Punching the clock

It only seems appropriate that after 17 years of running Rich Siegel Worldwide, a global ad agency with offices in the den, the family room, the now spare bedroom and occasionally the log-launching room, that I finally hang up my cleats.

17, after all does have a certain significance for me. 

This does not mean however that I will no longer click and clack on the keyboard to keep a roof over my head and to put food and expensive whiskey on my table. After all, I still have a family to feed and I harbor a strong penchant for premium red meat, in the form of briskets and Tomahawk steaks. 

I also like to keep the liquor cabinet adequately stocked with smooth white rum, Kahlua for the every so often White Russian, and expensive Bulleit Rye, for the very often viewing of the nightly news and the day by day destruction of our fine Republic by the Republican Party.

Yesterday, I made this act of resignation official by changing my Linkedin page. Wherein I also announced my new position as a Creative Director at Honey, part of the PayPal family.

Although to call it a new position is a bit of a misnomer, since I've been on this job officially for 4 months now. 

I think it's smart to wait to announce these kind of things, don't you? After all, I could have joined and in no time worn out my welcome as the cranky old man and then shown the virtual door on one of my many Zoom calls. But that didn't happen. And I'd like to thank the kids, and to me anyone under the age of 44 is a kid, who have put up with my shenanigans.

And it turns out I like this new job, though more than once I feel overpaid for carrying out some menial creative tasks. I like it much the way I liked my 8 month freelance gig at Dollar Shave Club.

And why not?

I'm working at home.

I'm working with smart people.

I'm helping the company in ways I never thought I could.

But the thing I like most about it is the gathering more than the hunting. Tracking down freelance gigs can be a tiring affair. And many of my colleagues will attest to this. It also doesn't help that the gazelle you've been tracking and sneaking up on is also in the crosshairs of 183 other freelance copywriters. Many who know what an Instagram carousel ad entails. And will work for $30/hour.

And so again I am a salaryman. The difference now is I can still snag 20 minutes in my backyard hammock without the boss ever knowing about it.