Growing up in LA, under the clutches of action sports, I was inspired by the art, design and culture that would ultimately give me direction. — Although, I’m sure that’s not what my parents thought would come of it — For the past 25 years, I’ve made a career out of challenging myself and others to express and create at the highest level. I have been fortunate to have designed and/or consulted with global brands such as Nike, Disney, ESPN, Adidas, Jordan, Levi’s, YETI, Fanatics, New Era, Lululemon… to name-drop a few. My design and direction experience span brand creation + development, marketing + communication, experiences + retail and digital commerce + social content.
+ CREATE WITH A PURPOSE
In the commercial creative world, application is the purpose. It’s a solution that works; not just looks pretty. So, we gotta know what we’re trying to achieve (problem) and the desired end result (objective) before we get to work. Creatives won’t admit this, but it’s easier to start with some guardrails than in the white space… It helps focus design energy and often results in ideas that make people uncomfortable in a good way.
+ MULTIPLY vs. DIMINISH
First off, this concept is brought to you courtesy of “Multipliers: by Liz Wiseman” But HOLY SHIT it’s amazing! This fundamentally changed how I look at leadership. While experience is important, it does not make everyone a leader. Knowing your team and leveraging their strengths will get the best results. It’s about empowerment.
+ INSPIRE EVERYONE
In my household I am known as coach. No, not the Craig T. Nelson type - more the Mike Tomlin kinda character: Intense, passionate and endearing. I love to teach and see progression. Ask anyone that’s ever spent solid time with me. Whether in the workplace, parenting, cooking, skating or just walking the dog. Coaching people up is truly a joy for me.
+ PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS
Most creatives hate this word. That’s just because they don’t fully accept the power of organization and planning. The reality is that process actually creates the space for creative to happen. Deep, I get it… Partnering with process oriented folks makes creative better because they challenge, push and champion the work. Following the process and synchronizing watches makes for some brilliant work.
MAKE, BREAK, FAIL, SUCCEED, REPEAT.
+ REAL COLLABORATION
This is one of those words that people like to use “loosely” to come off as compatible to creative situations. But when in the thick of it of a project, being collaborative means shelving ego, rolling up your sleeves, working together and learning from each other. In collaborative spaces, people feel safe to bring their full selves and their wild ideas.
+ THIS IS A BUSINESS
A handful of years into my career, I realized that if I wanted to make it beyond being “Designer”, I would have to understand the business of design. The business side is about how to estimate and run projects that are profitable. The design side is keeping people stoked, inspired and appreciated. Knowing what kind of projects fire up the financials and the team are the secret sauce.
3 Gratuitous statements:
01: I live by one simple rule. Don’t F*ck Up. Not to say I haven’t or don’t, because that’s just silly. While it’s not the most eloquently stated, I believe it’s one of the highest standards one could strive for. Its about progress towards perfection. So I keep the carrot hanging, just far enough out there, to remain focused and on-point. To learn from my mistakes and improve on everything. Mostly, to stay hungry.
02: My years of service can be summed up as: 18 Agency, 5 Brand and 2 Editorial. While some were better experiences than others, each presented opportunities to develop new skill sets - both personally and professionally. I believe in order to make it this far, you must adapt and grow every chance you get. Never get too comfortable and treat everyone with respect. No matter the situation! That’s how I have done it so far, and I feel good about it.
03: Look, I am no spring chicken, skateboarding and father time have made that a reality. But don’t let this gimpy façade fool you. With wits securely intact, I am currently stretching through my 25th year of being a professional creative. Which sounds a lot like being a 5th year senior at your local community college. But I actually have real life goals + experience, which I feel is the true distinguishing factor.