Journalism | rod-oc-copywriter

top of page

Rod O'Connor

Writer. Content Creator.

I write about ma

Chicago Mag: RXBar This business profile tells the origin story of the wildly successful protein bar brand's founder Peter Rahal, a gifted and complicated entrepreneur who credits his success to a dyslexia-inspired chip on his shoulder.	Chicago Mag: The Urbanist For three years, I wrote this monthly column chronicling my wacky and wondrous exploits around the city: from delving into past-life regression therapy to prowling the streets with Chicago's most notorious tow truck driver to the time I challenged my wife to an Antiques Roadshow-esque heirloom battle.	Chicago Mag: Who's Got Next Britt Nolan, the former chief creative at Leo Burnett, talks about drinking your own Kool-Aid, Allstate’s long-running Mayhem character and the time he launched an Airbnb-rentable version of Van Gogh’s The Bedroom for the Art Institute of Chicago.
Time Out: Tom Hanks An interview with America's sweetheart, Tom Hanks. He really was a nice guy. When a pesky publicist kept interrupting us, he jokingly acting like he was going to throw his shoe at her. (He didn't actually do it.)	Chicago Mag: Mushroom Man Can a guy who spends his days in the woods searching for 'shrooms be considered a rock star? Patrick Leacock, a renowned mycologist who discovered a new species of funghi, is as close as it gets.	Chicago Mag: Guinea Pigs The strange world of human drug testers, told from three professional lab rats who find their way into study after study in the name of science -- and cash.
Hemispheres: Second City Tokyo I traveled to Tokyo and ate ramen with that Japanese guy from the TV show "Heroes" reporting this piece where Japanese comedians learned the virtues of "Yes, and." Note to self: Next time, hire a translator.	Chicago Mag: Preppers Your next-door neighbor just might be stocking up on guns and canned beans for the End of Days. A deep-dive into the real people who think they know something the rest of us don't. Also appeared in The Week.	Hemispheres - Serious Windows Disruption can happen anywhere. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential and commercial buildings are responsible for 40 percent of carbon emissions. This Sunnyvale, CA maker of green building materials created super-insulated glass to quadruple the thermal insulation of windows -- saving money and energy in the process.
Chicago Mag: Cards Against The funny guys behind this runaway hit of a party game aren't much interested in talking about their success or what they are planning next. Still, it was fun to speculate.	Sewanee Alumni Magazine I was approached by the famed University of the South to profile Rayid Ghani, a hugely talented University of Chicago professor and scientist using analytics to coax real-world public health solutions from government data.	Hemispheres: Shock Waves A profile of gonzo surfer Mark Visser in his hometown of Mooloolaba in Queensland, Australia.
Travel + Leisure: Chicago Radar What are the coolest things to see and do within an eyeshot of Renzo Piano's bridge in Millennium Park? Here are my humble suggestions, approved by the editors of Travel and Leisure.	Hemispheres: Travis Pastrana Extreme athlete Travis Pastrana takes on one of the country's oldest dirt bike races in Catalina, California.	Time Out: James Foley I interviewed conflict zone journalist James Foley shortly after his freedom from a Libyan prison. Three years later, he was captured again in Syria and killed by ISIS. His grappling with whether he should continue this dangerous work is simultaneously heart-wrenching, inspiring and maddening.
Chicago Mag: Ganjapreneurs The story I was born to tell: A look at the wannabes, insiders, and, yes, medical crusaders trying to make sense of Illinois' confusing medical marijuana law.	Chicago Mag: Competitive BBQ Memphis in May is known as the "Super Bowl of Swine." I shadowed pit master Charlie McKenna from Lillie's Q restaurant in Chicago as he took his best shot at the title -- and ate very well along the way.	Go Magazine: Big League Chew A deep dive into the business of competitive eating.
Hemispheres: Perry Farrell An interview with Mr. Lolla himself on the eve of the festival's 20th anniversary. Interesting to hear stories of his street urchin past while sitting in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton.	Hemispheres: Swamp Things My first time firing a shotgun took place with acclaimed chefs Rick Tramonto and John Folse deep in the Louisiana wilderness... at an upscale hunting range ... where they cooked us a gourmet meal after the hunt. Only way to do it.	Tribune Mag: Dog Days I suited up to sell dogs at the Cell to get a behind-the-scenes look at the life of the ballpark vendor. Unfortunately, the hot dogs are not free for vendors. And those metal bins are really heavy.
Go Magazine: Celebrity Chefs The big business of turning your hotel restaurant over to a big-name chef.	The Believer: Dance of Hands For a few years in the late-2000s, I was obsessed with Rock-Paper-Scissors. A trip to the championships in Vegas proved I wasn't alone.	Go Magazine: Fishing Tale I hooked this assignment to head to Florida with my father to try out his post-retirement hobby. Now the guy wants to live there full-time.

bottom of page