The knick-knacks and curios of my career that don’t belong anywhere else. ↓

IBM DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM, “When neurodiversity works”

You know that scene in “Austin Powers” when Dr. Evil tells a therapist that his father “would make outrageous claims, like he ‘invented’ the question mark”? No? Well, this scene replayed in my mind during my IBM onboarding, wherein they made outrageous (and true) claims about inventing the bar code, the floppy disk, the golf ball typewriter.

I joined IBM because so much of the world was created by IBM, and I wanted to find and tell world-changing stories. I got my chance. In an otherwise inconsequential meeting, I learned about the IGNITE Application Testing ASD program, wherein neurodiverse individuals were trained in app testing. I flagged the story to my team, pushed to tell it, and set the production up for success … just as I was leaving for a new role.

I knew it was going to be big, and I was right. This film won the Grand Prix and Chair Awards at the 2019 Drum B2B Awards, and Silver Distinction in STEM and Finalist in Accessibility honors at the 2019 Shorty Social Good Awards.

HILTON HONORS RADIO

At the beginning of my career, I helped get heads in beds for Hilton Honors, developing 30-slide email decks, digital, web, print, on-property collateral, and more. What I was most proud of was these radio spots. Every copywriter I’ve ever known loves writing radio. Maybe it’s because we’re control freaks – but I like to think it’s because of how much fun it is to push inflections, pauses, and pace like pixels.

THE FIRST HEADLINE I WROTE THAT EVER RAN

In the years since, I’ve had a kid. And I still wouldn’t have a white sofa.