Reflections on my millionth meeting.

I have been keeping track since I started in the agency business in December, 1984. Keeping track by marking down with little scratches in a little notebook how many client meetings and client phone calls and client drinks and client dinners I have attended.

I mark down each meeting, filling page after page. When a page is black or blue (as I am black and blue) with ink, I tabulate the total for that page. After filling ten spreads, I tabulate that total. It is written and it is sealed. And after 100 spreads I tabulate that total.

Yesterday I tabulated and totalled.

It hit me. I had my millionth client meeting.

Just since March.

We took the train down. It's faster than a cab. And it suits perfectly the low-wage workers we have become.

We schlepped into the urinated swelter of the old Independent subway line.

We scooted past the derelict, the homeless, the deranged and worst of all, the tourists.

We made it past the security desk.

We made it past another security desk.

To my one-millionth client meeting.

Just since March.

There's never a shortage of article and comments about the decay of "creative" in our industry. In point of fact, over the last four decades, creative has never been as good as it used to be. It never was.

But there's one sure way to improve creative.

It's not better briefs.

Or bigger budgets.

Or even more time.

It's simpler than any of those things, and therefore more impossible.

If you're a client, say 'thank you.'

It's been a million meetings.

Just since March.

It would do me good to hear it.