AMA: Dustyn Bailey Interviews Jim Hauptman 3/29/23
Dustyn Bailey 9:07 AM
@channel Today's a great day for another AMA! Take lunch and join us at 12:00 For an insightful conversation with past president and Blaze Partner owner, @Jim Hauptman!
Get your timers out and ask Siri to set an alarm for 12:00 everyone, we are going live soon!
Stevie Carey 11:17 AM
Woohoooo! Go @Jim Hauptman!
Dustyn Bailey 11:52 AM
Alright less then 10 mins folks in the @channel!
I know some of you have had the chance to bump into Jim at a Drinking With Strangers (you might see him tomorrow at our next DWS at Bunker), but for those who haven't!Jim is an entrepreneur, thinker and maker. The vast majority of his career has been spent at the intersection of advertising, product development and marketing—crafting compelling selling messages, designing multi-million dollar products and strategizing how companies can best improve their relevance in driving sales. Having worked at outdoor specialty retailer L.L.Bean for ten years as both its creative director/managing editor and director of product design, and as the principal of an advertising agency for a dozen years before that, he thrives on the challenge of connecting brands authentically with consumers.
So get your questions warmed up! We'll be starting in 5 mins.
@Jim Hauptman I hope you've been working on your words per minute, because I have!!!
Jim Hauptman 11:57 AM
Hahaha. Reading your intro, I was actually thinking I need to work on my LinkedIn bio .
Dustyn Bailey 11:58 AM
Edits Jim, just edits! It's hard to put a solid career into so many words!
To get us started off, how long have you been in the industry?
Jim Hauptman 11:59 AM
Sorry. That’s a lot of math.
About 30 years.
(And “hi” everyone!)
Dustyn Bailey 11:59 AM
Right?! Where are my manners?
@channel feel free to wave, say hi and start sending in questions! It's our half hour with Jim so let's make the most of it!
Ellie Roy 12:01 PM
How did you first find yourself in a position of leadership in a creative industry like this?
Jim Hauptman 12:01 PM
Good question. I wonder the same thing myself some days.
I started off as a freelance writer and, over time, began leading creative teams. That led to managing multi-functional teams and then the whole agency..
Can’t say it was a path I had plan from day one, but it’s been a fun journey!
Dustyn Bailey 12:04 PM
I feel like more people find themselves in this path in some form in our industry!
But on Ellie's point that leadership is noted when talking to employees of Blaze, how does your leadership (and others) keep your company culture alive and thriving?
Jim Hauptman 12:05 PM
Oh good question.
We take our culture very seriously. It’s definitely not a one and done kind of thing when you’re trying to build a shop where people come to work each day inspired to do their best work. That culture comes alive in little things like seltzer and kombucha on tap and electric scooters to buzz into town, to big things like the Blaze RV that can be signed out for summer camping adventures. Last year, we doubled down on our commitment to our stakeholders – which includes our staff/culture – by becoming a Certified B Corp.
It’s also about pitching the kind of work people can get behind — not everything that comes along.
John Fischer 12:09 PM
Would love to follow up on that and ask how, in a market like Maine, you balance the culture-driving work with the keep-the-lights-on work?
Dustyn Bailey 12:09 PM
That's awesome, it's great to hear that the commitment to the team is such a strong focus for the agency
Jim Hauptman 12:10 PM
Not always easy, John. We’ve very deliberately steered towards some industries (renewable energy, higher ed, to name a few) where you know the work’s for a good cause and there’s some revenue potential, as well.
Dustyn Bailey 12:12 PM
I think every agency feels that, especially as they continue to grow. The balancing act never truly goes away. But @Jim Hauptman does it get any easier?
Jim Hauptman 12:13 PM
You’re absolutely right. It never goes aways. Some things just get easier. And other things seem to get harder.
I think that’s what I love about this business. It’s always in transition.
Dustyn Bailey 12:13 PM
Same and good to know! I got more to look forward too haha
John Fischer 12:14 PM
I once heard someone say that “walking is a controlled fall,” and I feel like that 100% applies to running a marketing/branding business!
Dustyn Bailey 12:14 PM
Alright I'd love your insights on something, Jim. We have a lot of freelancers at MADE entering the market looking for work, what would be the best way for them to approach agencies like yours? (edited)
Jim Hauptman 12:14 PM
100% John!
I started out as a freelancer (copy). so this question is near/dear…
I always found the agencies receptive to requests to meet, especially if I took a minute to do a little homework before reaching out. That could have been congratulating them on a new client, saying “hi” to a new person on staff or commenting (positively!) on a new campaign I may have seen. It didn’t have to be exhaustive research, but enough to show that I was willing to put in a little effort in exchange for a few minutes of their time. That usually got me in the door and, really, those are the emails that I receive today that will elicit a reply. We’re all super busy these days and gets lots of unsolicited email. Important to remember that no one is sitting around waiting for you to write. It’s shocking how many people don’t get that and just send the same generic greeting and launch into what they do.
Dustyn Bailey 12:18 PM
That's a good insight, the way in to copywriting is not copy and paste! I know some people who need to hear some of these kinds of tips to get that first reply.
To turn it to MADE for a second, you were a past president which years?
Jim Hauptman 12:19 PM
It’s funny because I think that’s the advice we’d give to a client, but don’t necessarily take ourselves.
Dustyn Bailey 12:19 PM
Right?
Ain't that the truth!
Jim Hauptman 12:19 PM
I was president in the late 90s. Not exactly sure of the years, but a couple of them.
We were in the process of merging with the Art Directors Club.
That was the “big deal” back then.
Dustyn Bailey 12:20 PM
I'm still stitching together the history book and I have some parts of that chapter, and it certainly was!
Jim Hauptman 12:21 PM
Ask Joanie Dow about that one.
Dustyn Bailey 12:21 PM
From your historical perspective, what value do you think MADE has continued to provide over the years?
Jim Hauptman 12:21 PM
I was hoping you’d ask this!
When I moved to Maine 30+ years ago, I knew no one in the advertising industry. (Heck, I barely knew anyone in Maine!) The agency I worked for was a member of Ad Club and my first week at the agency there was a networking event – like Drinking with Strangers – and I instantly connected with a bunch of people, a few I’m still in pretty regular touch with today. I think the opportunity to connect and create community has always been a hallmark of Ad Club/MADE and is likely why it’s been around for 100 years.
Dustyn Bailey 12:24 PM
That's fantastic that you have kept connections your entire career from this organization. Are there any fun events we should consider bringing back? I heard we used to throw a Hell of a masquerade party!
Jim Hauptman 12:24 PM
Oh, this is easy — The Freelancers Ball.
Dustyn Bailey 12:25 PM
Please do tell!?
Jim Hauptman 12:25 PM
It wasn’t put on by Ad Club, per se, but you could absolutely pick up where we left off 30 years ago.
It started because the agencies in town weren’t including freelancers in their holiday parties. So, we created our own.
Dustyn Bailey 12:26 PM
Yes, I love that rebel spirit.
John Fischer 12:26 PM
Do guests charge hourly or on a day-rate?
Jim Hauptman 12:26 PM
The last one we held, which was our 5th, was at the State Theatre. There must have been 500 people there.
That’s when we kind of looked at each other and said, “Time to tap out on a high note.”
Dustyn Bailey 12:26 PM
That sounds wild!
Jim Hauptman 12:27 PM
I could tell you stories, but will save that for DWS.
Dustyn Bailey 12:27 PM
I'm happy we are more inclusive of free lancers now, but that still sounds like a blast and I love the energy to create something like that when other doors were shut!
Joel Kuschke 12:27 PM
Hey @Jim Hauptman Any work, or projects out there that are really inspiring you right now? This could be someone else's work, or something under your roof.
Dustyn Bailey 12:27 PM
Right? We'll need to do an hour AMA
Jim Hauptman 12:28 PM
Hey Joel! That’s a good question. I can tell you I was pretty underwhelmed by the Super Bowl stuff. Goes to show that big budgets don’t necessarily equal good ideas.
The Apple stuff — selective focus, recalling texts — is some of my favorite stuff out there right now because of the simplicity.
Simplicity ain’t easy.
Joel Kuschke 12:30 PM
It really isn't.
Dustyn Bailey 12:31 PM
No it's not, and I couldn't agree more about the Super Bowl
Jim Hauptman 12:31 PM
Let’s do an Ad Club workshop on making things easy!
Dustyn Bailey 12:31 PM
I do want to respect your time @Jim Hauptman so I like to ask my favorite question: if there is one thing you can tell young Jim about your career, what would it be and why?
And YES^
Jim Hauptman 12:32 PM
I doubt he’d have listened, but…
I guess I’d tell young Jim to stay true – true to yourself, true to your vision and true to what brings you joy and happiness. Sure, life definitely throws you the occasional curve ball, so staying true is sometimes easier said than done, but important to identify your north star early on in your career and, with the help of friends, family and colleagues, follow it!
Dustyn Bailey 12:34 PM
That's great advice, I know some people just starting off need to hear this from someone who has seen it all over the last 30 years!
Jim Hauptman 12:34 PM
Hopefully not “all,” but a bunch. lol
Dustyn Bailey 12:34 PM
@Jim Hauptman, thank you for taking time to answer our questions today!
Jim Hauptman 12:35 PM
Thanks, everyone. This has been fun — I just wish I typed faster. ; ) Thanks for including me in AMA!
Dustyn Bailey 12:36 PM
We all need to go back to school for our word per minute haha
Jim Hauptman 12:36 PM
Truly
Dustyn Bailey 12:36 PM
This is my 6th AMA and I still can't keep up with y'all!
But again thank you! Everyone in the @channel give a shoutout to @Jim Hauptman and you might catch him at our next event!
Thanks for joining us everyone! We'll have this on our blog soon as well so people can have these insights live on! @channel we do have our next Drinking With Strangers tomorrow 3/30 at Bunker Brewing from 5-7! If your membership is up-to-date then the first one is on us!