 |
Hadji Williams was a top copywriter and brand consultant, having spent over 15 years in the advertising and marketing worlds at Chicago and New York agencies great and small. Throughout his career Williams has developed top campaigns and brand-building concepts targeting every audience for clients across every category imaginable. (Think: Glaxo-Smith Kline, Mercedes Benz, Radio Shack, Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Co., AT+T, Ford Motors, Sprite, Aleve, Dominick’s Finer Foods, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame + Museum, Cingular Wireless, Absolut, Cleveland Clinic, Allied Domec, just to name a few.)
Conversely, Williams came up on the South and West sides of Chi. Born to hardworking parents, his home life was stable but his neighborhoods were less than predictable. Typical inner-city pitfalls including: drugs, gangs, renegade police and random violence were common. But it was precisely this precarious environment tempered by his deep Christian faith that helped Hadji develop his unique business acumen, powers of observation and agile problem-solving abilities.
“Looking back, the negative aspects of that world actually prepared me for corporate life. I had to think on my feet, be more creative, form smart alliances, learn to cut your losses... all the things you should learn in B-school (but usually don’t) and need to know to make it in business, I learned for free.”
Today Williams is author of the business classic KNOCK THE HUSTLE (Winter 2005) plus its follow up, KNOCK THE HUSTLE: Vol. 2 (Fall 2007) along with C.R.E.A.M. (Spring 2008). He’s also an adjunct professor, having taught over 25 introductory and advanced advertising courses at Columbia College Chicago.
Recently, Williams launched ProdigalPen Publishing, Inc., which is dedicated to the rich stories of America’s multicultural communities. He can be reached at: author@knockthehustle.com
