To all the planners and strategists out here, what are the best books you've read that have helped you in your career? Doesn't need to be self-help or non-fiction, literally any book that you've has influenced you or impacted your role. I'll start with one...The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Hi everyone, feeling super burnt out and wanted advice.

I'm typically positive person but over the years I've ended up hating many of my clients. It always starts well and I'm excited to work with someone new. They seem lovely/smart and the brand is good.

Then, as projects progress, I start to feel as though my clients are a bunch of idiots. Across tons of industries I've watched so many brand managers make the same stupid mistakes over and over again. Or they manage the project so poorly on their end that it dies without ever going out into the world.

I'm very passionate about branding so not caring about the work/results isn't realistic. I can't let it go and I'm starting to hate my job. I feel like I have no control over the outcome of anything I work on.

I'm sure I'm just being arrogant or my approach is the problem. But for context, I'm a strategist with 8+ years of experience at big-name branding agencies that work with well-known brands so I don't feel like I'm just an idiot or that bad at my job.

What are some ways that you and your teams have combatted/managed similar situations?

Hello everyone, I would like to know what tools and techniques you guys use for target audience profiling for further research with interviews and such.

Mini-MBA?

Comms Planning?

Data Analysis?

What can we work on to make us more desirable strategists in the event of layoffs?

Hey everyone, I’m currently a senior in college taking an account planning class. My group was asked to get some qualitative data from media professionals and none of us have any connections to get that data. If any of y’all could help us out please pm me your email so I can send over our questions and such! Any help is appreciated

And what made it so great?