Success idles at the intersection of ambition and optimism: hello next chapter, I’m Frank.
I find myself at Central Park’s Jackie Onassis Kennedy Reservoir again lately. Running the perimeter of the still water, you can see old, detailed buildings of the Upper West Side and sterile yet storied buildings housing art on the Upper East Side. Also in view are the offensively tall and thin towers on Billionaires’ Row whose Barbie-like proportions cast shadows over Central Park. Seeing these juxtaposed ideas at once helps me clear my thoughts and also lets in the question of “what if this works?”
This state of being - where I am working so hard and aligning my intentions - reminds me of my second summer as SMPTE’s first director of marketing. In July 2020, SMPTE’s reimagination had been quietly underway, facing challenges and pressures from the pandemic that threatened the success of the launch.
That summer, the entire team and I worked so diligently. After a productive day filled with intricate details and intensive planning, I’d go to the reservoir to process everything. Despite these external threats the reimagined brand faced, I knew I needed to remain positive above all else.
Having never led such a large-scale project for a classic brand, I was nervous. It was at the reservoir where I’d allow myself to invite in the idea of “Wow, this is going to work. It has to.” This is what allowed me to come to work each day as a reliable leader and driver for change.
I really experienced what sits at the intersection of ambition and optimism that summer. The reimagined brand launched on schedule. We saw such wonderful results. Highlighting a few here, we:
Helped unite SMPTE’s Sections to use our CMS and marketing automation systems, increasing attendance at their events.
Created a new site for publishing SMPTE’s editorial content to bring users off trade media sites and onto ours.
More than doubled the organization’s contact list.
Secured hundreds of new contacts monthly due to SEO (a non-paid driver of traffic) alone.
Helped position SMPTE to contemporary technology and software groups as a reliable organization with which to create interoperability.
Fast forward to today and I’m starting up something else - my own gig. This time, I’m creating and offering services from the ground up to help brands. Call me a freelancer, a risk-taker, a founder, or even a creator; as long as you call me when you want users to take an action online! Pun intended ;-).
I’m at the reservoir again, aligning my hard work during the days with the feeling that this thing I’m calling “Being Frank” will work. It has to!
I must mention the following groups and people who were critical in the success of SMPTE’s reimagination: SMPTE’s Erminia Fiorino, and the entire staff and its 2019-2020 Board of Governors, SMPTE members, Berlin Productions, Wall Street Communications, Digital Karbon, Worldview Films, and Margo Reynolds.
Thanks for reading.
- Frank
