Leah McCann Smith | Writer & Editor

Enjoy my mock biography through the light of an ad agency professional living in New York City.

THE LONG VERSION

“It isn’t just a career—it’s a passion, a way of life. #blessed #humbled #friendship #positivevibes #livingthedream #authentic.” Such are the eyes through which Leah McCann sees the world. Born and raised in the Peak of Good Living—Apex, North Carolina—Leah realized at the tender age of 24 that she was destined for a life in advertising. She began her first advertising job when she was just 22, as Chief Croissant Officer for the digital business at Grinn Retch & Haggle New York, a small boutique agency with worldwide aspirations in London, England.

During her time there, she spearheaded award-winning integrated campaigns for such accounts as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kanye West, Bed and Bath (Beyond had a different AOR at the time), The Ministry of Magic, Kraft, Virgin America, LEGO, Target, Burger King, Penguin Books, Timberland, Crate & Barrel, Post-It, Verizon, Puma, Phillip Morris, Procter & Gamble, Victoria’s Secret, T.G.I. Friday’s, Loews Cineplex Odeon, IKEA, Mattel, Citibike, Coachella, Gerber, Osh Kosh B’Gosh, Apple, Bing, Anheuser-Busch, CNN, Scholastic, General Motors, Sony, Hershey’s, Planet Fitness, Pinkberry, Barefoot Wines, Hanes, Bebe, Wawa, Walmart, Water (the official drink of water), Betty Crocker, 3M, Lockheed-Martin, IMODIUM A-D Anti-Diarrheal Caplets, Ashley Madison, Sears, Disney, BlackBerry, Starbucks, Bonnaroo, Purina, Chipotle, Volvo, Ray-Ban, Staples, Red Lobster (just the cheddar biscuits business), Haagen-Dasz, SPAM, Hot Topic, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs, Golden Corral, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Girls the TV show, Converse, Brooklyn Bridge Tours, Abercrombie and Fitch, Radio Shack, Bonnaroo, Vans (shoes), Van’s Foods (cookies), Urban Outfitters, Rural Outfitters, Nike, ShamWOW!, Trader Joe’s, The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, H&M, Forever 21, Justice, Deutsche Bank, Chili’s, Fox Entertainment, Datsun, IBM, Levi’s, Whole Foods, Atlantic Records, The Atlantic Monthly, Atlantic Terminal, visitpoconos.com, McDonald’s, Facebook, Restoration Hardware, TSA, The Winnipeg Jets, Bath & Body Works, Fancy Feast, Burt’s Bees, America Duck, Sally and Helly Hansen, The North Face, Claire’s, Borders Books & Music, Dr. Martens, The Church of Scientology, Quiznos, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Craftsman, Office Max, Baskin-Robbins, Sizzler, Hancock Tower, Kmart, Louis Vuitton, and new business, among many, many others.

She then moved to New York, where she worked remotely for a company in London. She now lives in North Carolina and occasionally commutes to New York City to work remotely for her company in North Carolina.

In her free time, Leah enjoys drinking cosmopolitans, driving, singing a cappella, and peeling hard-boiled eggs. When she’s not working, you can find Leah catching snowflakes on her tongue, filling out magazine subscriptions, and attending various fad-diet lectures. Her favorite is the Whole 30! She lives in NC with her boyfriend Bri-Bae and their pet ferret, also named Bri-Bae.

THE SHORT VERSION

Born and raised in [insert city], [insert state or Australia/New Zealand], [insert name] went to [insert school where college degree was received] and got [his/her/their] start in advertising at [insert agency #1] working on clients such as [insert agency client set #1]. He/She/They then found his/her/their way to [insert agency #2] working on clients such as [insert agency client set #2]. He/She/They now finds himself/herself/themselves at [insert current agency], excited at the prospect of discovering all the best taco spots in the neighborhood.