"What INSPIRES me?"

"Man, that's such a weird question."

-- Bob Dylan, 1966 approximately

Since the past is more certain than the present, I’m gonna share what has inspired me, if you don’t mind. I hope it’s fun and interesting for both of us, but as Dylan also said, "I’m no poet, I’m just a trapeze artist."

Anyhow, it all comes down to storytelling. And Dylan's stories were the first time it occurred to me that the way you said something might be as important as what you were talking about. Even more exciting, you could walk away with certain phrases actually burned into your brain.

"Your debutante knows what I need,
but I know what you want."
(Full lyrics - click "LISTEN" on linked page to hear song)

Twenty years later, it occurred to me that the line is a killer marketing strategy and a pretty good headline. Essentially, Bob's re-positioned the competition’s proven advantage into a disadvantage by offering something the target audience desires at a much more visceral, emotional level.

So, maybe Bob Dylan started me down that long, lonesome road to being a copywriter? Difficult to say...