A Story About me Love
The tissue box came out once, I’m proud to say, in a presentation I gave on kettle chips – I kid you not – the salt & vinegar kind to be exact. The tears were the sentimental kind one might shed when they feel connected to something that makes them happy – in this case, their company brand heritage & founder. If a creative team can give people the feels in the boardroom, imagine what they can do for your consumer. Finding those emotional buttons to push make all the difference in building a brand that’s loved vs one that is merely liked. And the more a person invests in a product , the more we, as brand stewards, need to nurture their trust. We want them coming back for more and more. We want them for lifers.
My journey began in advertising about 25 years ago with a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. From there, I made the leap to Atlanta to attend The Portfolio Center for Art Direction. After I crafted my conceptual skills and put together a killer portfolio, I set out for coast-to-coast freelancing in both San Francisco & New York. Eventually I landed in Chicago, and for the next decade, worked at Leo Burnett Worldwide while building memorable brand campaigns and collecting awards. One of my largest commercial film productions involved 800 extras running across the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg. We were selling breakfast bars. I promise, I did not draw a helicopter suspension bridge scene in to my storyboard just to go to South Africa (but maybe I did). At any rate, it worked and sales increased by 30%.
AGENCY WORK
As a Creative Director, I’ve worked at a lot of feel-good, big-time, touchy-feely ad agencies: Leo Burnett, Euro, FCB, and Carmichael Lynch. Simultaneously I’ve worked on a lot of big-name, big-love accounts: McDonald’s, Hallmark, Nintendo, Kellogg’s, Reebok, Proctor & Gamble, Old Spice, US Army, National Cattlemen’s Association and many others. After relocating from Chicago to be closer to my family in Missouri, I spent time at The Marlin Company as their Creative Director specializing in the foodservice divisions of Bush’s Beans, Hellmann’s, Noosa Yoghurt, Miss Vickie’s, Unilever and Blue Bunny. My career path has suited me well as a bright and enlightened Creative Director. I am the type of creative who works in the trenches along side my team and loves to bring an insight to light.
At the moment, I am a Proprietor of an antique mall in the middle of The Ozarks. I manage 250 individual dealers and personalities. In this role, I show my tough-love side because, dang, antique dealers are a little insane.
There I am below. This is how you might see me on a zoom meeting :)
RÉSUMÉ
Proprietor: Camp Flea (2016-Present)
Executive Producer / Partner: Paul Speed Photography (2006-Present)
Art Educator: The Truth Academy K-12 (2021-2021)
Creative Director: The Marlin Company (2009-2017)
Chief Creative Officer: The Food Channel (2008-2009)
Freelance Creative: FCB, Ogilvy, Rubin Postaer, Y&R - Chicago (2003-2006)
Creative Director: Leo Burnett (2000-2003)
Associate Creative Director: Euro RSCG (1995-1999)
Associate Art Director: Leo Burnett (1993-1995)
Art Director Intern: Carmichael Lynch (1991-1992)
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Cannes Lion Delegate
Effie Gold Awards
Chicago Gold Addys
AAF Addys Best of Show
AAF Addys Golds
The Obbies
FAB Awards
The Clios
Mobius Awards
APG Creative Strategy Award
Crispin + Porter Portfolio Center Award
Leo Burnett Scholarship
EDUCATION
University of Missouri School of Journalism - Columbia, MO
The Portfolio Center Art Direction - Atlanta, GA
William Jewell University Fine Arts Music - Kansas City, MO