A thing that most creatives don't do well is that you've gotta learn to listen.
When you open an Apple product it's like a religious experience.
Ultimately, if you are doing great work, the money will come.
Most people who are deemed 'mean' are usually perfectionist who make mediocre people unhappy, cause they put more pressure on them then they can handle.
An ad should be an appetizer, not a buffet.
Most ideas are a bit scary, and if an idea isn't scary, it's not an idea at all.