Mike W, 62
Impatient. Loving. Active.
“ My future self is a blend of the marketing creative guy and the husband, groundskeeper, & grandfather role.
The plan is to feed all the parts that make up the whole and hopefully maintain that balance that makes you feel healthier both mentally and physically.”
✨ Twinsight: This is one of our longer profiles but for good reason. Mike exhibits a level of thoughtfulness and consideration in his responses that is powerful and full of wisdom. He has reached a point where he understands and accepts what he can achieve, focusing intently on the aspects of his life that matter most.
A huge source of inspiration for us is his dedication to his family, particularly his grandchildren, and his support for his wife's business. This commitment not only highlights his role as a family man but also underscores the values he holds dear.
What truly stands out about Mike is how he articulates his life lessons. He has learned to value a balanced approach to life, understanding the importance of not just personal growth but also the well-being of those around him.
How old are you and how do you feel about this age? Do you feel old or young for your age?
A: In December this year (2023) I will be 62 years old. Everyone has perceptions about what it will be like to be in your 60’s, I frankly feel the same now as I did 10/15 years ago. I think that is somewhat determined by the fact that I am fortunate not to have faced any major health issues, making the sense of continuity in my everyday life seem real. Living an active life certainly helps you forget about what age you are, after all, as the saying goes – it’s not how old you are, it’s how old you feel.
Three words that describe you.
Impatient. Loving. Active.
What’s one life lesson that you wish you had known earlier?
Don’t listen to doubt. It’s very persuasive.
What’s your message to the world?
A: Get over yourself. Birth from within any country or religion does not make you better than anyone else. No one is born hating anything. But as we grow, nationalism and/or religion soon change that. Our past and present is full of politicians and theologians, from across a wide range of cultures and religions, fermenting conflict in the name of a God or Nation, to selfishly benefit from the destruction/chaos caused. This should be proof enough that people, as a species, really need to self-reflect and recognise that that which divides us is nothing but personal agendas at play by those who crave power.
What sparks your joy these days?
A: I think that Joy comes from balance. Marketing is a business that will take every hour of your life if you don’t draw the boundaries. 10 years ago, I made one of the biggest and healthiest decisions of my life. Having lived in Toronto for 25 years, we moved to a 44-acre property in the countryside, NE of Guelph. We called the property Nonamé Lodge – because my Wife wanted to give it a name, but we couldn’t agree on one. About 37 acres of the acreage is forest with trails. There is also a river running through the property with a healthy dose of Beavers and we have a 1.5-acre pond where you can fish and canoe and swim. I took up bee keeping and forestry. I have learned to use my chainsaw mill to help build wooden structures with wood harvested from our own property. Something I would never have attempted in my previous existence.
My Wife is a horticulturalist and we have spent many years creating a wildlife friendly, pesticide free environment that has been recognised as a certified Wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and a waystation for endangered Monarch Butterflies – this year we raised and released over 30. She also makes artisan soaps, creating each recipe from scratch. Watching as demand for her soaps has grown over the years has been truly amazing. Her soaps sell in shops around the area including in Guelph and Elora and we created a facebook page to market them.
Beautiful and unique artisan soaps - Each one is a recipe created from scratch. Mike shown with his wife, Christina and their grandchildren.
I have never regretted a single day of moving outside the big smoke.
Being a Grandad is also an ongoing source of joy. I have two grandsons, aged 10 and 2. My wife and I have been raising the 10-year-old fulltime for the last 4 years. He has a rare genetic syndrome called 16p11.2 deletion and a second condition called Chiari Malformation. He is a wonderful little boy and has added a whole side to my life that I thought was over once my own kids left home many years ago. The syndrome is so rare and with so little information available, that my Wife started a facebook page to help inform anyone who might know someone who also deals with this syndrome. The response to it has been wonderful.
All of these things provide that balance to my marketing work and life is just better that way. I think I am very fortunate, many burn out long before.
Have you experienced ageism? Either at work or in general?
A: As the owner of my own company, I have, over the last 20 years, been shielded somewhat from any ageism. But it exists. Not many creative people from my era are still in the business in any capacity other than freelance or owner. It has always been described, especially on the creative side – as a young person’s business – I think younger people play an invaluable part in keeping creativity alive and kicking, but age is not a determinate of the ability to have an idea, and ideas define marketing. Since I have left the ‘safety’ of being an established agency owner, the way I look has certainly become more of an issue. As you can see from my picture, I look a bit like a slimmed down Santa. I have sensed a more hesitant reaction from potential clients, especially if they have never met me before and do not know my marketing experience. I had a potential client meet me for the first time via Zoom and I heard her say ‘woah’ when I first appeared on screen. I had to smile. These things are of course exacerbated when the person meeting me is much younger than I am, which of course they nearly all are.
I think there are assumptions made when clients consider using ‘older’ creative people – namely that they are expensive and potentially out of touch with younger target audiences. Neither is automatically true. Invariably, what is not considered are the intangibles that experienced people bring with them – the ability to know the difference between an idea and an execution (too many ads are just executions without an idea), the ability to oversee a project efficiently, talk to clients in a way that breeds confidence and harvest long-time relationships with production people, so that part of a project runs smoothly, on time and on budget.
What’s next for you? What does your future-self look like?
A: I was bought out of the agency I co-founded – Barrett and Welsh - at the end of 2022. I had led the agency for the last 20 years as an owner and as the Chief Creative officer. I still enjoy the creative process, so I launched a new company after I left called Another Fine Mess – https://www.anotherfinemess.ca/ It’s a simple business model. I work out of my home, but I have available to me a whole slew of experienced marketing people – many are those I have known for 10 – 20 years - who I can bring onboard depending on the requirements of any particular project.
My future self is a blend of the marketing creative guy and the husband/grounds keeper/grandfather. The plan is to feed all the parts that make up the whole and hopefully maintain that balance that makes you feel healthier both mentally and physically. Ultimately, I will put all my energy into this wonderful property we live on, my Wife’s soap business and my family. I’ve spent a lot of time in marketing and that will be the best reward.
Please talk about any regrets you’ve had. Talk about any major challenges? Or hiccups along the way?
A: Regrets generally come in two forms – personal and professional – everyone to one extent or another has experienced both. From the professional perspective I have faced a few challenges and have a few regrets. The biggest challenge I had was moving countries and trying to make a life here in Canada. I came from the UK a little later in life than some – I was 27 when I arrived. I started work in Toronto at Maclaren, which in those days was a wholly Canadian entity. At the back end of my time there it became Maclaren:Lintas. In all honesty my plan was to be in Canada for 2 years and then go back. But the agency kept paying me and I was really enjoying what I was doing, even if I didn’t really understand what being an art director entailed. I literally had no training.
It was quite surprising to me how different Canadians were to where I was from. Even though we sort of spoke the same language, the culture was very different. I remember being on the Subway and experiencing for the first time, not being the cultural majority. It wasn’t that it bothered me, but it was unexpected. I think that just showed my lack of knowledge and naivety about Canada. I should have been better prepared. In my first agency, I wish I had spent more time mining the brains of the great creative people I was surrounded by. I knew nothing, and it was like having the creative bible at my fingertips. An opportunity missed.
I wish I had better understood the importance of a balanced life when I was younger. For too many years I allowed this business to lead me, instead of doing the opposite. Advertising has been responsible for some absolutely wonderful highs and also some miserable lows _ it would have been nice to eliminate some of the lows. There were things I wish I had done differently while a co-owner of my own agency, times I should have spoken a little louder and times I should have taken a different approach – but I’m sure all owners have their version of that.
Overall, it’s been a wonderful career.