I didn’t set out to become a copywriter or an advertising creative. But the written word is always where I’ve felt at home. Even after 20 years in this business—and I’ve seen it from many different angles—I get just as much joy from writing a simple headline as I do from landing on a campaign idea that puts all others to bed. We’re not saving lives but in a sense we are cracking codes to get at something clear and resonant. That’s the joy.
If you make it this far writing and thinking for a living, you are profoundly lucky. And buried underneath the tangible output (the stuff that actually sees the light of day) is unseen work that runs the gamut from harebrained to electric. I wonder sometimes if it’s not this hidden work that keeps me going.
I live in southeast Michigan in a house built in 1928. We have two daughters and the best dog. I love singing—my first love before writing—and evening dance parties in the living room. I also love em dashes, Lake Michigan, and Scotland.