Height: 6'5"
Weight: 255 lbs
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Arizona State University
Interests & Hobbies
I'm an avid reader, especially of non-fiction and American history. I enjoy writing about design and branding. I'm hungry for trivia. I thrive on lively debate (my wife
calls it arguing, but I disagree). In 2010 I began practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu to purposely step outside of my comfort zone and try something new. I have since become a student of jiu-jitsu, judo and aikido and am continually seeking to expand that comfort zone in new ways.
My Early Career, A Real Allegory Summing Up the First Eight Years of My Life as A Designer
(apologies to Gustave Courbet)
Armed with a degree, and a cocksure attitude, I entered a dismal job market in 1996. Opportunities were few, and none offered an attractive first step on a promising career path. Rather than take a mediocre job, I took a chance. Swallowing my pride, I agreed to an unpaid, three-month internship with a renowned design firm. As a newly minted graduate it was a humbling concession, but I was betting the experience would be valuable, and would open doors. It would.
I worked my butt off at the design firm during the day, while maintaining a night job to pay the bills. It quickly became clear they were working me like a salaried employee and applying the title "Intern" to avoid paying the salary. I rolled with the punches, because I was gaining tremendous knowledge and skill while immersed in amazing projects. Within a couple months they offered me a full-time, salaried position.
Thus began a rat race of long hours, late nights,
agency hopping, and climbing the professional ladder. Six years of award-winning branding and
design for clients ranging from hospitality to high tech, pro sports to
start-ups, culminated in a high-paying position as Art Director at a
prestigious design firm with an enviable roster of high-profile clients and a
docket of fun and exciting projects. It was the sort of job, with the sort of
firm, that every designer dreams of, but I was dreaming of something more. Something more challenging, more rewarding, and more fulfilling. More on that later.
Those early years, leading to the dotcom boom, people in my industry were making big money, or thought they would be once their client's IPO rocked Wall Street. Then the bubble burst, and a lot of people lost their jobs, and a lot more. One shocking day I hurriedly dialed 9-1-1 as a 48-year-old colleague lay dying of a heart attack on the conference room floor, his last earthly utterance an apology for his files not being in better order.
Through it all, lying, cheating, backstabbing, substance abuse, greed, incompetence, sexism, racism and bigotry abounded - to my naive surprise. I labored under Creative Directors so narcissistic that they probably saw their own likenesses in tortillas. At one firm, a boss with a raging cocaine habit ran off with the fiancee of our biggest client. They got married... then divorced. The firm folded, and so did the client's business.
On the flip side, I witnessed acts of quiet kindness from another boss extending a helping hand to an employee suffering from personal loss. I admired a determined woman making difficult decisions to keep her business afloat after a painful divorce. Along the way, I met and collaborated with many talented people, some of whom remain good friends and mentors.
Through these experiences I determined how I wanted to conduct myself professionally, and what I wanted from
my career. And, what I wanted, what I'd always wanted, was to own my own
studio. So, with my wife's support, I took a chance on a dream, and we launched
Nocturnal in September of 2003. We haven't looked back since.
The Cave Creek Kid
I'm blessed to be able to do what I love, and for the amazing opportunities it offers. One such opportunity was to write, illustrate and self-publish a children's book called The Cave Creek Kid.
The
Cave Creek Kid rides the trail of adventure with his trusty guitar, and his trusty horse, Amigo,
teaching preschool-aged cowpokes about the history and culture of the southwest, as well as
lessons of friendship, kindness, hard work, and honesty.
"This is a terrific story detailing the importance of responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the world, all in couplet form. The pattern and cadence of The Cave Creek Kid allow for a wonderful read aloud, complete with a Western flair. With pictorial vocabulary, the author stresses how one can balance responsibility with adventure. In the end, knee-slappin' fun will be had by all!"
True West Magazine
A portion of the proceeds from The Cave Creek Kid are donated to Scottsdale-based Childhelp, for the prevention and treatment of child abuse.
Learn more about The Cave Creek Kid, and Childhelp at:
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