Thanks for the memories

When I hear a song I like, I feel the need to play it over and over until I can't hear the beat in my head any longer. The song for me this morning is Fall Out Boy's "Thanks for the memories". Pair this with Andy's thanks for the sabbatical and the time he needed, and it will be playing from my computer all day. Let the good times roll they say.

Things that came to mind this morning: the leadership at Play, my role here, the new york office, and how our inspiration is contagious. First and foremost, our leadership. Note the word "our". Forgive the cheesy metaphor coming ahead, but I see the leadership of play like a jazz band. Matt, fittingly, keeps a steady beat. He listens to all the other pieces and keeps us marching on, switching his focus to different sounds needed to compliment the melody. We also tap our feet to the speed he gives us. Kara is the sax. She lets the melody flow in and out, quiet or loud, fast or slow, depending on whats going on with the rest. Andy scats. Not sings, scats. He waits for the inspiration to strike him and creates words (ideas) no one has every heard of. The music plays on, but the scat is what you hum three weeks later. It sticks with you. The rest of us has our own insturment, own style, and time to shine. We alternate who takes the lead, and listen for when we're needed up front. There's no prearranged music we've rehearsed, just beats and rhythms and a flow that somehow works. I listen to the drums, the sax, the scat, and the solos and make sure we all remember to hear the tune.

New York, New York. I bought some maps and guidebooks to the big apple yesterday for personal reasons, but am even more convinced after the slideshow that inspiration is everywhere. It's a part of us, and we need it just as much (if not more so) than our clients. I hear the murmur of the city from the team as a place that would make us grow. What was the office there like before? How would we make it different this go 'round? What lens would New York give us when working with clients and reframing our business. If Andy and Christine started in her bedroom with a few supplies from staples and grew a business, I think we are capable of doing it again with an office. Richmond will always be the anchor, but we need to reach out too.

And last but not least, it all comes back to inspiration. Look at more stuff. We look to each other too. When one of us has a chance to learn/explore/think/grow it comes back ten fold for the rest of us. The mood and thinking is elevated just that much more. If we can keep a constant refresh for at least someone on the team at all times (yes, ideally everyone) but being conscious of passing that torch instead of constantly looking to three or four people, then it will spread throughout our team. We share the initiative and philosophy of LAMSTAIH, so why not share the responsibility to each other also? Get inspired and be inspiring. Interested and interesting as Ben called it.


My two cents for now. More to come. Let's play.