…The challenge Paul faces, and he admits it from the get-go, is that technology is changing so rapidly that it’s hard for anyone to come up with advice that will stay current. It’s not just about giving a mere warning based on history. He’s talking about being mindful and valuing certain truths and ways of behaving. He addresses the various temptations we face in any discussion and how we can live better lives. Ultimately, that’s what philosophy is about — how we can live more fully realized human lives. The book delves into philosophical concepts about our brain, the importance of eye contact, and how we should rally against the encroachment of technological temptations to be better people. It’s not just a simple warning; it’s about looking at the totality of our human experience to make it better…
I had the pleasure of talking with Curtis Sparrer, principal and co-founder of Bospar PR. Curtis is a distinguished figure in the public relations industry, known for his innovative strategies and contributions to tech and pharma PR. Sparrer’s career spans notable representations, including high-profile clients such as PayPal, Tetris, Unisys, and the SETI Institute’s alien hunters. His expertise and impact have earned him multiple accolades and position him as a key influencer in the PR landscape.
Sparrer’s professional journey is marked by a blend of media and public relations experiences. Prior to founding Bospar, he served as an executive producer for KRON-TV, the nation’s largest independent television station, where his work garnered an Emmy. This media background equipped him with unique insights and skills that he seamlessly transitioned into the PR industry.
At Bospar, Sparrer’s innovative approach has led to significant achievements. His ability to deliver compelling narratives and media campaigns has earned Bospar a reputation for being the “Politely Pushy Tech and Pharma PR Agency.” This approach was exemplified in a campaign where Sparrer convinced an astronaut to make the first payment in space, illustrating his knack for creating buzzworthy and impactful PR initiatives.
Business Insider has twice recognized Sparrer as one of the Top Fifty in Tech PR, and PRovoke included him in its Innovator 25-Americas list, which celebrates elite innovators across various industries. Furthermore, the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) named him PR Professional of the Year. Additional honors from the PR World Awards and the Bulldog Reporter highlight his standing as a leading figure in public relations.
Sparrer’s influence extends into thought leadership through his contributions to prominent publications. He has written for Adweek, Forbes, the Dallas Morning News, and PRWeek, sharing his insights on public relations, media strategy, and the evolving landscape of communication. His involvement with the Forbes Communications Council further amplifies his voice in the industry.
His writings often emphasize the importance of media training and effective communication. Drawing from his television experience, Sparrer prepares Bospar’s clients for high-stakes media engagements, ensuring they shine in the spotlight. His articles delve into the nuances of PR and marketing, providing valuable guidance for brands aiming to elevate their profiles.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Sparrer is deeply committed to community involvement and advocacy. He is an active member of the National Lesbian Gay Journalist Association (NLGJA) and a lifetime member of StartOut, an organization supporting LGBTQ entrepreneurs. His roles as president of the San Francisco Press Club and board member of PRSA Silicon Valley reflect his dedication to advancing the PR profession and supporting journalistic excellence.
Curtis Sparrer’s journey is also shaped by personal experiences and influential mentors. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, he was profoundly impacted by Paul Woodruff, a professor who recruited him to the University of Texas at Austin’s Plan II program. Woodruff’s mentorship left a lasting imprint on Sparrer, guiding him through pivotal moments in his life and career. When Woodruff was diagnosed with cancer, Sparrer played a significant role in promoting his mentor’s final book, Surviving Technology, highlighting the human impacts of technological advancements.
Sparrer’s personal philosophy is encapsulated in his favorite mantra: “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken was involved. The pig was committed.” This reflects his deep commitment to his work and his clients, driving him to consistently deliver exceptional results.
Curtis Sparrer’s career is a testament to the power of innovative public relations and effective communication. His contributions to the industry, thought leadership, and community advocacy make him a prominent figure in the PR world. Through Bospar, Sparrer continues to shape the narratives of leading tech and pharma brands, ensuring they achieve their communication goals with finesse and impact. His journey, influenced by personal mentorship and professional dedication, underscores the importance of commitment and innovation in achieving success in public relations.
Curtis Sparrer’s relationship with his professor Paul Woodruff began during Sparrer’s student days at the University of Texas at Austin. Woodruff recruited Sparrer to the university’s Plan II program, describing it as an Ivy League liberal arts education at a state school price, a pitch that resonated deeply with Sparrer and his family. This mentorship continued to play a crucial role throughout Sparrer’s life, offering guidance during pivotal moments.
One such moment occurred when Sparrer faced a personal crisis involving the theft and publication of his diary. Devastated by this breach of privacy, he turned to Woodruff for solace and support. With Woodruff’s help, Sparrer not only overcame this challenging period but also thrived, eventually becoming president of the Plan II Students’ Association. Woodruff’s influence extended beyond mere academic guidance, providing Sparrer with the emotional support and mentorship he needed to succeed.
Years later, as Woodruff battled bronchiectasis, he published an article in The Washington Post revealing his diagnosis. Sparrer, moved by his mentor’s forthrightness, responded with his own piece in the Dallas Morning News, reflecting on the impact of Woodruff’s impending death. Their bond deepened as Sparrer began visiting Woodruff in Austin, cherishing their time together despite the challenges posed by Woodruff’s frailty and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woodruff’s final request to Sparrer was both profound and poignant: to publicize his book, Surviving Technology. The book explores the impact of technology on human interactions, emphasizing how devices and remote work are increasing isolation and disrupting our ability to focus. Woodruff, who had dedicated his life to teaching the importance of human connection through theater and philosophy, sought to convey these themes in his last work.
Understanding the significance of Woodruff’s message, Sparrer took on the task with dedication. Promoting Surviving Technology became a way to honor his mentor’s legacy and to share Woodruff’s philosophical insights on the modern world’s challenges. Sparrer’s efforts to publicize the book are not just about fulfilling a final request but also about spreading a message he deeply believes in — a message about the need to balance technology with human connection and mindfulness.
For Sparrer, promoting Surviving Technology is a tribute to a mentor who profoundly shaped his life and career. It’s a way to ensure that Woodruff’s teachings continue to inspire and provoke thought in a world increasingly dominated by technology. The University of Texas at Austin’s special memorial service in honor of Woodruff underscores the lasting impact of his life and work, an impact Sparrer is committed to amplifying through this final project.
Yitzi: It’s such a delight to see you again. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
Curtis: I grew up in Dallas, Texas, and it seemed like a pretty idyllic life. It would get 100 degrees in the summer, and I’d make money by mowing lawns, but I had real aspirations of greatness. One day I met this professor named Paul Woodruff, who was recruiting for the University of Texas at Austin. He said to me that his program, Plan II, was like an Ivy League liberal arts program at the University of Texas at Austin. You had the exclusivity and the rigor of an Ivy League school with the resources of a state school and the cost per student also at a state school. For my parents, that was a win-win. I think that as a young man trying to pick his first school, that made the most sense to me. Since then, Paul has been an important part of my life. When he died, it was an inflection point for me where I realized someone who had been there for so long, who was not a family member but super important, had passed on.
Yitzi: Amazing. Before we dive into the book, can you tell us a bit about what you’re doing now? Tell us about the success that you currently enjoy.
Curtis: I’m one of the principals at Bospar. We are a public relations firm. We bill ourselves as the Politely Pushy Tech and Pharma PR Agency. We have clients that span some of the biggest disruptors in technology and some of the biggest names in pharmacy and health. We like to think that we yield some of the best results because of our Politely Pushy approach. I codified that approach during my agency days when I was trying to convince an astronaut to make the first payment in space. I realized that if I was going to succeed, I had to always get in front of the astronaut and his family, but I had to do it in a way that wouldn’t get me blocked or seem obnoxious. That’s when I thought Politely Pushy was my approach for media and truly all things.
Yitzi: That’s fantastic. So let’s now move to the focus of our interview. Can you tell us a bit about Paul’s book and how it impacted you?
Curtis: I have never had an author sit down with me and say, “Curtis, I’m dying. I have one request. I’d like you to publicize my book.” That’s kind of an awesome ask. And I never had my other authors or author friends suggest such a thing. So I read it, and I was struck by the fact that this was a broad analysis of how technology is impacting human lives. It’s not written from a research study or a think tank point of view. It’s written from a philosophical perspective, which is different.
Paul sets up the idea that in the beginning, there was theater. Theater was important for people to understand themselves, the world around them, and to connect to others. The first technological improvement to theater, which was lighting, also hurt that. You might think lighting is a small technological change, but Paul Woodruff maintains that lighting cut out the connection between the actor and the audience. To keep the audience engaged, acting had to become more over the top so the actors could determine if they were holding or losing the audience.
You might think, “Oh, but that’s theater. Who cares? That’s not important.” But theater means more these days. When you are in class, that is theater. When you are watching a football game, that is a form of theater. When you’re listening to a politician talk, that is theater. So much of what we do is theater. Paul’s contention is that our tempting devices prevent us from truly getting what we need from that theater. This has the consequence of being both alienating and of us not really getting the depth of what we need.
His point of view in this book is that we need to steel ourselves to be conscious of when we use technology and when we don’t. His advice is not to eschew technology and not to become a Luddite, but to know when to put it down and focus on other things.
Yitzi: Can you share a moment where you realized that Paul’s work impacted you, that his work actually affected your life?
Curtis: I think it was when I was in a meeting and realized not everyone was paying attention. It made me think, just like the actors of yore, do I exaggerate myself to command attention? But then I thought, do I need to do that? What I’m saying is important. I also realized that I had been guilty of using a device when I should have been present. So I made a conscious point of changing the conversation, bringing up Paul’s work to talk about the larger issue at hand. This way, I wouldn’t seem rude but rather more helpful. It brought the conversation to where we needed to go.
My point is that it’s very useful to say, “You know, I actually read a book about the preponderance of our devices in our life and what it means. Maybe we need to be more thoughtful when we’re going into any discussion.”
Yitzi: So what’s the call to action from the book? Because he certainly isn’t telling us to abandon electricity. What are some practical ways we could moderate the influence of technology on our lives?
Curtis: The challenge Paul faces, and he admits it from the get-go, is that technology is changing so rapidly that it’s hard for anyone to come up with advice that will stay current. It’s not just about giving a mere warning based on history. He’s talking about being mindful and valuing certain truths and ways of behaving. He addresses the various temptations we face in any discussion and how we can live better lives.
Ultimately, that’s what philosophy is about — how we can live more fully realized human lives. The book delves into philosophical concepts about our brain, the importance of eye contact, and how we should rally against the encroachment of technological temptations to be better people. It’s not just a simple warning; it’s about looking at the totality of our human experience to make it better.
Yitzi: Amazing. I think what’s really beautiful is that you had a relationship with Paul and you’re now talking about his book. Most people don’t do that. Can you tell us a bit about your relationship with Paul and why you’re so inspired to share the ideas of his book? Why is it so personally meaningful and important to you?
Curtis: I had a rough time in Texas when I was a student there. Someone impersonated my roommate, stole my diary, and published its contents. It was a devastating blow. Paul was one of the people I could go to for solace. I didn’t think I would really amount to anything at UT after that episode, but with Paul’s support, I became the president of the Plan II Students Association. We stayed in touch, and there were various touchpoints in our lives that really mattered.
Eventually, the people who stole my diary apologized, and Paul brokered that. They came to me, talked about what they did, and why they did it, and I forgave them. Later on, Paul was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and published his diagnosis in the Washington Post. When I saw that, I immediately called him. We talked about it, and I wrote a rejoinder in the Dallas Morning News about how it affected me. I started visiting him face-to-face in Austin. It was challenging because he was so frail, and we didn’t want him to get sick from a possible COVID infection. That’s when he asked me if I could promote his book.
The book is a sequel to his earlier work, The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and Being Watched. It explores how technology is impacting the quality of theatrical arts, whether in the classroom or on the gridiron. It was very important to him to get this message out because he believed many people were taking technology and its impact for granted.
Yitzi: This is our signature question that we ask in all of our interviews. Based on your experience and Paul’s success, can you share five things you need to create a book that makes an important social impact?
Curtis:
Sure, here are five things you need to make a book that has an important impact:
1. Solve a Problem People Care About: Your book has to address a real problem that people are interested in. In Silicon Valley, we often talk about solutions in search of problems. Your book needs to be a solution to a problem that people actually care about and want to know more about.
2. Clear and Friendly Writing: In today’s world, people are used to instant gratification from platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Your writing needs to be engaging from the very first sentence. If it’s not immediately interesting, readers will lose interest quickly, even if the content is important.
3. Write for the Digital Age: Consider how your book will be read on digital devices like Kindles, iPads, and iPhones. It needs to be easy to pick up and put down, with short, compelling chapters that keep the reader engaged. Make it addictive yet manageable to read on any screen.
4. Get It into the Right Hands: You need to get your book into the hands of people who matter in your target audience. You don’t have to go straight to the top influencers, but find key people who can advocate for your book and explain why it’s important to their audience.
5. Have a Strong PR Operation: This might sound self-serving, but it’s crucial. There are so many things competing for attention, and without a solid PR push, even the best book might go unnoticed. A good PR strategy will help get your book into the public consciousness and ensure it reaches a wide audience.
Yitzi: That’s great, very well said. Okay, the world of course needs progress in many areas. If you could spread an idea or inspire movements that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Curtis: You know, if I really could do that, I think the thing I would focus on is making people feel self-confident about themselves. I know this might sound cliché, but hear me out. I believe a lot of our crazy political eccentricities and societal issues are caused by people compensating for something. There’s a certain presidential candidate who comes to mind, who I think is compensating for a lot. But it’s not just in politics. So many people get into harmful behavior patterns because they lack self-confidence and are trying to make up for it in destructive ways.
If everyone had a genuine sense of self-confidence, it would diminish, though not completely eliminate, many of our societal problems. I used to think that if everyone was physically attractive or had certain surface-level qualities, things would be better, but that’s too superficial. I’ve realized that a deeper, more meaningful change would come from people feeling good about themselves.
This idea is a bit different from the usual “kumbaya” messages everyone hears. I might not be articulating it perfectly because I’m trying to be respectful and avoid being vulgar, but I genuinely believe that boosting self-confidence could reduce more conflicts and issues than we realize.
Yitzi: How can our readers purchase Paul’s book?
Curtis: Paul’s book is available on Amazon, and it’s worth pointing out that it is only available as a physical copy. You can only get it in paperback because Paul’s final wish was that it not be available on a digital medium so that people could truly focus on it without being distracted by other things.
Yitzi: How can our readers continue to follow your work online? How can our readers engage your services? How can our readers continue to support you in any way?
Curtis: First of all, I am very active on LinkedIn, and I also frequently post my thoughts on the Bospar Blog. I aim to keep my posts engaging and readable, avoiding the dry, self-focused style I see so often. I try to make my points in a light and enjoyable way, much like Mary Poppins with a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.
Yitzi: Amazing. Well, Curtis, thank you so much for this amazing conversation.
Curtis: Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Bospar PR’s Curtis Sparrer On How Professor Paul Woodruff’s Book Changed His Life was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.