A brand new year. Time to turn those reflections from your end-of-year LinkedIn post into action. Your plans for your brand — and perhaps even more importantly, your career or LinkedIn presence — have no time to waste.

All jokes aside, it’s go-time. Valentine’s Day is already lurking around the corner. After that, it’s that damn Easter Bunny hopping along — and trust me, Easter is gaining ground fast. My prediction: Easter will overtake Christmas in popularity before you know it. Then it’s Pentecost, summer rolls in, and boom — before you can catch your breath, it’s Christmas again. So, Run Forrest, run!

So, who are you gonna call? Your 360° full-service agency, of course. The same agency that sent you and your team that considerate Christmas basket and kept someone on standby to ensure your New Year’s post went live without a hitch. Now it’s time to get back to business.

Share your briefs (or longs, if brevity isn’t your thing) and make magic happen. Set clear timings, get those debriefs (or delongs), and keep the momentum going.

But above all, don’t take your agency for granted. As I’ve said before, an agency isn’t an ATM for creativity. There’s no magical dwarf at the end of their rainbow conjuring ideas out of thin air. Your briefs need to be on point, and when they present something to you, don’t shoot from the hip. They’ve worked on this for weeks. Give yourself time to sleep on it, review it with fresh eyes the next morning, discuss it with a colleague, and then share your feedback.

And when you do, pick up the phone or meet in person. Don’t send feedback in a lengthy email. A conversation is always better. And please, don’t drop new demands during that chat. Adding last-minute changes will either mess up the creative concept or trigger a fun RFC (Request for Change) debate. If new objectives have come up, that’s a shift in scope. Own it. Have an open dialogue on how to adjust the project without undermining the original work.

Most importantly, enjoy the process. You’re in a magical business where happiness sells best.

Remember: we sell dreams, not nightmares