I am the principal and lead content strategist at our B2B digital marketing agency, Donnan. We’ve always operated virtually, even before remote work was in vogue. Most of our writers are in Silicon Valley, but our current roster of strategists, art directors, and digital designers are in Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, London, and Oslo.
I earned a Master’s in Creative Writing and was sure every major magazine would buy my short stories. After filling an entire apartment wall with rejection letters, I realized I needed to find a way to make money fast. Advertising seemed the natural choice. So I put a fake portfolio together and started interviewing at agencies and tech companies.
My two major influences are: The spiritual leader Eckhart Tolle, and the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners. One keeps me in the moment, the other keeps me on the edge of my profession.
Currently, I’m developing a 12-month content map for a software client. This will serve as the guide for all blog, eBook, whitepaper, case study, and webinar deliverables we develop over the next fiscal. Creating the overall vision is the best part.
I came to Satellite looking for a quiet place to have an emergency meeting. Both my good yard folks and cleaning folks arrived on my doorstep at the same time one Tuesday, seven years ago. I Googled “Sunnyvale work sharing space” and Satellite came right up.
My 3 favorite things about Satellite Workplaces Sunnyvale are: The design of the space, the high ceilings, and the unending quiet (most of the time). I have made networking connections easily here. I’ve hired several people I’ve met at Satellite on a project basis as contractors for our agency.
I would like to see the return of something from my early days at Satellite: meet-and-greet gatherings where we gave very short presentations to our coworking colleagues. They kept my presentation skills polished and I enjoyed them.
These days, I don’t let myself work past 6 pm. I’m in an industry that commands horrendous hours, and I have pulled my share of all-nighters while paying my dues. Now, I’m resentful when the workday looks like it might encroach on my new hobby: digital illustration. And that is a good thing, after being a workaholic for too many decades.
