Martin Manuel
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This is where I should to tell you what I am or what it is that I do. A job title that neatly bundles my life's work into a small, easily digestible package. The department, maybe, where my cubicle is squarely situated. My peg, perhaps, that fits into a creative or technical hole.
Believe me, if my story could be contained within a nifty little job title, an adequate peg, I would oblige conventional wisdom and you would see it writ large below--even over--my name. But the truth is, I am a Swiss Army knife. Not a brand new one with a clean factory finish, but a multi-tool with a soul, a decade in the trenches. Seasoned, tried and true. Five years ago, I'd be referred to as a jack-of-all-trades. In an industry where aptitude was measured by blinding focus on emerging technologies, my mixed bag wasn't very popular. But as fragmentation settles in and mobile and social platforms dominate screens everywhere, media must integrate and communications must pervade all channels. Now, people call me a generalist, and the stigma of broad experience has been shed. I'm proud to say that I know lots of stuff about many things. Since 1999, I've been producing creative solutions of all kinds, but mostly interactive. All flavors of interactive media including, rich media experiences, database-driven enterprise solutions, content management and online business models. I also bring a slew of supplemental experience to the table. For instance, for years I produced print and broadcast advertising so brand messaging and production know-how are familiar territory. Also, I'm a trained designer which gives me eye for effective art direction, interface design and composition. Finally, I'm a writer and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. So please forgive me for not offering a simple concise answer to what I do. My career has taken the path less traveled, but the wisdom I've gathered along the way isn't available anywhere else. Ask my clients what I do, and they'll tell you that I make things happen. And it's the breadth of my expertise combined with my fearless attitude that makes me who I am. |
"Generalists have made a career out of jumping from one silo to the next...Usually, it's the generalists who can get things done. They know where to turn for answers. More important, they understand the unspoken system of how things get done."
- Alex Bogusky & John Winsor, from Baked In .................. "If you're a linchpin...able to make a difference, how do you get a job in a world filled with me-too resumes...you don't. You wont often persuade the standardized HR system to make an exception. A better plan: find a company that understands the value of the linchpin...a company that hires people, not paper." - Seth Godin, from Linchpin |