About Andrew
We tend to curate personal brands that are all work, no play. I’ve been guilty of that too.
But there’s more to life than just work projects. This page is about what you won’t see in a resume or a cover letter. It defines who I am more than my technical skills.
I think like a customer, not an industry lifer
Working in an industry for 20 years can bring many insights, but it can also make professionals complacent. That’s why I focus on learning about new industries with a fresh perspective instead of trying to chase down industry lingo.
It’s how I stay focused on the challenge of reaching people and earning their trust instead of drinking my own kool-aid. Self-reflection is kind of important.
This is what’s important to me:
Meritocracy
I strive to pull my weight and then some. I expect the same from my team members and I’m not apologetic about it. Merit isn’t about taking curtain calls; it’s about owning our work and helping each other turn good ideas into successful plays for everybody’s benefit.
Learning and Growth
I thrive in teams that grow as much as I do. Learning new tools, platforms, and schools of thought are what teach us to think laterally and breath new life into established ways of doing things. It’s not as if businesses survive by staying the same for decades.
Action and Iteration
I’m a big believer in following a focused strategy, but I’ve also been vexed by clients who won’t stop deliberating. Getting started, logging some field time, and analyzing the results is usually the best way to get the lay of the land and to form an effective strategy.
Andrew really raised the bar, and not just with SEO. He laid the early groundwork for our PPC campaigns (now 50% more cost-effective than the industry average), and we built a website together with a visual builder. He took organic search from a sliver of traffic to a dominant channel and he’s still excited to implement new SEO strategies over a year later. He just doesn’t stop learning.
My thoughts on business and teamwork
Culture, Not Rules
I roll my eyes when I see a 75-page employee conduct manual. Healthy teams don’t need codified bureaucracy because they already show respect for their peers, their leaders, and the company itself.
Work Your Own Way
Some industries require strict processes for safety, but marketing isn’t one of them. Once people prove they have the details covered, they’ll end up pursuing bigger and better things if they’re allowed to work their own way.
Good Things Take Time
Quality beats frequency until it becomes perfectionism. Everybody wants to “move fast,” but they don’t always want to buckle down to do the deep work and planning that makes the execution effective in the first place.
Andrew’s diligence and attention to detail make him a valued asset for any client or project. While working together at DDE Media, he maintained a plethora of accounts by working in tandem with both clients and DDE employees. This helped meet client goals while creating crucial learning experiences for employees, thus supporting everyone to generate success as a team.
Andrew can also handle unexpected transitions—he seamlessly integrated one of my biggest clients into his own workload after I sustained an injury that caused me to miss some time in the office. This allowed DDE to maintain a close relationship with the client during my absence, and upon my return I was able to pick up where he left off without any issue.
Andrew was a strong mentor to me during his tenure at DDE Media, and I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Fun facts about me
Meyers-Briggs Type: INTJ
I know psychologists don’t consider the Meyers-Briggs test to be up to date, but I’ve found the Architect persona to be an eerily accurate description of my own personality. Also, I like strategy. Click this blurb to read more about it.
Looking for a Podcast Partner
I’m looking to start a podcast for my website, Employed Historian. I already have my intro/outro song planned out and a plan to interview guests on every episode! I just need a partner in crime to riff on ideas back and forth.
I Want to Be an Author
I want to write a book one day—more than one, in fact! In particular I’d love to write a fantasy and historical fiction series that introduces the world to Celtic a Gaelic mythology, from the distant past into the modern world.
About that life outside of work…
This is me outside of work, if you can pull me away from one of my website projects.
I have a Pippin
He’s a rascal and has way too much energy for someone who only eats 2.5 cups of food per day, but he’s also been a real companion since the pandemic started.
Fantasy novels are life
I’ll nerd out over fantasy any day of the week. I’m reaching the end of the Wheel of Time series, and then I’m moving on to the Assassin’s Apprentice and Stormlight Archive #4.
I'm a shameless gamer
I’ve been hooked on video games since I was 8. I worked in an EB Games through high school, and for a long time I wanted to be a gaming editor for IGN or Kotaku. Talk to me about Dark Souls.
I love castles and ruins
It isn’t a vacation without castles, cathedrals, and ruins. I could spend hours walking through corridors made of stone that has stood for centuries, or even millennia. They’re just so serene and majestic.
Genealogy is kinda cool
Family history sounds pretty dry, even for historians… But there’s this thrill at finding evidence about your ancestors and building these small connections to people who aren’t here anymore.
Ancient history is my jam
I’ll watch any documentary about the ancient world or Medieval Europe, and I’m often on the hunt for BBC history series on DVD. If you’ve watched Rome or Time Team then we’ll be fast friends!
Sometimes I reflect on the workplace in writing
Content Design vs. Content Strategy: Know the Difference
Trying to understand content design vs. content strategy after a confusing look through job boards? You’re not alone. Here you’ll find the key differences between the two as outlined by someone who has actually worked in both roles. Companies often interchange and...
What Is a Content Designer?
Most people I speak with don’t understand what content designers actually are, and it’s no surprise. “Content” has become synonymous with the digital marketing industry, and “design” has become a ubiquitous term for visual work. I was guilty of it, too. I would refer...
Lessons in Building a Website Business (While They’re Still Fresh)
I used to dream about becoming an editor, but I've never really been one to keep my finger on the pulse of pop culture and politics enough to supervise opinion pieces. However, finding several niche topics and connecting them for my own understanding has always been...
Content Design vs. Content Strategy: Know the Difference
Trying to understand content design vs. content strategy after a confusing look through job boards? You’re not alone. Here you’ll find the key differences between the two as outlined by someone who has actually worked in both roles. Companies often interchange and...
What Is a Content Designer?
Most people I speak with don’t understand what content designers actually are, and it’s no surprise. “Content” has become synonymous with the digital marketing industry, and “design” has become a ubiquitous term for visual work. I was guilty of it, too. I would refer...
Lessons in Building a Website Business (While They’re Still Fresh)
I used to dream about becoming an editor, but I've never really been one to keep my finger on the pulse of pop culture and politics enough to supervise opinion pieces. However, finding several niche topics and connecting them for my own understanding has always been...
This is when it’s time to stop worshipping the brand
We tend to worship brand fidelity above all else, but this can become a detriment to marketing campaigns when success takes a backseat to a mentality of “colouring inside the lines.” The truth is that brands can’t just fit into a box these days. Not online, anyway....
Want to work together? Let's chat.
Feel free to send an email if you'd like to chat.
I love talking shop over a cup of coffee, even if you just want a second opinion on a marketing idea.
Coffee's on me.