A Day in the Life at Mintz + Hoke: Digital Edition
As promised, today’s installment takes you through a Day in the Life of our digital team. Computers, coding, SEO, programming, dev, or whatever digital buzzword you can think of, these guys do it all.
First up is Mickey Slater, our Director of Digital Technology, who’s been on the team for four years and counting.
When people from outside the advertising industry ask what you do, how do you describe your role?
Most people tend to glaze over after they hear ‘digital,’ so I try to keep it consumable. I usually go with, “I work at an advertising agency overseeing our internal digital efforts and helping clients with their digital initiatives and projects.”
What does the first hour of your day typically consist of? Are you reading the news, meditating, journaling, etc.?
Every day starts with a cup of black coffee while reviewing headlines across industry websites.
Out of all the Mintz + Hoke core values—Inspire/Be Inspired, Embrace the Gray, Always Bring a Gift, Honor Respect, and Own It—which one resonates with you the most and why?
It is an impossible luxury to have all the information before making a decision, starting a project, or doing anything. No matter how many questions you ask, there are always elements that remain unknown until you get to them. Be flexible, be fluid, embrace the gray and you can accomplish anything.
How do you embrace our Immersively Different philosophy in your day-to-day efforts?
Collaborating with clients to determine the most impactful ways to leverage their digital properties, platforms, and services requires me to be more than a vendor sitting across from them. Instead, I am a partner in their world, sitting beside them to genuinely understand their business, challenges, and goals.
If you could give one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Build relationships and find what you love. If you don’t know who you are, others will decide it for you.
Where do you find inspiration?
Memes, museums and music.
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Now hear from Scott Clouser, our Digital Project Manager, and die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. He’s been with Mintz + Hoke for over 9 years.
When people from outside the advertising industry ask what you do, how do you describe your role?
I work closely with our internal teams and clients to move digital projects through the agency on time and on budget.
What does the first hour of your day typically consist of? Are you reading the news, meditating, journaling, etc.?
My day typically starts with some coffee, taking care of my dog, Mugzy, and reading sports news—especially on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Out of all the Mintz + Hoke core values—Inspire/Be Inspired, Embrace the Gray, Always Bring a Gift, Honor Respect, and Own It—which one resonates with you the most and why?
Embracing the Gray for sure! The digital space is ever-changing and there is a lot to understand and endless things to learn. Whenever you can get outside your comfort zone, that’s when you really start to better yourself.
How do you embrace our Immersively Different philosophy in your day-to-day efforts?
I love to dig deeper and really understand the “why” of something. If you can understand the “why,” the end product will become that much more valuable and useful.
If you could give one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Find something you really enjoy doing and try to better yourself every day.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find a lot of my inspiration from my peers. The people at Mintz + Hoke are just so smart and knowledgeable. I try to be a sponge and take in as much as I can from them.
And Go Birds!
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Last but not least, Mike Perry, our Digital Technology Lead, who’s been with us for 15 years.
When people from outside the advertising industry ask what you do, how do you describe your role?
The one aspect of my job that everyone can relate to is websites, so my go-to response is “I build websites.” Then, to show how my role expands, I usually follow it up with “Computer Programmer” or “All around computer guy.” Sometimes I just say, “Computer Nerd.” That usually sends the message.
What does the first hour of your day typically consist of? Are you reading the news, meditating, journaling, etc.?
The first hour of my day usually starts with making sure the kids are up and at the bus stop on time. Following that, I usually jump back into my current household project until my workday starts. As an avid DIYer and shade tree mechanic, I usually have anywhere between five and way more than five projects keeping me busy around the house.
Out of all the Mintz + Hoke core values—Inspire/Be Inspired, Embrace the Gray, Always Bring a Gift, Honor Respect, and Own It—which one resonates with you the most and why?
Embrace the Gray resonates the most with me given that the IT and web worlds are constantly changing. Staying up to date on the latest technology is crucial. Add this to the fact that every client project brings new requirements and expectations, so we have new challenges to overcome each day.
How do you embrace our Immersively Different philosophy in your day-to-day efforts?
In my role, I get to wear many hats, but my favorite is my Sherlock hat. There is nothing more satisfying than chipping away at an obscure issue with facts and logic until the root cause is identified and corrected. Whether it is a client email delivery issue, or diagnosing a troublesome API, I always get my man.
If you could give one piece of career advice, what would it be?
It has been said that if you choose a job you love, you will never work a day in your life. After 15 years at Mintz + Hoke, I can say that also finding a company you love will provide maximum career enjoyment.
Where do you find inspiration?
Given that I work on websites, I find inspiration daily just by surfing the web. Seeing some cool effect or finding a well-executed user experience always gets the gears turning. If I see a feature I like, I can’t help but deconstruct it and learn how it was built.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know the digital dudes! Stay tuned to hear from our PR team.
