About Dan

I am a registered voter, with street-level experience as a copywriter and advertising agency creative director. I am a motorcycle rider and former community organizer, new-business person, dishwasher, factory worker, TV cameraman/director, and adjunct faculty member.

I have made cold calls.

My real strength is in developing “ground-up” programs that create brands and work coherently across all media. My weakness—fountain pens.

I have named companies, like Ardent Learning—writing their positioning theme as well: “Be Brilliant.” And I’m still proud to say that listeners in Ithaca actually called in to request a radio spot I wrote for New York State Electric & Gas.

Despite all this, I’ve won very few advertising awards, so when I do I make sure somebody takes my picture. In the one on the left, I’m flanked by my body double and a waiter.