We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Falloure. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.

David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today.

Well, there are two sides to my writing. The first is for my day job as a marketer. I began right out of college as a copywriter in the 80s and continued in various forms and roles ever since. Today I work for a global technology company running a full-time writing crew of 6 with a baker’s dozen of contract talent. And I am stoked to say I’ve done some of the best work of my career in the last five years. And I directly attribute that to my writing alter ego.

Like many writers, I write for my bosses or clients. But after quitting time–I write for me. In the late 1990s I began writing articles for a couple of local Houston newspapers and magazines. That later morphed into a column, which later kicked off an idea for a blog. It was the blog that really set things into motion because I was blending my interest in history with my branding experience as a marketer. Brands In History was born and within a few years I was approached to write a book about the Houston Ship Channel history, leading to a wider story on port history, and then on to the Port of Beaumont history.

That first Brands In History blog entry spawned four nonfiction books, a novel, novella, documentary, and a serial fiction. But the blog did something more important–it gave me my voice and enabled me to hone my own personal style very different than the traditional features and benefits template once the mainstay of copywriters. Storytelling is at the heart of it and once you can tell a story, you can better interest people in what you’re pitching–be it product, service, or idea. It’s storytelling that is now the preferred communication style. It took 40 years, but it all finally came together for me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I was hired and fired in one day from my very first job out of college. At 9 a.m. I was hired as a writer by a Denver, Colorado agency’s creative director. At 4 p.m. that same day I received a phone call from the creative director saying the agency was breaking up and he had to let me go. However, he did send me a check for a day’s pay in remorse. By early 1984, jobs were drying up everywhere and I came home to Houston.

My 40-year course as a marketing communicator took a lot of turns. I learned a lot from many different people and served in various roles, from copywriter to account executive to business owner to consultant and back again to writer. And I’ve written for everything from aerospace to fine furniture to oil & gas (a lot of oil & gas) to medical to spirits and more. Where I am today is the best place I could be and I am proud to say that I’ve written some of the best work of my career in the last five years. And yet, I still grin when I think about one of the earliest spots I wrote, which was a Trane air conditioner radio spot. “Orange Blossom” special was a song I heard on the radio the day before a creative pitch and the script just came to me. Creative director liked it. Client liked it. And it was stoked the first time I heard it on the radio.

What I am proudest of as a marcom writer is that I have helped a lot of customers generate revenue. Most recently, I’ve helped my century-old employer change how it talks to its audiences. In doing so, some of my work has been recognized by the Telly Awards, ANA Business Marketing (formerly Business Marketing Association), the American Marketing Association, and the AVA Digital Awards. But I can also say that much of that work wouldn’t have been possible without my personal writing.

My second career is writing about history and Texas. In the late 90s I began a nice run doing feature pieces for local newspapers and magazines. I even spent several years as a columnist. In 2011 I launched a blog that combines my interest in history with my profession as a marketer. Called Brands in History, it looks at historical figures from a marketing perspective–discussing why they were successful and why the remain in our collective memories. It was that blog that led to my first nonfiction book on the Houston Ship Channel and its related documentary, which led to my second on the Port of Houston, and my third on the Port of Beaumont. A few years ago I launched my first novel, “Counterclockwise.”

All of these writing experiences helped me discover the most important thing a writer can have–voice and personal style. They also taught me to be comfortable and confident with them. From the moment that happened, I never looked back.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

If someone learns something new about history or from any subject I write about, if they smile or chuckle, then I am rewarded. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said this in his dedication for “The Lost World:”

I have wrought my simple plan If I give one hour of joy To the boy who’s half a man Or the man who’s half a boy.

I’m a poor poet so to add something equivalent for the young women and girls is beyond my capacity. But the sentiment remains. Writing really is about sharing a part of yourself so you can connect with other people.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Being a creative is about overcoming fear. When any artist creates something and puts it out for public view, it is like stripping and walking naked into a crowded room. You’re exposed and vulnerable because each story, painting, song, image, or joke is intimate–it has a part of you. And what the audience does not always know or understand–or the artist may not even realize–is that something has been revealed.

If I had to wrap this up cleanly, I think the final word would be that if you know a writer, read their work and talk with them about it. And that applies to any creative person. But for writers to be acknowledged by the people they know and surround them, well, that just keeps the juices flowing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://davidhfalloureauthor.com/
• Instagram: @david_h_falloure
• Linkedin: David H Falloure, CBC
• Youtube: David H Falloure Author
• Other: brandsinhistory.com