More About Rob
Everyone is many things, much more than our careers. I am a Husband, Writer, Podcaster, Hockey-nut, Pizza aficionado, AI Enthusiast, Volunteer, and a forever student of history.
Fun Fact: I once won a bowling tournament on TV when I was 12 years old !
I was born and raised in Western New York. I grew up in a small home that was built by my great Grandfather as a wedding present to my grandparents. Three generations of my family lived and grew there over the years. It taught me, that if we care for things, they can last forever. It also helped me understand that everything we do in life can leave an enduring legacy if we do so with love and commitment.
These lessons have served me well both professionally and in my personal life. In a disposable world, building things to endure is an act of rebellion. This, amongst many other things, is probably why I’ve always been told I have a rebellious streak in me.
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things
Favorites
Leadership Moment
When I was hiring to add a new social media person to our team, a young man came in to apply for the position. He had no formal qualifications; no experience in this type of role, an no education background in marketing. When I met him, however, I could see this young man was bursting at the seems for a chance to show his intelligence and that he could do the job. I went against others opinions and hired him. In short time he proved his worth. He absorbed what I taught him like a sponge and worked tirelessly to get better at his job. Within a year he became invaluable to the growing success of our team.
Today he is a managing partner in a well established Digital Marketing Agency, and now teaches me things. Giving him an opportunity was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I know whatever this young man decided to get into in life he would have been successful, but it’s great that I get to be a part of this success story. Plus I’ve made a friend and colleague for life.
Childhood Memory
I was blessed to have a good childhood. I was raised by my grandmother who provided the love of as many parents a child could need. The only thing she loved nearly as much as me was the Christmas season, and her zeal for it was infectious. I caught the Christmas spirit from her at a young age, and to this day I carry on the same enthusiasm and excitement for the season as she did.
Like many pre-internet kids, I was given the Sears toy catalog every year and asked to circle things I wanted Santa to bring me for Christmas. This was the year of the first Tim Burton Batman movie. More than anything I wanted this remote controlled Batmobile. I talked about it endlessly since I circled it in the catalog.
Now, we had this tradition in our house that we can open one present on Christmas Eve. On this particular Christmas Eve I shook and touched every present trying to find this Batmobile. Normally whatever I chose I opened. However, this year, my grandmother knowing how badly I wanted this, kept telling me “No, you don’t want that one,” for each present I chose. That is, until she knew I had found the Batmobile and then gave me a nod of approval. I unwrapped it in front of her and I think both of us were equally excited and happy when the Batmobile was finally revealed.
Impactful Marketing Moment
During the fever pitch of viral challenges sweeping the nation, like any good marketing team we looked for a way to be a part of this. It the final week of June and we were approaching Independence day. We wanted to incorporate something patriotic in this challenge to our one million strong social following. I conceptualized a plan to encourage people to beautify their parks and local areas with planting small American flags. We made a contest out of it, and encouraged people to share flag planting moment. What ended up happening, I couldn’t have imagined ever.
The followers took the challenge to heart, and suddenly videos and pictures were pouring in, and it started inspiring others to join. People were going to fire stations and town halls, replacing old worn flags with brand new ones. They were planting flags in local parks, and donating flags to schools for their classrooms. However, the one that really took off was the one that literally brought me to tears at my desk.
One participant purchased a bundle of 50 small flags and went to his local cemetery. There he walked around and found the grave of veterans, cleaned them up, and planted a fresh flag next to their headstone. This one really caught on, and in communities all over the country, long forgotten veterans resting in cemeteries were being remembered again. Their final resting place was getting a long overdue sprucing up it deserved, and a fresh new flag as a reminder of the sacrifice they made.
Live Event Experience
I am an avid hockey fan, and longtime fan of the less than stellar NHL team Ottawa Senators. Having spent years watching my beloved team never make it to the finals, a magical season finally happened. For me, it was doubly exceptional because they were playing my hometown Buffalo Sabres in the Conference Finals. Tickets were not easy to get, and I could not see the first two games of that series. After four games, the Ottawa Senators had a 3-1 series lead heading back to Buffalo.
My uncle, a Sabres fan, dished out a lot of money to secure two tickets to the game for us to attend. The game was close, and went to double overtime. Finally, captain Daniel Alfredsson of my beloved Senators skated down the ice, flanked by two Buffalo defenders and took a wild shot on net. He ripped it past the Sabres goalie and ended the game – sending the Senators to their first Stanley Cup final series.
I was one of the few Senators fans to witness that game in person, and watch the team receive the Prince Of Wales trophy for winning the Eastern Conference. After years of always coming close but missing, they finally made it to the big game. I’ll never forget the excitement and joy I felt during that moment. My uncle was a good sport and was still willing to give me a ride home back to Rochester.
Before heading home we stopped for dinner at the legendary Anchor Bar, the birthplace of the Buffalo Wing. Where good sport Sabres fans chided me in fun, and handed me a homemade tin foil Stanley Cup replica. What more could one hope to experience at a live event?