Over the years I've been fortunate enough where I've learned how to obtain opportunities in the media.
Some people might think that I do this to simply get attention, well....I guess they are partially right.
Klecko does get lonely oh-so easily.
But truth be told, Klecko the business man has always realized the value of ink.
Ink is so much more valuable than stroking ego.
Ink provides opportunity.
For well over a decade Klecko has determined that his opportunities could be maximized, just as long as he is able to appear in the local media every 6 weeks.
So how does a Food Service Worker remain relevant, and merit media attention monthly for over a decade?
Well it's not easy, and I haven't always hit my mark, but all and all, I've been pretty close.
The following will be listed in no certain order, I'm just gonna brainstorm some of my Klecko secrets here, as I go.
#1 - You have to have a story to tell
#2 - When being interviewed, don't wait for the media person to throw questions, you know more about your specialty, so just throw some mud up on the wall and tell them what you want to see in print.
#3 - Rehearse what you are going to say, I mean say it out loud, over and over while you drive your bread truck across town, You only get one chance to impress. But when you finally say it, be cool, try to come across as off the cuff.
#4 - Media people, contrary to popular belief....are people too. Ask them questions about their lives.
#5 - Learn how to write. Klecko was booted from 3 different high schools and never flourished in English. But he did practice writing, and then volunteered to write columns....for free.
#6 - Many writers have writer personalities, and they treat their stories as if they were children. I really don't care how my pieces are edited as long as my name is in ink.
#7 - Remain Relevant, how can a baker get on radio, TV, and in newspapers if he/she just preaches the gospel of bread, or cake? always add a twist. Klecko has pitched.......................
Bread
Sourdough Carving
Dog Biscuit's
Polish Christmas
Baking with/for the Irish Nuns
The State Fair
Food Service Tattoo's
The people I have baked for
Poetry
Saint Paul youth Baseball
Specific Ingredients (like honey, booze, soups)
History
Community Outreach (baking with gang bangers)
Cookbook projects
Ingredient Shopping for celebs
Munchkins
Baking Abroad (Europe and Asia)
How to make money!!!!!!!!!
I'm just scratching the surface guys.......
#8 - Usually interviews are set up in advance. Learn as much about the format, and the media person you'll be with.
#9 - Cold Reading - sometimes, I will call the work number of the media person I am about to engage with, but I call their work number at 2 or 3 in the morning. Then I listen to their voice mail message. Is this person funny? Are they a little uptight. Each ship that is about to steer you has different tools to get you in the direction you'd like to go. Don't on on that boat blind.
#10 - Pull Quotes - Pull Quotes are that part of the story, that they pull out of the story and repeat in a large box. I oftentimes try to feed these peeps nothing but pull quotes.
#11 - Everything you say should be honest-sincere and pleasant
#12 - ALWAYS-ALWAYS-A-L-W-A-Y-S make sure that when your story runs that you follow up with a thank you.
#13 - Act like you've done this before. Don't gush at the knees and ask "When will the story run?" The person who is interviewing you wants a refreshing experience....they want to think you are cool.
#14 - When your piece does run, use social media to SPLASH that story. If Johnny X covers your fish fry, and that story gets 10 000 hits....trust me, his superiors will know, and commend him.
#15 I don't want every media person to interview me. I want every media person to interview me dozens of times.
#16 Build relationships between your concept, and the media outlets. These people are being kind enough to pimp you......so why not do a brother a solid and return the favor?
#17 ALWAYS-ALWAYS-A-L-W-A-Y-S say thank you, these media outlets have hundreds of people, thousands of people hitting them everyday. When you are selected there simply shouldn't be any entitlement involved (unless your Bob Dylan).
#18 Be Bulletproof, you will go through cold spells, just like a ball player at the plate. Even Rod Carew when 0 for 5 occasionally, but don't take it personal, just go and reinvent yourself and create a story that media sources will fight over.
This should be enough to get you thinking, but there really is so-so-so much more to this, but I've just taught you how to walk, so once you start getting from A to B, come back and shout at me and I'll get you to chapter next.......
"WHEN I LOOK AT THE SUNDAY PAPER, I WANT TO SEE ME, STARING BACK AT ME"
Klecko and the Counting Crows dude
:
My Minnesota: Baker discovered his calling in junior high
Farrah Fawcett posters were the rage. Patty Hearst
was convicted of bank robbery. Wild Cherry was urging everyone to "Play
That Funky Music."
It was 1976 and a new policy was unveiled at Carl Sandburg Junior High School in Golden Valley. Instead of girls taking home economics and boys learning industrial arts, the school opened the electives to both genders.
"In sixth period, I made some apple crisp with three girls in Mrs. Wilson's class," Danny Klecko recalled. "It was a whole lot better than repairing lawn mower engines."
A baker was born that day. Thirty-six years later, Klecko is the CEO, master baker and problem solver of the St. Agnes Bakery, which cranks out an array of loaves for 300 commercial customers from its ovens in St. Paul.
A big guy at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds -- with more than 40 tattoos gracing his arms and back -- Klecko is also a Little League coach, grandfather and poet who co-edits an online poetry magazine called Lief (tinyurl.com/cbjgbnh).
Here's a sample, his poem "Sourdough Vampire":
"The bakery's old, hallway's cold, condensation's causing mold.
On the baseboard, on the wall, clock strikes midnight, ovens call.
I'm going to rise tonight, close your eyes tight, knead the world while you sleep, pray to God your soul to keep.
Bones are cold, eyes are old, seeing stories never told.
Turn the dead bolt, darkness crawls, clock strikes midnight, ovens call."
He's also written a cookbook and his recipe for honey red wine jelly can be found on a blog via this link:
tinyurl.com/carpvoc.
Klecko isn't his real name. It's McGleno (more on that in a minute). He spent his early childhood in California before his mother, whom he describes as a hippie, returned home when Danny was 8. He's lived in Minneapolis for 20 years and St. Paul for another 20. The difference: "Minneapolis is a major city with nightclubs; in St. Paul, you're known by who used to own your house."
His professional baking career began as a bag boy at the Supervalu in Golden Valley, helping out the bakers. When he moved on to Supermoms Bakery, his Polish co-workers didn't feel fond about the young Irish kid, so they put a "Klecko" nametag on his uniform and it stuck.
He has since baked for President Reagan (whose likeness is tattooed on his arm) and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during his 1990 visit to St. Paul. Klecko and his wife, oncology nurse Sue McGleno, have two grown kids and a 3-year-old granddaughter. His first tattoo?
A "5-23" on the back of his neck. Why?
"
That's the day my son, Ty, hit his first home run when he was 10 off one of Joe Mauer's cousins," Klecko said. "He crushed it."
CURT BROWN
Some people might think that I do this to simply get attention, well....I guess they are partially right.
Klecko does get lonely oh-so easily.
But truth be told, Klecko the business man has always realized the value of ink.
Ink is so much more valuable than stroking ego.
Ink provides opportunity.
For well over a decade Klecko has determined that his opportunities could be maximized, just as long as he is able to appear in the local media every 6 weeks.
So how does a Food Service Worker remain relevant, and merit media attention monthly for over a decade?
Well it's not easy, and I haven't always hit my mark, but all and all, I've been pretty close.
The following will be listed in no certain order, I'm just gonna brainstorm some of my Klecko secrets here, as I go.
#1 - You have to have a story to tell
#2 - When being interviewed, don't wait for the media person to throw questions, you know more about your specialty, so just throw some mud up on the wall and tell them what you want to see in print.
#3 - Rehearse what you are going to say, I mean say it out loud, over and over while you drive your bread truck across town, You only get one chance to impress. But when you finally say it, be cool, try to come across as off the cuff.
#4 - Media people, contrary to popular belief....are people too. Ask them questions about their lives.
#5 - Learn how to write. Klecko was booted from 3 different high schools and never flourished in English. But he did practice writing, and then volunteered to write columns....for free.
#6 - Many writers have writer personalities, and they treat their stories as if they were children. I really don't care how my pieces are edited as long as my name is in ink.
#7 - Remain Relevant, how can a baker get on radio, TV, and in newspapers if he/she just preaches the gospel of bread, or cake? always add a twist. Klecko has pitched.......................
Bread
Sourdough Carving
Dog Biscuit's
Polish Christmas
Baking with/for the Irish Nuns
The State Fair
Food Service Tattoo's
The people I have baked for
Poetry
Saint Paul youth Baseball
Specific Ingredients (like honey, booze, soups)
History
Community Outreach (baking with gang bangers)
Cookbook projects
Ingredient Shopping for celebs
Munchkins
Baking Abroad (Europe and Asia)
How to make money!!!!!!!!!
I'm just scratching the surface guys.......
#8 - Usually interviews are set up in advance. Learn as much about the format, and the media person you'll be with.
#9 - Cold Reading - sometimes, I will call the work number of the media person I am about to engage with, but I call their work number at 2 or 3 in the morning. Then I listen to their voice mail message. Is this person funny? Are they a little uptight. Each ship that is about to steer you has different tools to get you in the direction you'd like to go. Don't on on that boat blind.
#10 - Pull Quotes - Pull Quotes are that part of the story, that they pull out of the story and repeat in a large box. I oftentimes try to feed these peeps nothing but pull quotes.
#11 - Everything you say should be honest-sincere and pleasant
#12 - ALWAYS-ALWAYS-A-L-W-A-Y-S make sure that when your story runs that you follow up with a thank you.
#13 - Act like you've done this before. Don't gush at the knees and ask "When will the story run?" The person who is interviewing you wants a refreshing experience....they want to think you are cool.
#14 - When your piece does run, use social media to SPLASH that story. If Johnny X covers your fish fry, and that story gets 10 000 hits....trust me, his superiors will know, and commend him.
#15 I don't want every media person to interview me. I want every media person to interview me dozens of times.
#16 Build relationships between your concept, and the media outlets. These people are being kind enough to pimp you......so why not do a brother a solid and return the favor?
#17 ALWAYS-ALWAYS-A-L-W-A-Y-S say thank you, these media outlets have hundreds of people, thousands of people hitting them everyday. When you are selected there simply shouldn't be any entitlement involved (unless your Bob Dylan).
#18 Be Bulletproof, you will go through cold spells, just like a ball player at the plate. Even Rod Carew when 0 for 5 occasionally, but don't take it personal, just go and reinvent yourself and create a story that media sources will fight over.
This should be enough to get you thinking, but there really is so-so-so much more to this, but I've just taught you how to walk, so once you start getting from A to B, come back and shout at me and I'll get you to chapter next.......
"WHEN I LOOK AT THE SUNDAY PAPER, I WANT TO SEE ME, STARING BACK AT ME"
Klecko and the Counting Crows dude
:
My Minnesota: Baker discovered his calling in junior high
- Article by: CURT BROWN , Star Tribune
- Updated: December 1, 2012 - 4:00 PM
Meet a tattooed baker, poet, Little League coach and grandfather.
It was 1976 and a new policy was unveiled at Carl Sandburg Junior High School in Golden Valley. Instead of girls taking home economics and boys learning industrial arts, the school opened the electives to both genders.
"In sixth period, I made some apple crisp with three girls in Mrs. Wilson's class," Danny Klecko recalled. "It was a whole lot better than repairing lawn mower engines."
A baker was born that day. Thirty-six years later, Klecko is the CEO, master baker and problem solver of the St. Agnes Bakery, which cranks out an array of loaves for 300 commercial customers from its ovens in St. Paul.
A big guy at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds -- with more than 40 tattoos gracing his arms and back -- Klecko is also a Little League coach, grandfather and poet who co-edits an online poetry magazine called Lief (tinyurl.com/cbjgbnh).
Here's a sample, his poem "Sourdough Vampire":
"The bakery's old, hallway's cold, condensation's causing mold.
On the baseboard, on the wall, clock strikes midnight, ovens call.
I'm going to rise tonight, close your eyes tight, knead the world while you sleep, pray to God your soul to keep.
Bones are cold, eyes are old, seeing stories never told.
Turn the dead bolt, darkness crawls, clock strikes midnight, ovens call."
He's also written a cookbook and his recipe for honey red wine jelly can be found on a blog via this link:
tinyurl.com/carpvoc.
Klecko isn't his real name. It's McGleno (more on that in a minute). He spent his early childhood in California before his mother, whom he describes as a hippie, returned home when Danny was 8. He's lived in Minneapolis for 20 years and St. Paul for another 20. The difference: "Minneapolis is a major city with nightclubs; in St. Paul, you're known by who used to own your house."
His professional baking career began as a bag boy at the Supervalu in Golden Valley, helping out the bakers. When he moved on to Supermoms Bakery, his Polish co-workers didn't feel fond about the young Irish kid, so they put a "Klecko" nametag on his uniform and it stuck.
He has since baked for President Reagan (whose likeness is tattooed on his arm) and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during his 1990 visit to St. Paul. Klecko and his wife, oncology nurse Sue McGleno, have two grown kids and a 3-year-old granddaughter. His first tattoo?
A "5-23" on the back of his neck. Why?
"
That's the day my son, Ty, hit his first home run when he was 10 off one of Joe Mauer's cousins," Klecko said. "He crushed it."
CURT BROWN
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