A Short Story... What do you think?

There was traffic this morning on my way to work.  It’s just another Monday, I think to myself as I walk to the kitchen to brew coffee. The machine is black and sometimes splatters coffee outside my cup. The kitchen is never fully clean anyway.

I find a plate of brownies and four boxes ready to ship out with USPS waiting for me. The front desk is tidy and I’m happy in my calm environment. I answer the phone when it rings. Good morning, how can I help you? I log onto my desktop, check my mail, read the news. The air is barely moving but at least it’s cool.

An account executive approaches with a list of seven names and addresses, cards and labels. They need to be sent out today, she tells me. Ok, I answer as she walks away. I’m told where to find the boxes, they're flat and waiting to be formed. There are also more address labels and packing popcorn. Soon I’m bombarded by four more account executives, each with another seven or eight addressed labels and cards. They place them on my desk and walk away.  

By lunch time I’ve only finished packaging eight. There are 23 boxes still waiting. I am no longer calm, my insides are tied, my head is floating. The phone won’t stop ringing. I can’t answer the calls. I’m tense and emotional; I push off lunch. I need to finish, I say, these need to go out. Would it be possible for you to come back and cover for me later?

My desk is a shipping disaster. Tape is stuck to the desk so the edge doesn’t get lost, the small scissors I’m given barely cut the tape fully in two, the popcorn is everywhere, the contents are strewn about waiting in haste for me to pack them. Hurry, they say, we want to go too. I’m trying to be as fast as I can, I reply, I want you shipped more than you know.

My environment is calm and my desk is tidy, I’m not happy. I take lunch an hour late; I walk around and shop. I don’t buy anything. It’s raining outside even though it’s a clear day. I’m wet and cold and shivering. My body aches and nothing fits. They’re screaming at me, but I can’t hear an individual voice. I call Ace. I plug my ears so the yelling stops and I cry. Will you take me to the beach? Of course, Babe, let’s go now.

I run to him. I run faster than the noise, faster than the rain. The air is racing and my heart is punching my chest. There’s blood on my feet and hands. He’s there to clean me up when I reach home. My clothes dry when he holds me, my heart relaxes. I just want to go. Of course, Babe, I’m taking you now.

It’s dark and the stars are awake. The breeze off the ocean fills my lungs as we lay together in the sand. I hold him close, my head in his neck. I feel him breathing, slowly, deeply. We’re alone and I relax into his chest. Coldplay plays in the background as he sings to me softly.  Each wave takes with it a piece of my day.

We stare together into the night; the horizon glows in the distance. I’ve missed you all day. I have too, Babe… I always do. The Arctic Monkeys quietly fill the night. I want you forever, I whisper. Baby, I’m yours.

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad

When Sleep Started Running My Life.

I've always been a night owl and a morning sleeper. Going to bed no earlier than 1 a.m. and waking up a little past 12 p.m. or even 1 p.m. on weekends. College didn't help my issue either with classes that were offered at 10:30 a.m. the earliest. Those mornings were met with coffee from the on-campus Einstein Bros. after literally rolling out of bed.

But the thing is, I functioned... very well actually. When I was awake, I was awake. I would study all day and retain the information, I would speak eloquently and respectfully. I didn't have mood swings, I payed attention, and fully comprehended every conversation I had.

However, it's not the case anymore. Sleep has begun to run my life. If I don't get my full 8+ hours a night, I become zombie-like the next day. It gets hard to focus and it takes me longer to do everything. Studying, thinking, and I get writers block- which is always the worst thing. I am simply not fully alert the entire day.

So I checked the Sleep Foundation Web site and found that Adults need about 7-9 hours every night and it looks like we need less sleep the older we get. Check out the chart listed:

At the ripe age of 22, my sleeping patterns have started to considerably matter. It's no wonder every one speaks fondly about their college years. The years where the weekend started on Thursday and going to bed at 3 a.m. was just another day. When school was first priority and yet personal freedom flowed wildly without remorse. I have never neglected my studies and I graduated last December proud of my achievements.

However, while working my 9-5 (which is actually an 8:30 -5:30), my bed time is at 11:30 p.m. and going to sleep any later holds its consequences. Today, unfortunately is one of those days and I have learned my lesson.

To all of those struggling through Thursday along with me, tomorrow is Friday and it's quite possibly the best day of the week. Hang in there! We can do this.

Happy Thursday and I hope you have a great weekend.

For me, my weekend will consist of applications and portfolio perfecting... and, of course, sleep. :) I'm excited!

Till next time,

The New Ad Grad.

It's Just Another Day in Paradise

I pulled into work about 15 minutes early today to find an odd looking older fellow hanging out by the entrance door. I tend to be paranoid sometimes and so I opted to enter through the back door of the building and wait till the rest of the office arrived before letting him in. Before I knew it, he was in my office and distressed to hear that his prize could not be located until the Promotions Department opened around 9 a.m. The current time was 8:37 a.m. The poor fellow left, only to return later this morning to find his prize had not, in fact, been delivered to the station yet. He walked away, this time in the rain, empty handed. 

Around 9 a.m. a lovable promotions intern, a retired on-air jockey, and an office assistant hurried outside to clad the outside palm trees in Christmas spirit. After all, it is the holiday season in Sunny Miami. They finished decorating at the exact moment the skies opened up and the storm came down. For almost 20 minutes, half of the BBGI Miami staff crowded our mid-sized reception area waiting for the rain to stop and the sky to clear so our Christmas photo could be taken. 

Finally clear. "Ok everyone...Squeeze in!...Smile!"

And back to work.

I get a phone call from HR at Zimmerman Advertising. I had asked for advice on how to gain the necessary experience Zimmerman hiring managers were looking for to successfully acquire a position at the agency in the future or at any other agency for that matter. I simply wanted to be pushed in the right direction. She knew of no post-graduate internships or how I can gain the experience, she only gave me general feedback from the hiring managers as to why I was not a fit now. Examples of which include: "Not enough experience, found some spelling mistakes, didn't think you were ready." Well ok then, thank you for your time.

I can understand the spelling mistakes being an issue because Interview Rule #1 is "Check Your Spelling!", however the mistakes were found towards the end of our hour-long meeting so I'm assuming he was already leaning towards the "no" end and that just gave him a reason to say it. I guess I'll never know for sure, but hand hit, lesson learned, will re-read everything 20 times instead of the usual 10... and maybe take a break in between to adjust my brain back to normal mode. 

And, about the "not enough experience, didn't think you were ready bit"... is that an opinion? Lately, throughout my daily copywriting advice news and readings, I have learned that experience level is linked mainly to the strength of your connections and your ability to follow-up, and that one hiring manager not thinking I'm ready is... well... one hiring manager not thinking I'm ready. 

And I say, "Hiring manager- you missed out on one ready and talented junior." Now..off to a more organized and knowledgeable agency.

Back to my desk. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Blog ideas?...hmmm maybe later. Google Buzz. Agency News. Business Week. VCU Brandcenter?... not accepted last year... do your chances increase the more you apply and show determination?... or is it another $50 charitable donation to a university that wants nothing to do with your individual future but finds others they deem more fit to obtain your dream job, and give them your donation to help aid in molding their future?...hmmmm I still really want to go there though... everyone already knows I'm determined and experience is my key to success, after all. Plus, it is an institution for the greater good that I do regard highly. I think I just might give it another go- maybe I'll be seen as a more likely candidate for the copywriting track as opposed to the art direction track I was considered for last year. It may very well be my only chance to obtain my desired career. 

I then follow-up with an agency I've been scouting out for a while. Publicis NY. Very organized and very knowledgeable with a friendly creative staff (I met a few on my visit there) and a gym on their top floor. :) NOT the reason why I'm obsessed and would kill to work at that agency, just a perk I'm overly excited about.

Lunch time, post office- Corinne's letter sent!, small chat with the BF, and back to work.

UPS, FedEx, USPS mail time! A letter to me? What?! No way. OMG, that crazy guy actually sent something? I know exactly who it's from! Sign, print, sort out the rest of the mail.

So I sit at my desk with this letter in front of me. It's addressed to Erica Dass but it's clear I am the intended recipient of the package. I've never gotten mail at the office before. I hand out letters and packages that hold goodies from Media Kits and PR agencies all the time but I've never received a package at work exclusively for me. 

Inside I find a cardboard slipcase that generally is made to protect CDs from cracking and getting damaged in the mail. On top a logo is created with a black Sharpie. The letters E and D separated by a single heart monitor beep line. (Of course later this will be changed to E and B, but as for now, Mr. Crazy Guy still thinks my name is Erica Dass. Next time I will be sure to spell out Bravo. Alpha. Sam. Sam.) I like it! It's catchy. The bottom directs me to Flip Open, in very creative typography I might add.

I flip the cover open and inside the first thing I find is a Hide & Seek Chocolate Chip cookie wrapper... no cookies. Underneath the wrapper is Mr. Crazy Guy's card, and beneath that is a note written in the same black Sharpie, all caps.

"HEY ERICA,

  CRAZY [GUY] HERE. "HIDE & SEEK" IMOGEAN HEAP. MOD-$REAL DEAL&. TRACK 2, 3, AND "...." ARE MY FAVORITES."

That's it. Underneath my portion of the mail is a separate package with a CD inside and addressed to a DJ here. No CD for me though. This left me wondering three things. 1) Why the empty "Hide & Seek" cookie wrapper alluding to Imogen Heap, 2) Why the Imogen Heap song reference (misspelled, might I point out) and 3) How can I check out track 2, 3 and "...." without a CD of my own? It's not like I can share with the DJ or anything. Strange, right? BUT!, this strange piece of mail made my day! I love mail. All types of mail. Letters, packages, postcards. It's so much more fun than e-mail. Seriously. So, YAY MAIL.


After a quick walk around the office handing out other peoples exciting mail and Media Kits and PR goodies, I'm back to my desk. A quick call to the Promotions Coordinator about a letter that was returned to the station with the same address that was inputted into our system and an invalid phone number (so no way to contact the intended recipient) and I'm back to social media, application reviews and advice from established copywriters. 


I received an e-mail back from Publicis (See?! Organized!) and was directed to the creative recruiter there. 

"No positions available right now but please keep in touch and I'll do the same."

Will do!


A sales executive and on-air talent emerge drenched from the ongoing storm. We chat about the weather. He's from New York. 


"New York? Do you know anyone in the advertising industry up there? I'm trying to become a Jr. Copywriter."
"I'll call my friend and tell him about you now. He's with Saatchi. You know them?"
"Saatchi & Saatchi? Of course! Wow thank you."


I'll have to follow up with him about that... but hey, a connection is a connection right? Then the interview is up to me. I already corrected the spelling errors. No worries there. SCORE!


After I escort a group of GEICO flight team guys back to the studio for an on-air interview, I'm back and I'm blogging. And, with only 24 minutes left to work, I'm getting more and more excited about hitting up the gym.


My day in a nutshell. 


Till next time,
The New Ad Grad