South Africa, Sept. 14 -- That's the part nobody prepares you for in this industry. It's not the writing, or the media lists, or even the client management. It's the fact that "relevant" is a moving target, and every generation, every platform, every algorithm update quietly redraws the line. Add AI into that mix - sorry, had to say the word - and the ground doesn't just shift, it liquefies.

So here's what I've learned, doing this work every day: agility isn't a nice-to-have skill anymore. It's the whole job.

The constant pulse-check

There's a question I ask myself more than any other, and it has nothing to do with strategy decks or media targets. It's simpler, and honestly a bit uncomfortable: Am I still in touch with reality?

Is my ...