If I were a selfish person, this 'About Me' space would be easy to fill. Well, to begin, I am very happily married. My wife's name is Leah, who is completely my equal in so many areas, yet she is so much more. We have 2 lovely daughters, Arielle (10) and Marissa (6). Our dogs are a lot like children, Coco-bear is a poofy pomeranian, and Oscar is a mini long hair dachshund.

My wife and I both work at home. I am a Copywriter, poet, and working on a novel. She works as an Ameriplan Regional Director (www.mybenefitsplus.com/LBrander) and loves to help the 70% of Americans who have no health benefits to find the plan that can relax their budgets.

We enjoy the simple things in life that so many others seem to take for granted, such as scenic drives on the motorcycle, taking the kids to the zoo, sitting in the back yard grilling and enjoying a beer (she of course loves her wine), working on landscaping our yard, and even watching our dogs wrestle.

My passion is ...

In a word, writing. It does so many things for me, from just getting the garbage out of my head, to creating and relieving stress.

I know too much about ...

The bad things in the world- which is why I really limit how much news I watch. My passions run deep, to the point where even old bosses used to tell me they wished they had a fraction of the passion I seem to have. Makes it hard to see how badly people treat each other and knowing I can't do anything about it.

My parents always told me ...

It's not what they told me, but their actions that spoke to me. My father left when I was little and my mother worked all the time to support us. I deeply appreciate my family because of my fathers selfishness (even though he is one of those hypocrit ministers), and my profound respect for the little things in life came from my mother, who I know loved us but spent so much time working she couldn't enjoy life.

My childhood ambition ...

I wanted to be the greatest linebacker pro football ever saw, and was great in high school until I blew out my knee.

My favorite memory ...

My memory is like an etch-a-sketch, which some great writers have been quoted as saying that is a great quality for a writer, because the ideas are always fresh.

Why I write ...

I feel I was born to do it. Even in grade school I excelled in english and writing classes, one teacher in particular planted the seed in my head that I should be a writer because I seemed to have a natural voice that flowed flawlessly. Writing is my therapy that makes life enjoyable. It isn't just a passion, it's a necessity

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I love to read as much as write, Terry Goodkind is my favorite author. But Elizabeth Haydon is also very talented, they both pull you effortlessly into the story. I don't watch a whole lot of T.V., I like Supernatural and Smallville mostly, though I love to watch a good movie. I love to listen to a variety of music, whatever inspires me. I don't remember who said it, but she was a blues legend who said "soul music is whatever music speaks to your soul". I like Disturbed, Zeppelin, etc.

My first job ...

I was 14 when my mom got me a job at a restaurant washing dishes. Before that I started mowing and trimming lawns, cutting and stacking wood for our neighbor for $10 a day.

My best moment ...

Give me time to think about it . . .

My inspiration ...

Can I have more than one? My mother, my wife, my teacher in high school Mrs. Vanhooser (for planting the seed to write, though it took 10 years to finally sprout), and Terry Goodkind. His writing just inspires me.

Business > Marketing Why direct mail is outdated

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What happens in life when the time is up for a fad, a product or service? Buried and forgotten? Because everything is dated, does that make it completely useless?

Look at the circle of life, classical music makes a comeback, blues music, the VW Bug, and even bell bottom pants are back in style (just to name a few). Though direct mail may be "dated" that does not mean it's outdated.

Forget what you think you know about the marketing industry, the hearsay and the rumors that are making people rich because of gullible consumers. Every marketing campaign has its place in the market, ...

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