Life Lessons From CSG: Things We Wish We Knew at 18

It’s hard to believe that Communications Strategy Group® (CSG) has been around for 18 years. But, as they say, time flies when you’re having fun — and what started as a traditional public relations company years ago has grown into a full-service strategic communications and marketing agency.

CSG today is not CSG circa 2004. We’ve matured as an agency and built a strategic firm that serves a diverse, cross-industry roster of clients from start-ups and established brands. We’ve evolved with the industry and persevered when times got tough.

All of this reminiscing about the last 18 years has us feeling a bit nostalgic — and got us thinking about things we wish we knew when we were 18. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 but that’s part of the fun of looking back.

So we asked the CSG team, “What do you wish you knew when you were 18?” Read on for our team’s sage words of wisdom and brilliant life lessons. And, thank you for all of your support over the years. We couldn’t have done it without our clients, partners, and, of course, our amazing team.

Here’s to another 18 years (939 Weeks, 3 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes and 59 Seconds) and beyond — we can’t wait to see what happens next.

  • “Don’t worry. Be happy.” — Annetta Hanna, Senior Editor

  • “You don’t have to do absolutely everything at the same time, it will make it really hard to enjoy when you’re already thinking about the next thing. It’s also OK to say no, and put you and your sanity first.” — Daniela Silva Riera, Associate Art Director

  • “Perfection is the enemy of excellence…and also, corn dogs are not a nutritionally balanced meal.” — Shannon Fern, Chief Strategy Officer

  • “Thinking is overrated. Sit still and feel everything you can.” — Jason Tohtz, Copywriter

  • “Take care of your body, take care of your mind, take care of your neighbor, and be open to all of the possibilities this world brings you!” — Dave Franco, Director, Video

  • “Sometimes you’re a hero, sometimes you’re a zero.” — Tammy Seeb, Senior Copywriter

  • “Life is meaningful if the people you come across are better off for having known you.”  — Steven Shapiro, Founder & President

  • “Kindness is always courage. To be kind is a deliberate and powerful act, a choice you make, a gift you give. Use it well.” — Brooke Wylie, Creative Director

  • “Use the 5x5 rule: Ask yourself if something will matter in 5 years. If the answer is no, don’t spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it.” — Kayla Weimer, Vice President, Strategy

  • “Take the risk. You never know what the outcome could be, and even if it is bad, you’ll have a funny story to share.” — Abby Wood, Senior Associate

  • “Learning is like compound investing. The more you learn early in life, the more opportunities you will have to leverage that knowledge and build upon it.” — Dan Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer


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