My first “real job” as a journalist was as a reporter at a small community newspaper. One afternoon, soon after I started, two of my stories ran on the front page, an ego-boosting accomplishment for a rookie.
The next morning, the publisher called me into his office. As I entered, I saw the paper’s editor sitting beside him. My chest grew tight. What had I done?
The publisher pointed to my first story, a colorful piece about two old friends who got into a heated argument over a baseball cap. The argument ended with a gunfight and a hospital visit. My first sentence read, “John Smith just wanted his hat back.”
There’s a guy at our company who passes out cookies every Friday. He goes from office to office, cube to cube with a package of store bought cookies, a generous smile and a simple refrain: “Free Cookie Friday.”
Chad Kirtland
Chad is a marketing director.