Last month I found myself in Abu Dhabi on a whirlwind work trip, a blur of brainstorming sessions and client pitches. Forget visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or spending all my money in Yas Mall – my first time in the United Arab Emirates was spent commuting between my hotel and a few meeting rooms.

But I still got to have a creative review with my feet on the sand, see the sun set behind a literal palace while we finished a presentation, and discuss potential future projects while eating the best hummus of my life. This is not meant to sound like a flex (although I’m conscious it also kind of is), but rather a perspective.

When my plane touched down in Amsterdam a few days later, I couldn’t stop thinking how lucky I was: I had visited somewhere completely new – geographically and culturally – and what got me there was the same thing that pays my bills every month. Beyond beaches and hummus, the trip reminded me why I love working in advertising.

Whether you’re new to advertising or several decades deep into the industry, chances are, someone close to you will eventually raise a judgmental eyebrow when you tell them how you spend your days. According to them, advertising is a profession you’re supposed to feel at least a little bit guilty about pursuing (and even guiltier about enjoying) – a selfish career path, founded on unethical principles of capitalism and consumerism and making people buy things they really don’t need.

As advertisers, I see our responsibility as transforming those unavoidable eight minutes of advertisements during a 30-minute TV show into compelling, entertaining content

I’m not sure whether this sentiment has grown in recent years or if my awareness of it has simply sharpened as I grow increasingly annoyed, but I want to offer a different viewpoint.