Personal Life Media

Creative Bio
I often... no not often, sometimes, yes that’s it... sometimes wondered what it would be like to live without a soul. It’s such a pesky thing really, dragging you into good samaritan acts with no warning. Giving you a sense of purpose; causing you to think, debate the merits of this act or that. Just a theoretical exercise really; I mean, could you actually rid yourself of your soul ?

I could run for President, but someone had already achieved having no soul in that office. How could I satisfy my curiosity ? What could I do to separate myself from it ?

I know what you’re thinking. I thought about that too. But the further I contemplated becoming a lawyer I thought to myself that half of the time, the lawyers are actually on the right side fighting for justice. A little too much soul there I think. And then, wondering if I would have to go through life burdened with the weight of sentience I found it...

For over 10 years I worked in advertising as a copywriter, account director and digital strategist. At one point, while working on a website for Miller, a print ad for Playboy, and a pitch for Winston, I realized... I was there. No soul. Amazing. Surprising you don’t miss it as much as you think. The emptiness of happiness had been replaced with the pleasure of sin. I had satisfied my curiosity and accomplished it with aplomb.

Realizing, however, that maybe this was not... how shall I say... karmically positive, I started the arduous process of soul reclamation. I mean, sin is great and all, but it comes with a lot of hangovers. Unfortunately, once you’ve rid yourself of that pesky soul, it’s rather hard to get back. You have to take small steps. My next job was a very small step; a side step really.

For the next three years I managed the external internet marketing of American Express Financial Advisors (now Ameriprise Financial.)  Yes, I know, this was not the best karmic exercise. The plodding pace of a large scale financial corporation is roughly akin to sticking needles in yours eyes slowly, repeatedly, and without pause. I was now without a soul, blind, and in pain. This, for lack of a better word... sucked.

I found myself longing for a more dynamic environment. One in which the karmic penalty was not so high. I joined a Search startup in the bay area. Not only was I going to be rich, but I was going to do it without having to peddle alcohol, cigarettes, porn, or financial advice.

After working many 100 hour weeks, several relationships failing, and being so sleep deprived that I did not realize an entire U.S. city got wiped off the map, the startup imploded.

Sensing the implosion was imminent I discovered... my soul.

I am now a free agent, offering my services where I can bring my best qualities to the opportunity at hand. These include my ability to automate and systematize processes that needlessly waste human talent; artfully honing a strategy that leverages the best of digital and traditional marketing for my unique clients and closing deals (yes, a marketing guy closing deals) when the deals simply must get done. Count on it. Count on me.

 

Classic Bio
Writer, pundit, curmudgeon; regular columnist for iMedia, and self described “hacker-geek with a marketing degree,” Sean X has worked on the digital side of advertising and marketing for over decade. In that time he has spoken at Ad:Tech, iMedia, 212, SF BIG, the Yahoo! Summit, Internet World, on ABC, and NBC, as well as consulted for a number of government agencies on the impact of the Internet on society.

He is a marketing consultant who leverage his agency and client-side experience for a wide range of successful companies. Most recently, as Director of Marketing for Ask.com, Sean X produced 11 television commercials and ran the online advertising efforts for a complete rebranding from AskJeeves to Ask.com.

For over a decade he worked as an award winning copywriter, account director and digital strategist for brands such as Nike, MSNBC, US Robotics, Miller, Corona, Hyatt, American Airlines, and many others. He then honed his marketing experience client-side at American Express. Great company; great benefits, however, the plodding pace of a large scale financial corporation was, as he put it, "roughly akin to sticking needles in your eyes slowly, repeatedly, and without pause."

When not hermetically sealed in the digital world he can be found jumping out of planes, traveling to places with government warnings for tourists, or riding his Ducati on the twisted roads of the Pacific Coast Highway. Having lived through one too many Midwest winters, Sean currently lives in the Mission District of San Francisco.