In Washington, DC, at least, the stupidest example of media buying I’ve come across is currently airing on sports talk radio. It’s a spot for a bakery. It’s targeted at men. The gist of the spot is that, you, Mr.-about-to-get-married, can save money on your wedding cake at our bakery. Huh? Has any man ever, in the history of weddings, had any say — any say, no less the deciding voice — in what bakery provides the wedding cake?

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I had lunch with my boss the other day. That’s right, my boss. It’s interesting — a number of people are hesitant to state that I have a boss, now that I have merged my small shop into a much larger, more established firm. Some folks have referred to Richard, who is my new boss, as my “partner” or “colleague.” No, he’s my boss. I’m very comfortable with the concept, even after being on my own for 16 years. Maybe if he were a putz, I might be uncomfortable, but if he were a putz I wouldn’t have joined his firm.

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I’ve shared previously that my 16-year-old son is a very good lacrosse player. He’s a junior in high school. College recruiting season has started, and he’s being recruited by a number of Division 1 schools. He’s excited. He’s having fun visiting campuses, meeting coaches, staying in dorms, etc. And, very important to me, he’s humble about it — not bragging to friends, classmates, and teammates. He’s also somewhat overwhelmed by it all. Imagine being 16, every night conversing with at least one college coach via email, scheduling campus visits, etc. He wants it to wrap up, so he can decide where he’s going to go to school and where he’s going to play. I just keep telling him that, yes, it is overwhelming, but be sure to enjoy it, let it play out, to take your time and have fun. I remind him that, of the thousands of high school lacrosse players in the U.S., how many of them wish they were in his shoes.

I want this time to be something he remembers fondly, so that, when he’s old like me, then he can brag to his friends!
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What I may be most proud of though, is the fact that his twin sister and his older brother are his biggest fans, proud that he’s being recruited, and interested in regular updates. My wife and I must have done something right to have three children who really pull for each other.

Apparently, my wife figured this out quite some time ago. Me, I just discovered that 16-year-old teens aren’t always lying or covering up when they don’t tell you the full story. Instead, they are talking in code. The problem is, nobody gives parents the code book.

Indeed, being a parent of a teenager is like being a British anti-espionage agent in the first years of World War II. We know the enemy’s code. We’ve got the Ultra intercept. But we only have the code partially decrypted.

My daughter told me, “I’m going to Becky’s after school Friday.”

I simply responded, “Okay.”

Apparently what she was telling me is that I’m going to Becky’s and I’m spending the night and I’ll call you on Saturday when I want to be picked up.

When I learned the full meaning late Friday evening, I thought I was being manipulated. No, my wife pointed out, I just didn’t check the code book.

What code book?!?!

Now that I’ve moved our offices downtown, merging into Levick Strategic Communications, thousands of Blogenberg fans have been stopping me on the street, asking, “What’s it’s like? What’s it’s like to go from owning your own small shop to being part of a much larger company?”

It’s been surprisingly comfortable. I love working downtown again, something I haven’t done in nearly 20 years. Everybody at our new corporate home seems to have great respect for what we add and our brand. And it is clear that I was right — to grow my brand and compete at the level I want to compete, this was the correct move.

But there have been some moments of doubt. I must admit, there were a few times during the first week when I pulled back from my computer and asked myself why I gave up my own little shop. Not serious questioning of my decision — just to-be-expected doubts that crept in.

And there have been moments when I have felt intimidated. Most days, I think very highly of myself (smile). But the talent level at our new home is so impressive, including, for example, former top aides to U.S. Senators, that I’ve wondered if I belong. Fortunately, my ego is such that this feeling very quickly went away!

Keep tuned for Blogenberg reports.

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Blogenberg Extra: I’m so proud of my 16-year-old daughter for being so proud of her twin brother. I’ve reported before that my 16-year-old son is a college lacrosse prospect. Well, it’s now recruiting season and he’s being recruited by a number of Division 1 schools, including top lacrosse programs.

I worry at times that my daughter will get jealous of all the attention her brother is getting. The exact opposite is true. For English she had to write an essay about the most inspirational person in her life. She chose her brother, writing about how he has worked tirelessly at lacrosse and applied himself in school to achieve his goal. She wrote that his focus, dedication, and hard work are an inspiration.

I had tears in my eyes when I read it, not because what my daughter’s essay says about her brother, but because of what it says about her.