The Slack Message You Never Want to Get …+ 4 tips in case you do

 

It came around 12:15 on a Monday afternoon. The Slack message read:

“Hi Randy! We haven’t met, but I’m XXX with HR. Are you available to meet on Zoom in about 10-15 minutes with me and XXX (i.e., my boss)?”

It’s one of those moments where you instantly. just. know. Your stomach drops, your heart starts to race, and your gut confirms it. You’re losing your job in 10 minutes.

When a Book Takes Me By Surprise

Favorite read of the summer:

George Saunders’ new book, Lincoln in the Bardo.

I love when a book takes me by surprise. This is a new approach to storytelling. It’s a fresh style of writing that took some initial getting used to, but one that I quickly found enthralling.

There's Something about that Smell...

Call me crazy, but there's something about the smell of a tool shed. Or a garage, if that's where you store your lawnmower and such.

A Few Wrong Reasons to Reject a Tagline

Taglines are tricky. Chances are, most writers and marketers have rejected a great tagline for the wrong reason.

Fall TV & Old Habits that Die Hard

Call me old school, but I still get excited about the Fall TV season.

There's something about a train...

--> What is it about a train that stokes my creative fire? Not just a train but, more specifically, a long train ride.

The Pillsbury Dough Boy and Other Icons of My Youth

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As a boy, I adored advertising icons. Something about them just clicked with me. They were always right up there with my favorite cartoon characters (Bugs Bunny, etc.) and super heroes (Batman, etc). I still love them today and I think it’s fair to say that my early fond association with these fun icons played a big role in my chosen career as an advertising copywriter. Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, The Trix Rabbit (yes, a LOT of them were breakfast cereal characters, and yes, I still find great joy in a bowl of cereal), The Jolly Green Giant, and of course, the Pillsbury Doughboy. Poppin’ Fresh, to be more precise.