It wasn’t just me working for Tom Andrzejewski and Leslie Kay at 75 Public Square in downtown Cleveland, soaking up their wisdom about news judgment and public relations. Another fresh college graduate–Susan Kurz, now the chief marketing and client development officer for a mid-sized law firm in Cincinnati–was there with me.
When we caught up with each other for this interview, Susan reminded me about our work setting. We shared an open office area and did our thinking and writing out in the open. Reading Susan’s reflections makes me smile big and it reminds me that we are all challenged by something at work whether we are months out of school or decades into a career. It is a good reminder to have some grace with each other.
Susan's descriptions of challenges she faced show the level of trust Tom had in his new hires. Her memories about Tom’s approach to leadership and the distribution of work bring to mind a father bird nudging–or pushing–one of his babies out of the nest.
How did you find the job opportunity with The Oppidan Group?
It was the summer of 1991, I had just graduated from college, and I remember cutting out job listings and printing off multiple copies of my resume and customized cover letters every night after working my babysitting job all day. I’m pretty sure I mailed out a resume and cover letter based on a job posting. I was under significant family pressure to “get a real job” quickly so I could move out of the house. Things were a little different back then!
What stands out about your job interview with Tom?
I remember him calling me the afternoon after receiving my resume and asking if I could be downtown the next day for an interview. I didn’t feel that I could negotiate a later interview date, so I agreed but ended up leaving the family I’d been babysitting for in the lurch by canceling on them (two working parents). I remember being very stressed out about what to wear with such little notice and very little in the way of professional clothing in my wardrobe.
Tom was very relaxed, which was in sharp contrast to my high anxiety during the interview. However, he started talking about local politics, which I was interested in and had been following. I mentioned that my uncle had served as mayor of a suburb, and Tom knew him. I remember asking Tom if he ever interacted with my grandmother or great-aunt, both of whom had worked at The Plain Dealer the same years as Tom, although they were secretaries in the classified ad department, while Tom worked on the editorial side (I was trying to make a personal connection with him). He didn’t know them, but we had a good conversation.
I believe he offered me a job at the end of the interview. I accepted, and I think I started the next week (again, leaving the family I was babysitting for in a tough spot by quitting with such short notice; I still feel guilty about that!).
What do you remember about drafting copy and running it by Tom and Leslie?
I remember that Tom was an amazing strategist. I learned a lot from him through our discussions about communication and project strategy. He asked great questions and was aggressive (in a positive way) about seeking out all angles of an issue.
I didn’t work directly with Leslie on long-term projects, but she frequently asked me to proof-read her written materials. I especially remember that she wrote legal articles for Ulmer & Berne’s practice group newsletters, such as environmental law and employment law, which were printed and mailed to clients back then.
I remember really struggling to understand the legalese, and also how difficult it was for me to do such focused work in the “bullpen” area where you and I worked in the backroom with three to four desks situated side-by-side. At any given time, you might have one colleague on the phone, another having a conversation at the coffeepot (which was also part of the backroom area) while I was struggling to proof-read what seemed more like a legal document than a marketing piece to me.
I also clearly recall my anxiety at correcting the grammar and typos–at the age of 22 and one month out of college– for a brilliant writer and editor who, at that time, had at least 20 years of professional experience. I even told Leslie that I felt funny marking up her work. And she responded (and I’ve quoted her ever since): “Everyone needs an editor.”
Knowing that she trusted me to proof-read her work really boosted my confidence.
Which campaigns and clients did you work on and what did you do after The Oppidan Group?
The most memorable campaign was Martin Hoke’s election campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, unseating Mary Rose Oakar. I remember that I was given the job of writing his campaign announcement speech. I had never written anything like that before, and I felt highly unqualified, but what a great experience to be thrown right into the fire.
I am forever grateful that The Oppidan Group was my first professional job. I would never have had those opportunities at a larger PR/marketing firm or in a corporate communication department. I also worked on a project for St. Ignatius High School when they were expanding geographically and needed some community relations and media relations support.
Another project I remember working on was for a consortium of Cleveland hospital groups trying to get more equitable funding for emergency room costs that were not recoverable. Again, as a very inexperienced 22- or 23-year old, I remember sitting in a conference room at Mt. Sinai Hospital, I believe, with Tom and the CEOs of five hospitals–the only woman in the room–and wondering what the heck I was supposed to add to the conversation.
I’m not sure I spoke at all, but I sure learned a lot from being in the room and hearing those discussions first-hand. From those experiences, I learned the importance of advocating for myself and others to “be at the table.”
What did Tom and Leslie teach you that you never forgot and that still serves you today?
Well, that everyone needs an editor, for one. That’s a lesson that I employ on a weekly basis and have for the past 30 years. They taught me so much, like how to think strategically and how to write succinctly and for specific audiences.
Tom especially also threw me into situations that were very far outside my comfort zone, like going to a pretty sketchy printing company for a press check without ever having been on a press check before, alone. He told me what to look for, but it was a rough group, and I was very intimidated (and frankly worried about my personal safety after the guy running the printing press told me he just got out of jail).
I didn’t know what a blueline was, and the printing guy told me that he was going to run the final job basically as a blueline (using cheap ink and paper). I didn’t know any better and agreed to that. The client was very unhappy, and I think Tom was dismayed, but I think he got the print job discounted, which ended up saving the political candidate some money, so it wasn’t a disaster in the end.
I experienced so much personal and professional growth by constantly being pushed outside what was a very small comfort zone.
I also learned to ask more questions and speak up when I thought I didn’t have the skills or knowledge needed to do a job well, and that you have to sometimes just take a shot even if you’re not confident you’ll be right, because you learn the most from the mistakes you make.
It really was a perfect “first job” that led me to work in the financial services industry in marketing and business development, spend a few years doing marketing consulting work when my kids were babies, and then to work in law firm marketing and business development.
NEXT: Stringing and actualities.
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