Christien Louviere

Show Me The Money!!

I was trying to decide which movie to use for background noise tonight, and I was torn between Gladiator and Jerry Maguire. I ultimately chose Jerry Maguire because at the time I thought, “Kelly Preston looks better to me in that kitchen scene than Russell Crowe does in body armor in any scene.”

However, right in the beginning of the movie, Jerry begins by telling the story about how he writes his mission statement for the future of his company. The statement is all about the underlying truth we all feel but may not say. After his excitement wears off the next morning, he realizes that he may have made a mistake.

We all have that moment where we think about things before we say or write them. After seeing this scene again, I remember why I had liked this movie so much when it came out. It was because I was fifteen and blissfully ignorant to the ways of the world and thought that I could do something worthwhile like that. I lost interest in the movie around the time that ‘You had me at hello’ ordeal came around.

In today’s world, where the personal brand is so vital and so much of our personal lives are just a ‘Google Search’ away, how honest are we allowed or supposed to be with our clients, employers and readers? Is anything off limits today? What do these people expect? I know what is considered too much information for many of my Gen-X and Baby Boomer clientele, but what will we, in Gen-Y, expect? Do we want or expect full disclosure?

In 1996, information was only available if the owner deemed it so. Today, just about anything that can be thought…can be found. How many of those, “Fewer clients…less money” ideals are allowed to be said?