FIELD GUIDE · SITUATION 02 OF 18

The client only said “I don’t like it.”Here’s the next sentence.

WHAT TO DO

Turn rejection into a debrief: help the client explain what they imagined. Ask a question and listen to the full answer without adding a justification. Follow what they bring up to find the next direction.

A LINE YOU CAN USE · START HERE

“Got it. Tell me: what were you imagining for this campaign?”

IF YOU’RE WRITING, NOT SPEAKING

Before we revise, could you tell me what you were expecting to see in this campaign? I’ll use that to identify the gap with the brief.

If it’s still vague: “Maybe we interpreted the request differently. Let’s look at the brief together.”

Stay demanding with the work. Don’t defend the hours you spent.

Get the other 17 situations — US$12.90See what’s in the package ↓

Open the Field Guide four minutes before the call. The book can wait.

US$12.90 · one-time · no subscription

One question before another round.

Who makes the final decision on the client side, and how does approval work?

Who gives input, who consolidates feedback and who approves? Record the order of the steps.

Ask this before the team starts. It is question 10 in the meeting worksheets.

What’s in the English package

  • Think Like a Zen Creative Director

    Illustrated book, five pillars.

  • Field Guide / Consulta 2.0

    18 situations, what to do, a line for the room, a line for Slack or email.

  • Meeting worksheets

    11 questions for a creative proposal, 5 for a campaign adaptation, plus “What we agree on”.

  • Revision rules

    One page to send the client: two rounds, one approver.

  • Quick Access HTML

    Search and copy the line on your computer.

  • START HERE

    Open the Field Guide first.

Why the line exists.

Stay a damn good creative.
Stop being fed up with everything.

Be the creative your bosses admire, your team likes having around and your colleagues look at thinking: “How do they handle so much and still stay in a good mood?”

Confident in your talent. Comfortable dealing with people. Able to get through a complicated day and still be good company at dinner.

That's the version of you we want to help build. A respected professional who enjoys the work and has the energy to enjoy everything they've worked for.

For people who create, lead and decide.Creative directors · Agency owners · Art directors · Copywriters · Designers · Freelancers

Be someone you enjoy being again.

The person who makes others laugh. Who says yes to seeing friends. Who gets home and wants to hear about someone else's day.

You can bring back the ease that's been missing from your conversations. Have the patience to hear a story to the end, the energy to play with your child and the desire to make plans with someone you love.

The people around you feel that change. In how you answer. In your willingness to join in. In the conversation over dinner.

And you feel it too: you begin to enjoy your days and the person living them.

ZEN MODE

You wanted to make a living from creativity.
Not spend your life recovering from it.

Confident in your talent.Loved by your team.Aware of your worth.Present in your own life.A good example for others.

01 / YOUR CONFIDENCE

Hear “I don't like it” and keep liking yourself.

The campaign was rejected. You still know you're good at what you do. You can talk to the client, consider what comes next and leave the room with your confidence intact.

That evening, you meet friends. You're at ease, join the jokes and laugh. The presentation has become a work topic to revisit at the agreed time.

That's the confidence you can develop: believing in your ability even when an idea gets rejected. Feeling calm enough to try again. Still enjoying creating.

Your talent deserves a steadier relationship with you than the room's latest opinion.

02 / YOUR TEAM

Be the CD your team is relieved to see after difficult feedback.

You arrive, sit with everyone and the conversation begins. People ask, suggest and disagree. There's room to think and even laugh at the absurd request that just came back.

Your presence builds confidence. The team knows it can count on your judgment and talk freely with you.

You stay demanding with the work. And become someone people enjoy being around while they work.

When the changes come back, let the reaction be: “Let's talk to them. We'll work it out together.”

03 / YOUR WORTH

Feel confident doing excellent work — and knowing it's enough.

You deliver what was agreed, with quality, and feel proud of the result. You can say “it's done” with the same confidence you had presenting the first idea.

That need to add one more thing to deserve praise starts to fade. You value what you delivered, the hours you invested and the money the work needs to earn.

Your team can go home. So can you. The request has been fulfilled completely.

The client ordered a Big Mac. You delivered a great Big Mac. You can go to dinner without feeling you should have bought their dessert too.

Be good at what you do. Know what it's worth. Stop paying for your own approval.

04 / YOUR LIFE

Be as present in your life as you are at work.

You can be the CD who's first to pour a glass of wine at five on Friday. Who likes seeing the team go home because they want to leave too.

There's a dinner booked. A show to see. Friends to visit. People at home you want to spend time with.

Build the confidence to make those plans and give them the importance they deserve. Be the partner who joins in. The friend who shows up. The parent with time and energy to play.

You already know how good it feels to be someone people can count on.

Bring that feeling to the people who love you too.

05 / YOUR LEADERSHIP

Be the boss you wish you'd had.

Capable, approachable and confident enough to say “I don't know.” Someone people can bring an idea, a doubt or a problem to without rehearsing the sentence for half an hour.

You can be respected and liked by the same team. Demanding and still pleasant. Proud of the results and how people feel working with you.

The role becomes a chance to keep the promise you made when you had a bad boss: “With me, it'll be different.”

Imagine someone taking that experience to their next job. Remembering what working with you felt like and wanting to offer the same to their own team.

Become a good memory in someone's career. And an example worth repeating.

THE CHANGE SHOWS IN EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIPS.

People notice
when working with you gets better.

Respect from the people you work with.

Be remembered for the quality of your work and the calm you bring to difficult days.

Enjoy being with your team.

An honest conversation, a good idea, a laugh in the middle of the workday. Enjoy building something together.

Confidence in your own worth.

Feel proud of what you deliver and confident enough to call good work done.

Be present for the people who love you.

Want to go out, have patience to listen and energy to join the plans.

THE PERSON YOU CAN BECOME

Stay good at creating.
Enjoy being you more.

In your lifeThe wear and tear you knowThe change you want
After a rejectionSpend the night doubting yourself.Stay confident in your talent and at ease with friends.
With the teamLet a bad mood take over the conversation.Be someone people enjoy thinking and working with.
When finishing a jobFeel you always need to give more to deserve approval.Feel proud of what you delivered and comfortable saying “it's done.”
Outside workMake plans already expecting to cancel.Value your own plans and be present for them.
As a leaderCarry the fear of needing every answer.Be respected, approachable and confident thinking with others.

THINK LIKE A ZEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Your next step can change
the way you experience work.

More confidence in your talent. More pleasure in being with the team. More presence in the lives of the people who love you.

Build this version of yourself through everyday conversations and choices. This material was made to support that practice.

Stay a damn good creative.
Stop being fed up with everything.

ZEN MODE · ENGLISH EDITION

The book. The field guide.
The next conversation.

  • Think Like a Zen Creative DirectorIllustrated book, five pillars.
  • Field Guide / Consulta 2.018 situations, what to do, a line for the room, a line for Slack or email.
  • Meeting worksheets11 questions for a creative proposal, 5 for a campaign adaptation, plus “What we agree on”.
  • Revision rulesOne page to send the client: two rounds, one approver.
  • Quick Access HTMLSearch and copy the line on your computer.
  • START HEREOpen the Field Guide first.

On your phone, open the Field Guide PDF first. Unzip the package and keep the files together. Quick Access HTML is also included for searching and copying on your computer. Save completed PDF worksheets in a compatible reader.

US$12.90

One-time payment · English
No subscription

Get the other 17 situations — US$12.90

You will be directed to complete your purchase.

14 days to try it.

You have 14 calendar days from purchase to request a full refund through the channel shown on your receipt. No need to justify it or prove you read the material.

NO EXTRA ROUND.

What you
want to know.

Is this another book I'll read when I have time?

You can start with the Field Guide. Open the situation you're facing and read the first line and possible responses. The book is there to deepen your judgment before or after using it.

Do I have to memorize a method?

The scripts are reference material. Use a question, listen and follow the answer. Adapt the details to your job; you don't need to play a character or recite a whole page.

My problem is the client. Do you know my client?

The book doesn't know your client. That's why it teaches you to ask before deciding what they want. You'll practice clarifying requests, supporting recommendations and negotiating conditions. If someone insults you or the team, the guidance is to stop the meeting immediately and reschedule.

Will this make the client accept everything?

You gain better ways to present a recommendation and guide revisions. Approval also depends on the work, constraints and decision-maker. The material shows how to continue when the answer isn't the one you wanted.

What if I need more talent?

The book works with judgment, communication and creative decisions. It doesn't replace studying copywriting, design or art direction. It helps you use what you know more precisely and identify what needs improving in the piece.

I'm an agency owner or already a director. Is this for me?

Yes. You also give feedback, accept scope and turn urgency into someone else's task. There are situations and lines for people who lead teams and own deliveries. Art directors, copywriters, designers and freelancers can apply them to the decisions they already make.

Will being Zen make me passive?

You'll find words for disagreeing, asking for better execution, setting boundaries and owning mistakes. All of that requires participation. The incense still has no authority to approve the brief.

Will I transform after paying?

You get tools to start acting differently. The first conversation is already a chance to practice. Confidence and consistency grow with use. The card approves the purchase. You're still the one joining the call.

Is it a course? Which languages are available?

This is an illustrated digital book with five pillars and a practical toolkit: a Field Guide with 18 situations and spoken and written lines, meeting worksheets (11 questions for a creative proposal, 5 for a campaign adaptation, plus “What we agree on”), one-page revision rules, Quick Access HTML and START HERE. The book, guide, worksheets and revision rules are PDFs. No recorded classes or live sessions are included. This checkout delivers the English edition; Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese have their own checkout links.

What if I don't like it?

You have 14 calendar days from purchase to request a full refund through the channel shown on your receipt. No need to justify it or prove you read the material.

What should I open on my phone?

On your phone, open the Field Guide PDF first. Unzip the package and keep the files together. Quick Access HTML is also included for searching and copying on your computer. Save completed PDF worksheets in a compatible reader.

ZEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Good at what you do.
Good to be around.

Be proud of the work you deliver, the way you treat people and the life you enjoy after it.

Get the other 17 situations — US$12.90

THE ZEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR ECOSYSTEM

A little less noise.
A little more life.

The same point of view, in three small apps. A place to write, a card to start the job and a gentler way to meet the morning.

01Mac · iPhone · iPad
A black-and-white cat asleep on a cream pillow

Zen Page

One line for the room.

App Store launch in preparation

02Mac · iPhone · iPad
An incense stick in a brass holder

Zen Brief

One card for the job.

App Store launch in preparation

03iPhone
A chihuahua with sunglasses and a green scarf

Zen Sol

Only rings on sunny days.

In development

The apps are separate products in the Zen Creative Director ecosystem. They are not included in this book offer.

Explore the little apps