The Fedora is Off.

Yes, it’s true – By the time I link to this page I’ll have ‘come out’ and started using my real name on Twitter.  That’ll slowly spread to my other social networks it’ll just take some time to get to them all and decide if I’ll be maintaining separate accounts or merging them on the various networks.

“Why now?” you ask?  One – it gets tiring.  Two – it gets really tiring after more than two years.  Three – I think I’ve taken this as far as I need to, or can, in the current guise.  I started the account out of boredom and to call out bad industry practices on all three sides of the table (workmates (colleagues & bosses), clients and press).  Somewhere along the way I got lucky enough to learn a bit about social networks, bloggers and blogging, SEO, etc. etc. and meet a few thousand great folks in y’all.

It also doesn’t hurt that my current boss knows all about my alter ego, actually met Cog as Cog, and only years later did we end up working together (and perhaps one of the most entertaining parts is this comment on my blog from nearly two years ago). It’s also astounding that everyone at my agency has managed to keep the secret for as long as they have.  I’m duly impressed.  It’s also equally impressive that no one’s caught any of my officemate’s occasional fun comment.

Now it’s time to keep moving (to steal a Johnny Walker marketing slogan) but for the next steps, for both “me” and Cog, it’s time to come together (to steal a Beatles line) :).

I’ll be seeing you out there.

~NB

31 thoughts on “The Fedora is Off.”

  1. As someone who’s had at least two anonymous online personas (and as your friend, who’s had to keep this a secret along with about half a dozen other people I know who run such online charades!), I understand both the freedom and loneliness/confusion that come with such monikers. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you first as “Cog” and then as the in-the-flesh N. Will certainly be less jarring to me when I see your actual photo pop up or worry about which account I need to tweet w/ which comment! It’s been an amazing journey, for sure, and that comment from Elizabeth is beyond fabulous. Much love and luck “merging” personas! 🙂

    1. Hey L –

      Thanks so much. It’s been my abs pleasure getting to know you as well. And yes, def no worries now on which persona to tweet with…

  2. I suggest you do a social media release about this historic announcement. But you can make the interns send it out. Looking forward to seeing you. P.S. I enjoy following your boss Elizabeth on Twitter.

    1. Aww Val thanks so much! Same here. All the projects (and future ones I’m sure) have been great. And tonight’s happo is just the icing on the cake 🙂

  3. I remember when Rachel met you IRL — it was such an event! I think I met you a few weeks later but I was always kind of peeved Rachel beat me to the punch. Hope you don’t mind if I call you Cog for the rest of your life, it’s so much easier than Nathan. All those syllables.

    1. Haha, that was quite a meeting. Indeed, you met me just a few weeks later and shortly thereafter a number of your fantastic colleagues! Hope all’s well over there this morning. Stay dry, until closing time that is, then open the SA… 🙂

    1. Hey Shonali –

      No worries – I fully expect, and embrace, Cog and that his “existence” allowed me to connect with so many great people, so the Cog moniker is more than welcome :). Great to meet you as well. Hopefully one of these days it’ll be in person.

  4. After reading this post, all of a sudden I feel so alone. The plan was to distribute a joint news release at 10k followers. Haha…you’ll always be Cog to me dude.

    -prdude

    1. Hey Kelly – So sorry about that, knew it would happen to some folks. I assure you, the snark is still here. Hopefully now though there’ll also be some extra oomph.

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