1) Keep true to what it is you want to do, and do it better than everyone else. A lot of directors try to be everything for everybody to get more work. These always seem to be the directors that work less than others.
2) Build relationships with everyone in all aspects of our industry. A great producer is one with deep contacts that can help get any project done in any situation and location. Also a great understanding of the technical side of things is a big help. Knowing more than just what software and hardware that is used can be a huge help in managing artists on projects, bidding, and being realistic about deadlines.
3) The market is pretty ruthless and unpredictable right now, and I think some of the most valuable lessons learned as of late involve bidding and pitching for a project.
You really have to be able to read a bidding situation, and know if you are just a check bid for a project meant to go internal, going into a pitch with a studio already as the recco, or just an agency looking for numbers to bring someplace else. The lesson learned, ask tons of questions and be honest and upfront when approaching a bid or pitch.
4) Our recent Rebrand of the Washington Post stands out, as we built a pretty sophisticated toolkit that required some serious scripting and building a custom After Effects to Premiere pipeline.
https://vsnyc.tv/projects/content-re-brand/