That Time a CEO Cussed Me Out
Two writing lessons I’ll never forget
Ever been cussed out by a CEO?
When it happened to me, I was the executive editor at a nationwide behavioral health company. I was 25, and despite the “executive” in my title, I was still learning on the job.
And I had made a big mistake.
My boss, the head of marketing, had tasked me with creating 100 one-page brochures focused on our programs and people.
I had never worked on a print project of that scope. The instructions and deadlines were unclear. So I got stuck… and dragged my feet.
I didn’t realize my boss was getting flack for the delay. After I got criticized in front of the team — a point at which I should have asked for help — I made a gamble.
I decided to print everything we had already worked on (first drafts, essentially), which was about 25% of the project.
This was an appeasement measure. I could make sure these brochures never saw the light of day. They weren’t getting distributed anywhere — everyone just needed to see that we were moving forward.
But the CEOs of our treatment centers, realizing these brochures (which included interviews from them) had been printed without their approval, were furious.
I had no idea. And one CEO decided to make her anger very plain. She let me have it in very colorful language, also not sparing the graphic designer (in the room as well) who had helped me.
I felt humiliated. It wasn’t my fault. I wanted to shut down.
And then I realized… it was my fault. I may not have known better, but I should have asked. So in the middle of that heated meeting, shaken up as I was, I started trying to listen.
I wanted to know what made this CEO so angry. No one had seen these brochures, and no one was going to. Why was she losing her mind?
Two of the most important writing lessons I’ve ever learned came from that meeting.
First, we had written from a negative point of view. Instead of using hopeful, aspirational language, we were pushing our reader away without even knowing it.
This was especially critical in the behavioral health industry, where people are seeking treatment for serious conditions. For example:
- We said: It’s hard to recover from alcohol addiction, and the longer it goes on, the more life-threatening it becomes.
- We should have said: Alcohol addiction is serious, especially if it continues for long periods; but with help, you can restore your well-being and sense of self.
Do you see how different those two statements are? That was the first writing lesson I’ll never forget.
The second came when I understood why the CEO was so angry. It had nothing to do with flimsy one-page brochures destined for the trash can.
It was the fact that she had gotten surprised. I hadn’t communicated with her — and she hadn’t seen the draft of the interview.
Now it looked like it was going public based on my decision, and she hadn’t been involved.
I saw it from her point of view. The bigger picture, which I didn’t know then, was that the treatment center CEOs and directors didn’t trust the marketing team.
They didn’t know us. I had run aground of a much bigger issue within the company.
I took responsibility for everything. I apologized and promised to make changes. It calmed her down, and we ended the meeting without tension. That was the second lesson I learned, the importance of empathy.
Though the CEO apologized to me later, I chose to embark on an apology tour that included every CEO and director, even the CEO of the company.
It wasn’t fun, but something happened after that. The CEOs and directors started to trust me — and to trust our department. They realized I was on their side, that I wanted what they wanted.
Everything was better afterward. What we accomplished as a team and as a company was incredible.
I wouldn’t want to repeat that incident, but the lessons I gained were as good as gold. They impact my writing and relationships today.
What’s something important that you learned from a tough situation?
Your friendly neighborhood copywriter,
Anna @ CreativeDemand
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