Insights from Nebo

Coffee, gum and LaCroix: Nebo’s in-house bestsellers.

You’ll find them everywhere in our Atlanta office — shared fridges, conference rooms, dozens of boxes stacked sky-high in the pantry. There’s hardly a desk that doesn’t have that eyesore of a can displayed proudly and within arm’s reach. In fact, upon entering Nebo for the first time, you’ll probably be offered one along with a cup of coffee or glass of water.

This week, Google twisted my arm to get me on a plane and headed to one of my favorite cities in the world for the 2017 Google Partners Summit in NYC. While I can’t share any of the juicy secrets just yet because I’m sworn under NDA, what I can say is that, as always, Google has unveiled some amazing new updates and products.

However, I think they may have skipped a few innovations along the way that should’ve been on their to-do list long before now.

Sure, Google has created some of the most intelligent AI in the world. They started and ditched their own hoverboard design, have a patent for smart contact lenses and are bringing internet to people faster than ever with Google Fiber. Year after year, they continue to innovate and introduce newer and better solutions for brands, agencies and advertisers alike.

So why the #%@! can’t I add a simple annotation to my AdWords account???

It’s September 22nd, and that means summer is officially over. Though we still have some 90-degree days left here in Atlanta, we’re still taking a moment to reflect on our favorite campaigns from the last few months. Some were funny, some were inspiring, but all of them caught our eye.

Picture it: A sunny Atlanta afternoon — certainly not the hottest all year, but, still, a solid summer day. It was August 27.

I was having friends over that night to watch the Game of Thrones season finale, so I popped into Kroger to pick up some beer. My heart was set on something light and refreshing, the kind of beer you want to drink when you’re crammed in a room with 10 other bodies overwhelming the air conditioner. But instead of the wall of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy and Anderson Valley Summer Solstice I was craving, I was faced with a wall of bullshit pumpkin beers.

Spiced, heavy, unwanted pumpkin beers.

It’s my last day in the Nebo office, and it’s bittersweet. It’s been two and a half years, and a great two and a half  years. In my time here I’ve learned more about SEO than I ever thought possible. I've petted countless adorable dogs, eaten lots of cookies, and had the privilege to work with some seriously awesome and talented people.

But sometimes, even awesome people suck. And I’m not afraid to tell them.

I’m great at vacations. I’m a pro napper, a fantastic shopper, and an even better eater. But then I started working at Nebo. By no means did anyone ask me to work over my break. On the contrary: any time I responded to a Slack, I got yelled at in all caps to delete the app from my phone and relax. But I love Nebo and I love my job, so leaving felt selfish and wrong.