In The Trenches

A few weeks ago, I found myself in the local animal hospital at 2 o'clock in the morning with our 9-year old Golden Retriever, Jasmine. She had been coughing a lot and having some difficulty breathing, so I brought her in to get checked. After an exam and a few X-rays, the doctor told me that her stomach was about 5…

So, you’re trying to target Gen Z and millennials with a product or service. Naturally, you want to be where your audience is – on TikTok. But with over 1 billion videos viewed on this platform every day, how do you ensure the video you create not only gets noticed, but makes an impact?  Here’s the key: Don’t stand out.  I know it…

As you may have heard, the new monument on The Boston Common honoring Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King has been the topic of both adoration and controversy since its unveiling earlier this month. So, last weekend, I went with my wife and children to visit "The Embrace" and see it for myself.  Personally, I was touched by…

This past September marked 20 years since we started Small Army in 2002. But, it wasn't until the holiday break that I actually took a moment to reflect on that milestone.  In 2002, things were quite different. Cell phones were used to make phone calls. Tweeting was something birds did. Google was just a search engine. Amazon was primarily a place to buy books…

I'm not a big soccer (er, football) fan. But, when a British friend invites you to his house to watch the UK vs. US game, you go. And, while there were certainly some moments of excitement, the no-score game wasn't quite my cup of tea.  However, while watching the game, we discussed the many upsets that had already happened during the…

This past Sunday afternoon, as I was walking the dogs with my wife, we noticed the sky turning dark. We initially thought it was about to pour, and almost turned around to avoid getting soaked. But we quickly remembered that we had just turned back the clocks, and spent the remainder of the walk discussing the impact of the change.…

Last Tuesday evening, after coming home from work, I went upstairs to my son's bedroom to ask about his day. Immediately upon opening his door, I could tell that he was upset about something. He told me that someone had stolen his Apple Watch. Although, when I probed a bit further, he shared that it fell out of his bag at the…

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were discussing an upcoming trip to the Cape for our friends' wedding, and realized we hadn't figured out what to do with the dogs for the weekend. So, I reached out to our AirBnB host with the following inquiry:  Me:  Hi <Host Name>. We’re looking forward to staying at your place next weekend. Would…

Last weekend, my wife and I decided to go for a hike. Fortunately, the AllTrails app (highly recommend) presented many places near our home, and we chose a fairly flat 4-mile trek in a wooded area about 20 minutes away. Given the heat and unfamiliar location, we weren't sure about taking James (1.5 yr old Corgi) and Jasmine (9 yr old…

Around this time every year, my inbox gets filled with notes from family, friends and colleagues looking to help a recent graduate enter the world of marketing. For the most part, I'm happy to oblige by having an informational call, connecting them with appropriate people and/or just corresponding via email.  However, I'm often surprised by what transpires after the initial…

For the last 6+ weeks, I've been dealing with a herniated disk. For those who have experienced it, you understand the pain - constantly ranging from barely manageable to crippling. So, you can imagine how I may have reacted when my younger brother, Drew, sent me a text advising me to "just breathe."  In the midst of the pain, all…

Inspired by the Beatle's Get Back series (see my last blog post), I've found myself immersed in Rock and Roll documentaries over the last few weeks. From reading Dave Grohl's The Storyteller (recommended by my brother, Drew) to watching Metallica's Some Other Monster (recommended by my friend Julian) and the Rolling Stone's Gimme Shelter (thanks to my friend, Justin), I've enjoyed getting a glimpse behind the stage of these…

The Beatles Roof Top Performance After trying to watch Get Back (the Beatles Documentary) with my wife several months ago, she told me it was boring to watch four guys write songs for eight hours. So I put Get Back on the back-burner, and opted for shows like Billions, Emily from Paris, and Dexter.  But, this weekend, I finally had…

I'm always a fan of learning from experience. However, when I get invited to a "post-mortem" meeting (or even when someone just calls a meeting a "post-mortem"), my stomach turns. For one reason, we're in the marketing business - generally speaking, we're not saving lives. Second, just the words alone sound like we're going to discuss something that ended in disaster. And, with very…

James Mirrored While up in Maine with my family a few weeks ago, James (our 1-year old Corgi) was barking non-stop outside. At first, I didn't pay much attention (sometimes, it's best to just ignore him). But, after about 10 minutes, I had to go see what he was barking at. Turns out he was barking at himself. Or, more specifically, his…

A sampling of my "Life is Good"​ collection Those who know me well, know that I'm a big fan of Life is Good. Not only do I love their products (and, according to my wife, wear them a bit beyond their "expiration date"), but I also love what they stand for. In short: optimism. So, when I had the chance to interview Steve…

I hope you had a nice holiday and, despite this virus that's going around, you were able to spend some time with friends and family.  Now, as the New Year begins, and we make our "resolutions," I thought it would be apropos to write about commitments. At the end of the day, commitments are simply promises that we make to…

My first drum gig (with my older brother, Marc) A few weeks ago, after abruptly shutting down the cancer fundraising event that we started in 2009, my emotions were running a bit wild with sadness, empathy and, honestly, a bit of anger. I felt a bit like climbing under a rock for a few days (or longer) but, unfortunately, the cold…

Good boy, James! As you may remember, we welcomed our new Corgi puppy, James (aka Sir James Oliver III), into our home this past December. And, while he may be the cutest dog I’ve ever known, he may also win the award for most destructive. So, in an effort to tame the beast, we recently sent him away for a 2-week…

Facebook has been down all day today. Karma? In early September, my Facebook account was hacked. After it happened, I immediately followed Facebook's online instructions to secure my account. I used 2-factor authentication to log in, updated my contact info (the hacker had changed it) and added trusted contacts to my profile. Shortly thereafter, my account was hacked again and I followed the…

Yum! This Summer (and actually, through most of this pandemic), I've been doing quite a bit of outdoor cooking. Aside from using our "go-to" Cuisinart outdoor products, I've more recently been trying to master the art of smoking food with a charcoal grill (a Father's day gift from my wife). As I learn how to moderate/maintain the temperature and use the appropriate…

An empty college campus (not one we went on) Over the Summer, my wife and I have spent quite a bit of time touring colleges with our daughter, Julia. After honing her list, based on a set of key criteria, she identified the ones she wanted to explore more seriously with an in-person visit. And, off we went. However, in this strange…

Working from home over the last 18+ months has certainly had its benefits (they don't need to be repeated here). However, we also know that many people are putting in more hours than ever before - often to the point of mental exhaustion and burn out.  Of course, many are equating the high hours to high productivity, and view this…

Me on Dallas Seavey's Champion Iditarod Sled (wearing some of his gear, too.) While traveling in Alaska with my wife and kids over the last few weeks, it was virtually impossible to skip over any chance to interact with dogs. My kids (and, if I'm being completely honest, my wife and I) missed our dogs, and constantly needed some "furry-love." Fortunately,…

This past Sunday, as the Uber app showed my driver stopped for about 15 minutes while only 5 minutes away from my location, I wondered what the issue may be. But, knowing that her arrival represented the end of a get-together with two of my closest childhood friends, I was fine with the unexpected delay. When Barbara finally arrived, she immediately apologized and…