I’m thinking about working on this design… honest
The always perceptive Mr. Scoble asks:
The Cluetrain is a start. What’s your mission in life?
Good question and I’ll paraphrase my email back to Robert here.
I’ve been in and out of the PR agency world since 1997. I’ve seen the boom, the bust and the alleged recovery. I’ve worked with some folks who ‘get it’ and some who think that controlling the message is what we are supposed to do.
There’s a lot of fear in the air. The agencies fear the clients, the media and the real possibility of missing the Next Big Thing(tm).
In case no one got it, I was canned yesterday. Well my wife thought the entry was obvious but who knows. Nothing so romantic as being fired for blogging. But while the powers that be were running around terrified of what the new world might mean and talking about control and message development, I was running around shouting ‘embrace the new thing.’ So maybe in the end it was me who didn’t ‘get it.’
I’m fine. I’ve got some leads and some freelance work to tide me over. I might even start a PR / marketing blog although there are a lot of people far smarter than I doing that already.
And maybe Rebel Dad will add this blog to his list of SHAD blogs…
note to the peanut gallery: not only am I being self-referential but I’m increasing my wuffie here by setting off at least a dozen PubSub and Technorati watch lists by invoking the name of you-know-who… see what a great PR guy I am?
Sorry to hear the news. But you will make the blogroll …
I had a feeling that was the case, but didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Therefore, I remained mum.
However, reach back and remember how torn you felt going back to office work. Maybe, for a while at least, you can capture that old feeling you had of hanging out with the kids and freelancing on the side.
And instead of a PR/Marketing blog, what about starting your own service? Run out of the basement, work on a per-project basis, cater to specific types of companies, specific projects . . . I mean, you are good at what you do. Why limit yourself to doing it for a company?
Send me your resume and I’ll start passing it around my clients’ offices (all of whom have large operations on the East Coast).
David, as someone helping to develop a business-focused conference on syndication related technologies
and blogging, I have certainly encountered a stark differential between those in the advertising/PR world
who are aware of how these technologies are impacting/going to impact their industry and those who are not.
Leadership posiitons are being staked out. And the innovation that is sweeping the technologists and media is quickly working its way through adv/pr world.
You are the cutting edge. Good luck.
Best,
Tom
Well, I didn’t get the reference, although looking back I certainly should have. I can’t offer much help (or, really, any), but I can offer my thoughts and hope that you’re able to get to doing what suits you best soon. Spend some time with the family, and then get the ball rolling with what you need to get done professionally. Best of luck.
Oh, please start a PR/Marketing blog! I have yet to find one that I read nearly as much as the “parenting” and the “tech geek” blogs I read. (Yours is the rare combination of all three - I am a Nov99 friend of your very lovely wife - but I came here today from a link from the Scoblizer blog.) I’m in marketing/PR for a tech consulting firm that is owned by an accounting firm. When I start talking about RSS feeds and blogs, they look at me like I’m insane. (”Oh, that crazy Mac-user in marketing is dreaming about meaningless concepts, fluff design and usless technologies again”).
Anyway, good luck. Yours is one of the best written blogs out there, I hope you continue it!
I’m so sorry to hear it!
I’ve been there, David, and all I can say is that you’ve in the right on this. Your bosses are going to get caught with their pants down, and it their own fault. Take the time you need to come to grips, rediscover your family, and get back to doing what you do best.
well, suck. sorry to hear that.
Wow, I’m sorry to hear your news too. I hope you can find a great fit for you and your family.
From someone who has gone through this experience before (because I spoke my mind), I can tell you that this is blessing in disguise. I feel it is better to work in an environment were you can be free and express yourself and work your potential than a place that places politics and ideology before freedom and variation. In the long run you are better off, I promise!
Also from an entrepreneurs perspective I can tell you that as long as you are open and keep refining your craft new opportunities will open up. No worries and all the success, I know it is not easy when having to support a family but things will work out.
Sounds like you are best off out of there, set up that PR blog and get moving with your own message. That’s pretty much what I did and never looked back
Go for the PR/Marketing blog while you have the time to get cracking on it — would be an interesting proof of concept, wouldn’t it, to get it going, lots of traffic, AdWords & BidVertiser and any other advertisers to pay the server rent and even the mortgage? Best practices, new ideas … oh, I think I’d love to read it! (That nyc metro thing you mentioned in an email also sounds interesting! Meant to get back to you about that … we’re interested)
Just a thought: one design “blog” I read offers a service that evaluates one’s website for $100: what works, what doesn’t, what to fix, etc. Why not something like this for marketing — there are a lot of entrepreneurs launching new sites that haven’t a clue, or a heck of a lot of money, who would just grab at this kind of thing (a customized to-do/do-not-do list) if the price were right. I’d certainly refer clients your way as most of our web hosting/web design clients are newbie netrepreneurs and need help in this area.
I was sorry to hear read about your canning. I hope they did it by laying you off so at least you can get some unemployment while figuring out what to do next. And, even if it’s really a Good Thing ultimately, it’s still a shock when it happens. Been there — it sucks.
Thanks, also, for you kind note about our travails.