I’ve been in the marketing and public relation business for a long time. I’ve seen some pretty effective product campaigns, but none more effective from a cost and impact perspective than the one I saw in sixth grade. This particular campaign was the genius of a determined English teacher who sought to rid the world… Continue reading When A Lot is Not Alot
Category: The Last Half Century
The Wonder of Winter Fashion Trends
Maybe it was just a style that eventually went out of fashion or just pure practicality, but for some reason when I was in grade school all the kids wore bread wrappers on their feet. Not as footwear, but over our socks before we put our feet into our winter boots. I remember the floor… Continue reading The Wonder of Winter Fashion Trends
When Rudolph Challenged the Wild Wild West
It was like one of those great standoffs in those old Western movies. The dusty Main Street with tumble weeds blowing across and a whirlwind whipping up a cloud of dust. Spurs clink as two tough gunslingers take their positions opposite each other; steely eyes staring each other down as they position their hand over… Continue reading When Rudolph Challenged the Wild Wild West
How Someone Helped Me Get My First Job at Their Competitor
In the course of a busy work day, it can be hard to stop and think that there is a person at the other end of a request. Taking a few minutes to respond could change someone’s life.
While You Were Out
It’s hard now for me to think that there was actually a time when you were unreachable when you left home or the office — you were gone as in no one was able to contact you. There were no cell phones, pagers or even voice mail. If someone called the office and no one… Continue reading While You Were Out
The Cows Shared Our Swimming Pool
Who needs a swimming pool when you have a cow tank? That’s what we thought when I was a kid. But we never told our mom — until now.
The Non-Linear Career Path
I’ve always liked cars. I remember when I was a kid I used to like looking at the Hot Rod magazines my brothers had stacked in their room. In my teenage years I subscribed to Motor Trend. Every month I read each issue cover to cover. It fueled my interest in being a car designer… Continue reading The Non-Linear Career Path
You Call That a Truck?
I recently read a review of a truck in a newspaper. When I looked at a picture of the cab interior I felt like I was looking at a living room in Architectural Digest complete with leather recliners, end tables with cup holders and a big screen television. This wasn’t even close to the trucks… Continue reading You Call That a Truck?
The Balancing Act of Presenting the News
In the early 1980s I earned a degree in Journalism and went on to graduate school and a teaching assistant position in the Journalism department of my alma mater. I think it’s safe to say that the field of journalism is radically different now than it was nearly 40 years ago. When I graduated from… Continue reading The Balancing Act of Presenting the News
Assumed Identity
Few people know this, but there was a brief moment in my life when I lived under an assumed identity. I wasn’t myself, but someone else. It started innocently enough, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I was in over my head. Let me explain. When I was in high school in… Continue reading Assumed Identity
The Next Half Century 