Dear Regret. Not This Time.

This past week, our team did something that every agency knows is equal parts exciting and terrifying. We pitched for a major client.

Weeks of strategy, countless revisions, and working through the weekend. We walked into the room knowing there were other incredibly talented agencies competing for the same opportunity.

And now? We wait.

Before we walked in, I told the team something that I genuinely believe:

Win or lose, what matters most is that we leave knowing we put absolutely everything on the table.

Because there's something incredibly freeing about that.

If we don't get the job, of course we'll be disappointed. Fact is, we’re all reeaaalllly competitive. Yet,  disappointment is surprisingly easy to make peace with when you know you couldn't have done anything more.

On the other hand, regret is a much heavier thing to carry.

We’ve all been there. It's the presentations you rushed, the conversation you avoided, and the idea you never shared. Those are the moments that have a funny way of hanging over your head. This is a lesson I learned when we were in the midst of doing national brand projects for companies like Disney and Lionsgate Studios. 

People often assume the best actor always gets the role. Well, guess what, they don't.

Sometimes someone didn't match the age of the character. Sometimes they didn't fit the creative direction. Sometimes another actor had already been cast, and together they simply didn't look believable as siblings or best friends. There were dozens of reasons someone incredibly talented wouldn't get the job, and most of them completely outside their control.

But here's what always stood out to me….the actors who walked into the room and completely committed. I’m talking about the ones who made bold choices and left every ounce of talent in that audition. Yep, I remembered those people.

Even when they didn’t get the job, I still recommended them for other productions. Sometimes I even hired them later for entirely different role. Why? Because they proved what they were capable of.

So the audition wasn't wasted. And neither is your effort when you give it your all.

Sometimes someone else is simply a better fit. Sometimes the timing is off. Sometimes factors you never see influence the decision. But people remember excellence, and that's a reputation worth building.

So while we're waiting to hear the results of this week's pitch, we're oddly at peace since we know we emptied the tank. Honestly, that's a good feeling.

Maybe that's your challenge this week. Whatever you're working toward - a promotion, a new client, a marathon, a difficult conversation, asking someone out, or simply trying something that scares you—don't measure success only by the outcome.

Measure it by the question you ask yourself afterward. Did I leave anything on the table? If the answer is no, then congratulations.

You already won something that lasts a whole lot longer than a trophy!