My grandfather’s office was enormous. As a child, my grandmother and I would sometimes visit during the work day and, as you know, everything in the adult world seems oversized to a child. Now, as an adult, thinking through the details of the office, it’s safe to say it was absolutely enormous.
Let me quickly help you picture it:
Small conference table with 4 chairs, surrounded by bookshelves full of memorabilia, pictures with presidents and congressmen and CEOs, etc
Large conference table with 10 chairs near a huge window
Seating area with 2 full-sized couches and 2 armchairs
Personal bathroom (with a shower) behind a hidden door in the wall
Oversized executive desk in the middle of the room flanked by receiving chairs
On the desk were a few family photos, a hilariously-large glass jar of black jelly beans (his favorite candy), working papers, and his personal stationary.
Along the top of the stationery read the words ‘FROM THE DESK OF GENE C. RUSSO’ in a classic 1960’s corporate typeface.
Those words, the typography, that desk, his office, are all emblazoned in my memory; all signs of his signature blend of presence and relationships as a means to build meaningful connections.
And it’s with that inspiration that I’m launching from the DESK of Jon Wise, a monthly-ish note from me in hopes of connecting with you.
Writing this post and thinking about my grandfather has me wondering...
Do you draw any inspiration from your relatives or mentors or people you looked up to when you were young?
What did you take from them and bring into your career?
Drop me a note and let me know.
j
P.S. Thanks so much for reading - more soon.
P.S.S. Yes, those are my grandparents in the photo above.
What is from the DESK of Jon Wise?
So glad you asked. DESK is a monthly-ish note from me on growth, marketing, creativity, emerging technologies, and marketplace issues that are grabbing my attention.
Where can I find DESK?
Awesome, you want more.
For now, DESK will be sent to our email subscriber list as well as published as a newsletter on LinkedIn, and on the JWC blog. If you want to manage your subscriptions, please shoot me a note with your preference.
When is the next DESK coming out?
Yes, this was just a quick story and an introduction. The first full DESK will be out on Monday, June 3.
🔥 Designspiration
Anna Doral has been blowing my mind with her exploration of letters and type with water and bubbles. 🧑🍳 Check her work out!
🔗 Link Lookup
JWC - Full-Service B2B Marketing for Growth-Focused Companies and Startups
Brandcamp - Everything your brand needs to thrive in 6 weeks.
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