Joy, experimentation, and telling the truth

After years of making B2B video ads, I’ve realized something uncomfortable: most of us start in the wrong place.

We begin with strategy. With benchmarks. With “proven tactics.” With comps. With the fear of getting something wrong. And what we usually end up with is safe work - work that won’t get us fired, but won’t get anyone excited either.

It comes down to three simple things:

Joy. Experimentation. Telling the truth.

Joy means starting with what would actually be fun, interesting, or entertaining - not what checks a box on a marketing plan. It’s the spark that makes an idea worth exploring.

Experimentation means trying something you haven’t done before. No comps. No safety net. Just the willingness to take a swing. Worst case? It’s no less effective than the usual noise.

And telling the truth - this is the big one. The ideas that connect most deeply are the ones rooted in honesty. The thing everyone feels but no one says out loud. That’s where relatability lives. That’s where humanity shows up. That’s where creativity cuts through.

The more I look at the work I’m proudest of, the more I see those three ingredients at the core. Not strategy decks. Not “what worked last time.”

Just joy, experimentation, and fearless truth.

It’s simple. It’s obvious. But in B2B, it feels downright radical.

So that’s my new filter:

Is it joyful?

Is it experimental?

Is it honest?

If the answer is yes, chances are the work will actually matter.

And if it matters, people will care.