Episode Details

In this episode we meet Ram Castillo.

Ram is an award-winning Design Director, Author, Blogger, top-ranking Podcaster and international Speaker.

For 13+ years he's been working for global agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, DDB, JWT and McCann Worldgroup on clients such as Audi, McDonald's, Qantas, Coca-Cola, Telstra, Google and The Louis Vuitton Group.

He is the author of two best selling books and has been featured in HOW magazine, Herman Miller, deFrost*, AIGA.org and Apple.

Since 2012, he's been providing expert advice for emerging designers and creatives to be employed, and those that are established – to reach their next level, via GiantThinkers.com and has recently launched Unrushed Experiences.

• In this episode we talk about:
• • How creatives are different and what you need to do to motivate them and make them maximally effective
  • How to accelerate your career as a creative or not
  • Thinking Big

ADVICE FROM HIS MOTHER & ACCELERATING YOUR CAREER AND GROWTH

she just put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Look, whatever you want to do, just remember to dream big. Dream really, really big."

I remember going back from my first USA speaking tour, when I launched my first book, How To Get a Job as a Designer. When I got back, the first thing she said to me ... and I was gone for three months ... And she hadn't seen me. So the folks came and greeted me at the airport. But she said, "how does it feel? How does it feel climbing up that mountain?" And I said, "feels pretty good, Mum." And she said, "Well, make sure you come back down and share to everyone what you found."

This the best way in; to get your foot in the door, and the principle I've really applied is in order to take a forward step sometimes you really need to take a side step. And I've been taking many side steps.

Patience. In a world where it can feel like we're not getting anywhere. I have been embedded, through my parents, that belief that you should really take your time and enjoy what it is you need to learn at this moment. Someone once told me that although it might be a painful experience ... or maybe painful might be a bit extreme of a word ... but you want something so bad. One of my mentor's once told me that maybe you're not moving forward because you've not learnt a lesson you're meant to learn yet. And that's something that's really stuck by me; enjoying what you really need to learn, even if it's uncomfortable, even if it makes you sort of squeamish or gives you anxiety, because ... The way my Mum put it was, look at all the great masterpieces in the world. They were all carved from some block of stone or solid nothingness. And could you imagine if we are that thing. Could you imagine how painful those chips are? Being carved into masterpieces? We're getting chipped away.

And I know that might seem very broad strokes, top-line but it is really these guiding principles that I've been able to really adopt and embrace. On a hyper-practical level, I just work my arse off, mate. I really, really do.

I think when I say work hard, I mean, like, when you feel ... it's the old Schwarzenegger thing, isn't it? It's like Pumping Iron, where he said, when you think you've got nothing left in the tank, it's the extra three reps that actually get you from good to great. Or average to champion.

I also value relationships, and I think that has grown into equity in itself

Education, so it's important because some people are like, "do I need a Bachelor's degree?" Well, from my experience in design specifically ... but again, transferrable principles ... resear