The BroxtenDigital Show - Episode 18: Fran Westbrooks

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/broxten-davisFollow the show on Instagram for more daily value and insights: https://www.instagram.com/thebroxtendigitalshow/In Episode 18 of The BroxtenDigital Show, I'm joined by Fran Westbrooks, founder and president of Boulevard, a Detroit creative agency he started in 2010, and the incoming president of Adcraft Detroit. Fran walked off the street into a junior copywriter seat with zero design experience, then helped build a startup shop into an extremely successful multicultural agency. We get into how he broke in, why he thinks my generation has the biggest opportunity in advertising right now, and the mindset shifts that separate the people who last from the people who burn out.This one is packed with real, actionable advice for students and young marketers: how to create your own space while you break into the industry, why "the best time to look for a job is while you have one," and the difference between being passionate as a personality trait and being passionate with a purpose. Fran also breaks down why great advertising is really just one plus one, how he reads culture, and the soft and hard skills he'd tell every young pro to lock in today.CHAPTERS0:00 Intro1:11 How Fran broke in (the non-traditional path)4:47 Breaking into advertising today: carve your own path10:23 The best time to look for a job is while you have one12:28 Building a billion-dollar multicultural agency from a startup shop16:16 Stepping into leadership (the positions came to me)20:04 The $8M deal that vanished and what it taught him22:45 Why advertising is really just one plus one26:08 Culture is life: taking the color out of culture31:36 The startups Boulevard is betting on36:51 Brands that transcend: Red Bull, Nike, and owning a feeling42:02 What he would tell his 22-year-old self44:15 Rapid fire round51:51 Wrap upConnect with Fran:LinkedIn (AdFran): https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-westbrooks-3209265/Boulevard: https://boulevarddetroit.comAdcraft Detroit: https://www.adcraft.orgSubscribe to get more actionable advice from the best in advertising & marketing!#DigitalMarketingPodcast #AdvertisingPodcast #YoungProfessionals #MarketingPodcast