Meet The Ugly Dog Media Team!
"Pladook"
|
The company mascot, Pladook (Thai for "catfish") was the inspiration for the company name. Pladook goes to the office every day with Dan and Charoenkwan, where he holds court from his dog bed, enjoys begging for treats in the lunch room, and provides inspiration for Ugly Dog Media's ever-growing group of talented staff writers and marketing specialists.
|
Dan Blacharski, Founder and Top Dog
|
A veteran of the dotcom boom, Dan's history dates back to those heady days when 19-year-old Stanford dropouts with $10 million in venture money were creating great (and sometimes not-so-great) things. His deep experience in helping companies create their messaging strategies, combined with his years as an industry observer and pundit, has led him to create Ugly Dog Media. From the beginning, his strategy has been to surround himself with incredibly talented people, and this strategy has enabled him to build Ugly Dog Media from nothing into the international marketing firm it is today. Dan has been in the industry long enough to know what works . . . what doesn't work . . . and most importantly, what shouldn't work but still does. Dan received his B.A. in Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz.
|
Charoenkwan Blacharski, Vice President and dog-feeder
|
Charoenkwan (also known as "Be") is an award-winning writer, poet and journalist in her native Thailand, and most recently won second place in the country's prestigious Parliamentary Literary Award. Her work as poet, feature writer and journalist has appeared in several prominent Thai publications, and she has published six very well-received and acclaimed books. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Literature from Thammasat University, and Masters in Environmental Education from Mahidol University.
|
B. Jacob Sandock, Head Writer
|
“The belief in a thing makes it happen…” - Frank Lloyd Wright
Since coming to us in November of 2010, Jake has quickly established his creative presence. A native of South Bend, Ind., Jake is a driving force in the creation and implementation of marketing campaigns and has played a lead role in the production of an incredibly high volume of results-driven business copy for a wide array of clients across the globe. Jake has been a professional writer for over 10 years, and – having gained invaluably from his background as a newspaper beat writer, a Public Relations bloodhound (Ben Frank Promotions, NYC), and a professional blogger – he has a special understanding when it comes to the efficacy and importance of ‘perfect content.’
|
Jeff Septa, Social Media Guru
|
Jeff Sepeta has 20 years experience performing computer networking consulting services on behalf of marketing companies, law firms, realtors, and the SOHO market. He returned to Michiana in 2008 and now provides technical expertise for Ugly Dog Media's clients. He plays a number of instruments and has been featured on studio recordings with the Dharma Bums, Carter Lee & the Hired Guns, and the Disappointments.
|
Adrienne Latson, Marketing Copywriter
|
Adrienne holds a BA in English Composition from Indiana University South Bend. She is also a published author of both creative fiction and academic non-fiction. Adrienne has several years' experience in editing, marketing and writing. Her life's work is to rid the world of poor grammar and spelling typos, and she will not stop until every written word is corrected and the offenders are severely punished.
|
Sharon Emeigh, Staff Writer
|
Sharon Emeigh is a freelance writer currently based in Chicago and northern Indiana. She writes about arts, culture and literature for numerous regional publications as well as public relations for clients around the world. She studied at the University of Michigan and received a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. She is in the process of revising her thesis, “Understanding the Anti-social Epidemic: An Analysis of Asperger’s Syndrome Woven with a Personal Narrative of a Family’s Experience”, into a book.
|
Rodney Smith, Staff Writer
|
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou
Rodney Smith is a staff writer for Ugly Dog Media. Rodney has lived the majority of his life in Indiana, but visits the other place he calls home whenever he gets the chance: Florida, The Sunshine State. While he has experience in writing in a variety of styles, he specializes in public relations and advertising copy. He has written business plans, sales letters, advertisements, and press releases for local and global companies. Rodney has shown that he isn’t afraid to mix things up; bringing fresh, current ideas to our vast array of seasoned vets.
Rodney enjoys nearly every type of music, but is a particularly avid fan of Kings of Leon, The Killers, and Rise Against. Rodney also enjoys seeking out craft beers and pairing them with his favorite grilled foods. When he’s not working, you can find him on the water with his German Sheppard, Lady.
|
Karen Hammond-Nash, BA Economics, JD Law
Years as a full time mom and part time writer have given her a light, wry, and witty style.
Karen received her degree in Economics, with emphasis in Public Policy and a minor in Political Science, (in 1984) from Allegheny College in Meadville PA, and her doctorate in law from Washington & Lee University, Lexington VA, (in 1987).
She brings her background in applied economics and legal theory to the analysis and development of business plans and other complex marketing and promotional challenges that Ugly Dog Media figures out and simplifies for its clients.
Art McCormick,Senior Writer
|
A native of South Bend, Art strives to strike a balance between the humorous, the poetic, and the academic in his writing. He’s always appreciated a solid, nuanced, old-fashioned sales pitch, and has spent many late evenings obsessing over the persuasive power of infomercials.
Art enjoys walking the dunes on the south shore of Lake Michigan, and bodysurfing when there’s a steady north wind. He’s attended both Harvard, where he studied Folklore and Mythology, and Indiana University, where he specialized in Medieval History. This is his first writing job, but it’s proving to be a good fit.
|
Michael Connell, Social Media
Michael Connell was a trial lawyer for seven years before joining Ugly Dog Media. He holds a B.S. in Anthropology from Western Carolina University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to practicing law in Chicago and Indiana, Michael was a flight instructor and commercial pilot in North Carolina. The diversity of his background and broad range of his anaytic skills to address a wide variety of client needs.
Away from the office, Michael is a motocycle enthusuast who can often be found riding a Ducati Superbike on the racetrack or exploring backcountry trails in the Appalachain Mountains.
|
|
