Strands of Genius: Jay Bawar + What Does Caring Mean?
Strands of Genius: Jay Bawar + What Does Caring Mean?
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
This report outlines a new framing strategy that can do just this: the frame of Collective Caregiving. This strategy emerges from three years of in-depth research that FrameWorks Institute has conducted in partnership with Leading for Kids and other children’s advocates. The Collective Caregiving frame leverages the assumption that care is central for children while stretching and redefining what care is—who does it, what it requires, and what it can yield. The strategy characterizes care as collective (it’s something we do as a society), inclusive (it’s something we must extend to all children, across race, background, and other identities), and expansive (it shows up in every decision we make about all social issues). The strategy provides a way to articulate a positive vision of a future in which our society has a fundamentally different relationship with children and families—a future in which we take care of all children, address the current reality of uneven collective caregiving, and consider the wellbeing of children and families in all of our collective decisions and policymaking.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
JAY BAWAR, COPYWRITER @ ZULU ALPHA KILO
>> Jay Bawar guest curated Strands on September 19th 2024. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
As a junior writer in the ad industry, most of my time is spent staring at the blinking cursor on blank google docs page. Previous to this I was an account manager at a big Canadian bank.
What excites you most about what you do?
Getting paid to be myself. Also the locally sourced cheese sticks in our lunch room.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
My approach is to be honest and prolific. People will always connect to a true insight. And the more true insights you can find, the closer you can get to truly great work.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
We're doing a massive rebrand of one Canada's largest grocery companies. I don't know if I can talk about it more than that. Wait what's that red laser on my forehead?
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
As the kid of 1st generation Canadians, diversity is pretty important to me. Especially when it comes to opening the advertising doors for BIPOC. Having a diverse agency means more honest and direct moments to breakthrough in the work. Canada is a diverse nation and if you're agency doesn't reflect that, you're screwing up.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
Burnout comes for us all. I try my best to avoid it by staying super productive during the work day and keeping organized. A Wim Hoff Cold shower in the morning if I really need a push.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I love seeing the creativity on display over at TikTok. A long walk is where I find a lot of my inspo.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
"Luck is when opportunity meets hard work." Jason Bagley is such a great teacher.
You can keep in touch with Jay on LinkedIn.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie | your friends over at geniussteals.co
(still want more? @faris is still “tweeting” while @rosieyakob prefers instagram stories)