Two guys at Burnett were self-taught geeks who became partners. If you're truly passionate about the business, if you're a student of advertising and communications, someone will recognize that and hire you, especially in creative, or in planning, where being a student of life is important. If you're smart you can do it. Being smart and being educated are two different things. If you care passionately about your work and who you're doing it for, and they like and respect you, and you do good work, other people will want to work there or use your agency.
Clients respect agencies if they earn that respect.
Respect is important to Altilia. It's one of the reasons he encourages his own sons to get into such extra-curricular activities as hockey, lacrosse and music. It not only keeps them in shape physically, but helps them in their social dealings, learning from their dealings with different adults, and from mixing with people from various economic and social backgrounds. A former Board member of the Montreal YMCA, he is president of the Evanston Youth Hockey Association and on the Board of the Toronto Squash Club. But this year has been hectic with travel, particularly the weekend commutes.