There are a zillion (maybe half a zillion) ways to absorb trending news and consumption-worthy prose. For our super savvy marketing team, a recent digression (during an internal strategy session) turned to the topic of what we were reading.
The conversation started out with our Social Media Manager Chelsie, sharing she had just finished re-reading the entire Harry Potter series. Having devoured them all when originally published, she found it interesting to experience what aspects of the story and characters impacted her this time around. One feeling was the same. It was just as emotional the second time to say goodbye and leave them all again, at the station, at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
“I’m just as sad as I was the first time that it’s over. But I also just finished Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make The Competition Irrelevant. Super interesting…
As far as podcasts, I’m listening to Buffer’s CultureLab, 99% Invisible and the occasional Social Media Marketing podcast! I really want to listen to Serial soon.”
Where to Read
It was especially fascinating to learn that in addition to WHAT everyone was reading, their preferred platform.
One of our friends refuses to read by any other means than by holding an actual book in her hands. No reading app, no Kindle, no nothing. She believes the tactile feeling sets reading apart from all other digital activities. It keeps the experience singular.
Our audacious leader, Liane, is a podcast junkie. Perhaps running a thriving, three location business and raising a family makes anything but audio-on-the-go ridiculously impossible! She’s hooked on Social Media Examiner Podcast, Chris Brogan’s Owner’s Mind Podcast and Natalie Eckdahl’s Biz Chix.
What to Read
In the uber-talented graphic design department, Emily is a true online, all-the-time reader. For magazines, she loves InStyle and GD USA. She is also a devotee of CreativeMarket.com’s blog and from Pinterest, often finds interesting web articles.
When asked, Graphic Designer Kim was super-clear about the challenge of fitting reading into her day: “I’ve been on page 3 of Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. Not because it’s bad, but because I fall asleep every time I open any book. Hence…I don’t make my way through many books. The last one I made it through was The Help and loved it. Of course had to watch the movie in the middle of it since it took me so damn long to get through it!”
Our Tampa Content Manager, Mary, said her per-year-books-read count has quadrupled since having a pocketful of them on Kindle; she’s often reading several at a time. Naming Anthony Doerr’s, All the Light We Cannot See as one of the most moving and exquisitely written novels in the last ten years, she also loved When Breath Becomes Air, Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s philosophical tribute to life and death. A diehard New York Met’s fan, Mary just started Ron Darling’s new book to cleanse the palette with something a bit sunnier.
In our Cincinnati office, Account Manager and Media Buyer Extraordinaire, Diana Vilares just finished reading 300 Days of Sun and The Paris Wife. Despite her super-long days, “Sometimes I find myself reading until 3am when I’m in it to win it :).” Also, she loved The Paris Wife, “In the end I don’t know how I felt about Hemingway… I think I felt sad for him, but also an appreciation for his ability to be totally raw.”
Senior Account Executive Angela Rodriguez who is in the enviable position of keeping clients happy and a team of creatives on track, tends not to make MUCH progress in leisure reading with the exception of Buffer Blog and anything in the news. “Right now I am slowly making my way through Outlander. I haven’t gotten to the point where it’s sucked me in yet, but when it does, I’ll probably get through it much quicker!” We’ll have to check back in a week and see how THAT’S working out!
The newest happy addition to the web department is Janae Thomson, Web Developer in Tampa.
“I love reading up on travel blogs, one of my favorite being AdventureJournal.com because I can envision myself doing what they do. It’s so real, so unedited and extremely useful for tips.
As for books, I’m currently reading Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson which is the funniest book I have ever read- I’ve literally been in tears and begging for breath. Also reading The Good Girl by Mary Kubica which was a best seller. It’s wonderfully written and exciting! Definitely a page turner. (I recommend both!)”
Creative Collaborator Corey Long, mother of two beautiful girls, reads Ad Week & SocialMediaToday.com, but confesses most of her reading is kids’ books. And she loves it!
So…when we are not immersed in our day jobs, we keep up with contemporary literature and marketing thought leaders in a number of ways to remain current, and yes…we are still awed by the sight of the spires of Hogwarts rising through the mist, above the Black Lake. We raise our mugs of Butterbeer to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. We’ll be Friends Forever.
What are your favorite blogs or podcasts?
Leave a Reply