Ladies and germs, I’d like to introduce you to my friend and Spin Sucks crazy, Clay Morgan.
Clay, who once had a judo student who explained how to spell his last name this way, “Big M, little organ,” is a natural storyteller, journalist, and communicator.
And yes, he is a judo master (is that what they’re called?) and once taught classes.
In his professional life, he is the executive editor and general manager of the Daily News Journal in Tennessee, a position he’s held for a little more than a year. He was managing editor of the Lebanon Democrat before that, but our paths nearly crossed nearly 10 years ago.
My former boss at Rhea & Kaiser started his own business and hired Clay as a freelancer. He also subcontracted work to me, as I was starting out and trying to figure out what I was going to do next. Missing one another by maybe only a year or two, we’ve made up for lost time.
A confidant of mine, Clay challenges me nearly daily on not only how I think about content delivery both here and to our clients through Arment Dietrich, but about new services to offer and innovations to create.
He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know and he knows how to turn his intelligence into real and profitable products.
On the personal side, Clay is a husband and very recently a father of three. No, he and his wife didn’t have triplets; they’re fostering three little girls.
It’s been really fun to watch him fall in love with these little girls, even though he prefers to keep his curmudgeon front (you kids, get off my lawn!).
He also is a geek’s dream. He is an Axis and Allies expert and probably plays that geeky game Mr. D plays called Travian.
I highly recommend you not only follow Clay online, but get to know him. Your life will be better from knowing him. I guarantee it (can I use that phrase now that George Zimmer has been fired?).
You can find him LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, his blog Outfront, which is an inside look at the inner runnings of the newspaper business, and of course at the paper itself.
P.S. Don’t forget we have DJ Waldow here on July 25 at 11 a.m. CT for the Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing. Register – for free – here!