Who knew a Google Alert would lead to a mention in the NY Times Book Review?

 

Years ago, a very savvy mentor told me that everyone should have a Google alert on themselves keep track of their internet profile.

At the time we were in the middle of pitching to a large government entity (which we won) and all the key players on the account were subject to a background check and “digital” search in order to receive clearance to work on the business. I hadn’t thought much about it before but happily complied. Google would send me a notification any time my name was mentioned in the news. 

At the time I didn’t learn much new "news" about myself but I did discover a prolific volleyball player of the same name with a mean winning streak and another name-twin somewhere in the Midwest who was singlehandedly determined to keep Myspace afloat. 

One notable item I did learn is that for every article being written about you that you are aware of, there are likely dozens more that you might never know about unless you search for them.

Over the years I’ve gotten alerts on articles written about work I’ve produced, an award I’ve won based on that work, and the occasional press event photo taken with someone famous, plus the added bonus of following the volleyball career of my doppelganger namesake.

When this particular alert popped into my inbox, I was a tiny bit jealous. Had volleyball Brynn found a way to compete and remain noteworthy during this pandemic?  I clicked on the email expecting to read about her latest win but there in black and white was the heading NY TIMES, my name, words written by me, and the beginning of a book review.

Intrigued I dove in.  

The review for Ken Bruen’s latest Jack Taylor private-eye mystery, A GALWAY EPIPHANY (Mysterious Press) written by Marilyn Stasio included this excerpt:

Like his antihero, Bruen loves words, even other people’s words, and introduces his chapters with epigraphs from odd sources. One gem, from the comedian Brynn Harris, goes: “When I was a little girl / I used to dress my Barbie in a nun’s habit / So she could beat the hell out of Skipper / And not get in trouble.” 

I don’t know Ken Bruen’s work and have no idea where he would find a joke I wrote many years ago while I was performing live during a Route 66 comedy tour but there it was, singled out in the book review, for all the world to see. 

Tickled that my work was now immortalized in print I bought a copy and discovered that I was quoted along with heavy hitters like Freud, Yeats, and A.A. Milne.  

I also realized that all my old classmates at Nativity of our Lord grade school in Scranton PA would now know my secret; attending classes with Sister Bertha, Sister Saint Rose, and Sister Irene left a lasting impression that fueled a lot of comedy fodder. (I mean really, when a nun makes you kneel next to your desk at noon every day for a month and pray for the divine restoration of her broken thermos you have to find the humor in the situation, don't you?)

It also unearthed another memory from long ago - goal lists I’ve written and saved over the years. Sifting through old journals with dogeared pages there it was.

#10 – get published

#11 – be written up in the NY Times

Technically those are both true now, though I had much loftier goals in mind when I wrote them (and still do). It was a stark reminder to be careful what you wish for and words matter.

I believe in setting intensions, creating goals, and reworking those goals as a measure of success. Throughout my career I have encouraged my teams to set their intentions and recognize their own goals too, because sometimes we get so bogged down in a career path we forget that the best human path is a well-rounded individual.

I’m delighted about this book inclusion. In the long game of life, it will forever be a fun anecdote and a legacy to do what brings you joy.

Immediately, it inspires me to add to my list:

- To write more

- To keep setting (and resetting) goals

- To remind those I mentor to always search themselves 

I might never have discovered this inclusion if it wasn’t for my savvy old mentor and the internet (thanks Google)!  I encourage everyone to set a Google alert for yourself because you never know what might pop up.

*I have one more item to add to my list - To find Ken Bruen and ask him where he found my joke.

If I’m lucky he may have a Google alert on himself, discover this blog, and be inspired to let me know. 

Hey, anything is possible!