I'm a CrossFitter. I regularly put myself through a medieval mix of box jumps, push-ups, burpees and wall balls during sadistic workouts. My wife jokingly describes it as "violent, but in a good way." CrossFitters are passionate, intense, fun and fond of pushing themselves beyond exhaustion to see what they are capable of.
My colleague does yoga. She stretches, balances and pronounces words in Sanskrit better than anyone I know. From what she's told me, yoga is about achieving internal peace and being one with your body. Yoga offers a feeling of serenity—and an amazing workout.
Agencies trying to be best-in-class can learn a lot from these contrasting fitness regimens. Truly great agencies are intensely creative, aggressive in pursuing new clients and projects, and passionate about achieving success. Marketing can be really hard, but a great agency loves the challenge.
The best agencies also stretch and flex with the demands of clients and the marketplace, and perfectly balance the resources needed to stay ahead in today's business world. And while marketers don't speak Sanskrit, if you've spent time with a PR person, media buyer, graphic designer or website developer, you know that they speak a language all their own.
My colleague will keep stretching and balancing at the yoga studio, while I'll keep pushing myself to do something I've never done before at CrossFit. We'll chuckle about each other's workout and how different they are. But in the end, we're both working toward the same goal that every marketing agency has: to be the best we can be.