What are your preferred pronouns?

He/his/him

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Where's your hometown?

Austin, Texas

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Tell us a little about your current role.

I'm Verbal Director at Wolff Olins, leading the verbal identity practice. First and foremost I'm an advocate for the power of brand storytelling. Writers can do that, but it's also about partnering closely with strategy and design to bring stories to life. On a day-to-day basis I'm helping define the agency vision and leading verbal projects across naming, messaging, brand voice, and brand character. 

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How did you get into copywriting?

From the drop I've always identified as a writer. I got a doctorate in German literature and taught humanities at NYU. At the same time I've done stints as a music journalist and a science writer. I love teaching and discussing literature but as a professor I was missing the joy of creativity and feeling like I was I connected to what's going on the world now. The professor job market is also hot trash but that's another story. I lucked out for my first copywriting gig. It was at a boutique shop, maybe 8 people, I ended up doing writing and strat, everyone else was art/design. I think I just got the gig because my friends recommended me and I spoke German and the founder was German. Sometimes that's all it takes. I kind of bluffed my way in tbh. 

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When you're not writing, what are you up to?

Playing music. I have a side identity as a musician. Played piano since I was six. I've toured a few countries playing house and techno live sets in night clubs, had a record label, put out some records. Turns out playing night clubs is very fun and extremely exhausting. Now I rebranded with a new musical alter ego to put out piano-driven ambient compositions. Way more chill lol. 

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What do you consider the most overused word(s)? The most underused?

Overused: ""Authentic"". This is maybe a result of my brain being melted by my postmodernist brainwashing during my grad school days, but authentic, to me, is a meaningless and indefensible word. Every brand wants to be authentic, but all authenticity is a fabrication. In other contexts, it's also the ideological basis for all kinds of toxic political discourse, eg, ""we're the 'real' (authentic) Americans, those people over there are not 'real' Americans."" Authenticity ends up meaning ""we're true to who we are"", but that's a best practice, not a value or ownable trait in itself. It ends up just meaning ""we're a consistent brand."" Whenever clients tell me their brand DNA involves being authentic, it's also usually a big corporate entity or something that desperately needs to find a human side to who they are and what they do. My advice: delete it. 

Underused: ooh good question. I like saying "level up" instead of barfy played-out words like elevate, enhance, improve, etc. I hate it when brands tell me things like "Elevate your breakfast taco!"

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What are you reading, listening to and watching these days?

Reading: books about pirates! In the middle of the late David Graeber's book on how pirate communities inspired the Enlightenment, and looking forward to diving into David Grann's new non-fiction swashbuckler.

Watching: prestige TV shows on HBO about man-children (succession, barry, vice principals).

Listening to: Electric-era Miles Davis, Can, and Black Sabbath (the holy trinity). If you're a music nerd I also highly recommend a podcast called The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, it redefines the 'deep dive'.

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What’s your most wanted client or project?

I feel like the ultimate rebrand would be the United States of America. Lord knows we need it. Also I'd love to do a campaign for Taco Cabana. If you're not from Texas, Taco Cabana is a local restaurant chain that's way better than Taco Bell. Cabana has a full salsa bar, free tortillas, beer, and a much more approachable local atmosphere. I have a lot of passion for Taco Cabana and want to share it with the world.

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What do you wish more people knew about copywriting?

That there's a craft and a discipline to it. That there are clear rules for what works and what doesn't. That just because you have language doesn't make you a copywriter. That copywriting is only one piece of the big verbal identity pie, and that verbal identity is not just copywriting, it's a strategic approach to every word your brand says, including external marketing but also internal comms, press, social, investor relations, you name it.

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What is one thing you've always wanted to do, but probably won't?

Lead a cult. It'd be great for like, a day or two, right? Lots of monochromatic flowing robes, obsessively detailed rituals, flowery and arcane mythologies. Gets a bit icky after a while tho, and they never seem to end well, do they?

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Where can The Subtext readers keep up with you?

I'll plug my ambient music here.
if you wanna hear house and techno from me instead, listen here.

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Anything that you'd like to add that wasn't asked?

Dear writers everywhere: we are all passionate about what we do and inspired by the magic of language and story. Here's my takeaway: non-writers are scared by writing sometimes. They don't know how to read it. Or they think they don't. Or their opinions reflect that actually, they don't. It's up to us to bring non-writers along on the journey and empower them and boil stuff down for them. AND: Stories are sexy. They feel inspiring and exciting. If you talk about story, storytelling, brand story, etc, 90% of the time you'll have an easier time getting people going than if you talk about writing. That's my experience.

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