My 15 Minutes of Fame

Tonight will start my 15 minutes of “fame.” I will be on national television (ok, cable) for an extended period of time. Not just a face in the crowd, but actually speaking on television about a gift that is near and dear to my heart.

My mom and I with host Curt Doussett at the University of Milwaukee cartography library.

The show, “America’s Lost Treasures,” will air Wednesday, July 11, at 8 p.m. CST, on the National Geographic channel.

It would have been nice to achieve “fame” through perhaps career expertise or some amazing, unique talent (not a chance). But, I do have a very special item to share that my grandfather gave to me many years ago.

You may ask how I ended up on a show that seems a little too much like “Antiques Roadshow” with my mom. Let’s just say that the chance to win $10,000 was enough to turn my interests toward dusty American artifacts.

I’m not supposed to discuss the show or the outcome, but you can get a glimpse of my prized possession here.

Fame may be fleeting, but my treasure will always be a star for me.

Wall Drug: Old School Advertising Still Works Today

Happy shoppers, complete with coonskin cap and toy pistol.

Last week we piled into the family van and hit the road. Our destination? South Dakota. We planned to visit the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills and Devil’s Tower (in Wyoming). I had no idea that a slew of well-placed signs could put Wall Drug at the top of the must-see list.

The first sign should have been an indication of what we were in for: “391 miles to Wall Drug!” The rolling grassy hills sprouted up sign after sign for the infamous store. We started counting (and betting) and we saw well over 65 road signs by the time we got there.

The signs had very few words so motorists speeding by could easily get the message: “Free Ice Water;” “Homemade Donuts;” and “Cowboy Up! Boots and Hats.” And of course every sign said, “WALL DRUG.”

The simple signs had whipped up so much anticipation that my kids could hardly wait to see this incredible wonderland of cowboys and dinosaurs.

Even if you’ve never been to South Dakota, you most likely have seen bumper stickers that say: “What the heck is Wall Drug?” We found out that Wall Drug is a series of stores under one roof that sells every tourist tchotchke and trinket you could ever want: magnets, T-shirts, mugs, picture frames, toy guns and more. Bison, jackalopes, cowboys and Indians are the featured stars here. And don’t forget the homemade fudge, doughnuts, taffy and pie. Have your picture taken on a bucking bronco! See the lifelike T-Rex! You get the picture.

For my kids, who hate to shop, this place was merchandise overload — but they loved it. In fact, they wanted to stop there again on our way back home.

Sure, Wall Drug is a huge tourist trap. There may be no other reason to stop in the remote town of Wall, S.D. But those signs created a frenzied, burning desire to see what the fuss was all about.

The lesson here is the Wall Drug message — short, simple and often. Get the message across in a concise, clear manner, and hit your target audience again and again. It reminded me of web advertising.

Behavioral targeting attracts customers no matter what road they travel. Behind the screens, advertisers can follow your behavior online and serve up ads that appeal directly to you. If you were browsing for new sandals last night on Zappos, they will put up a shoe ad as you scan the morning news. It may seem that wherever you turn online, an ad pops up that speaks just to you.

This is the power of repetition — sooner or later it will sink into your consciousness. If you see that shoe ad often enough, chances are good that you will cave and click. Just think twice before buying those cowboy boots.

The Ghost Blogger

You may have noticed that I have been missing in action lately (or maybe you haven’t noticed). Like an old haunted house, my blog is gathering a few cobwebs and my archives are looking sparse and vacant.

I am still rattling around, however. I just haven’t quite found the time or the inspiration to keep my blog alive.

I started this whole thing simply to get the experience of writing a blog. I wanted to see how it works, how to publish, and how to gain a following. It was fun to put together my masthead with a designer friend of mine (thanks John!).

The truth is that I am dangerously close to being overscheduled! I know this is a good problem to have. I am currently juggling three clients, with one waiting in the wings. I also have two potential clients reviewing my work.

I am not complaining; it is extremely satisfying to discover that I can do this freelance thing on my own. And I am getting some great experience, including writing content for my first app assignment.

I even have the opportunity to write four blog posts for a consumer web client. So, while I may not have the time to write my own blog, I will be busy writing someone else’s.

The Horrors of Healthcare Marketing

Whoever first said “paranoia will destroy ya” must have been in healthcare marketing. After 14 years in the industry I have learned that there are some nasty things that can happen to your body — and that a healthcare marketing agency is no place for squeamish hypochondriacs.

With every new project came a condition to research and write about. My first day on the job included a creative brainstorm about genital warts, and sales training videos about erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments. I sat alone in a conference room watching a male “model” on the TV screen inject his uncircumcised self — yes, with a needle. These are two things I had never seen before, nor do I want to see again!

The second sales training video, thankfully, featured illustrated animations. But the delivery method will make every man squirm. This ED treatment was a gel-like pellet inserted into the urethra. Now you can understand why the little blue pill was such a blockbuster drug!

I figured I could avoid these health issues in my lifetime, but writing for healthcare audiences (patients, physicians, nurses, pharma CEOs, drug reps, etc.) makes you painfully aware of some awful conditions that you never want to contract. Here are some doozies that struck fear in my (hopefully healthy) heart:

Anal fissures: Think paper cuts in the anal canal. I had the displeasure of reading about a guy who — after eating street food in Thailand and developing prolonged bouts of diarrhea — had a bloody, painful mess that you really don’t want to read about. Our client developed a nice relieving ointment to apply. Ugh!

Interstitial cystitis: Feels like intense burning needles when you pee. No, it’s not a bladder infection or a sexually transmitted disease. It can take years to diagnose, there is no cure, and they don’t know why it happens. Eeek!

Deep vein thrombosis: This particular campaign was directed at frequent air travelers who could develop a blood clot that could dislodge into the bloodstream, and could cause severe damage in the brain, lungs, heart, etc. Even death. Yikes!

But there is a positive side to healthcare marketing. I like to think that a website I wrote drives women with a questionable mammogram to get more advanced testing, like Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI).

Maybe that campaign I helped develop persuaded new parents to bank their baby’s cord blood. Maybe that cord blood helped cure a child of leukemia.

Perhaps a brochure I crafted helped a man finally decide to get knee replacement surgery so he could walk the beach with his wife again.

I guess healthcare marketing isn’t so horrific after all.

Quick and Easy Guide to Grammar

In the age of texting, autocorrect, and hasty emails via smartphone, it’s easy to make typos and grammatical errors. In your personal life these mistakes are easily forgiven by friends and family. But in the business world, careless emails and texts can make you look unprofessional and even lead to damaging miscommunications.

I was planning to put together a quick and easy guide to grammar, but Copyblogger beat me to it. You just can’t beat a high-quality infographic. Take a look. My apologies to anyone with clown phobias.

15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly (Copyblogger)

Canning in Uganda: A Photo Gallery

Can you imagine eating well for six months of the year, and starving for the next six months? Without the ability to preserve and store produce, many Ugandans face this unfortunate reality every year. That is hopefully starting to change.

A few days ago I posted a story about an effort to teach canning in Uganda. The proper supplies and support can enable these villagers to take better control of their food supplies. This is a worthwhile effort that I hope to expand.

Here are some wonderful photos taken by John Berka when he delivered the Ball Canning supplies to Father Matthias Kakooza of Saint Charles Lwanga in Lwamata, Uganda.

Click on any photo to view the slideshow.

Preparing pineapple for canning

Canning in Uganda

John Berka and Father Matthias

Saint Charles Lwanga in Lwamata, Uganda

John Berka and schoolchildren at St. Charles

Ugandan children

Canning Effort Makes a Difference in Uganda

Click to watch a video about canning efforts in Uganda.

Father Matthias Kakooza of Uganda was visiting Chicago last fall when, for the first time, he saw a jar of pickles.

“What is that?” he asked inquisitively.

Canning may seem like a simple, maybe even old-fashioned way to preserve food here in the states. But for Father Matthias, it is an ingenious process that may change the lives and health of his parishioners in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Central Uganda has fertile land that yields fresh fruits and vegetables during the wet season. During the dry season however, which can last up to six months, people and animals suffer due to lack of food and water. Canning can help them avoid food spoilage and improve food resources throughout the dry season.

The idea of helping people in Uganda preserve food for months at a time inspired a small effort that we hope will grow. In November 2011, I helped coordinate a donation of Ball Canning supplies to Father Matthias and his parish community at Saint Charles Lwanga in Lwamata, Uganda.

I became aware of this dedicated priest because he also founded Saint Andrew Uganda, the sister school for my children’s school, Saint Andrew Chicago. Father Matthias will soon be breaking ground on a third Ugandan school in his tireless quest to educate the children in his community.

Giving Thanks

I would like to extend a huge thank you to John Berka for taking the canning supplies all the way to Uganda in January, and for teaching Father Matthias and his community how to preserve food.

“When we showed them how to can pineapple, they asked if they had to eat it within a few days,” said John. “They were amazed to learn it could last for months. It was then they realized how this could really make a difference.”

John was also able to meet with key business and community leaders during his visit, including a former member of the Ugandan Parliament. “They are very excited by the prospect of a sustainable food canning campaign,” he said.

John was only able to carry a few canning kits with him on his long flight to Africa. Shipping additional kits and jars to the area is expensive and logistically a challenge without more support.

I will be reaching out to Ball Canning to see if this program can be expanded. With enough supplies and education, this is an incredible opportunity to help feed the Saint Charles Lwanga community and beyond. I will keep you posted on our progress!

Here is an inspiring video from John and his crew at Group Mind Films.

If you would like to donate to Father Matthias’ continued efforts in Uganda, please visit Saint Andrew Chicago and choose “Father Matthias” in the gift designation.

Opening my own Window

After more than 14 years with the same company, I was laid off last month. It was a shock to say the least. Thank you, improving economy. But when a door closes, a window opens.

However, I’m not about to wait for that window to open by itself. It’s a new beginning and I have a lot to do. I’m grabbing that window and throwing it wide open to feel the breeze and smell the (fresh?) Chicago air.

I am officially a freelance writer, says me. And every writer these days has a blog, right? But does anyone really care about what I have to say? I guess we’ll find out.

The SMJ Wordcraft blog is born. Stay tuned! Sign up for the RSS Feed to follow along.