The day begins with a check of my iPhone, and I’ve already got 15 emails at 5:45 am. It’s going to be a wild one today. Friday, in the midst of annual report season. Coffee & toast, check the headlines, shave, shower, kiss my wife goodbye on her way to work (she’s a Special Ed. Teacher), get my 10-year-old daughter up, fed and to school. Don’t forget her lunch. Then zoom, fight the traffic, walk my girl to class and give her a quick hug and “I love you” even though “that’s SO not cool, Dad,” but she smiles and I zoom off to work.
John is usually the first one in, but today I get in earlier and turn on the lights and printers. Strangely quiet. That’s about to change dramatically. We have 3 annual reports slated to ship to the printer today, if we can get final sign off.
Adrenalin starts to flow as I check my emails and start making some last minute Photoshop changes. . . remove some wrinkles here, a zit there, and whiten teeth throughout, after looking at loose color proofs we ordered to balance color. Almost feel like a father on graduation day when I send annual report files to the printer. . . I want everyone to look their best!
Mid-morning calls from hungry print vendors who claim they are the best thing since apple pie. . . we already have the best printers, but thanks! Emails with last minute text changes. . . the chart numbers on inside front cover have changed and several text changes on page 3 and page 4. I rebuild the cover file with spine included, just as it will look on press. Double check that all files are CMYK and high resolution and another spell check, just in case. Print out lasers, have our Acct. Exec. proof, then PDF to client for approval of changes. Client signs off 1 hour later, and this one is almost there. Collect, save all files to disk, including photos, illustrations, and fonts and burn the DVD. Print out lasers and create a laser dummy so that printer has a good reference for annual report. Write notes on margins with special concerns and tech. information that will save time for prepress dept. I package all and drop off for FedEx First delivery.
Meanwhile, trail mix from Trader Joe’s and water. . . doesn’t look like there’s time for a real lunch today; too much going on. Melissa calls me over and says she just got approval on the second annual report that is due out today and can I look over her printouts one last time. “You bet!”. . . but take a phone call first from our AE on the third annual. . . changes coming back in ½ hour. . . be ready! This is all coming together. Adrenalin rush number 2.
I proof Melissa’s files and find only one mistake. . . spell check didn’t pick up because it’s a real word and was in the original MS Word file provided. Person’s title should be “former CEO” not “formal CEO”. . . unless he’s just a real well-mannered, traditional guy that just wants to be known that way! Client confirms the error and Melissa corrects.
Run upstairs to check for new FedEx delivery and yes, box is there with printer proofs for another annual report that is in progress. I review proofs and all looks good. . . give to creative director to review before he hands off to our Acct. Exec. to bring to client for their review.
It’s noon and laughter explodes from the lunch room. I detect the smell of a fresh pot of coffee as I breeze by on the way downstairs to my desk. Latest changes to 3rd annual report have been emailed to me and our AE has written up the changes on our internal revision form so that I have something to proof against when I’m done. Not too bad, except now copy is running long on page 4. I adjust top of columns slightly to match up with top of graphic on page 2 and it all fits and spread actually looks better than before. Phone call from vendor, “yes it will be there today!” Print out lasers of edits for proofing and hand to AE.
Melissa has her files approved and I write up purchase order with all specs. . . # of pages, final size, paper, inks, binding, ship and arrival dates, etc. and fax to printer so they can get paper ordered and project stays on schedule. Melissa’s AR needs to be at printer today, so she FTPs her high res. files to the printer, and the adrenaline keeps flowing. I send a low res. PDF file to printer for reference and we also FedEx a backup disk of files and color laser dummy so they will receive the next day.
My wife calls and asks if I can pick up my daughter at soccer practice after work. I quickly calculate the odds and give her a “Sure, no problem” and now I have even more incentive to finish the third annual report and make FedEx. All is in sync and the pace is now humming when I get the call at 3:30 pm that the client has 4 pages of changes. I calmly make each change and check off each as I do them. Run spell check and have Karen check as well. All good. PDF to client. At 4:45 pm they give us the go ahead and I gather the files, burn a disc, and print lasers for the printer, package for FedEx and jump in my car. Race to FedEx for the third and final deadline of the day. I have 10 minutes to spare before they close for final drops. As I park my car, it occurs to me that I’ve beaten the curse of Friday the 13th. . . today has gone very smoothly, despite all we had to accomplish. I sigh, and the door handle of my 1991 Acura Integra promptly breaks off in my hand. Yikes! Quick, roll down the window and open the door from the outside, run inside and drop off the package with minutes to spare. Not bad. I’ll take a broken handle over not making FedEx any day. Heavy sigh. On to soccer. Tomorrow is a new adventure.