Putting the lid on bad ideas

by Chris McAdams

I find it nearly impossible to overstate my level of enthusiasm over the amount of (recycled) waste that comes out of our office. We’re proud of that. And on a mission to produce even more.

So what’s behind our infatuation with trash? Two words: great ideas. Ideas don’t come easily. They’re the result of an excruciatingly painful process of fear, obsessive labor, determination, rejection and a whole bunch of other feelings that fuel the creative process.

But the destination is well worth the trip it takes to get there. So to get to great, we’re tossing everything that’s good (along with the bad and the so-so) into the 31-gallon trash can that has become an iconic piece of office décor.


Bad ideas are everywhere. Just look around and you’ll see what I mean. Banjos, dickeys, toe nails, Rachel Ray – all bad ideas. They cost little in the way of effort to create and the mental challenge they pose is minimal yet they surround us. Good ideas are a little harder to find, but they’re out there.

Great ideas, however, make you stop. They’re beyond creative. They make you think. They justify a feeling, an instinct. You don’t have to search for them. They find you. And once they find you, they stay with you.

I firmly believe that success is the result of a greater number of failures. And turning failures into success takes focus. In our business, great ideas that benefit our clients are how we measure success. And we know that one great idea will likely be the result of a few hundred so-so ideas. So we work hard -- very hard. And we generate a lot of waste.

The next time we present an idea to you, remember there are 31 gallons of ideas that didn’t make it. We invite you to stop by, pop the lid and take a peek. Just don’t pull anything out.