Reflections from the Worldwide Partners Summit
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend the Worldwide Partners Summit in Chicago alongside a few hundred brave, independent creative and marketing agency leaders.
It wasn’t one of those conferences where you walk away with a brand-new marketing playbook or “10 Ways to Crush Q3.” Instead, it was something better: a recalibration. A reminder that the best thing we can do is not reinvent the wheel; but stand firmly behind the work we already know how to do best. And do it with even more courage, generosity and clarity.
Because let’s be honest, working in a creative agency, especially in this era of algorithms and economic weirdness, is an act of defiance. An insistence that ideas still matter. That relationships really matter. That the work we do, for our clients, our industries and our teams, deserves space, intention and yes—real investment.
Some reflections I’m carrying with me:
» Bring a brick, not a cathedral.
In food and ag, we’re often building the plane while we fly it. laughs nervously This industry moves fast and slow all at once. So it was refreshing to hear this echoed in session after session when talking about brainstorming and meetings. Progress comes one brick at a time. Good ideas have to start somewhere and what matters is showing up, building smart and creating the conditions where others feel safe to do the same.
I am someone who feels like I have to have the perfect solution straight out of the gate. I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to make sure we deliver this for our clients…a post for a different time and maybe a different platform. But it remains critical to create space for fledgling ideas to exist, in all their pimple-faced glory and to let them grow.
» Leading an agency is a balancing act.
And a brave one at that. You’re not just managing scopes. You’re protecting fragile ecosystems of people, ideas, creative momentum and business success for your clients and partners. It’s not just plates you’re juggling. It’s knives. But the best thing you can do as a leader is hold space for real, good work to happen and fight for it to be recognized and rewarded.
» AI isn’t a threat.
It’s a tool and a terrific prompt. If you use it right, it pushes you into deeper thinking. Into weirder, smarter, more human places. The tech is here. What matters now is what we do with it and how we wield it with intention. My biggest note is not stop at one question and answer. Push, pull and peel like we do with any good idea. See where the weird can take you!
» Improv is strategy with heart and less of a filter.
This is how we all wanna be, amiright? Thank you to Second City for spelling this out loud and clear. Good agency work and good improv share the same DNA: active listening, generous collaboration, staying open and of course, saying “yes, and.” The job is not to control every beat. It’s to stay present enough to respond with clarity and joy. Because let’s be real, we didn’t get into this line of work not to laugh sometimes.
» Relentless optimism is highly underrated.
Not the kind that ignores reality but the kind that insists on possibility. That refuses to let go of curiosity. That dares to believe we can actually make a difference in the way people eat, think and live. That’s the kind of optimism that keeps our work with the oldest economy in the world alive.
» Perhaps the most powerful of all: We’re not doing this alone.
One of the most remarkable things about being part of a network like Worldwide Partners is how quickly you can tap into other brilliant minds and shops across the world who care just as deeply as you do—about the craft, about the client, about getting it right. As an agency rooted in the future of food, we walk with only a few others who share a mission similar to ours, but EVERYONE we spoke to wants to help, just tell them how. It’s a game-changer to seamlessly connect with a network of talented partners who elevate what we do and help deliver the work our clients deserve.
All in all, Chicago was a blast. It was so fun to spend time with other incredibly smart people who love this crazy world and business as much as I do. And while there are times I question my sanity, erm….dedication, our mission and moments like this remind me that for our future to be better, it must be full of the brave. And brave people need friends who are just as bright-eyed and focused as they are.
So, whether you’re a partner we said, “We HAVE to figure out a way to work together!” or a client who has heard about this incredible network, here’s to those circles getting smaller in the coming year!
