I haven't lost that quest and that thirst to do something great.

We work in an industry where people invent technology to avoid what we create.

It's one of those weird things where I'm always curious about what's next. It's not just an empty restlessness, I try to appreciate things as they're going along and in the moment, but when things are good, I'm always anxious about how I can better that or take it on further.

I am the most competitive person you will ever meet.

Creativity is a game changer. That's true of society, in advertising and in life.

I was always obsessed with being a writer of some sort.

A lot of people ask what it takes to move from being a creative to a leader: Take everyone's career personally. People will work hard for you if you work hard for them. Any idiot can be a boss; all you need is a title. But to be a leader, you need to earn respect and have an opinion you stand by.

I really care about leaving a trail of goodness wherever we can.

Caring makes you want to work harder.

Being the youngest of five boys with a younger sister, being the only one who didn't go to university, I had to prove it was the right decision to go into advertising.

I set up Droga5 because I really believe in the power of advertising. But I believe in the power of advertising that's in synch with what consumers want.

We're an industry obsessed with the storytelling side of things, the content. And then we got obsessed with the canvas. Is it going to be on television? Is it print? And now the canvas is mobile. But what we really need to think about is the context. The context is where and when the person is consuming it - location, time of day.

If you're advertising on Facebook, the work you're doing should be made better by being on Facebook. You can't just be repurposing old TV commercials and hoping to get traction; that's very primitive. The question, always, is, 'How is this idea made better by this medium?'

Sometimes the best ideas will come in the least inspiring places.

Each consumer has the power of their wallet and their voice. They can exercise that.

I think the best way to show appreciation for things going well is to make things better.

The creative people I admire seem to share many characteristics: A fierce restlessness. Healthy cynicism. A real world perspective. An ability to simplify. Restraint. Patience. A genuine balance of confidence and insecurity. And most importantly, humanity.

Be aware of textural elements throughout a party, like silverware, stemware, and linens. But the biggest element is metaphorical: it's your own touch. How are you making people feel?

Every restaurant needs to have a point of view.

I'm a big believer that you can try to change the world based on philosophy, doctrine, and belief. But I think the thing that really drives the world is hedonism, the pleasure factor.

Restaurants and chefs have become followed by such a broad swath of the public, in a way that used to be reserved for sports stars, movie stars, and theater actors. Restaurants are in the firmament of today's common culture.

The part of capitalism that doesn't work for me is when capitalists make decisions in the way that Adam Smith suggested, which is that as long as you do everything in the interest of the investor, you're going to actually make the best decisions for all other stakeholders. I don't happen to agree with that.

It is sad that the more 'successful' a neighborhood becomes, the more it gradually takes on a recognizable, common look, as the same banks, drugstore chains and national brands move in.

Long before Starbucks popularized the phrase 'the third place' - somewhere to interact outside of work and home - it was neighborhood restaurants that helped to define places like Union Square.