Media in the New Millennium

Note from Doyle: I was copied on this email to Joe Fuentes from a friend and colleague, Cary Baird, who also worked with him at Coors. With her permission, I’m sharing this here. Thanks, Cary.

Dear Joe,

I just read a blog that Doyle Albee wrote about working with you, and I confess that I cannot do a better job of capturing the lessons you taught.  Yet, I must try.

I’ll always remember the day you started at Coors, hired to be a manager in one of the most catty, political, clique-ridden departments in the company.  By the time you joined the company, I had been with Coors about six or seven years, and had seen eight (8) bosses come and go – more than one a year. Some of those bosses didn’t know diddly-squat about journalism, PR or communications.  Some knew about PR, but had no idea about writing or editing.   Some knew the concept of a target audience or message objective, but had no idea how to communicate.  In truth, most were not good bosses.

Then you came along and changed everything.   You could write and edit.  You knew how to communicate.  And in your book, that included listening as well as sending a message.  You came along at a time when I was flexing my muscles and striving to be better and to make an impact.  In short, I wanted to go up the corporate ladder.

You were brilliant with me.  Your nickname for me was “Slim,” a moniker that I secretly cherished.   You refrained from micro-managing me and built up my confidence when I felt uncertain.  You supported and coached me through the land mines of producing the Annual Report.   And when the time came, you helped launch me to my next job as a manager in the department.  I went into that job with a picture of myself in my mind as “Slim,” a strong, independent, Katherine Hepburn-like woman who could handle almost anything.

One of the things I regret is never playing golf with you.  How you loved that game and took Coors’ corporate representation at all golf tournaments to a new level!

You shared many traits with another man we both loved:  Swede Johnson.  I can honestly say that you and Swede were like giant bookends of my career at that time.  Great defining and guiding forces that made me always want to do well and improve.  Joe, your guidance and the example of your own behavior helped me become a better person and employee.  Thank you so much.

Spiritual faith soothes us at these difficult times.   Keep practicing your golf swing, dear Joe, because you and I will be playing the Heavenly 18 one of these days.  And give ole Swede a hug.

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