Suggestions
Joe Cole
Ideas Guy and Creative Strategy Director | exp: Clean Creatives, We Are Rosie, Audi, 72andSunny
Joe Cole is the Founder and CEO of Lots Of Good Ideas, where he also serves as the Creative Strategy Director. He is passionate about making a positive impact in the world through innovative ideas and strategic initiatives. His educational background includes studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In his role at Lots Of Good Ideas, Joe focuses on developing creative solutions that address various challenges, aiming to foster a better environment both socially and economically. His professional journey highlights a commitment to creativity and strategic thinking in business contexts.
For more details about his career and insights, you can visit his LinkedIn profile under the username imjoecole.
Highlights
Today, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres made a speech exhorting the ad industry to move away from working on fossil fuel clients.
For the last 3.5 years, I've been at the forefront of this fight as the Creative Strategy Director for Clean Creatives. I couldn't be prouder of the work our whole team has done to grow the movement.
2023 word of the year: Go
As in, get up and go. As in, go for it. As in, don't stop.
I did the most travel in one year I've ever done. I fell in love. I pushed my art forward. I made new friends and danced in new countries with old ones. I did important work on climate change.
16 countries, 11 of them new. 6 and a half months in Europe. 2 months in a flat in Lisboa, most of the rest living out of a backpack.
Top 5:
- Lisboa
- best week of the year: catsitting 4 cats in Berlin
- hiking in the Scottish highlands
- the Balkans
- Cannes
I met someone at a retreat. Instant connection. We kept saying yes. We spent 10 days together and it was easy. Right as I was falling for her, she looked at me and said "I love you". One of the most complex and incredible people I've ever met. Gorgeous inside and out.
We did not work out for reasons outside of either of our control. But I learned so much from her. We had to navigate challenges and opportunities that were completely novel to me. She taught me so much about the world and about Love.
And, I got to do art while high on her love.
I did not accomplish everything I hoped for with my art this year.
But, I still had my most successful year of art yet.
I did live art at a few festivals, custom jobs inside homes, came up with a name for the art style I do — dance painting — and did it on a new continent.
And, I'm just getting started.
I danced in secret Mexican venues, on the beach in Costa Rica, on a lakeside in Portugal, in Berlin clubs, at the largest outdoor techno event in the world in Zurich, at an Albanian festival, in a converted IKEA Drumsheds in London, and in the Californian desert.
I danced my feet off. Possibly literally.
My ankle feels like it's made of papier mâché. In between dancing and running, I sprained my ankle a number of times last year. A big focus for this next year is to strengthen everything and take care of my body — my instrument.
The company I started in 2022 — Lots of good ideas — continued to do important work for my most important client: Clean Creatives.
We did an ice cream truck at SXSW. We put on a climate summit at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. We put out the 3rd annual F-List. We had 200-something press mentions.
My role continued to evolve — I ended the year as Creative Strategy Director.
My company's role continued to evolve too — Lots of good ideas is the agency of record for Clean Creatives.
And we're just getting started.
There is so much on the decision tree for 2024. Portuguese citizenship, ambitious art projects in ambitious places, spending time in some of my favorite cities and countries, counterpunching fascism and climate change deniers, and connecting & reconnecting with incredible people.
I'm just getting started.
