What do you do for a living?

I get that question all the time from people confused by my, um, unconventional work arrangements. Most often I answer "I'm a writer," because that's the shortest response, but this elicits looks of sympathy, or suspicion, or both.

If you're motivated to know more, here's the short version of the story.

Actually, I began my career as an advertising copywriter after graduating in 1989 from the University of Texas in Austin. I worked for some of the coolest ad agencies in the South, including an internship at The Richards Group in Dallas and a stint at the legendary HutchesonShutze/BBDO in Atlanta.

Although making ads was a lot of fun, I grew tired of spending 50+ hours a week writing about things I didn't care about, like cellular service, Happy Meals, and floor wax. I learned that I had a need to write about things that I found meaningful.

So I quit. I left the ad biz in July, 1995, never again having to sit in a cubicle, wait my turn for the copier, or feel my life essence sucked out of me by flourescent strip lighting.

Next: The iconoclast goes to IBM

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