The dog ate my homework

“The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too.”

― Samuel Butler

Kids can be so desperate to deflect blame from themselves that they blurt out whoppers like, “The dog ate my homework.”

At least that’s what I used to think. Now that I’ve had a dog for a while, I’m sure those kids were innocent victims of dog shenanigans.

Dogs can definitely get you in trouble.

Like the other day, my neighbour went for a walk and left his gate open, so his dog wandered out and landed on my front stoop. I brought my dog out so they could wrestle, which they did for about 15 minutes.

Then I?had to get back to work so I tied my dog up and put my neighbour’s dog on a leash so I could take him home and close the gate.

The moment you have someone else’s dog on a leash in front of your own house, it doesn’t look like you’re returning a dog. It looks a bit more suspicious than that. And that’s when my neighbour pulled up, now driving a truck. A little too loudly, I said, “I’m not stealing your dog, I promise!” as my neighbour said, “You can let him go now.”

Later that day, after dark, I was petting another neighbour’s dog through the iron fence. This lady lives a few blocks from me, and we only ever say hello, but I love her dog, Frida, and stop to pet her every time I pass by. So, while I was petting Frida, she hears a noise and runs away from me. Then the house door opens and the lady steps out to see what the ruckus is.

What she sees is her dog beside her, me kneeling at her fence with my whole arm through it, breaching her private property.

These dogs are troublemakers and I’m taking the fall!

Since I got a dog, my quirks are a lot more visible outdoors. I’m sure some folks on my dog walking routes think I’m terribly weird talking to their dogs.

But I’m sure other people don’t mind, or even find it charming.

And that’s fine because I’m not for everyone.

Either are you.

Remember this when you’re producing your monthly newsletter. People buy from people they know, like and trust. And how will they know you, if you don’t share (workplace appropriate) things about yourself?

Whether that’s showing your sense of humour, talking about a challenge or talking about why critical illness insurance matters, it’s okay to be you. Keep it professional, of course, but let folks see you.

Some people won’t gel with you. That’s okay. They’re not your people (or your buyers).

Others will totally get you.

So, why not show up in their in-boxes every month and give them the chance to get to know you better? Remind them of your existence so when their needs align with how you help people, they’ll think about you first.

And don’t worry if you don’t have any dog shenanigans to share. There are lots of ways to help people get to know, like and trust you through a monthly newsletter. ?

Until next time,

Andrea

PS: What’s your favourite dog story?

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Andrea Bassett | Executive Ghostwriter | [email protected] | 647-502-3187

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About me, Andrea Bassett, executive ghostwriter and content writer

I specialize in working with executives and marketing teams at corporate wellness, group benefits, insurance, employee assistance programs (EAP) and digital health organizations. My clients are straightforward, ambitious, humble and hilarious. They appreciate my optimism and sense of humour and like working with me because I make it easy to work together.

Looking to launch your monthly newsletter by partnering with an executive ghostwriter? Drop me a message here and let’s chat and see if we might be a good fit working together.?