The Hazel Creative Story
The “us” in Hazel Creative is me.
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How’s that for an introductory line of copy for a professional creative person? I am Andrew Zalasky. Writing and design have been my passions since I was a youngster and my profession since before I was even getting paid to do it. It’s funny how earning high school or college credit can make work without pay tolerable.
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All that aside, I have been fortunate in my career to work in a variety of communications fields. Like I mentioned above I began working in the newspaper business while I was still in high school, continued that through college and worked as an editor, reporter and photographer in the years immediately following college. Most recently, I spent 10 glorious years leading the marketing and communications function at a medical center in the Midwest. And sandwiched somewhere in there, I spent a short time in the television news business, designed covers and contributed case studies to public administration textbooks, and started a successful business designing wellness programming for businesses.
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In each of these stops, I was given the opportunity to be creative and pick up skills that have served me – and will now serve you – well. To supplement my practical experience, I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
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While each of my work and educational experiences has been enriching, I am drawn back to creative development. Getting my “hands dirty” in developing top-notch copy or facilitating design that has those drop dead looks drives me. My hope is that I will have the opportunity to share my knowledge, skills and mission with you for the benefit of your organization.
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MEET THE NAMESAKE
Without a doubt, you have memories of a car that did it all for you. Whether it was the fancy European sportster that was exhilarating to be seen in, or the family truckster that got you from soccer to band camp to the prom and back, that car was a member of the family.
For me, that car became the inspiration for Hazel Creative Services. A car? Inspiration? Really? Absolutely.
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Hazel was an old Chevy truck that my parents purchased for $450 from a friend in New Jersey in the late 1960’s. A little worse for the wear, Hazel performed admirably in getting my dad to and from work and eventually blazed the trail as my family moved from New Jersey to California. But she was much more than just a commuter car or a ticket to the west coast.
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Hazel was every kid’s dream.
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My parents modified her a bit so a little fella like me could slip from the front seat to the covered bed simply by sliding through the rear pass-through window. While the front had a generous amount of space – enough to fit four of us comfortably – the back felt like the Montana sky. The bubble top allowed me and my friends to stand up and walk around with ease (keep in mind this was prior to car seats being a staple of kid travel). A few “after market” adjustments included a bench seat and a mattress on the bed floor so on long trips it served as, well, a bed.
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And when we were lucky, we could even ride with the back hatch up so we could revel in watching folks driving here, there and everywhere.
Which brings me to the inspiration part. The service I provide is much like the service Hazel did. I am going to be there when you need me. I’m going to get you where you’re going without any unnecessary bells or whistles. I am going to show you flexibility and creativity the likes of which you haven’t seen before.
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And I’m going to do it all at a price that you can afford.
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Call today let’s discuss what turning the keys over to Hazel can do for you.
