track Club,

Event: November 6th, 2011  Clayton Police Department's Special Olympics 5K Run & Walk & .5-mile Youth Fun Run

Organization Mission/Values/Purpose: The St. Louis Track Club encourages running, walking, and fitness for persons of all ages and abilities. The club organizes events, disseminates information related to the benefits of running and physical fitness and encourages membership.

Goal/Purpose of Project: Need assistance promoting annual half marathon and 5k that is organized with the Clayton Police Department and benefits the St. Louis Special Olympics.

Materials of Interest: Print and Online - newspaper, magazine, and online ads (media placement not included); direct mail and poster/point of sale.

For you mentor candidates that can't decide whether or not to get involved . . . Mentoring with ready + willing is a remarkably low impact way to have significant impact.  Mentors have the experience + expertise to collaborate with younger, less experienced pros and make their work better.  In so doing you also help make their books better, which makes the client effort (non-profit or charity) better.  All of this also contributes to the skill/experience of the St. Louis advertising and marketing community.  Seems like it's a win-win all around!

If you have questions, feel free to give me a call at my office.  If you're interested, download and complete the application, then email it to [email protected].  We look forward to working with you for the benefit of the St. Louis community!

 

REBUS Is Growing and Getting Even Better

Last week Rodgers Townsend (Thanks to Jen Oertli!) was kind enough to once again let us use their big conference room and facilities as REBUS plans for 2011 and '12.  We were excited to have at least 30 attendees, many of whom were new faces . . . all of whom were enthusiastic about doing what they can to help REBUS grow and deliver even more value in the future.

We went into the meeting looking for volunteers for various positions, and got them.  This does not mean we're "covered"!  There is still room for more help in every category including writers (social media communicators) to help with the blog and the other REBUS online presence.   There is room for writers of every level to contribute to the blog and Twitter.     We're always looking for additional designers, especially those with html and online skills.  We're creating a "video team" to cover our events, and any other videos we (they) decide to produce.  We also need Special Event Managers.  If you're interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Danny ([email protected]) or Rachel ([email protected]), they'll hook you up. 

The one other position that we are currently seeking candidates for is REBUS leadership in one of the co-Chair positions.  It's time to start to rotate a new motivated young professional into the existing mix.  If you're interested in applying for the position, just let Danny or Rachel know.  The position is fun, rewarding and certainly one of the best advertising networking opportunity in town!

In addition to the normal monthly events at agencies, we're planning to start adding client visits to the schedule.  St. Louis is home to a number of category leading companies who understand the value of marketing and advertising.  We think we can get their support, and getting their perspective will be invaluable.  There's no other association opportunity to have that unusual kind of dialog!

I'm personally very excited about several other events that were discussed.  These might be beyond the normal monthly meetings, and could be "stand alone" events . . . some maybe taking a half or even full day.  We're talking about "How Do Agencies Get Started?" (working title), which might also include, how do I get more freelance business . . . or how do I get my own (creative or marketing) business started (at any level)!?

We also discussed the possibility of a day long seminar on issues related to "Personal Branding for Career Success", which might include topics like how do I create an online brand for myself, and then market that brand.  How do I get started understanding the value of and taking advantage of social media?  It might include a portfolio track . . . We plan to make it what people want.

We also discussed REBUS supporting some sort of "Outreach to area High Schools".  The advertising industry as a whole nationally is not doing a good job of recruiting the best and the brighest, like it once did.  There was a time when (for example) graduates from Ivy League Universities enthusiastically sought, and would be proud to win an assistant AE position on Madison Avenue.  There was an excitement about advertising as a career and amazingly enough, it was harder to get that first job then, than it is now!  This outreach could also help address some of the diversity in recruitment issues that advertising is confronting on a national level.  Some in attendance thought that explaining to high school students the value, excitement and fun of advertising or marketing as a career was something REBUS could do very well . . . I agree.

What do you think about some of these events?  We'd love to hear suggestions from you about other events or speakers you'd like to see in St. Louis!  As I said to those in attendance . . . there's no excuse.  We can do whatever anyone wants.  All we need is the volunteer power to pull it off!

Sixth Annual REBUS Planning & Volunteer Meeting

It's once again time for any of you who are interested in contributing to REBUS and helping your own career at the same time to join us in concepting and planning for next year.  Rodgers Townsend has once again generously agreed to let us use their facilities and cosmic conference room to plan what's up next for REBUS.  We want your input and then, we hope you'll help.

We're having trouble deciding which promotional copy to go with for this event.  I thought I'd just see which you prefer!  Hope to see you at RT on Wednesday evening, the 13th. We need you and we want you!  Please RSVP on Facebook.

WE’RE HOLDING THIS LITTLE KITTEN HOSTAGE

•    We’ve taken desperate measures. Without volunteers, REBUS is without hope, without air, without a chance in this dark world. In our desperation, we’ve turned to a life of crime, and have taken Mr. Snuggle-Whiskers hostage. But believe it or not (and we would suggest not), you can do something about it! You can stop this madness! You can free us from our despair and save Mr. Snuggle-Whiskers from a ghastly end! Join us at our annual volunteer planning meeting at Rodgers Townsend at 6pm on July 13th, to learn a little bit about how volunteering with REBUS could help you with your career, and save us from our despair. It may just be enough to save Mr. Snuggle-Whiskers.

Or,

BE SELF-CENTERED, VOLUNTEER

•    You want to volunteer? How self-centered, vain, and inconsiderate of you. Clearly, you know that volunteering with REBUS can give you tons of contacts in the world of advertising, great insights into the trade, and put you ahead in your career. Oh, you would want to volunteer you narcissistic, conceited, brown-noser. We’ll see you at 6pm on Wednesday, July 13th at Rodgers Townsend for our annual volunteer meeting, please bring your enthusiasm…and your ego.

Thanks to Tipper O'Brien for the copywriting . . .

The St. Louis Marketing Recruiter . . . The 10th Anniversary!

It's hard to believe that July 1st was the 10th anniversay of Bishop Partners and this recruiting business.  I'm  very thankful that we're still here!  I've had recruiting colleagues who became friends over the years, who were not able to survive the past couple of years of hiring slow down.  I'm thankful for my wife Barbara, who's stuck with me through the good times and the difficult times.  I'm also very thankful for all the people I've met doing this work . . . many of whom I'm proud to say have become my friends . . . both candidates and clients alike. 

After years at Group360 (with its previous ownership) I missed the marketing communications,  comraderie and friendship that I'd developed in the St. Louis region over the previous 25 years as a commercial photographer.  I was interested in staying in marketing  and advertising, refreshing old relationships and developing new ones.  I wanted to contribute to St. Louis and its professional advertising and marketing community.  As they say, "Make a mark"! . . . Let them know you were here!   

Here we are 10 years later . . . allow me to indulge myself in looking back, and being proud of what I've participated in, and in some ways accomplished!

• 75+ placements totalling almost $4.7MM in salaries.

• Successfully completing 41 out of 44 retained searches, putting Bishop Partners in the top 2% for retained recruiting success nationwide!

• I have placed candidates on tracks to become partners, or the next generation of creative, account and executive leaders.

• Over 70% of placed candidates continue to successfully contribute to my client after three years (with the record for long term placement being eight years!)

• I have helped talented professionals take advantage of opportunities for their career growth, that they didn't know existed.

• There are likely hundreds of professionals who needed some serious help with their resume and/or portfolio, and I did my best to help . . . at least get them pointed in the right direction.

• I've served on the Ad Club Board as Membership Chair for over two years.

• I was one of two founders of REBUS, a vibrant and growing regional marketing organization.

• I'm proud to have been asked to help found ready + willing, St. Louis' newest marketing organization dedicated to giving back to local charities and the St. Louis community.

• I've served on the Board of the Mid-America Association of Personnel and Staffing Services (now called MKSSA.org) for nine years, as Marketing Chair.

• I was invited to join the International Retained Search Associates, an exclusive group of retained recruiters who are leaders in their specialties. 

• The whole social media extravaganza was born and started growing up in these 10 years . . . trying to find my "online legs" has been challenging, rewarding and fun!

• I've made friends . . . perhaps most importantly, I've made friends!

There's more to do.  My goals are to help REBUS develop a strong organizational structure, that will be self-sufficient while continuing to  provide value and benefit to the community, in ways the attendees decide.  I want to see ready + willing grow, and become an indispensible resource for those charities who have no where else to turn for their marketing communications support.  I want to continue to help clients learn how to retain their top performing employees, and how to attract the next generations of leadership.  I want to support marketing and advertising as a viable, professional career that goes beyond "selling" to expanding its contibution to our community and culture.

I want to continue having fun, meeting new people and growing . . . both professionally and personally.  I appreciate all the help, support and direction that many of you have provided for my doing just that . . . for the past 10 years!  Let's do it again . . . for another 10 (at least)!