Instead of listing agencies, awards and accolades I thought it would be more refreshing to share a few bon mots I’ve picked up along the way about the Ad Biz.
Some have referred to it as a blight upon the public landscape* or the greatest art form of the twentieth century†, but I call advertising the most fun you can have in the world of business—and still get paid for it.

1. The idea is always, without exception the reason why you do what you do.
   But be forewarned—lurking in the shadowy world of marketing are shallow and
   soulless thinkers who will attempt to convince you that style will somehow make up for substance.
2.  Never move for just the money.
   If you have a creative disposition, you will never be able to wash off the stink of compromise. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” —Shakespeare
3.  Surround yourself with people far brighter and talented than you can ever hope to be.
   I have been fortunate to work with some of the best, but then those types of people are in desperate, short supply.
4.  Learn to listen to what people are really saying—it’s a virtue in this game.
   Go to McDonald’s, order a Kid’s Meal, sit by yourself, get in the zone and observe what’s actually going on around you.
   Magically—and for a brief moment—you’ll experience what it’s like to be a kid again.
5. Write like every piece of copy will be printed with your name on it.
   There is no excuse for trite, uninspired, abrasive work.
6. Write with a personal conversation in mind; it’s the most persuasive kind of copy.
   This means you.
7. The saddest decision in this business or any business is to allow your career to define who you are.
   Get a life or a little piece of you will die every day.
8. Life experience is the fuel that feeds the creative soul.
   Do something different and out of character once a day—quick, take a left. Or a right. Order a soufflé. Buy a giclée. Learn at least a dozen Hanzi characters. Read Finnegan’s Wake (if you can). Just do it.
9. There are no goals, only yard-markers on life’s journey.
   People with a passion for what they do have only one focus: Just doing—which might not include advertising, but then you may experience some solace in a different kind
   of creative endeavour.
10. Believe in yourself. What chance have you got if you never take a chance.
11. If you want to become a great writer, be a better reader.
    I haven’t read half of what I need to nor will there ever be time.
12. Almost forgot, "When in doubt, tell the truth." —Twain
    It works in advertising too.

* "I think that I shall never see, a billboard as lovely as a tree;
indeed unless the billboards fall; I'll never see a tree at all." —O. Nash

† McLuhan, Marshall . Understanding Media, The Extensions of Man.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964.