Jayne Amelia talks with former foster parent, Howie Cohen. The LA Times dubbed him “A Real-Life Don Draper.” In an advertising career that spanned five decades, Howie Cohen wrote the immortal words for Alka Seltzer, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” and “Try it, you’ll like it” both in the Clio Hall of Fame. Howie got his start as the youngest copy trainee at Doyle Dane Bernbach where he literally learned to write copy on the famous VW Bug campaign. He then moved to Wells, Rich and Greene where he flourished under the tutelage of Mary Wells Lawrence, the most famous woman in advertising. As the agency’s creative director in LA, Howie made waves by blowing up the Jack In The Box clown, which quickly repositioned the fast food chain to adults. And at his own ad agency, Cohen/Johnson, Howie won the hearts of pet lovers with the catchy theme, “Petco, where the pets go.” Howie shared his personal story in his memoir titled, “I Can’t Believe I Lived The Whole Thing” which has a 5-Star rating on Amazon. But Howie and his beautiful wife, Carol, consider their greatest achievement their role as foster parents for youth in the dependency system. One of those kids, Angelo, they met and took into their home when he was orphaned at two and a half-years-old. They are still a constant in his life almost 30 years later. “There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing you made a real difference in someone’s life,” says Howie.

Foster Care in CA
National Foster Parent Association
The Village Family Services
AdoptUSKids
I Can't Believe I Lived The Whole Thing by Howie Cohen

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