Meet the Author

Before I throw stones at others, I’ll throw one at myself. I’m guilty. And Nebo is guilty. As much as I want to believe we’re pure and a force for good. As much as I want to believe we’re against suffering and stand for the rights of others. As much as I want to believe we’re changing the world for both humans and animals, even in just small ways.

We’re still guilty.

Anyone who knows Nebo or has read any of our content knows that we believe organizations need to do more than just turn a profit. We need to be a force for good. We need to add value to our customers, but also to the world that we live in. We need to have a purpose. To make an impact. To play a role in helping shape this world into a better place AND have a healthy, sustainable business.

With this in mind, Earth Day has always been something we’ve taken seriously. We want to minimize our impact on the environment. This is something near and dear to us, and is one of the reasons we’ve always bought and used recycled paper, avoided animal products when possible (no animal should have to die so we can have a blue-er cup or can wash our hands), tried to be energy efficient, recycle, and preferred vendors that are sustainable and environmentally-friendly in general.

Each year we try to be a more eco-friendly company. Each year we also celebrate Earth Day. The planning for this usually brings a flurry of ideas and green initiatives that we “plan” to implement going forward.

Each year some of those ideas see the light of day. However, many don’t.

Agency people are normal … mostly.

They start their careers in marketing or advertising fresh-faced and eager. Sure, sometimes they quote Jeff Goodby at Thanksgiving, but otherwise they’re tolerable, average, all-around good people, who just want to make campaigns like the greats.

And then something strange happens. Slowly, day by day, they begin to change.

Their pant legs get shorter. Their beards grow longer. Their sock collections become more eclectic. They shun office chairs for medicine balls, where they sit judging the GMO content of your spirulina acai power bowl, and remind everyone at parties that they know how Google really works.

One day, they wake up to realize that they are no longer mere marketers. They are initiates in the cult of #agencylife.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Here’s a long list (and it’s hardly exhaustive) of the weird things that agency people do.

My name is Betty. I’m 94. I was born in 1923, lived through the Great Depression as a young girl, and waited with bated breath as my husband fought in World War II. This had a profound effect on my life, and his.

We had a good life, though. Money was tight, but we were blessed in so many ways.

I gave birth to a beautiful son who then grew to have kids of his own. Some of my grandchildren have already had kids of their own, too. My grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) are everything to me. Every time I see their faces, I see the hope of an entire generation. I see my mom and my dad. I hear my siblings in their laughter. Their hugs warm my heart and remind me of the vigor that I used to have.

I’m telling you all of this so you get to know me. Because I’m not the typical customer advertisers talk to these days. I’m not a millennial or even a baby boomer. I don’t use the internet frequently. I still watch cable.

But I matter.

The PR industry is in a state of crisis. Most in the industry don’t realize it yet, but they feel it – at least subconsciously.

Time and attention are harder to earn than ever. The average client PR engagement ends far more quickly than it did even five years ago. Journalists don’t need to rely on PR professionals for access or information in the same manner as they did in the past.