The World That Greg Daake Lives In
“We are not normal people. Normal people create problems.”
Greg Daake shared this quip with a spirited group of area college students during Meet The Pros 2024. He offered many ideas intended for his audience to consider and embrace during the event opening keynote address.
Living and working remotely from a skyscraper in the Windy City, amidst Chicago’s cultural center, fits the desired lifestyle for Greg and Lisa Daake. Nine of his employees work in Omaha, one works remotely from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a staff member lives in Memphis, Tennessee.
As Creative Director and Principal at Daake, he runs a creative branding agency. In his freetime, he does stand up comedy.
“My best work is 10 years from now. The theme is patience and persistence in this career.” It seems that in sharing with the crowd this idea that they will carry the torch in this field, there is both opportunity and responsibility reflected.
Daake freely admits that he has lived a storied past, as he whittled down 5000 journal entries to 750 that premiered in his second book Who Do You Think You Are. Participants received a free copy by signing up online, for shipping directly to their home or dorm address from Amazon.
An impact statement shared is that Meet The Pros has been held annually for 63 years, a longer run than the hard-charging Super Bowl series founded in 1966 (58 years).
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“If I would start over my 30 year career, I would write every single day. Writing edits your thoughts.”
Daake lives and breathes by the MAYA principle – pitching the most advanced but acceptable idea to his clients, also known as pushing the envelope. “Move the needle just past where the client is comfortable.”
“Art and commerce have never got along since Michaelangelo” which speaks to his philosophy of work.
“Design with business objectives and be aware that clients are a mystery.” He urged the college students to be specific with their future clients to help them be more specific with you!
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In high school, the confession by his art teacher that he was a graphic designer first, before teaching, opened up the world of design to Daake, who was hooked. Years later, his business was started in 2001 from a rented Dundee neighborhood duplex. He remembers that he had $300.00 in the bank.
1. One reality is that a title saying you are in charge is not required to be a leader.
2. Good clients are magical. I want to participate in what clients don’t understand.
3. Sending thank you notes is irreplaceable.
4. Have a point of view.
5. Trust takes a million great things before you can say trust me. It takes a drop of trust and can be lost in a moment.
6. Brands are created not launched.
7. Work for the people you want to become.
8. Be attracted to people with big ideas, possibilities, power. It gives you permission to be the same way in your career.
9. The secret is to promise a lot and deliver even more.
10. Serendipitous moments can create a career breakthrough.
11. When you have a chance to do a job property, let it rip.
12. All of this is magic to me. My personal curse.
13. There’s no substitute for industriousness and enthusiasm. Are you a good teammate and partner? I want to work with people that I would like to go with on a four-hour road trip.
Daake reminded his crowd that the win is in the work and to argue for what you stand for, along with the discipline to create. An aha moment he offered is that it is better to be a specialist than a generalist.
“People who make a difference do not wait for the perfect time.”
At the end of the day, whether it be a joke, stories, or a one liner, he offered his audience wisdom earned and honed from 30 years of experience. Daake can be reached at gdaake@daake.com.
