When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A playwright. I wrote my first play in the third grade. Hearing others read those words was a rush.
What would you do if you didn’t work in healthcare?
I’ve done script supervisor work and was a member of the WGA. I would probably be screenwriting.
What do you like most about working in healthcare marketing?
I love learning about the category and the brand, then ideating on the strategy, insights and creative platform that will resonate. Finding actionable insights are the name of the game in general advertising, but they tend to be more elusive on healthcare and pharma briefs. I love working with my Strat colleagues to make sure we really have that insight that Creatives can run with.
What frustrates you most about working in healthcare marketing?
The underlying sense of fear that often fills the room. People want to “sit with creative” before making a comment. I think truly effective marketers are able to have a gut reaction and are able to talk about what’s working — not just what isn’t. It’s easy to knock things down, talking about what not to do. Identifying areas to lean into takes marketing savvy. Those are the sensibilities of the CMOs I respect.
What are you doing to mentor others — to send the career ladder back down, so to speak?
Our industry as a whole has challenges in attracting talent. This can be a tough business to break into and to excel in. While I do love having 1:1 mentees, I also am proud to have created an industry onramp with the Eversana Intouch Copy School. The program exists to create the next generation of Copy and Creative leaders. It provides aspiring healthcare writers — either new to advertising or from non-healthcare marketing — with the groundwork they need to jump-start a healthcare copywriting career.
What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?
I used to work at Major League Baseball and was part of the redesign of the current St. Louis Cardinal.
What are the three things in your daily workspace that you can’t live without?
Post-it notes. Mechanical pencils. Ring light.
What is your favorite book (or TV show, movie, band or song)? What about it resonates strongly with you?
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera. I read it about once a year and see something different with each read. As a whole, I think the notion that pure freedom and lack of attachments yields emptiness is one of those big truths in life. I may have revealed too much!
What’s on your to-do list for when you retire?
I’ll go back to writing for pleasure. Writing without considering focus groups feels like an elusive dream!
