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How to Succeed By Really Trying
By Michelle Lodge
The most poignant — and valuable — message sometimes comes as a swift kick in the right direction, Linda Kaplan Thaler learned early in her career. Case in point: While studying composition with Mario Davidovsky, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and pioneer in electronic music, the maestro offered this advice about Linda’s prospects for creating his style of music: “You cannot do this,” he said. “But you are very, very good at writing jingles.”Naturally, Linda was surprised, and even offended, by her teacher’s no-frills assessment. But, on reflection, she saw the wisdom in his words and sprang into action. She has never looked back. Today she is the CEO and chief creative officer of the Kaplan Thaler Group, a billion-dollar, award-winning advertising and entertainment company. She is responsible for jingles that are instantly recognizable, such as “I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys‘R’Us kid” and other ad campaigns like “Kodak Moments” and the Aflac duck, whose insistent squawk is heard around the world. She or her firm (or both) have won numerous accolades, including 13 Clio advertising awards, and she has co-authored three books with Kaplan Thaler Group President Robin Koval — The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness; The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference; and Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World.
Linda is also the wife of composer Fred Thaler, the mother of teenagers Emily and Michael and the caretaker of Mohawk the pet cockatoo. Now, she has added another title to her burgeoning résumé: NYWICI’s president for the 2010-2011 year.
That’s good news for NYWICI, because as leader, Linda will bring her considerable energy, talent and connections, and her sense of business, and put them to work in the service of the organization. Specifically, Linda plans to use her platform to raise NYWICI’s profile, create innovative ways to drive membership and continue to tap Matrix winners and their networks to promote NYWICI and its members.
As a CEO in the hard-hit advertising field and a woman who employs some 200 workers, Linda is sensitive to what members may be going through in these dodgy times. She offers these tips to members, culled from her own experience, both personal and professional.
- LET GO OF FEAR “When you accept that you may fail, you can accomplish anything. Fear can be so debilitating,” she said. “Every day I’m faced with difficult decisions, but losing the fear helps me make the right choices.”
- BE NICE TO EVERYONE This is a habit instilled by Linda’s mother. “As someone who grew up in the Bronx, I certainly learned my share of four-letter words, but none are more powerful than nice. It is scientifically proven that nice people live longer, make more money and are happier.”
- START SMALL “Getting a job in this economy can be a daunting and overwhelming task. Take baby steps and focus on the pixels instead of the big picture. Rather than saying, ‘I have to find a job tomorrow,’ say, ‘I’m going to call three people I know who may be able to help me.’ The next day, focus on improving your resume.”
- STAY PRIMED FOR ACTION “We have always been a very lean and nimble company— something that is vital in today’s economic climate. When the financial tsunami began, we set a very simple but powerful goal for our company: to be the very best part of our clients’ day, every single day.”
- COLLABORATE WITH GUSTO “No one succeeds alone. As Harry Truman once said, ‘It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit.’ By sharing the credit, you inspire people to do their very best and to take tremendous pride in their work. Everyone wins.”
- THANK PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT WORK FOR THEM “We did simple things like taking over an ice cream truck on a hot summer day so our people could have free treats. It was a small and simple gesture, yet it spoke volumes about how much we appreciated how hard everyone was working. And it sure helped when we needed folks to come in on a weekend in August!”
- HANG OUT WITH LOVED ONES Family is important to Linda: Her parents are her mentors and her husband, a sometimes collaborator. “On the weekends, I like to cook pancakes for my family and spend time with them.”
- TREAT YOURSELF AND TREAT YOURSELF WELL “Daily exercise gives me the energy I need and helps me process my thoughts,” she said. “It relieves stress and, given that I love chocolate and cheddar cheese, it’s a real must for me.” Linda’s most poignant advice may be to stay open to new paths and opportunities, especially as the communication industries take their own baby steps in recovery. Linda certainly demonstrated that trait herself when she took her teacher’s words to heart and set out in a fresh direction. “The truth doesn’t always hurt,” she concluded. “It can set you free to succeed.”
Michelle Lodge is a writer and editor, and the editor of NYWICI Now, NYWICI's monthly online newsletter. This article was first published in NYWICI’s print newsletter CONNECT, Spring 2010.
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