“The Meeting That Wouldn’t Die”

(Or: How to waste two hours choosing between “Your brand, closer” and “We connect with you”)

There was something sketchy about those meetings.

They always started on time—I’ll give them that. But they never, ever ended.

“Let’s hop on a quick 30-minute sync to review the copies,” Tomás, the CEO, would say. (Pro-tip: Whenever someone says "quick sync," cancel your dinner plans).

Then, five random people would join. Then a dog barking in the background. Then a toddler demanding an iPad. Then someone joining from their car with the window down.

Someone was always missing. And there was always that one person: “Wait, let’s hold off until Sarah joins. She’s got some thoughts on the punctuation.”

The minutes ticked by. Then came the memes. Then the stories about that one client who asked if we could run ads on the dark side of the moon. Then a deep dive into how someone's cousin became a millionaire on TikTok.

When the copy file was finally opened, the "Great Debate" began:

— “Don't you think 'Bringing your world closer' sounds better than 'Connecting with you'?”

— “I don't know, 'Bringing your world closer' feels very 90s telecom, right?”

— “What if we make it more inclusive? Like: 'Bringing worlds closer'?”

— “Oof, that reminds me of a 2007 campaign I hated.” — “Can we ask Kevin? He’s got that 'visionary' vibe.”

The agency folks were staring at the clock. It was 1:00 PM. We had spent 45 minutes on the headline for a Tuesday post. We still had to cover:

• The design,

• The Reel,

• The CTA,

• The giveaway,

• And the ad spend.

Suddenly, an alarm went off on someone's phone: — “Shoot, guys, I have a hard stop. Jumping into another Zoom.”

The meeting ended with zero decisions made. Rescheduled for next week. Same link. Same nightmare.

🔍 The Reality Check:

1. Long meetings aren't productive. They’re just collective burnout with a calendar invite.

2. Great ideas don't need two hours of validation. If they do, they’re probably not that great.

3. If everyone has an opinion but no one has the "final say," you’re stuck.

4. Agency time is part of your budget. Stop burning it on "vibes."

📋 How to not waste everyone's life:

✅ Is there a clear agenda? (If not, don't show up).

✅ Are the decision-makers actually there? (Looking at you, "Sarah").

✅ Are we deciding or just "circling back"?

✅ Is there a timer? Use it.

🪞 Final Thought:

A meeting without a goal is like a treadmill: you’re sweating, you’re tired, but you’re still in the same damn room. Invest in ideas, not in endless "alignment."