In 2026, the thing that stands out most is how fast this industry is moving, faster than at any point I’ve seen in my career. Agencies, brands, and production companies are constantly shifting, merging, restructuring, and rebuilding. And the people inside them are moving just as quickly. The average lifespan of an agency creative these days is about 18 months. That means if you connect with someone today, chances are they’ll be somewhere completely different by next year, maybe even brand-side. The good news is that you’re essentially building a relationship with multiple clients at once - as long as you keep track of where they go! That level of movement changes what sales and outreach actually mean. When I started, sales in our industry were seen as unnecessary, even a bit smarmy. Agencies had internal service buying teams whose role was to be aware of what production services were out there--which meant that production companies and reps could remain on the agencies' radar with little effort. But today, those agency-side roles have disappeared, and the responsibility has shifted wholly to production companies and reps to make sure they are continuously visible. Whether people like the word “sales” or not, the truth is that you cannot rely on posting your reels on your site and expecting the phone to ring. It never really worked that way, and it certainly doesn’t now. One of the biggest misunderstandings I still encounter is about what a contact database is for. People assume it’s just a place to download email addresses and send out massive blasts. That was never the right way to do it, not 15... Read More