ABOUT ME

It all started when…

I was around 11 or 12 years old. I was probably watching wrestling. Once the commercials hit, I saw Nike’s “Freestyle” commercial. It didn’t have a big speech and they weren’t selling a product. Just baketballs bouncing and sneakers squeaking turning the court into a beat. I didn’t know advertising could feel like that and every since then, I been loving this game.

And now, years later I’m a Creative Director and Art Director from Chicago. I build big ideas, shape the way they look and help teams turn them into work people actually care about.

Sometimes that means swinging for a national campaign. Sometimes it means designing a brand world, building an experience, creating something fans can wear or figuring out how a strange little object can become the center of an entire idea.

I love all of it.

I’ve spent my career working across advertising, design, entertainment, sports, culture and experiential. I’ve made work for brands like Burger King, NFL, State Farm, McDonald’s, Adidas, Jeep, Popeyes, Hershey’s, Bombay Sapphire and more. Along the way, I’ve led teams, pitched new business, worked with celebrities and athletes, and stayed close enough to the work to still obsess over a headline, a casting choice or whether a layout just feels off.

I did not come into advertising through the traditional route. No portfolio school. I started as an intern at Burrell, kept showing up, kept learning and eventually talked my way into a real job. That’s how I like to make it happen.

I believe good ideas can come from anywhere. Titles matter less than curiosity. And the best creative leaders are not just there to approve things. They make the room better. They help people find the idea, protect it when things get messy and know when to get out of the way.

My work is usually rooted in culture, humor and human behavior. I’m drawn to ideas that feel simple once you hear them, even if getting there was anything but simple. Work that gets talked about. Shared. Worn. Experienced. And hopefully argued about a little.

Outside of advertising, I’m a Chicago Bears fan, amateur DJ, occasional fisherman, collector of visual references and someone who will probably spend twenty minutes adjusting something most people will never notice.

That is usually where the good stuff is.

AWARDS

AdAge Creative of the Year

Effie Awards - Silver
Burger King “You Rule”

Effie Awards - Silver
Burger King “Million Dollar Whopper”

The One Show - Bronze
Burger King “Whopper Whopper”

The One Show - Global Ranking
Burger King “You Rule”

Chicago Ad Federation - People’s Choice Award
Burger King “You Rule”

Clio Sports - Silver
NFL “We Run As One”

Campaign US - Ad of the Week
NFL “We Run As One”

Campaign US - Most Read Creative Story
NFL “We Run As One”

The Webby Awards - Short List
The General “Turns Out, You Were Right”