A Mini Backgrounder

Crayola Crayons RT

An Early Start

As a kid, my favorite gift at Christmas was a new box of 64 Crayola® crayons with the sharpener in the back. If I wasn’t drawing, I was painting or building or inventing games using scraps of wood, nails, and rubber bands in my Dad’s home workshop. He was in printing, so I had plenty of paper and “scratch pads” to create all sorts of things – and I did!

Some early little accomplishments let me know I was onto something. One of my drawings in school was put on display with the older students when I was in kindergarten. I won my first art contest in sixth grade. I got my first paid job (a multi-page brochure) at 15 (which I spent on the biggest stereo speakers I could find :). 

My mind loved to arrange elements in new combinations and compositions like a puzzle until I found the “click.” Ideas were endless and possibilities were everywhere. I could see solutions others didn’t that were obvious to me. I still use the same skills every day.

I Was Born to Be a Designer

I started my first agency in my 20s after working at an advertising agency and then with a large corporation. I was not the cubicle type. I felt “smothered” by doing the same work over and over again when there were so many other interesting things to work on. Solving challenges, having freedom to explore and create, combined with a strong work ethic became the passion behind my work and what I bring to my clients. I approach advertising and marketing as a designer, integrating images, colors, fonts, words, strategy, tools, technology and more. The goal is always to use these elements to connect a business with people, then deliver the “click” that turns a prospect into a customer or another desired response. See a partial list of services I’ve provided here.
PMS Swatches 5x5

(Above: On location at a still photography and video shoot for an outdoor furniture manufacturer in Malibu. Below: Web press check for a business directory project.)

The Value of Experience

If you have a home improvement or repair project, you hire a contractor with knowledge and skills to do the job because it’s not your area of expertise – and mistakes are costly. If you want to level-up your fitness goals, you hire a trainer with the ability to maximize your results.

The same applies to business marketing. 

There’s a saying in the startup world: “you can’t boil the ocean.” Applied to owners and founders, it means there isn’t enough time to be an expert in everything. 

The Advantage of 1:1 Professional Coaching and Consulting

After working with hundreds of businesses, I’ve met very few owners who are skilled marketers/designers or have time to master the many facets of today’s technology. Like hiring an attorney or a CPA, it’s a smart investment to get specialized help to find more customers and sales. Doing it right will more than pay for itself in returns.

I’ll be honest as we inspect what’s been done to date, looking for ways to improve weaknesses – or begin with a fresh, smart start. I’ll work with you to discover the “clicks” that can take your business to the next level and transform its future.