“Do you want to keep writing Daniel Caterinicchia on the top of all of your papers?”
“No.”
“I thought so. Dan Cat will do.”
“Thank you very much!”
That was a real conversation with my second-grade teacher, who graciously recognized that I didn’t need all that extra penmanship practice compared to my friends with much shorter names. Next level kindness.
Fast forward to sixth grade.
“Dan Cat? That sounds like an author’s name. You love sports and you have a writer’s name, so why don’t you write about sports?”
“OK.”
That’s what I said. What I was thinking: This is the best gift ever!
I loved sports and played everything imaginable, but even then I knew (and apparently so did my teacher) that “star athlete” wasn’t a present or future description of my abilities. Next level foresight.
Fast forward a few decades…
…and I’m excited to launch Dan Cat Consulting (DCC).
Is it my most creative naming exercise? No.
Did I ask various AI tools for options? Yes … and I am sticking with DCC because the story means something to me, and so do those teachers.
DCC helps universities and mission-driven organizations tell stories that resonate, through strategic communications, media relations, and digital marketing, drawing on my three careers as a journalist, an educator, and a communications executive.
I’ll always work to make my partners’ stories mean something to their audiences. I owe that to them and to the teachers who set me on this path.
If you’re looking for a communications partner, I welcome the opportunity to connect.
Grateful for the past. Energized today … and for the next level.