Brent Scholz, SVP, Executive Creative Director at Intouch Seven, recently posted a surprising addition to his portfolio on LinkedIn. He described it:
“Going through an old tub, I found what could technically be considered my first ad. My grandparents ran a little shop in their basement in a small Kansas town. They sold my grandma’s oil paintings, my grandpa’s wood-workings, and other crafty items. My grandma also had a part-time job at the town paper, which is how this ‘media placement’ all came about. I remember when she showed me the actual ad, in the actual paper, and me legitimately thinking, ‘Wow, you mean everyone in town saw this?!?’ And then 10+ years later I’d learn what a copywriter was. I’m so glad she saved the clipping (and didn’t ask me to make the logo bigger).”
The newspaper clipping reads:
‘Just turned eleven’ Brent Scholz, given permission to use Grandma’s typewriter during vacation, wrote the following UNSOLICITED ad:
Welcome to Country Crafts in A Cellar!
Here you will find many cute ideas, small and large items and very reasonable prices! Everything is carefully handcrafted and or painted. With soft music and welcoming and sweet scents, not to mention again the great prices. You will want to come back every day! The friendly service also keeps you coming back for more!
Some of the things you will find here are: wheat weaving, handcrafted signs and sayings, wooden toys, candles, paints/brushes, ornaments, clothes and much, much more! The shop is in very neat order and everything is easy to find. We hope you will like whatever you purchase. Please come again!
Thank you for not smoking or bringing food/drinks into the shop.
Located at 1785 1st Ave. E in Horton. Open Mon-Sat. 10:30-5:30.
Come Again!
(Grandma’s footnote … this kid should be added to the staff!!)
Brent’s post is, besides being adorable, a great reminder of something to stop and consider. At Intouch, we have a thousand people all over the world, and lots of titles and awards and statistics that demonstrate that we’re a great company doing great work. And just like Brent, every single person here at Intouch (just like you) has a unique story about how we got where we are, and what moments made a difference.
In Fred Rogers’ famous 2002 Dartmouth commencement address, he asked for a minute of silence for his audience to think about “those who have helped you become who you are today.”
When did you first try to do what you now do? Who gave you a chance? Who was proud of you first?
As Brent says, “Always find ways to encourage young creative talent. You never know where their path will lead.” After all, every superhero (including executive creative directors) needs an origin story.
Would you like to work for a company that values your creativity? Visit it our jobs page!