Miami Ad School Account Planning Bootcamp

While there are many complaints and doubts about the value and organization of the bootcamp program, I think the structure of the program is actually our best learning tool. Just like planning, it's up to us to dig to find the insights and understanding in order to garner strategic prowess. Similarly stated in one of my first blog posts, the ideas are all around us -- we just have to realize they're there. I love how everything I see, hear, smell, touch and taste will make me a better planner; there is no such thing as a waste of time.

Martha, Vincent and Becky -- my final team -- working on our branding campaign for Microsoft

First day of school at Miami Ad School SF campus

This is the outside of our school and some of my classmates whom I snuck up on. I'll take some inside pictures too, soon.

There are 20 people in the account planning bootcamp. We had orientation and our first Role Reversal class today. Afterward, I hit the SF Moma for some inspiration and to begin our first assignment: to observe.

here is my first piece of insight:
It IS all about the little things
I think that life's every-day nuances are more enjoyable when there's intention in noticing things; things you would normally overlook become salient. I always thought being hypersensitive to my surroundings was being distracted, but now there is a purpose to my perceptiveness and curiosity.

What is a Bobbejaan [BO-bba-yaan]?

Growing up, I would hear the following phrases from family and friends:

"You ask so many questions!"

"Do you have to know everything?"

"Mind your own business."

"This isn't for little girls to know."

"Did you go through my room!?"

Often, I find my curiosity takes precedence over judgment. I recently learned that I am not alone in this: I learned that one of my favorite animals -- the baboon -- shares these same qualities.

“Baboon social learning is aided by an itchy creator of behavioral twists – curiosity,” says Howard Bloom who studied "paleopsychology," which is known to be the study of the social implications in animals. He goes on… Baboons will “find new ways to get the most from almost any environment.”

On a recent trip to Namibia, I learned this first-hand. I fell in love with this animal. I also prefer the locally-spoken Afrikaans word for my primate-partner “bobbejaan.”

A bobbejaan will take risks in his or her attempt to learn, entertain, engage a primate of the opposite sex and to survive. We can be curious to a fault, but if we’re smart enough, we’ll learn from our mistakes and have better judgment the next time. After all, if we always go with good judgment and never give in to our curiosity, we would never discover anything new. Life would be pretty monotonous for us bobbejaan and everyone around us.

As I embark on my 3 month adventure in San Francisco, I will fully embrace my "Bobbejaan-ness" and hopefully find some fun stuff to share along the way.