Summer employment

Whenever I go for more than a week without blogging, I feel it’s necessary to offer some explanation. My excuse this time is that I’ve been ramping up FernCreek marketing while ramping down Centre Stage marketing and writing for Technorati.

FernCreek’s challenge is to re-establish itself as a company that provides not only video and interactive media, but marketing/branding services as well. In addition to the new Web site, we’ve cranked out new business cards, letterhead, note cards and a gate-fold brochure that will serve as an all-purpose leave-behind/image piece. These materials are graphically consistent with the Powerpoint presentations that Don Koonce uses to pitch FernCreek to prospective clients and they make a strong case for who we are and what we do. And how we do it.

Our impression of the local market is that opportunities are unfolding. Whether that impression is accurate remains to be seen. Fortunately, none of us is hungry or feverishly ambitious. None of us have anything to prove. We’re doing what we do because we enjoy it. I think this shows and I’m positive that it’s enjoyable for other people to work with.

After deciding several weeks ago not to renew our contract with Centre Stage for next season, BJ and I are preparing to strike our CS marketing tent July 15, the day of the theater’s annual fundraiser (Dance Party on Mars). By that time, we’ll have generated all of See Rock City’s marketing materials, and laid the foundation for next season’s basic campaign theme. BJ will stay on for a time in her contractual fundraising capacity, but responsibility for marketing Centre Stage will be ours no more.

To any who might require clarification on this point, let me say for the record … The time for me to let go of all things Centre Stage is right … and right now. (Imagine Unknown Hinson saying that.) No harm, no foul. A new team is taking the field.

My Technorati editor, Brad Schmidt, emailed a few days ago inquiring about my failure to publish any new ufology articles for almost ten days, which was rather embarrassing. So I’ve spent the last two days researching and writing four articles, one of which is an interview with Italian-American investigative journalist Paola Harris.

Two of the articles were posted yesterday, much to my relief. The other two will go up next week and, when they do, my average will be restored to two articles published per week, which is what I sort of agreed to when Technorati gave me the column in May.

A new theatrical employment opportunity has appeared behind, of all places, the Wade Hampton Boulevard K-mart where a sign on Rushmore says that something called Jones Family Dinner Theater is now hiring actors. Since I’m an actor and sometimes eat dinner, I plan to be in attendance at the production of Who Killed the Boss that their web site says is in rehearsal.