5 Things I Learned at Ammunition

Hello everyone. My name is Dawson Hatfield, and I’m the copywriting intern who has been basically running Ammunition for the past 12 weeks. Every day has been a learning experience. I learned how to gracefully lose to my boss in ping pong, and then politely beat him. I even discovered the proper way to swipe all of the granola bars from the office kitchen…. every morning.

I dove into agency life and learned how to swim. Here’s how:

When I first arrived, I was definitely walking on eggshells. I learned to loosen up, try, and fail. Not being afraid to fail is huge. It shows that you are eager to learn. I focused on using my resources, taking notes, and asking as many questions as possible. The people here are obviously fantastic, so they were more than willing to teach me. The A-Team was also very willing to teach me how average I am at ping pong. Thanks for the reality check guys.. I guess.

2. Don’t rush the process, trust it.

This is something I live by. At Ammunition, I quickly learned not to be frustrated by feedback. With clients and our agency working together to find the best possible option, there will almost always be feedback. Your “perfect” idea may not be theirs, and that is completely okay. It doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, it just means that you are getting closer to what’s right.

3. Find a winning concept, then find 10 more.

Here’s a quote that Ammunition CEO and Founder Jeremy Heilpern shared with me on my sixth week: “If two people have the same idea, throw it out.”

In copywriting, everyone is going to recognize the “gimme” ideas. In my next position, I want to push boundaries. I want to excel above and beyond the expectations of my employer and client. That means mid-atlantic trench level deep dives into whatever topic I am tasked with.

4. Short and sweet.

At first, I wrote 5 sentences. I think the title speaks for itself.

5. Play like a team.

This may be the thing I loved most about my job. This isn’t something that I learned to do, but it is something that I learned the importance of. The people you work with are more than just a human who sits a few feet away. You are a group of smart, driven people working toward a common goal. This is a team sport, and the game is absolutely electric. So play like it.

BONUS LESSON: If you’re in a client meeting and your coworkers have suddenly turned into Slack comedians, just bite your thumb. Hard. The pain almost takes away the urge to laugh.

Good luck out there.

Related posts:

What a remarkable trip. Japan is my first passport stamp and may end up being my favorite country when it’s all said and done. I have a lot more to see and more to do, but the feeling Japan left me…

Psychedelics have a rich history, from use amongst indigenous people, guided by ancient knowledge passed on through centuries of traditional practices, to their discovery by modern science leading…