The 100 Guy

Six years ago last month, the first issue of The 100 landed in readers’ inboxes, delivering concise insights into business, history, travel – even public policy.

A few weeks ago, I helped with my granddaughter’s nighttime routine. It always starts the same way: she selects four books from her impressive library, hops in my lap and follows my narration.

Leveraging off The 100 Companies’ success in 20 geographical markets from Denali to Dubai and our launch of The Travel 100, our publishing network expanded last month into a second industry vertical: The Association 100.

I hadn’t seen a $2 bill for years when I noticed schoolmate Rip Black tipping with them. Having loved them since attending its 1976 re-introduction, I adopted Rip’s paean to Mr. Jefferson, tipping with them since. I gave one to an Uber driver recently – he stared at it, announcing, “This one’s going in the wallet!”

For three years, I’ve written the same words on Airbnb’s reservation field that says “tell your host why you’re in town.”

In my 20s, when I was put in charge of a 25-person marketing team spread over two floors at The Charlotte Observer, I observed our biggest weakness was communications. Ironic, since we were in that business.

Charlotte toddler Annie was watching “Sesame Street” late December when her mom, Amanda, thought she heard Grover say the “F” word. Annie’s dad (my son Thomas) replayed the segment, agreed it was debatable, posted it to Reddit, launching a top listing, 124,000 views, 3,400 comments and an international sensation.

As we brace ourselves for 2019, it’s time to make and potentially break our resolutions.

As of the writing of this article, Hurricane Florence has passed through the Carolinas but left a devastating wake in its path. The recovery process will take many years.

As marketers continue to champion social media as viable brand boosters and engagement platforms, it’s important to know how generations interact with each channel and at what level.

As an itinerant newspaperman working for six Southeastern dailies, I had many publishers. All paled in comparison to Rolfe Neill of The Charlotte Observer.