Summertime Dreaming

Hello, long lost readers! I have returned from the North and South Shores of Lake Superior....aah. Forest, volcanic rock formations, waterfalls, and freshwater majesty—it doesn't get much better than this. It feels good to be home, but I have to admit that when I looked out at vistas such as this one, I seriously started dreaming of a summer house. A beautiful location + internet access = creative, inspired work, don't you think? Something for me to ponder, perhaps.

Preparing for a Post-Jen Landscape?

Greetings, all! Hard to believe another whirlwind week has passed at C/S hq.

It is such a bittersweet feeling as I prepare to bid Jen a fond adieu! I’m so excited for my friend on the cusp of some amazing professional and personal accomplishments. But of course, at the same time, I’m going to miss that girl!

So, you might be wondering: How does this announcement change Crazy Savvy? In the short-term, it doesn’t. Jen and I shared creative and administrative heavy lifting pretty equally, so C/S core capabilities remain unchanged.

But looking ahead, yes, the business probably will shift and evolve to reflect my passions and specialties—an exciting planning endeavor to be sure! For instance, right now I am considering the merits and drawbacks of positioning oneself as a specialist vs. a generalist within the field of communications. There is something to be said for a tight focus, but on the other hand I love the challenge of new projects, new subjects to research, new audiences to analyze.

So, no announcements from me just yet!

And now, dear readers, I'm preparing to head to the shores of Lake Superior—one of my favorite places in the world. Proposals and projects and updates are out the door. Now all that remains is to pack! Here's hoping summer is treating you equally as well!

Some big news ...

Hope everyone had a safe, happy, fun Fourth of July weekend. Yes, it's been awhile since we've updated our blog .... but I assure you there's a reason! A reason related to the events of the 4th of July holiday, indeed. Aside from breaking a new iPhone (not mine), cutting a foot open (yes, mine), and having to tow my brand spankin' new car 200 miles back to Minneapolis behind a 26 foot semi-truck (sans air-conditioning), there were even more momentous events in store.

After connecting privately with my clients, colleagues, and business connections, it's with both excitement and a bittersweet feeling that I share the following news with the broader Crazy Savvy universe .... I'm moving to San Francisco at the end of the month! Some opportunities came up for my better half and me that were simply too good to refuse — so the packing and relocation has commenced. Of course, I couldn't be more thrilled: living in the Bay Area has been a long-time dream for the both of us, and I'm excited to jump into the heart of the agency world out there and do some really nifty work. (Living near the beach, the mountains, and wine country doesn't exactly hurt, either.)

At the same time, of course, it will be hard to leave not only family and friends, but also this amazing business I've had such joy in building with Erin. She and I have (natch) been on the same page about this throughout, and C/S will remain in her more-than-capable hands here in Minneapolis. She's already tackling some major projects for the later summer and fall, and the future is looking bright. I'm sure she'll share more about these endeavors in the coming weeks!

I feel so very fortunate that I've had the opportunity to realize the dream of building and running a successful business in this industry. It's been hard saying goodbye to our clients — truly great people — but I'm overwhelmed and moved by the goodwill and gratitude they've expressed to me. San Francisco may be on the other side of the country (no tears for leaving Minnesota winters behind!), but I'll always be a phone call or email away. Who knows, maybe Erin will even let me guest blog here from time to time! :) And of course, I promise to send postcards. Who could be a bigger fan of C/S than me, after all!?!

Thanks, Crazy Savvy nation, for being a part of this amazing adventure. Erin will keep the updates coming — I couldn't have asked for a better business partner. As I begin the next chapter of my career in the ad biz, I do so with a wealth of experiences and insights that could never have been gained without Crazy Savvy. I feel truly blessed.

In closing, I'll share the postcard I sent C/S before my 4th of July took a turn for the even more interesting ....

So ciao for now, friends ..... it's truly been a pleasure, and I know more adventures are in store. This may be farewell, but it definitely isn't goodbye.

Fireworks, family, & fun

Wow — this week has been a crazy one for us thus far (I guess with a name like Crazy Savvy, it's no more than we should expect!). As the 4th of July weekend approaches, we've been hustling and bustling, running business errands, updating our books, and — most importantly — getting a major project draft for an out-of-state client out the door. All this, though, so we can have a long weekend of (relative) peace and relaxation as we celebrate not only our nation's independence, but also our own.

Yours Truly will be heading out of town with her sweetie and some good friends, enjoying the comforts of cabin living in Minnesota's northwoods. (After the adventures of the past few months, we're all hoping there are no more poisonous spider encounters!) My dear biz partner will be sticking around closer to home, holding down the C/S fort and basking in some much-deserved R&R. This is the first year in the past three that Erin and I won't be spending our 4ths together (alas!) — but I am confident we will persevere.

When we're at last reunited next week, we'll have plenty to catch each other up on. In addition to the requisite recounting of holiday stories, we'll be putting our freckled little noses to the grindstone, finishing up a ginormous, content-heavy writing project (among other things) and starting some fun design and photography work. Some of us will also be awaiting with bated breath the conclusion of the World Cup (Spain, Spain, Spain). (Others may also be awaiting its conclusion, if only so I shut up about the whole thing!) In any case, the dog days of summer are nearly here. Happy Fourth, to all our U.S. readers — we'll be tuning back in next week for more!

My dream campaign, and other stuff

OK, now that I've managed to scream my vocal cords into non-existence after the dramatic U.S. World Cup win to advance into out-rounds .... I think I'll sit down and write a blog post. Because I surely can't talk right now, or perhaps for the next few days. Yes, adoring readers: World Cup fever has set in. The recent paucity of blog posts mayyyy be somehow attributable to this little distraction; usually I am more than content to scribble a post during my downtime, but the past few weeks have perhaps found me planning my free time around certain soccer matches. (Particularly matches in which Spain is playing.)

Anyway, I'm here now, and glad to be with you (albeit a bit breathless still). Mid-June already, no? This month has been a blur for us here at C/S. We've been getting rolling on some projects, figuring out logistics for others, and doing some in-house cleaning, planning, and tidying as well, as we look forward to the next quarter and beyond. We should have some sweet new stuff to share with y'all soon, so be sure to stay tuned!

On a broader industry note, I've been enjoying (of course) all the advertising hoopla surrounding the World Cup. Ad Age this morning leads with a great article about marketing and the games, highlighting Nike's amazing "Write the Future" campaign (um, more Cristiano Ronaldo, yes please). If you're watching the games en español as I am (thank you, Univision, for giving me coverage of every game on network tv and brushing up my Spanish skills in the process — te amo!), the campaign becomes "Escribe el Futuro" — but no less charming for all that. Basically I watch this with severe agency envy .... if I could work on one campaign, it would likely be that! But until Crazy Savvy gets to shoot C-Ron and the rest, I guess I'll amuse myself with this piece of ad candy. Enjoy your Wednesday, one and all!

The name game

Happy Monday, Crazy Savvy Nation .... hope the weekend treated y'all well. If you were in the Twin Cities, hope you managed to stay dry, too — this weather is soooooo not pleasant!

Just a quick Monday update to announce a change — I have at long last returned to a family name and will now be going by Jen Fluke. For anyone who had to spell — or try to pronounce — Emelianova, this will no doubt come as a huge relief.

More updates on the biz later this week, so stay tuned! (And if you're not in MN, please send some sunshine our way.)

Thursday musings

Can't believe it's already Thursday (again) .... this month is absolutely flying by. Although both Erin and I have been done with the classroom for quite some time, there's something so very school's-out-for-the-summer about this time of year.

We've been busy all week trying to find the best printing solutions for a fun new client project with some nifty (but thought-requiring) environmental components. Fortunately we have a slew of talented printing and production experts at our disposal, and they've been weighing in with fantastically helpful advice. We're also gearing up for some bigger content-driven projects on the horizon. From messaging manifestoes to annual reports, development consulting to social media campaigns, our brains (and coffee makers) are busy as we begin assimilating project specs and tons of information. Of course, we wouldn't have it any other way!

Yours Truly is also gearing up for another very special event, one that only happens once every four years (alas!) Yes — it's World Cup time. If the next month's worth of posts find occasion to link to information about Mr. Fernando Torres, well .... indulge me.

Fortunately a few members in good standing of Crazy Savvy Nation are lucky enough to find themselves in South Africa for the World Cup, so I'm sure we'll have all sorts of exciting postcard updates. Let the games begin!

And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this weekend heralds the birthday of my beloved biz partner. I'm wishing the fabulous Erin the very best in the coming year — and I know you all share my sentiments on that account, too!