For those of you non-advertising folks Luke Sullivan is what some in the industry refer to as an "advertising God." And...drum roll please...yours truly had the pleasure of working with the illustrious award-winning copywriter a few years back.
I remember standing at his cube...yes the man was in a cube with the rest of us schmucks...and it was lined with all sorts of glittery awards.
It was beyond impressive.
Luke's first book, "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" is pretty much required reading at any advertising school worth its salt. So when he asked me to review his latest book - I of course jumped on the opportunity.
Little did I know though - Luke's new book had nothing to do with advertising.
"Thirty Rooms to Hide In" is the sad, sometimes quite scary, tragic and yet oddly inspiring tale of his childhood...growing up one of six boys to a rather well-respected Mayo clinic orthopedic surgeon father who also just so happened to be a raging alcoholic.
While it was never a conversation I had with Luke - cuz well I thought he'd think I was a total wing nut - I always felt some sort of odd "bond" with him. After reading his book - I guess it's the secret bond children of damaged alcoholic parents have.
I know too well the unblinking numbness after your parent succumbs to yet another evening of drinking any and everything in sight brings. And while I know how hard it was for my mom to raise me alone - she only raised one child in the era of 70s free-love and not... six boys in the still provincial June and Ward Cleaver 60s with family thousands of miles away. I can't even begin to imagine the fear and sorrow Luke's mom Myra felt when it came time for her to make that long journey without her husband.
Luke's is a true American underdog tale. Rich kid growing up in a mansion, with a prestigious well-respected Mayo clinic dad and in the blink of an eye - poof - it all comes crumbling down. Mayo clinic job gone. Ginormous house gone. Bank account dwindling. Father...well he died at the young age of 42 leaving Myra and her five boys alone.
A still young woman alone with have I mentioned six boys to raise in the 1960s. A woman with no formal education. A woman still recovering from years of abuse now left alone. A woman who went on to not allow several kicks in the teeth to knock her down and ended up teaching a master's course at one of the highest-rated colleges in the county.
Oh snap Myra!
The only thing I could think after finishing "Thirty Rooms to Hide In" - was man - I would really like to meet her. Such an amazingly strong woman in a time when women were expected to be dependent, helpless, weak little fawns. But not Myra Sullivan. No not her.
Luke's is such an inspiring story. It's of course well written. And well...we'd like to share it with you. Stay tuned as we'll be announcing on this page very soon how you can download "Thirty Rooms to Hide In" for free.
About Magnet Social Media
Founded in 2010 by Karen Moran, Magnet Social Media in Fort Myers, Florida, fosters brand-building social relationships.
Our strength lies in creating and nurturing your social presence while seamlessly integrating offline messaging with online conversations.
From a mom and pop storefront to larger organizations, Magnet Social Media will help your company grow its online brand awareness, customer engagement and loyalty by creating a targeted social media strategy and executing tactics tailored to your unique needs.
Contact Magnet Social Media to turn your brand into a social media magnet.
I remember standing at his cube...yes the man was in a cube with the rest of us schmucks...and it was lined with all sorts of glittery awards.
It was beyond impressive.
Luke's first book, "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This" is pretty much required reading at any advertising school worth its salt. So when he asked me to review his latest book - I of course jumped on the opportunity.
Little did I know though - Luke's new book had nothing to do with advertising.
"Thirty Rooms to Hide In" is the sad, sometimes quite scary, tragic and yet oddly inspiring tale of his childhood...growing up one of six boys to a rather well-respected Mayo clinic orthopedic surgeon father who also just so happened to be a raging alcoholic.
While it was never a conversation I had with Luke - cuz well I thought he'd think I was a total wing nut - I always felt some sort of odd "bond" with him. After reading his book - I guess it's the secret bond children of damaged alcoholic parents have.
I know too well the unblinking numbness after your parent succumbs to yet another evening of drinking any and everything in sight brings. And while I know how hard it was for my mom to raise me alone - she only raised one child in the era of 70s free-love and not... six boys in the still provincial June and Ward Cleaver 60s with family thousands of miles away. I can't even begin to imagine the fear and sorrow Luke's mom Myra felt when it came time for her to make that long journey without her husband.
Luke's is a true American underdog tale. Rich kid growing up in a mansion, with a prestigious well-respected Mayo clinic dad and in the blink of an eye - poof - it all comes crumbling down. Mayo clinic job gone. Ginormous house gone. Bank account dwindling. Father...well he died at the young age of 42 leaving Myra and her five boys alone.
A still young woman alone with have I mentioned six boys to raise in the 1960s. A woman with no formal education. A woman still recovering from years of abuse now left alone. A woman who went on to not allow several kicks in the teeth to knock her down and ended up teaching a master's course at one of the highest-rated colleges in the county.
Oh snap Myra!
The only thing I could think after finishing "Thirty Rooms to Hide In" - was man - I would really like to meet her. Such an amazingly strong woman in a time when women were expected to be dependent, helpless, weak little fawns. But not Myra Sullivan. No not her.
Luke's is such an inspiring story. It's of course well written. And well...we'd like to share it with you. Stay tuned as we'll be announcing on this page very soon how you can download "Thirty Rooms to Hide In" for free.
About Magnet Social Media
Founded in 2010 by Karen Moran, Magnet Social Media in Fort Myers, Florida, fosters brand-building social relationships.
Our strength lies in creating and nurturing your social presence while seamlessly integrating offline messaging with online conversations.
From a mom and pop storefront to larger organizations, Magnet Social Media will help your company grow its online brand awareness, customer engagement and loyalty by creating a targeted social media strategy and executing tactics tailored to your unique needs.
Contact Magnet Social Media to turn your brand into a social media magnet.
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