What We Learned at the 1stFive Intern Reception -- Bryan Bumgardner

By Guest Writer 1stFive Archives

On July 23 more than 300 members of the 1stFive community filled the offices of OMD North America headquarters for the organization's second annual summer intern reception, hosted by OMD CEO U.S.A. Monica Karo. The event kicked off with a keynote from Kay Koplovitz, Founder of USA Network and Chairman of Springboard Enterprises, followed by breakout sessions led by David Moore, Chairman of Xaxis and President of WPP Digital, Anne Hubert, Senior Vice President of Scratch at Viacom, Katherine Shappley, Head of U.S. Agency at Facebook, and Sydney Fulkerson, Marketing Manager at IMC and author of "The Coffee Run." In Part Two of this five-part series, attendee Bryan Bumgardner shares his thoughts and observations.

In Part Two of this five-part series, attendee Bryan Bumgardner reveals what he learned from Anne Hubert (pictured above).

Innovation is hard. Innovating in media is even harder. The rules of the game change almost daily. That's why Anne Hubert spoke to us about entrepreneurial innovation in traditional media.

It seems you can't talk about innovation without talking about Millennials or Internet natives. "A lot of people who are a little bit older than you are very confused by you," she told the mostly Millennial audience. Hubert made her name at Scratch driving internal innovation to help Viacom adapt and appeal to that burgeoning demographic.

She dropped a few "nuggets" of knowledge as to how young people can succeed in a changing workplace:

1. Don't be so concerned about who you're going to be when you "grow up."

Hubert originally wanted to be a dancer. Then she worked for a U.S. Senator. Then she got her JD from Harvard. Now she's running an internal innovation department at a major media company. The point? Chase what inspires you, even if that changes. "I have followed my gut in a series of really small decisions or moments," she said. "It was like, 'This is what makes me come alive. I gotta do more of that!'" The rest will follow. You might not end up where you expected, but you'll end up where you belong. Follow your heart.

2. Say "Yes."

If you're an intern, say yes to any offers you get. Get an offer to do work that isn't necessarily in your department? Take it! Get asked to do something you don't actually know how to do? Perfect -- just make sure it's a learning experience. You might find what you love to do or what you hate to do, but both are useful. "Say yes even when it doesn't really sound like your job," Hubert advised. "You need to figure out where you get satisfaction." Sometimes Millennials can find themselves disappointed with the work they're doing because it isn't what they expected. Doing work outside of your comfort zone will help you grow and help you understand where you belong. On that same note...

3. Try different things.

Hubert worked for a consulting group, a U.S. Senator, earned an MBA and a JD before coming to Viacom. All those experiences synthesized into who she is now. "I got real into what this thing called 'the web' was going to do," Hubert recalled. "I wanted to make a difference."

Bryan Bumgardner is a master's student in Data Journalism at the University of Missouri. His passions include big data, management theory and Thaitakeout. Check out his blog at bryanbumgardner.com.

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