In the Watergate era, when media was more trusted and reporters were revered, I chose journalism as my first college major. But eventually I switched to advertising/public relations because I thought it would combine my interests in business with my curiosity about persuasion and my developing writing skills.

I was blessed to have an extraordinary professor and mentor, the late Parry D. Sorensen, at the University of Utah. Parry steered me to nine internships that made me smarter and more marketable when I graduated. He also reopened the door for me at Burson, then the second largest PR firm in the world, after my initial application was rejected. Two weeks after graduation, I moved to New York to work for Burson.

Initially, I planned to stay at Burson for two years. But as new opportunities in the firm continually arose, I stayed put. I realized that, as a communications generalist, I would have more professional opportunities once I moved into a corporate role.

My first Burson clients were international B2B companies. Before my second year on the job, I traveled outside the United States for the first time. I flew on the Concorde to Paris, which opened my eyes – and mind – to new cultures and places. When I cross the Atlantic now, I’m reminded how the Concorde flew to Paris and London in half the time with twice the panache.

To broaden my experience, I switched to B2C communications for Burson clients a few years after joining the firm. Then, in 1984, I moved to Los Angeles to work on the Summer Olympics, exposing me to sports marketing and event management. When I returned to New York, I continued to work in those practices and got involved in corporate issues and crisis management work. Given my diverse international experience, I transferred to Burson’s Hong Kong office in 1989, just three months before the historic events in Tiananmen Square. It was an accelerated course on politics, history and culture in the region.

After working and traveling throughout Asia for almost three years, I transferred to Japan in 1991 to be Managing Director of a joint venture between Burson and Dentsu. Japan’s economy plunged that year, and we had to reduce our operating costs quickly to become profitable. We did – without major layoffs, a cultural taboo. The Japan position taught me about managing people and costs in a professional services firm.

In 1995, I moved from agency to corporate work. Amway recruited me to head international communications from their headquarters in Michigan. I welcomed the chance to work globally again and spent the next 10+ years building a large international team, rebranding the company, and creating an innovative corporate reputation management program – a program so advanced that it rewarded worldwide management not just for financial performance, but also for building and protecting reputation. I also led the creation of the company’s global cause, a program that benefited millions of disadvantaged children around the world.

After Amway, I did a short stint with the Reputation Institute (now RepTrak), and then launched my own strategic communications firm, Upper 90 Consulting, in early 2007. Upper 90 was off to a great start, and my hidden entrepreneur was awakened and energized.

But just a few months later, Baker McKenzie, a large global law firm, recruited me to head its worldwide communications function. It was an interesting role at a truly global organization at a most challenging time, the Great Recession. Working for a large law firm is intellectually stimulating, but the communications work can frustrate communicators who are driven to innovate.

After Baker, I returned to Upper 90. I continued to work with communications leaders and teams, but shifted my focus to helping them grow and excel at a time when communications was changing faster than they could adapt. The best leaders know what needs to change, but are often hamstrung by internal policies and politics. I became their change agent.

Over the next twelve years, my practice evolved as the needs of communications teams shifted. Initially, I focused on helping teams identify and nurture emerging skills. A few years later, I started to help teams develop new operating models and organizational structures. Then, when team culture declined from remote work during the pandemic, I began helping these teams reimagine their purpose and drive closer collaboration up, down, and across the group.

Upper 90 was the most satisfying work of my career. I became a trusted advisor and valued partner to my clients, and I made a decent living in the process. I controlled my own schedule, taking time off when I wanted to travel. Best of all, I helped my client teams get to the next level and deliver greater value to their organizations.

I retired in early 2024. I worked years longer than I had planned because I really enjoyed what I was doing. It was always interesting and usually fun. It rarely felt like work.

Since retiring, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I learned during my 45-year career. The list is long and growing.

Overall, I’m proud of what I did and how I did it. I worked with amazing people, many who remain good friends. I traveled to 50 countries and interacted with colleagues in dozens more. I celebrated successes and turned setbacks into learning opportunities. Along the way, I became a better professional and person.

If my experiences can inform your career plans, please feel free to reach out to me here, on LinkedIn or elsewhere. I would love to help out however I can.