ABOUT
I make order from chaos.
Then I write about it.
I'm Emily Reeves Dean. I've spent 25 years in the agency business — account management, production, research, digital, social. Right now my job is to turn creative chaos into work that ships on time and on strategy.
Off the clock, I read more than 100 books a year, test more tools than any reasonable person should, and carry a bag that could survive a minor apocalypse. If I've ever thought I might need something, I own it.
Reader Writer Seeker is where all of that meets. It's not a how-to blog or a highlight reel. It's a working notebook: what I'm reading, what I'm testing, and the connections I find between them. Sometimes a romance novel teaches me something about brand storytelling. Sometimes an AI tool makes me a lazier thinker, and I want to know why.
If you're curious, a little overbooked, and tired of advice that sounds like everyone else's, you're in the right place.
CURIOSITY
I never want to stop learning. The best ideas come from outside your own industry.
What I believe.
HONESTY
If I recommend it, I use it. If it disappointed me, I'll say so.
ORDER
Order from chaos is my motto. Simple beats clever. Clear beats complete.
PREPARATION
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Hence the bag.
CALM
Calm is contagious. So is drama. I'll take the calm.
WIT
Right or wrong, humor is how I handle tension. You've been warned.
My Story
Louisiana. Arkansan since 1996.
University of Arkansas
100 Books a Year
Olives, Tom Petty, Flip Flops
Quiet over loud. Cold over hot.
Answer phone calls.
The Short Version
From
Alma Mater
Reads
Loves
Prefers
Does Not
Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree. Winner of MSNBC's Know Your Value competition with Mika Brzezinski. Early blogger, frequent speaker, and a regular call for Arkansas reporters covering social media and technology.
Along the way
Want to talk shop?
Speaking, podcasts, and smart conversations. Email beats calling. Always.