Author: wyliekain

"It is much better to be more aware than smarter. Being more aware will also make you smarter in the bargain, because a conscious person makes better choices than an unconscious person." - Deepak Chopra There are countless things wrong with the world today. But anyone in any era could say that, and has said … Continue reading Smart is Overrated

I went to the U.S Open for the first time in about 20 years last week. The kids and I had a few days to kill in the city before Labor Day weekend. These are kids who had been nonstop activitying all summer, and would have been thrilled doing absolutely nothing. But I’m terrible at … Continue reading Pressure is a Privilege

We just arrived back from six fabulous days in Tuscany, mostly thanks to me, if I do say so myself. I wrote (in my mind) a stellar brief – taking into consideration the amount of time we had, our budget, my long-ago European travels and memories (or rather, lack thereof), my husband’s preferences and personality, … Continue reading The Kains Take Tuscany!

I recently started receiving a daily email from Word Genius. I have no idea how I got signed up. Normally this would piss me off, but unlike the spammy nonsense that fills the rest of my inbox, I look forward to this one. It sends me a new word every day, and so far I … Continue reading New Words for the Kain Kids!

So the saying goes in the ad business: there’s no such thing as a new idea. The definition of “idea” here is a pretty strict one. Because if enough elements in a particular idea are different from those that were in the reminiscent ones, you’re typically in fair territory. Yet “I’ve seen this before” is … Continue reading When Imitation Is Something Other Than Flattery

Getting used to anything new is hard work. Doesn’t matter how old you are, nor how many times you’ve done it. I empathize with my kids when they start at a new school, take up a new sport, try a new instrument, or go from zero to four weeks of sleep-away camp between summers, as … Continue reading I’m working

I was invited to my first focus group in May, having up until then always been the one on the other side of the mirror wondering what it would be like to be the respondent. To be the one whose every word the client was hanging on. To be the one who got paid a … Continue reading Focus Groups: Helpful? Useless? Dangerous?

We just received Maggie's fourth grade report card. She gets rated on a scale of 1 to 4: Not meeting grade level Approaching grade level At grade level Above grade level I am sure there are parents who open these reports with an anxious pit, praying for no 1s and 2s; I'm not one of … Continue reading What a Fourth Grade Report Card Can Teach Corporate America

This is my little Batman, double entendre pun intended, seven or so years ago. This is a kid whose interests, passions, obsessions, whatever you want to call them, have always been felt deep, by him and by everyone around him. There wasn't a neighbor, friend or family member who didn't know Frank could tell them … Continue reading Remind People Of Their Own Superpowers

I've been on the co-op board of my apartment building for three years. I admittedly didn't join out of the goodness of a volunteering heart; the only motivating factor was my vision of a roof deck. A beautiful roof deck that would overlook the Manhattan skyline, Prospect Park, the Verrazano Bridge. But alas, I will … Continue reading Looks Can Be Deceiving