Mark Friedman
F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "A writer doesn't have to be the smartest person in the room, only the most observant." This comes as great relief as I'm surrounded by scores of bright folks and my natural shyness usually puts me in the position of remote observer more often than direct participant.
Still, I overcame my diffidence well enough to become a full time copywriter and creative director at consumer advertising agencies for almost 30 years. One day, I said "enough already" and started my freelance writing career. I'd call myself a general practitioner rather than a specialist. That's not necessarily what others think. My high technology clients think "he's a high tech specialist." Fashion clients think I'm some kind of fashionista. In my world, you get an assignment, you become a specialist in the subject very quickly. I've also written for marketing think tanks. Big clients come to them with big problems like "My brand is dying. What should I do?" I'm part of the team that helps reshape their identity. Basically, I like to get problems and solve them.
I've lived mostly in Chicago, San Francisco and L.A., and now it's Woodstock, NY (yeah, that Woodstock.) It's my first small-town experience. As a non-hippie, I feel it's important to wear something fashionable on the streets of this town from time to time. Sometimes I even wear skinny jeans. Probably not always the best idea at my age.
My biggest interest? Well, I'm a single dad, and that would be my pre-teen daughter who never ceases to amaze dad with her rap lyric memorization skills.
Latest Articles
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The Pressure Cooker: A Remarkable Vitamin and Time Saver
A pressure cooker can keep vitamins from getting lost during the cooking process. And it can often reduce cooking time by as much as two-thirds.
Feb 20, 2012
- Mark Friedman
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