Some very successful people are NOT specialists. They are generalists.

The entire education system can get very good at one thing, and it’s great to have people on your team who have very specialized skills.

And there are marketing professionals who make a VERY good living doing just one thing.

There are people who devote their entire lifetime just to master the intricacies of Google SEO or Google ads or Salesforce management. And we hire these folks for specific tasks and they’re great at it.

But the best marketers don’t get stuck on one tool or one toolset.

The people permanently on our team are those that are willing to learn and apply new tools and techniques in a constantly evolving field. Although we’ve known many of our clients for many years, we’re always asking ourselves how their business has changed and how the market has evolved and what we should do differently this year from last.

They use a variety of tools, or even make new tools, when needed.

Leonardo da Vinci was a poor kid (son of a notary) who started out as an apprentice to a goldsmith.

He was also a world-class

Toolmaker
Problem solver
Engineer
Painter
Sculptor.

When Bill Gates gave commencement address at Northern Arizona University, he didn’t talk about technology, or computers, or any particular skill set. Instead, he focused on the idea that life is NOT a one-act play. He advised students to learn to solve problems.

There are lots of reasons to be a generalist. The visit to this museum really brought this home for me.

00:00 Welcome

01:10 The Leonardo Museum of Science & Technology in Milan

1:35 Leonardo Da Vinci was a GREAT Generalist

1:51 Photos from the museum

2:00 The US Education system is designed to create specialists

02:15 Specialists in marketing

03:30 The downside of hiring a specialist (as opposed to a generalist)

03:50 Why hire a versatile person or team to do your marketing

04:19 Leonardo da Vinci was a poor son of a notary, apprenticed to a goldsmith

05:00 Leonardo’s resume applying for a job with the Medicis (the wealthiest family in Italy)

06:00 Leonardo’s map of the South Pole (?)