Tag: Columbus Ohio

What happened when my seatmate read 4 pages of my book.

Last week I had a work trip to Columbus. People will often refer to the city as Columbus, Ohio. But because C-Bus is the 14th largest city in the U.S., I go first name only. Like LeBron. Or Covid.

On my flight back to Milwaukee I sat next to a real Yinzer from Pittsburgh named Nicole. (She was actually wearing a Yinzer t-shirt. That’s representing!)

Nicole Bakewell is an engineer and was traveling to Milwaukee for work, to meet with a client about some robotic warehouse improvements. That’s some cool stuff, Mrs. Roboto!

Nicole asked me what I did for work. I told her I led the advertising and ideas agency The Weaponry. Then she asked what I was doing in Columbus. Which was a fun question to be asked. Because I had a story.

I asked Nicole if she had heard of the new bar in Pittsburgh called Pins Mechanical. She replied, “I love that place!’

I continued, ‘Well, I am also an author, and wrote a book. (Which is required to be called an author.) And I was invited to be the keynote speaker at Pins Mechanical’s parent company’s annual meeting.’

She said that sounded cool. Then she asked what my book was about. But instead of telling her about it I pulled a copy of What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? out of my backpack and handed it to her to see for herself.

She read the front and back covers. She said she thought it sounded really interesting. So I flipped the book open to chapter 12 and invited her to read that 4-page chapter, titled, Never Give Up.

A few minutes later she finished the chapter, turned to me, and said, ‘Wow, I feel really inspired!’ Can I buy this on Amazon? I said yes. But I can share a payment link to buy the copy in your hands right now.

She said, let’s do that!

She bought the copy and has emailed me that she has been reading and enjoying the book. And Nicole and I are friends now. Which is the real win.

But I also enjoyed the opportunity to share my book with her. I loved that I was able to serve up a small taste test of the book. One chapter. 4 pages. Make or break. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Win or lose. And 4 pages in, Nicole told me she felt inspired. That was extremely rewarding. Thanks for the feedback, Nicole.

Key Takeaway

When creating a product or service, make sure you create something so great that it performs well when sampled. If so, you have a winner. And you will sell as much of your offering as you can get people to try. If not, go back to the lab again and keep working until your taste test wins every time.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

My exciting new opportunity with one of the country’s hottest new brands.

A few weeks ago I was watching an interesting video reel on Instagram. It was a clip from the Pat McAfee Show, featuring a conversation between host Pat McAfee and former NFL linebacker and Green Bay Packer great, A.J. Hawk. The former NFL stars were not discussing football. They were talking about a bar. And not one made of chocolate. Or soap.

The bar in question is called PINS. And to call it a bar is an understatement. It’s really a massive entertainment space. Yes, it features large and well-stocked bars. But it’s also loaded with fun activities, including duckpin bowling, and high-end pinball games. Hence the name PINS. (I don’t get to drop the word hence nearly enough.)

Pretty cool, huh?

Pins also offers bocce ball, ping pong, giant Jenga, life-sized beer pong, foosball, arcade games a slide, ring toss thingies, and fire pits. In other words, it’s more like a party than a bar. Or maybe it’s half bar, half party. Like a Barty.

McAfee was not just discussing the bar, he was raving about it. He described the atmosphere at the PINS in Indianapolis as electrifying! He said it was amazing! And he said it was huuuu. (I assume he was saying it was huge, but someone cut him off. But maybe he was saying it was Hugh. As in Hefner. Which would be an innovative new-school /old-school complement in one.)

A lot of ball action here. But check out that ceiling art!

Hawk replied that indeed, he knew all about PINS. In fact, his son had his birthday party at PINS in Dublin, Ohio. (Because PINS is entertainment for all ages until little kids’ bedtime.) Hawk also shared that the guy who created PINS was from Columbus Ohio, where Hawk lives.

The rest of the crew on the show chimed in with more praise and accolades for PINS, and McAfee concluded the segment by saying, ‘Thank you Columbus. And thank you to That Guy!’

I was excited to see the segment and hear these great testimonials about such a popular new brand. Not just because I love great new brands. And not just because I love Columbus, Ohio where I lived for 7 years. But because of my exciting new opportunity.

PINS has 9 locations across the Midwest and South, with 6 more locations planned. Including locations in Atlanta and Austin, slated to open this year.

Let’s Talk!

PINS CEO and Founder Troy ‘That Guy’ Allen and Director of Engagement Erin Frum, contacted me to ask if I would speak at their annual meeting. Well, more accurately, Erin invited me to speak. Troy just told me I was going to be speaking as if I had no decision in the matter. Which was just as well, because being involved with a hot company like Rise Brands is a no-brainer. (Or what I call a scarecrow decision)

Pins, whose full name is Pins Mechanical Co., is owned by a great brand creation company called Rise Brands. Their claim is ‘We create kick-ass brands.’ Indeed they do. To date, Rise Brands has created 4 great brands including Pins Mechanical Co., 16-Bit Arcade (an old-school arcade game bar), Weenie Wonder (think Chipotle for hot dogs, not Magic Mike), and No Soliciting, a members-only club. (Which is another good reason not to be dismembered.)

Me and That Guy, Troy Allen and some serious blinds.

The meeting and my keynote are next Monday in Columbus. I am thrilled to share some learnings and lessons from my book What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? to help the team become even greater. Thanks for the invite Troy and Erin. And thanks to Pat and AJ for making this opportunity feel even cooler than it already did.

I’m ready for you Rise Brands! See you Monday!

Key Takeaway

Keep adding value. People love great people, places, and things that enhance and enrich their lives.

+If you are looking for a speaker for your next event you can reach me at adam@theweaponry. Although I probably don’t have any more speaking availability until July.

It’s time for a new office in a new city!

When I first decided to launch my own advertising agency, I had a clear vision of what the fully formed business would look like. It was spectacular, as visions should be. Because it costs just as much to envision a multi-billion dollar empire as it does to envision a lemonade stand. So you might as well envision big.

In 2015, even though my startup was still in the embryonic-stage, I was confident that great things lie ahead. I just never knew the pace at which success would unfold. But I knew, like a 2-year old in a laundry room, the unfolding was just a matter of time.

Things Started Happening

In the fall of 2015 I ran an alpha test of our minimum viable product (MVP) with our first client. The test run went as well as advertised. (#punsalwaysintended) Then, in the spring of 2016, my home office in Atlanta, where I planned every detail of the business, became The Weaponry’s first headquarters. Suddenly I was in business. And I had the best commute in Atlanta.

By the end of 2016, as part of my life design, I moved to Milwaukee. The Weaponry’s new headquarters was my new  home office. In 2017 the business was humming, we saw plenty of runway ahead, and we signed a lease on 1000 square feet of office space downtown, on the Milwaukee River (actually it was on the side of the river).

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Our Milwaukee office. As they say, home is where custom designed surfboard coffee table is.

But Wait. There’s More!

I never wanted to settle for just one office. That’s why I developed my Home Office Strategy. Which means I plan to establish an office every place I’ve owned a home. This includes Milwaukee, Atlanta and Columbus. I also want an office in New England, where I grew up. So Burlington, Vermont and Boston are possibilities too.

By 2018 we had full-time employees in Milwaukee, Columbus and Atlanta. 6 months ago we started thinking about the next office. And, (drumroll app please…) we’ve decided that Columbus, Ohio will be the home of the next office of The Weaponry.

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Columbus, Ohio just keeps getting better.

Discovering Columbus.

Columbus, Ohio is a hidden gem. It is well stocked with a highly educated workforce. It offers an amazing quality of life. And thriving industries. We have had full-time Weapons in Columbus for well over a year. And we are eager to add more.

Back Story

I spent 7 great years in Columbus with the ad agency Engauge, before it was acquired by Publicis, and I was asked to move to the new headquarters in Atlanta. Columbus has a 3-ship flotilla of talented advertising and design professionals. And there are more great brands and smart marketers there than even John Lennon could imagine.

Getting Down To Business

Columbus is the home to well-known brands like Nationwide Insurance and Safelite Auto Glass. There are great restaurants headquartered in C-Bus, including Wendy’s, Bob Evans, White Castle, Charley’s Philly Steaks, Sbarro, Donatos and Steak Escape. There are great retail brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Express. Scott’s Miracle Grow is also growing plants miraculously in Columbus. Cardinal Health, which is the 14th largest company in America is headquartered there too.

The Weaponry C-Bus

We have collected a great nucleus of talent in Columbus, including both full-time and freelance Weapons. The relatively low-cost of living and high quality of life make the city a great draw. What’s even better is that Columbus is within a 3-hour drive of Detroit, Windsor, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville and Indianapolis. Not to mention Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Dayton and Toledo (wait, I DID just mention them!) The close proximity enables us to service clients in all of those cities from our Columbus hub.

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What is round on both ends, hi in the middle, and loaded with Weapons?

Key Takeaway

There is a lot to love about Columbus. Which is why we are excited to be opening our next office in this great city. I look forward to sharing how we’ve gone about the process of finding our new space, and why we landed where we did. If you are in Columbus and want to be part of a great team, we should talk. Because things are about to get really interesting.