David Strasser

SR. Insights Strategist

David

Wandering Wonderer

What do you do?

I know I have a job. I have a title—Senior Insights Strategist. But, I don’t look at it as simply a job or a title. I see it more as an opportunity. An opportunity that I am paid for. An opportunity to creatively enrich our research—elevating the impact of the very human stories we tell.

What's your background?

I was born and raised on the west side of Cincinnati. Blue collar. Bruised. Bright shining. Yellow moon stare. Rough. Underdog. Red dirt tough. I believed that there was some calling on my life. That there was something I was supposed to do. Or be. I still believe that. The same as I believe that for every human being.

I used to sit for hours in honeysuckled woods staring at the sky and curious to know if I could taste a color. Sky blue. Sun yellow. Earth red. At some point, I fell in love with them—the primaries. Still, I would like to hear the sounds they each make.

Favorite book, quote or song?

I am supposed to name my favorite book. I wish the question was, “If trapped on a deserted island, what is the one book you would have with you?” I could answer that question easily:  Basic Boatbuilding. 

Choosing a favorite book is hard. OK, I will pick one. T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. Well, maybe James Agee’s A Death in the Family. Or John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany. 

One of those three, definitely. I can choose. Definitely.

Something you’ve found inspiring?

I've never been inspired—only provoked. It doesn't take much and it happens often.