Strands of Genius: How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Marcus Collins, Ellie's Crew 4 the Cure

Guest curated by Leighann Farrelly

Apr 22, 2021

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, LEIGHANN FARRELLY ::

LOCATION: NYC
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: VMG

"Drinker of cocktails, wearer of hats & climber of mountains"...cheeky little summary I use for social profiles but, while true, doesn't touch on my career or what keeps me engaged during the day, which could be summarized in kind: creator of things, galvanizer of people, producer of experiences, raiser of funds...depending on the day. In short, I work in advertising and am currently founding a start-up, boutique agency called VMG, with some really dope people. My title (do people care about those anymore?!) is officially Vice President of Client Service, but in a start-up, you do all things, wear all that hats, all the time - so my day-to-day is part strategy, part creative, part operations and part making sure we're putting our clients in the best possible position for success. That's how I met Rosie, when she was first dating Faris, and we both worked at 360i - my first 'real' job in advertising. I remembered being fascinated by Rosie's process and her ways of thinking, so I am thrilled that we are still in touch and that she’s asked me to curate this edition of Strands of Genius.

Editor’s Note (Rosie): Whether we're in a corporate setting, or running into each other on the way to Burning Man, Leighann is one of those people who always brings a smile to my face. Thanks so much for your guest curation, Leighann!

:: THE LINKS ::

HOW GREAT LEADERS INSPIRE ACTION

Simon Sinek's TedTalk from May 2010 blew my mind when I first watched it. Colloquially known as "Start with Why," the simple premise that brands, and even people, should begin with, and lead with, their 'why' for doing what they do, rather than product attributes or use cases or cost, is a lesson I've come back to over and over, personally and professionally. A seemingly simple framework with complex implications, I think it forces people to think beyond the surface of what they're offering, and find what really connects and resonates on a human level. With my campaign for Woman of The Year and fundraising efforts for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it helped shaped how I talk about what I'm doing, and has opened up a world of connection with people willing to share their own stories about how they, or someone they love, has been affected by cancer. (TED)

MARCUS COLLINS - CULTURAL STRATEGIST & KEYNOTE SPEAKER

If you don't know who Marcus Collins is, here you are - you're welcome. I met Marcus in 2012, working on State Farm at Translation and was really struggling with the idea that 'I work in advertising.' I was fairly new to the industry, and just wasn't sure it was for me.
Coming to work for Marcus every day changed all that - he looked at advertising as this creative, ever-changing vehicle of culture, he could nerd out all day about the nuances of language and the implications of how you frame a brand's story - he sought to connect through this medium, and it showed. Watching his career explode over the last 9+ years has been a great source of inspiration, and an example of what's possible when you do something you care about and have a deep curiosity to learn.
What really strikes me is his sheer enthusiasm and genuine, passionate interest in the art of it all (which you don't really see all that often), and the manner in which he approaches it is uniquely him - he brings his own personality to the work, and encourages others to do the same. For example, Marcus would present a deck to clients, and had this thing about dropping in specific stuff that he admired, thought was cool or was just really digging at the time: J.Crew, Frank Ocean and, his favorite: Detroit, his hometown. And every time he mentioned the city, during a presentation, he would say, "Detroit...holla" and then carry right on with the deck. I'll never forget that, because it was this big flashing signal that said: you can be yourself, you bring your own personality and approach to this work, and you can be good at it.
Check out his site - my favorite part? Under "Words" there is a content series called, "Check The Rhyme," where Marcus analyzes lyrics from rap, R&B and Hip Hop artists, in the context of marketing, communications and branding. It's brilliant, insightful and...uniquely Marcus. (MarcToTheC)

ELLIE’S CREW 4 THE CURE

Giving back and making an impact on causes I care about, outside of my day-to-day and my career, has always been a thread in my life. So when The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society nominated me for 2021 Woman of The Year, a ten-week philanthropic competition to see who can raise the most money for cancer research, I accepted without a second thought, and started "Ellie’s Crew 4 The Cure," an amazing group of friends, family and colleagues who are passionate about finding a cure for cancer! Together, we have embarked on an initiative to raise $500,000 by June 2.
Taking a page from Simon Sinek, here's my 'why' for doing this work: I was inspired to this cause because it is quite personal to me, as I lost my beloved grandmother to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma when I was in high school. She came to live with us after her diagnosis. We turned our dining room into her bedroom, and we cared for her and loved her every day, until the time came when her condition worsened, requiring acute medical attention that only a team of doctors and nurses could provide. She passed away at just 70 years old. Sadly, I am sure we all know someone who has battled cancer and personally felt the effects of these devastating illnesses.
Fundraising ain't easy - especially in a pandemic, when businesses are hurting and individuals often aren't in a position to give, but we're definitely giving it our all. If this is also a cause that speaks to you, hit me up! There's a myriad of ways to get involved or show support for the campaign. I know it's cliche, but its true - every little bit does really help. (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)

Looking for more from Leighann Farrelly? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from her in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: An amazing card game called Shithead, taught to me on a camping trip by my friend Carly. If you like card games that require a bit of strategy and you've mastered the art of heckling your fellow players, this is the game for you!

:: City :: East Coast: NYC, West Coast: San Francisco. Europe: Brussels. India: Rishikesh

:: Book :: Fiction: A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara & Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Non-Fiction: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou & The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer

:: Podcast :: The Rachel Maddow Show, or The Gary Vee Audio Experience

:: Album :: Give Up -The Postal Service

:: CLIMBER OF MOUNTAINS ::

Climber of Mountains is not jus a funny quip - For my 40th birthday, I embarked on a solo trip to Africa and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

"Share what you know. Learn what you don't. Document EVERYTHING."

Leighann Farrelly

leighannfarrelly@gmail.com

Strands of Genius is currently read by 12,000 subscribers. Support us by sponsoring an issue, becoming a member of The School of Stolen Genius or encouraging friends or colleagues to subscribe.

It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

Strands of Genius