Living the dream . . .

Mark Pollard is an exciting recent addition to the SaatchiNY team, coming aboard as the Director of Planning Innovation last month. If you’re interested in learning more about him, check out MarkPollard.net (his blog is overflowing with insightful stuff) and follow him on Twitter. Front page image from Alex Vaughn. Above from our very own Brian Davidson.

WHAT DO YOU DO AT SAATCHI & SAATCHI?
I’m pretty sure Claudine and Sherdog (aka Mark Sherwood) brought me in to lower the dress standards and ensure that the t-shirt quota was met but, since joining, I’ve learned that my actual job is to be the head of Talking Funny. I also do strategy, often involving digitale (say it like you’re French), content and community stuff.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
I was copy boy to a famous Australian publisher, Nene King, for the summer, earning $3 an hour. That was after a delinquent career as a sports-card trader, singles club chef, paper boy and under-18s dance party organizer.

WHAT LED YOU ON THE PATH YOU’RE ON TODAY?
Learning to write before I was at school, chess, my parent’s divorce and my now wife and kids.

WHAT ARE YOUR LOVEMARKS?
Edward de Bono – big man crush. Record labels like Def Jux and Rhymesayers. Kickstarter, Instagram (fetish level), Whole Foods, UFC, New York. Oh, and Rolling Wine out of Orange (near Sydney), Australia.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE AD (ALL TIME OR CURRENTLY)?
I like what happens after the ad.

IF YOU NEVER HAD TO WORK AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO DO?
I’d write, wrestle and wo-mance. In that order. Sometimes backwards if I’d slept well.

FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE BEEN TO?
Family cuddle.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
I’m trying to possess less. I just sold my entire vinyl collection. Do you know how hard that was? If I was to be annoyingly contrarian, my most prized possession, the thing I love owning, is my own point of view.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEO?
I’m a big fan of Chad Vader (the early webisodes)

but I’d love you to watch Natalie Tran, an awesomely hilarious Aussie YouTuber who gets watched by millions every week:

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU MAKE REALLY WELL?
Funny sounds out of my mouth, apparently (thanks Saatchi Yoplait team!). I love making words too.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WARM-WEATHER NYC ACTIVITY?
My favorite pastime right now is just to pause and say, “I can’t believe I’m at Saatchi in New York.” I don’t know if it will last into the winter so I’m going to say that’s my favorite warm-weather activity right now. Often it involves a high-five and grunting although the people on the subway don’t seem to appreciate it.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHTIME SPOT NEAR THE OFFICE?
Any line that takes less than 20 minutes to get something not fried.

WHAT’S YOUR GO TO KARAOKE SONG? (COME ON, WE KNOW YOU HAVE ONE).
I’ve spent almost a half of my life listening to, promoting and writing about independent hip hop so this may shock you… my karaoke joke is to let the room get really happy and then knock it around with some depressing Damien Rice. You know, that song with the lyrics “I can’t take my eyes off of you”. It actually means a lot to me – I sing it for my granddad with whom I was with when he breathed his last breath.

WHAT’S THE BEST MEAL YOU’VE EVER HAD?
I don’t know but I’m sure it was served cold.

IF YOU COULD BE THE WORLD RECORD HOLDER OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Getting other people to make a bigger, more constructive impact.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CREATIVE PURSUIT?
Writing and making up bedtime stories.

WHAT BLOGS/MAGAZINES/BOOKS/PAPERS/WEBSITES CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
I’m trying to convince myself I can live without anything other than my family, a roof and food right now but I do enjoy The Onion, New York Times, and any book about behavioral economics or typography.

WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT EVENT YOU WENT TO?
Since I became a dad, I don’t remember anything anymore and when I go out I’m usually pretending to not be half-asleep. However, I’m pretty sure it would have involved other people, music and drink. Actually, I went to a birthday party a few months back that had Buzz Lightyear. I remember that being cool because they let me join in.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

I gave it to myself.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE STORY?
I started a full color underground hip hop magazine with a bonus CD-Rom when I was 20, sharing a single bed with my lady friend, earning $150 a week – from the other side of the planet, and eventually got it distributed by Tower Records and subscribed to by New York Public Library.