Business Quiz: An appreciation for Keith Richards

Dirk Keller

Owner

Common Sense Advertising

Iowa city

Did you start out in this line of work? What did you think you'd be doing when you “grew up”?

My goal at the time of graduation was to find work in the U.S. foreign service and use my political science degree.

But my previous goal had been to pursue a job in the radio industry and use my mass communications degree. When a copywriter's job at KRNA radio opened, I applied.

But the owner felt I was much more suited for sales. Since then, I've never looked back, only forward.

How did you happen to come to Eastern Iowa?

St. Ambrose College in Davenport was my first stop, hoping to pursue a radio degree as well as a spot on the basketball team.

Instead I played one year on the baseball team and developed an interest in politics from family and friends in Washington, D.C.

That pursuit led me to Iowa City, where I finished my degrees and fell in love with the community and all it has to offer. Since 1977, the Iowa City/Coralville communities have been home.

Did you have a job while you were in school?

While at St. Ambrose, I worked for UPS and Roadway Trucking, loading and unloading freight. Umpiring baseball games and refereeing basketball games brought in extra dollars, too.

At Iowa, I worked for the athletic department in maintenance, setting up and tearing down before and after all Hawkeye sporting events. There has never been a time since age 10 when I was idle.

What was the last book you read?

“Life”, by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. It was interesting to learn about his childhood, as well as the inside story on the Stones recording sessions at Keith's mansion in southern France for the “Exile On Main Street” album. Many, myself included, consider “Exile ...” to be the greatest rock and roll album of all time.