Share with a friend:

Geraldine Newman
New York, USA

See what other graduates are up to:

Read about Grads' Breakthrough Stories
See profiles of Grads Making a Difference

Featured Grad Site:
Visit a site created by
graduates*:

ILovePossibility.info

*Landmark may link to sites that graduates have and will rotate the sites that we link to from time to time.

Moving Past My "Can'ts"

“I love what I do. It’s everything that fascinates me – human behavior, beauty, emotion.”

I’m a Creative Director. I strategize, create, write, direct commercials, advertising, videos, films – virtually any communication. And I have a company that puts together swat teams to turn the most challenging projects into successes. When you get together people who are the best at what they do, it works like a symphony.

Training in Human Space
The Landmark Forum has been enormously valuable in my career. It has been a training in human space, human terrain – shining light on distinctions of what motivates people, what creates possibility for people. It has affected my life in the areas of communication, productivity and going beyond what one might think one’s limits are. In fact, had I not had the benefit of the Landmark Forum, I might never have started my own business.

I was happily, and successfully, building a career at some of the world’s largest advertising agencies, Vice-President, Creative Supervisor at Young & Rubicam and later, Creative Group Head at Backer, Spielvogel, Bates. And I was happily winning every major creative award – Clio, Andy, CEBA, One Show and more.

It’s not you, the voice said.
One day I was participating in Landmark’s assisting program at a Landmark Education course when I was suddenly thrust into handling a post (called “post six”) that I was certain I couldn’t do. However, the need for the job being done arose faster than any excuse I could think of. From somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I heard a voice that sounded like mine, but the message it gave me was not one that was familiar. The voice said, “it’s not you, Gerry, it’s Post 6”. In a flash, I understood the focus was not on the limitations I automatically attributed to myself, the focus was on what was needed to get the job done. I literally found myself accomplishing something I was certain I was incapable of.

What was important to me about that experience wasn’t that I accomplished the particular job. It was that I realized that accomplishing something doesn’t have to be about me personally. It doesn’t have to be about whether I want to or don’t want to or whether I think I can or not. It is simply about doing what needs to be done and focusing. I realized that I could accomplish a great many things if I focused on the producing the result, rather than my thoughts or concerns about my abilities. Now, when I’m faced with something I don’t think I can do, I don’t think in terms of my history or limitations, I think in terms of “Post 6”.

And it’s Post 6 who started my company.

Manning The Post
I love my work. I don’t compromise my own standards, and I don’t work on campaigns that promote harmful products. Often, though, I am faced with doing things I’ve never done before, things I’m not always sure I’m capable of doing. At those moments, I call to mind that experience I had assisting and know I can take it on, succeed, and make a difference. And it’s exciting.