It Only Takes One How to Create the Right Idea--and Then Make It Happen

“A lively and informative account of the creative process and how it works by someone who obviously knows.” —George Plimpton, editor of The Paris Review

“Finally, a GPS for finding your great ideas.” —Mike Slosberg, cofounder of Digitas

The ability to turn a good idea into a great reality is a vital ingredient in achieving success. In It Only Takes One, John Emmerling offers an innovative, exciting, and proven method for taking your idea from a first faint flash to a fabulous finish. In this remarkable book, filled with exercises, charming cartoons, and quizzes, Emmerling explains the six steps of his incredible effective S.T.R.I.K.E. process. With chapters on salesmanship, enthusiasm, chutzpah, and much more, It Only Takes One provides you with the creative power you need to strike it big on the road to success.

In college John Emmerling studied architecture, drew cartoons for the campus humor magazine, and sold freelance gag lines to Hallmark. This odd mix of skills led to advertising, where he became an award-winning copywriter at Young & Rubicam. He moved on to be a creative director, then founded his own ad agency. Today, John—always a student of the elusive creative process—is an innovation and branding consultant, author, cartoonist, actor, and speaker. IBM borrowed his longtime mantra, “Innovation is creativity with a job to do,” for an IBM THINK poster—and Advertising Age picked John as a representative “Real Mad Man” for an online video profile. In conclusion, John’s dog Max begs you to check out his master’s latest book, WoofiLeaks—Your Dog’s Secrets Revealed. (Max is coauthor.) John lives in Manhattan.