Barry Hill — Digital / Integrated Copywriter…
But that wasn’t always the case. I’ve also been (often simultaneously):
· A sound-techy for a friend’s band on weekends, leading to the co-founding of a Grammy-nominated L.A. music label – thus further fanning my passion for all things creative, technical and business (label later sold to Disney);
· A graduate of Richard Ivey MBA Program;
· A university business lecturer with a US NGO in China;
· Exxon Lubricants’ Project Leader for China market-entry (completed ahead of schedule); and
· A volunteer firefighter and Fire-Rescue Crew Captain.
And then it happened…
Replete with sunbeams and Hallelujah chorus, a long-sought writer’s desk appeared before me at Bates Hong Kong. So I jumped in and have since been blessed enough to do what I love most — writing, brainstorming and creative problem-solving across all media.
I also collected one very special treasure on my Asian travels — my Indian uber-princess, Priscilla. We married and have now settled in Toronto to be near my family.
Things that turn my crank
I’ve always been fascinated by Astronomy, and Science generally. I’m also a news and investment junkie, as well as a British history buff — particularly WWII, as my granddad was a D-Day vet and RAF mechanic who witnessed much carnage and chaos as he followed the front lines. A spectacular motorcycle crash landed him in hospital for five months, where he met my mum — his nurse. (Which essentially means I can trace my ancestry back through a 500 cc Ariel.)
Under his tutelage, I restored a ’62 Ford, a ’67 Mustang and a rare blood-red Boss 351, among others… see, I didn’t always have my head in the Internet (or Mad magazine)… 
Below: Fresh from the paint shop after a summer-long, ground-up restoration — my ’67 Mustang 289 V8 with 4-barrel, 4-speed and posi-trac rear. That’s me, aged 16, and little bro, impatiently awaiting test-launch. (See its demise at bottom of page.)
Actually, rebuilding cars helped me develop a few skills that transfer well to communications, like creative problem-solving — although back then it was, “How can I fabricate a broken part?”, “Where exactly is the wiring bad?”, “Why are all these parts left over after rebuilding the engine?” (Heh heh, I was 14, practicing on old 4-cylinder motors.)
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’77 Eldorado… now THAT’S a carbon footprint! One of the heaviest Cadillacs ever made at 5000 lbs or 2.15 tonnes. (What gas crisis?) Needed plenty of mechanical and body work at first — and again later after a friend T-boned a truck with it.
’72 Caddy Sedan Deville — 472 cubes of gas-guzzling glory. This is pretty-much how mine looked after I restored the body and treated it to Dupont’s latest ‘Imron’ metallic paint. (Later gave it to my girlfriend… what an idiot… me, not her.)
’62 Ford Galaxie wagon and a 15-year-old who can’t wait to get his licence. Granddad showed me how to rebuild the 390-cube 4-barrel engine like a watch, while also guiding me on the bodywork — yep, that means I did all the sanding.
A mint Celica from my ‘practical’ phase… oh well, everybody makes mistakes.
For what it’s worth, other interests include philosophy and photography — even a bit of golf and tennis. Sometimes not even on the Wii.
If you’re peeking below, let’s just say ‘Pride comes before a fall.’ But that’s another story… which I will consider telling you, if you will consider hiring me.
Another one bites the dust… or in this case, the back of an ’89 LeBaron…
Well, thanks for watching… now get back to oogling my ads!
