With the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, we have witnessed a moment in history which our children and grandchildren will study for generations to come. Much will be written and said about this man, who is to be our first black American president. And much will be written and said about the fall from grace of the republican “brand” during the G.W.Bush administration, including the effect that darkness had on the opportunities for Obama’s opponent, John McCain.

What may not get as much focus as I believe it deserves is the graceful concession speech given by John McCain from his home state of Arizona. McCain, not known for his oration skills during this presidential race, delivered a heartfelt, commendable, and honorable concession speech Tuesday evening. His remarks reflected his depth of character, a trait which had won him so many supporters—respectful, deferential, honest, and honorable.

I am personally elated that Barack Obama will be our next President of the United States. And I have always held both candidates in high regard (well, nearly always). But in light of McCain’s moving concession speech, I now have an even deeper respect for the man who is John McCain—for his spirit and perseverance, and for his sincere congratulations and laudable words in support of our new president, Barack Obama.
View McCain’s concession speech

NPR’s Ira Glass has been publishing videos on YouTube of late on the general topic of Storytelling. The most recent of these posts, Storytelling #3 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE) is specifically focused on the elusive art of the ART—how to go from being ok, or even good at what you do, to becoming GREAT.

Glass truly is a master storyteller, and this interview is welcome encouragement for anyone endeavoring to achieve goals that feel often out of reach. Truly fine art, or truly fine work of any kind is a long road—and a tedious one, and one fraught with setbacks and frustrations. This is true of art, music, management, construction, writing, program development,—every endeavor that requires creativity. To succeed and arrive at the greatness you know you can achieve, you need to be tenacious and driven and focused, and in it for the looooong haul. 

I am a big believer in giving back, and so I look forward to this time of year with excitement. Young designers, developers, writers, marketers and the like are in a challenging place every summer as they look for work in their field, of course. But this year is likely to be harder than most in recent memory, given the state of the economy and all. Competition is stiff for paid internships with interesting opportunities. And the ones who will succeed are those who are ambitious and serious about learning and working—in addition to being very talented, of course.

I am happy to say that we have had a great track record of ambitious and talented interns at Ollie Interactive. Ana Madriz finished her marketing degree at William & Mary, and is now employed full-time at Booz Allen Hamilton. Tina Holmes is completing her graphic design degree this spring at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and will be out in the job market any day now. Ah… tis the season.