After a 37 year-old copywriter is laid off from a large ad-agency in 2008, he starts a blog for other unemployed ad professionals. Once the site launched, he decided to create a promotional video featuring the faces and stories of other laid-off execs.
Being in the ad industry, I had heard about this documentary a while ago but only just got around to watching it. It's only 35 minutes, very well put together, and super interesting. There were tons of layoffs within ad agencies during the past year/year and a half - I was fortunate enough to keep my job and escape the rounds. Or I at least think I was lucky? This documentary really portrays being laid off as a liberating experience, a push to start doing what you really want to do. And I've seen it within my own group of friends - during a few months in between jobs my friend Kevin who has always painted got back at it and now has a side business doing art (which is kicking ass), and my friend Misa started a delicious gourmet food truck and has been asked to cater Matt Groening's bday and the set of The Office.
I like my job, but the doc really made me question my ambitions and passions. I had a very different idea of how I would be taking over the world back in college - those all got put in (a sad, albeit less naive) place with the constricting realities of a 9-7 job, bills, limited PTO, etc. I definitely think I have less ambition than 3 years ago. What a depressing thing to have happened. eff.
But then again it doesn't have to be like that. This documentary although brilliant doesn't really tell you anything you haven't heard before. In fact, the core message - that you should do what you absolutely love - is old news. The last place you probably heard it was at your college commencement. Just look at Steve Job's speech to Stanford, or Conan's key note speech to Harvard. I'm pretty sure Karim said something similar at my commencement (although honestly the only thing I remember him saying was his parting words to rent the movie Airplane in which he stars. oh funnyman Karim). People kinda stop telling you inspirational things as you get older - Lemonade is like a mid-life commencement speech, reminding you that you're not stuck.
Visit the blog that started it all here.
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Hey, awesome video! Also applicable to those who may not have yet been laid off, but sometimes wish they had been. Now, just need to figure out my own talents to start a business...
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