A Primer on Controlling Your Client Base with Effective New Business

A two-hour pre-conference workshop for the "Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference" in New York city (held every two years). More on the Gain conference here.

Serving Clients Well: Making the Most of the Account Service Role

This webinar will overview the essential things to know in serving clients well as a marketing firm. We'll start with a clear understanding of the control each party brings to the relationship, how to shape your role for increased effectiveness, the essence of your job description, a summary of how your clients wish you would serve them, and growing existing accounts as your focus switches from service to expertise. We'll finish with 15 minutes of Q+A to help apply this to your situation specifically. This webinar features David C. Baker, and is sponsored by Function Fox. To register, click here.

Managing (Right) for the First Time

This is a presentation based on the book by the same title (published by RockBench in the third quarter of 2008, by David C. Baker). It has been researched and developed for first time managers of any type, any level. We'll look at who managers are and how to become one, whether or not you were promoted for the right reason, how to start off right, what you'll discover early on, and understanding the different kinds of managers. We'll also examine how to be effective by assembling the right team, being the kind of leader others want to follow, and how to take advantage of your own management style. Finally, we'll explain the transitions you'll want to make to be effective. This seminar is held at the annual HOW conference in Boston.

Advice to the Young Creative

For the annual HOW conference, this presentation has been researched and developed for those who are managed. Specifically, you’ve finished school and landed your first real job in the field you’ve dreamed about. To date, most of your energy and money have been spent on developing the “craft” side, but what else will you need to succeed in this field? What kind of employees are managers looking for? How do you stand out (in the right way)? Are there some things you could do that will make it more likely that you’ll enjoy a long, rewarding career? Learn how to impact an organization so that you're valued and respected, how to approach your career with balance so that you don’t burn out, and how to be the sort of employee that a great manager wants to keep around.

In-House Innovation: Discover the Keys to Building and Running a Top Notch In-House Department

Presentation to the annual ECPA Publishing Conference, helping to debut the in-house business track. Session will focus on how to develop, maintain, and encourage a culture of design and innovation; how to get the beset work from your creative department (in-house and outsourced); and the keys to building and running a top notch department.

Live Agency Review

ReCourses is the co-founder, along with HOW, of the Mind Your Own Business Conference (MYOB), a unique 4-day retreat for creative-business professionals. This session will allow the audience to see deeply inside a volunteer firm, as they learn about themselves for the first time, too--in front of the audience.

Structuring Roles

ReCourses is the co-founder, along with HOW, of the Mind Your Own Business Conference (MYOB), a unique 4-day retreat for creative-business professionals. This session will focus on how to structure roles within a creative agency.

What's NEXT If Design is to be accepted among Professional Services?

Affinity session presented at a gathering of 2,500 deisgners in Denver, CO. “Next: AIGA Design Conference” focuses on what is coming next for design, designers, education and society. It is intended to look at what is happening at the forward edges of design, in all its dimensions.

Managing a PR Firm Like a Business

All day keynote presentation to the annual PRGN conference in San Francisco. PRGN (Public Relations Global Network) is an organization of 31 member agencies with more than 50 offices in the United States, Central America, South America, Europe, Canada, the Pacific Rim, South Asia, and the Caribbean.

Commencement Address, CCAD

Commencement address for the Columbus College of Art and Design, in Columbus, OH, at 10:30a.