Q: What strategies do you use to tap into the mindset of different target audiences?
MP: I try to start with curiosity, not assumptions. Research is great, but I also try to talk to real people whenever I can—friends, colleagues, family, random strangers on Reddit and Twitter. I like to understand what keeps them up at night, what they laugh about, what they care about. The best insights usually come from those little offhand comments people don’t even realize are profound. And once you get into their headspace, the writing becomes less about selling and more about connecting.
Q: How do you think the art of storytelling is evolving with shorter attention spans and the rise of TikTok and Reels?
MP: Storytelling has definitely gotten snappier, but I don’t think it’s dying—I think it’s adapting. If anything, the challenge of squeezing emotion, humor, or insight into 6-15 seconds is forcing creatives to be sharper. It’s about distilling the essence of a story down to its purest form. And if you can hook someone in those first few seconds, they’ll stay for the whole ride—no matter how short or long.
Q: How do creatives stay sane in an industry with tight deadlines and constant change?
MP: Honestly, I think most of us are a little insane to begin with. But I’ve learned that the only way to survive is to find ways to disconnect. In my case, through naps, books, cooking, and traveling. Disconnecting grounds you, but also helps you reconnect with a new vigor. And having creative friends outside of work helps—people who remind you that your entire personality isn’t tied to the last deck you presented.
Q: What are some tips on resilience for young advertising professionals?
MP: 1. Don’t take rejection personally—it’s the work, not you.
2. Treat feedback like a puzzle, not a punch in the gut.
3. Stay stubborn about the idea, but flexible about how to get there.
4. Keep a little folder of wins—whether it’s a compliment from your boss or a DM from someone who loved your work. On the bad days, that folder will save your soul.
5. Give your 120%. At no point do you want to wonder “what if I had done more…”
Q: What surprising moments, conversations, or even places have sparked your best ideas?
MP: Bus rides, without a doubt. I don’t know what it is about public transport, but something about being forced to sit still with your thoughts—surrounded by random conversations and city noise—has given me some of my weirdest and best ideas. Also, eavesdropping in coffee shops. Never underestimate the power of strangers oversharing in public.
Q: Do you think creativity isn’t just a desk job— it’s about living life fully, observing, and being curious?
MP: 1000%. The best ideas rarely happen at your desk. They come from random conversations, weird little experiences, or some tiny observation you jotted down in your Notes app six months ago or one of your random saves while you were doom-scrolling. Creativity is just pattern recognition—connecting dots between everything you’ve seen, felt, and experienced. The more dots you have, the better the ideas.
Q: What do you think is the value of failure in creativity and do you think it can lead to better work down the line?
MP: Failure is the best teacher, but it’s also the cruelest. No one wants to hear “this isn’t working” after they’ve poured their heart into something. But every time something flops, it leaves you with sharper instincts. Failure teaches you how to fight for better ideas—and how to kill your darlings without killing your spirit.
Q: What do you do when an idea gets rejected or feedback doesn’t go as expected?
MP: I sulk for exactly 20 minutes. Then I curse capitalism. Then I remind myself that advertising isn’t art—our job is to solve a problem, not express ourselves. Once that reality check settles in, I try to come back to the brief with fresh eyes. And if the rejection still stings, I quietly stash the idea away for another time, another brief. I absolutely hate wallowing in victimhood. So I allow myself some time to recuperate, but I always move on to the “let’s get it done” phase.
Q: How according to you has the role of a copywriter changed and expanded over the years?
MP: The title stayed the same, but the job has evolved in every direction. Copywriters today are part strategist, part social media manager, part meme maker, part video editor, part project manager. We write tweets, scripts, manifestos, product labels, and Reddit comments—sometimes all in one day. But at the core, we’re still doing what we’ve always done—telling stories that make people feel something. I also believe we’ve become students of culture way more than we used to be. We need to drown ourselves in what’s happening so we can tap into the most engaging culturally relevant hooks.
Q: Talk about a campaign or project that became more than just an ad. How did it impact people or evoke lasting emotions?
MP: Our work for a cannabis brand, Norml stands out. It was about advocating for justice for those incarcerated on cannabis charges. The campaign was rooted in the idea that the very thing people are profiting from today is what’s destroyed countless lives in the past. It was deeply gratifying to use advertising not just to sell, but to raise awareness and push for change.
Q: Discuss balancing work that pays the bills with projects that have meaning.
MP: That’s the eternal struggle, isn’t it? Commercial work keeps the lights on, but personal projects keep the soul lit. I try to find pockets of meaning in the client work—whether it’s writing a killer line in a product ad or sneaking in a little cultural commentary. And when the day job doesn’t scratch that itch, I chase passion projects like the No BS in Advertising handbook or random essays no one asked for. Both kinds of work feed each other—you just have to keep the scales from tipping too far in one direction.
