Author Archives: Dave Young

About Dave Young

I'm Dave Young, a senior Partner at the Wizard of Ads group. Business owners hire us to help them grow their business by buying more efficient media schedules, writing more effective ads, building and optimizing their web assets. Our long-term clients almost all enjoy growth through tough economic times. We position them to get more than their fair share of business. I have a team of partners, each with specific skill sets. When a business owner wants to hire us, I listen to their story and put the team together that can make a difference for them. Kinda simple, huh? One more thing...I'm also a 2-star Admiral in The Great Navy of the state of Nebraska, in case that means anything to you.

A Divorcee, a Dentist and a Marketing Wonk Walk Into a Bar*

Don’t you just love stock images?

True story: One man marries and divorces 6 wives in 10 years.

True story: A woman tells 7 different dentists over 5 years that none of them know how to make good dentures.

True story: A business owner hires 5 marketing consultants in 7 years, yet the business continues to decline.

Question: What do the man, the woman, and the business owner have in common?

Are they unlucky in love, periodontal disease and commerce?

Or, are they willingly unwilling to find success?

The man in the first story is a terrible husband.

The woman in the second story is a lousy patient.

The business owner in the third story….well, you get the picure.

Moral: As you navigate the stormy waters of life, spend some time in self-examination. Failure isn’t a bad thing, as long as you can learn from it and apply what you’ve learned in the future.

The Flip Side

Question: What do the 6 wives, 7 dentists and 5 marketing consultants have in common?

Each of them likely ignored many warning signs that they were about to be engaged by an asshole.

Moral: As you strive for love and success, find a way to steer clear of people who refuse to be happy. This often involves trusting your gut feelings as well as your closest advisors. Sometimes that’s hard to do.

*In Ad-Writing 101 we learn that the purpose of the headline is to get you to read the next line. Did it work?

Worthless Bastards of Tucson

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I’ve started hosting Worthless Bastards meetings every Friday at my office location in Tucson. My office is in a very cool place called Rail Yard. Stop by and say hello.

If you aren’t sure whether you’d enjoy a Worthless Bastard meeting, just read some of the info on the main web site at www.worthlessbastards.org.

Frankly, I think of these meetings as TED talks without the hassle of finding speakers and a stage.

Join our Tucson Worthless Bastards group on Facebook.

Creative Genius? Really?

Perhaps I tend to read too much into the intent of the Prickly Pear. The one I sent to Roy was casting Quixotic shadow puppets. This one seems to be reaching out to slap me as I walk down the sidewalk.

A lot of people have asked about this whole Tucson thing. Why are you moving? Why Tucson? What’s the plan?

The “Why” is more complicated than the “What”, so I’ll explain the why over a glass of red when you come and visit me.

Here’s “what” I’ve found: Continue reading