Powerful Lessons

The Middle School Speaker Series allows students to interact with local leaders and reflect on the concepts of honor, community, and responsibility. These values encourage Spartans to develop a strong sense of self and a broadened worldview. In the fall, series speakers Joe Torrence and Matt Boschen shared lessons on compassion and hard work, respectively. Middle School Academic Dean and Dean of Students Ann Robbins organized the series.

In April, Ashley and Jon Marshall (parents of Scarlet ’29) presented an engaging and humorous talk, “How to Fail Your Way to Success!” Both work at The Martin Agency — she as executive creative director and he as a copywriter. The Marshalls worked on a funny Super Bowl commercial that many students had heard about, and Mrs. Robbins thought it would be beneficial for students to hear the Marshalls share how they go from idea to finished product. “I also wanted them to hear firsthand that adults often struggle — and that forging ahead despite perceived ‘failure’ can reap personal and professional benefits,” she said.  

The Marshalls shared a hilarious presentation that featured several of the commercials they’ve worked on, plus snippets of practical advice. Of the creative trajectory, they said, “We write hundreds of ideas and 99.9% of them don’t make it. Failing, and trying again, is how we get past the easy ideas and into new ideas that are even better. Not just in advertising … but in pretty much everything.” To illustrate this, the Marshalls talked about a successful Uber commercial they worked on that didn’t exactly start out that way. “We wrote 50 different ideas … and 49 of them didn’t make it,” they said. “It took us eight months of work. And it was only on TV for 60 seconds!” 

Students were eager to ask the Marshalls lots of questions: which celebrities they’ve met, how they generate ideas, the companies they have worked with, and what they like most about their careers. The opportunity to engage with invited speakers is one way that Spartans expand their critical thinking skills and make important connections with others. 

Juliet Forlano ’28 liked the interactive aspect of the Marshalls’ talk. 

“They helped us break down the different features in each commercial [they created],” she said. “This made everyone engaged and focused. It also showed us an area of work I am sure many of us had not seen before. Marketing is incredibly interesting because it is all about creating advertising that captures attention and makes people ask questions, and their presentation showed us how they make those things happen. It also puts failure into perspective. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall showed with examples from their work that many jobs include lots of failures, but failure really can be helpful.”

The Marshalls’ message, said Mrs. Robbins, “aligned well with the values we focus on as a school and the experiences kids feel every day. Getting interim reports, forgetting their iPad at home, not loving the idea they chose for a project … the list goes on. The realization that they can keep trying and learn from it was a powerful lesson.” 

The series is “a great way for students to make connections with others in our community and get a better understanding of our shared humanity,” added Mrs. Robbins. “I look forward to growing the program with next year’s speakers. I invite potential speakers to contact me!”