I grew up in a trailer park in Florida. Escaped without a criminal record. Became the first in my family to graduate high school. The first to go to college. Somehow turned all of it into a career where I get paid to think creatively, make cool things, and help brands tell better stories.

I started behind a camera. Moved into design, then art direction, then creative leadership. That path matters because I learned to see before I learned to sell. Most Creative Directors came up through copy or pure design. I came up through photography, which changes everything about how I look at a brief, a shoot, a brand.

I've led teams across advertising, branding, campaigns, and production. Working with everyone from early-stage brands to Fortune 500 companies. I connect strategy with gut instinct. What works on paper with what feels right in the room. I call it The Grid and The Gut, and yes, I've given presentations on it.

Off the clock: surfing when the swell shows up, cycling when it doesn't, running when I need to think, shooting hoops when I need to stop. Thrift stores, antique shops, and museums where you lose track of time. Being a dad in Northern California, which turns out to be the best creative brief I've ever been handed.

I believe the best work starts with what's true. Everything else follows.