MARGO NOVA.

Celebrating the end of 2022 with the start of a new life. Our first grandchild: Margo Nova Pena. Being a father is and will always be the most joyful experience of my life. I know being Grandpa Joe might be even more fun. Here's to a wonderful and prosperous 2023.

Making history.

Finally, after almost two years in the making, we shot the short film "History on Repeat." Now we go to the edit and watch the magic of Meena happen. I was only able to be in New Orleans for a few hours and really just observed as Meena and the tiny crew captured some very emotional scenes. Stay tuned. 

Labor of love.

 I love golf and I love the course a play most, Lakeside Park Club in Richmond. A couple years ago, a couple of us took on the challenge of rebranding the entire club - on a shoestring. Flags, scorecards, apparel, even on course signage. Our latest labor of love, a brand new club website, is now live: https://www.lakesideparkclub.com/ I supplied all the content, supported by the design wizardry of Unto Dust in Portland. Hop you enjoy, especially the club history. Fascinating. 

#22.

My brother Mike has always been an amazing hockey player. So to see him recognized this weekend with entry into the Bemidji State Hall of Fame was special. He's the all-time leading scorer for the school. Best of all? Seeing my mom escort him to the podium to receive his award. So proud of Red. Cheers.

What you get.

The Sunday New York Times is a must-read. One feature - What You Get - used to be a favorite. Not so much anymore. The section shows three home from three cities and how much you can afford for say $3.5 million. With homelessness at an all time high, especially in NYC, it seems incredibly tone-deaf. So my friend Shane Kendrick and I hijacked the section on behalf of the other 99%. Time to suspend this one, Times. Show some compassion.

My butterfly.

 I am married to the most amazing person who continues to challenge herself to be the very best wallpaper designer anywhere. Her metamorphosis is constant and always surprising. Here latest project is a bespoke paper in with over 400 unique, hand-drawn butterflies. Yes, 400. Continue to fly, love. https://www.sarahrowland.com/

Jill.

Carol Kirby, a dear friend for many years, introduced Jill Jefferson to me, thinking I could help mentor her and offer some guidance as she launches her new law firm JULIAN. Little did I know that Jill would be the one opening my eyes to civil rights and the horrors of "modern lynchings." Now, working with some other new friends, maybe, maybe, we might have a powerful film to help bring awareness to the amazing Jill and her work. (She's pictured here.) Stay tuned. 

The hardest part.

For a year, we haven't seen the girls. That's just not natural, for a parent not to be able to hug their kids. Making it even harder, Shannon got married to Borja. We still haven't seen them, the newly weds. This is crazy. But soon we will head west and enjoy the radiant love. 

It's still me.

Many things have disappeared the last 3 years. Many things I will never get back. But three things will never be taken away: my drive, my talent and my heart. I am always going to work hard. I am always going to create. I am always going to care. In the summer of 2017, I was the top ranked CCO at The One Show. I'm still that guy. A little wiser. A little balder. A little more to prove.

 

265,000 reasons why.

Why do you create things for free? Because if you can save one life, it's worth it. End of story. Covid-19 has killed 265,000 Americans so far. That's a tragedy we have yet to understand. A massive failure of leadership. History will not be kind. Thank you Cecilia Erlich Lopez for making this film with me.

A PSA to help save lives that died.

In May, I created this PSA with my good friend and amazing talent Brian C. May. We used just stock images and music. I funded the out-of-pocket costs myself. We presented the final edit to the Ad Council and they loved it, approving it for digital use on their site and social media. It started getting play but then, without explanation, it was pulled. I will one day tell why, but the reason is troubling at best. We need to be even more aware of just how easy these virus spreads as flu season and cool weather arrive. 

Give blood. And a job.

Cecelia Lopez is a talented motion designer who popped up on my LinkedIn feed this summer. I asked if she wanted to work together on a Red Cross idea and this is what she created. Even better, she got a cool job offer soon after and off she goes. Look out. 

Design for Biden.

Wrote these but then saw Jenna Klein take them to another level with her design. 

Vote for them.

 On the ballot November 3 is so much more than two names. It's two different ways to look at the world. And our future. So a good friend John Zilles and I had this idea: what do the kids think? John shot them over Zoom and they are pretty great. Hoping to get them out and in the world to make a difference. See them all here: https://www.vote4future.com/

Another Ace winner.

Number 8. Mai Xee Lee. Just graduated from Highland Park and is headed to Stanford. Amazing stuff. Congrats, Mai. Best wishes. Here's a little about her ambition: 

"Attending college without financial burden has always been a dream of mine and this scholarship helped make that come true. I am beyond excited go to Stanford. As one of only eight Hmong students admitted this year, I am excited to share my stories and experiences on campus. I hope to major in Public Policy with an emphasis on education. With this degree, I hope to close the opportunity gap by creating and advocating for policies for students from similar backgrounds as me - a first generation low income student of color."

Humor. A remedy.

We are six weeks into the pandemic. The entire globe on lockdown. A lot of messages out there, very serious, straightforward, dry, lacking any originality. But maybe a small campaign can give us some much needed lightness. Thanks Cabell, Sarah, George, Wade, Craig, Jean, Rich and more for your lines as we ask people to "Act like..."

Helpless.

That's how you feel. I've been writing and thinking everyday. How can I use my skills to help? This campaign is for drive though testing. The more we test, the more we know, the more we figure out how to stop this from killing more.

The positive side effects.

The world changed. Every thing changed. And it will never be the same. Let's stick together and we will survive and thrive.

Harvey.

This man is special for so many reasons. His mind. His spirit. His talent. His love. His wisdom. His art. His food. Sarah and I are honored to be his friend and now we are even lucky enough to be working side by side on a pretty cool project together. Cheers, buddy. This is going to be fun.

Mary.

People die of cancer all the time. The last two weeks, this sad reality hit very close to home. First Dean. Now my sister Mary. Cancer sucks. That is the hash tag. It does. Sucks the life out of so many people and all that they were. My sister was so incredibly smart, stubborn, funny, mad, joyous, proud, beautiful, tiny, rebellious and now, gone. I still don't have a grasp on it all. Too fast, too soon. Cancer sucks. I hate you, cancer. I love you, Mary.

Deano.

Dean Jarrett was a coworker and friend for over 26 years. He died of cancer last week. I've never known anyone like him. He always looked on the bright side. He always was ready with a smile and a hug. He always swung really hard at the golf ball. Dean was at my side for so many big moments in my career. Cannes juries. Cannes wins. Speaking in Dubai. Winning agency of the year at The One Show. Taking home an Emmy. Every honor I ever received, Dean was probably there with the first handshake. He was the agency PR guy and he was good. One of the best. We owed a lot of our stellar reputation to Dean's stellar reputation. I often found myself over the years just headed to his office for no other reason than to laugh. Man, I will miss you, buddy. Like thousands of others who knew you even better than I did. Please know you were loved and we will do our best to spread good wherever we go, just like you did. Peace.

Taking a golf lesson from Bobby Jones.

Asked to brand a new golf management company named for maybe the most famous golfer in history not named Tiger Woods.

Knighthood.

Some new brand work for a small private school here in Richmond. The Knights of Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School. We discovered knights are very different than the ones chosen by kings and queens. (A lot cuter, too.) The campaign breaks in 2020. Sneak peak at a couple of pages from the recruitment book.