Madison+Main’s Weekly Report 5/13/13

I use the Madison+Main Weekly Report as a way to tell you what we did last week, but I figured I’d start off by telling you something we didn’t do last week. Unlike many other businesses, we opted not to travel to Denver with the Greater Richmond Chamber for the annual intercity visit.

I think RVA collectively suffers from a sort of inferiority complex and these visits only serve to keep us in a 2nd tier city status. Think about it. When Richmond needs a service, they hire a consultant in New Orleans or Denver or DC. When they need a process, like property tax receipts, they send that business to Atlanta. When will RVA government and business leaders realize that, in the words of Stuart Smalley“we are good enough, we are smart enough and gosh darn it, people like us?”

Monday 5/6 – Monday started with a bang, the MMMMM, aka the Madison+Main Monday Morning Meeting, where we welcomed Taylor Thornton, production intern and junior at VCU, studying creative advertising.


Production Intern Taylor giggles as he pretends to adjust a light in the studio.

On Monday, I also had to renew my life insurance policy with New York Life mega-agent, Steve Fish. Nothing against Steve, but I hate Life Insurance questionnaires.

Question 17c: How long has it been since you’ve used a tobacco product?

Answer: 6 months ago. Uh, last Fall. Um, I was at a golf tournament and I had 1/3 of a cigar. But I quit smoking cigarettes years ago. Really, it’s true. Oh gosh. I feel so dirty.

At least lunch with Virginia Living’s Christiana Roberts was good. Christiana is a longtime friend and it was good to hear about all the wonderful things happening in her world.

Tuesday 5/7 – For the first time, in a long, long time, I was sick. Mark this day, people. I NEVER get sick. It’s good to know that lots of work got done in my absence, including finalizing the 2014 marketing plan for Lucy Corr Village and Springdale. How’s that for planning ahead? Thanks, as always, to the unconquerable Debra Q. Marlow, Director of Development and Marketing.

Wednesday 5/8 – I was under the weather Wednesday, but did manage to show up for The READ Center spelling bee. On Wednesday night at The Camel, the corporate spelling bee brought together 15 separate companies across Central Virginia to raise money for adult literacy programs. After a hard fought battle, I am happy to announce that Madison+Main’s stellar spellers, Senior Account Manager, Katie Hurst, Art Director, Jeff Smack and I, placed 2nd. We were a half second behind the winner, but were happy that we finished ahead of last year’s champions from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Thursday 5/9 – On Thursday we had an excellent meeting with the entire leadership team at Richard Bland College. Although we’ve only been working with them for a short period time, we are constantly amazed by their vision for Virginia’s only Junior College and pleased to be a part of rebranding the 50-year-old institution.

Account Executives Sarah Dawes and Sammy Yatco represented us at Schmooza Palooza Thursday night. By all reports it was a great event and for the first time in recent memory, it didn’t rain.

Friday 5/10 – This morning I finally felt a little bit better, finally free from the head cold, which put me down this week, perhaps with a feeling of new found feistiness. I locked myself in my office and yelled at a bunch of “ers”… lawyERS, bankERS, real estate brokERS, movERs and paintERS. Yes, we’re out of here. Details coming soon.

While driving into work this morning, I saw a billboard placed by some RVA government entity with the caption “Pick up the Poop.” How appropriate?


A billboard I saw on Hull Street thanks to Emily Farrar’s photography.

Hope all you Mutha’s had a Happy Mother’s Day!

About the author  ⁄ Dave Saunders

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