My creative path towards my current role as a Creative Director and Writer started a long time ago, but can basically be summed up in a few important moments:

- My Parents Couch, 10 years old, 1991

I watch in slack-jawed glee as the first Air Jordan commercial featuring Mars Blackmon airs. It's in black and white, Spike Lee's face is as far up in the camera as it can possibly be, and he's screaming, "It's gotta be the shoes!!!" as Jordan slams home dunk after dunk. I have no idea what I've just seen, but I know I love it.

- 8th Grade, 13 years old, 1995

I (mandatorily) enter the annual Knights of Columbus essay contest for a chance to win a small high school scholarship. The topic, as always, is Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, which even back in 1995, is shall we say, problematic at best. So I decide to write the essay from the perspective of a crew member on his ship instead. A classmate informs me after reading it that I've completely blown the assignment, and laughs at the thought of me getting an F. Instead, I win the contest and the scholarship, and think to myself, "Maybe this writing thing isn't a bad idea."

- Senior Year of High School, 17 years old, 1999

At a party for the Super Bowl, I watch in amazement as a bunch of unsupervised teenagers all stop in reverential silence each time the commercials come on, then go back to partying once the actual game returns. "Who gets to make these commercials?" I think to myself. "What a cool job."

- First Book Shop Class, 25 years old, 2005

After my graphic designer roommate brings home a flyer for an advertising portfolio class, we sign up on a whim. 5 minutes into the class, every lightbulb, firework and other assorted pyrotechnic my brain can produce is going off all at once. "This is it," I say to myself. "This is exactly what I'm supposed to do."

- Student One Show Awards, 26 years old, 2007

When one of the ideas our portfolio school group comes up with seems more like a commercial than a print ad, we go ahead and film it ourselves and submit it in addition to the print assignment. "This is going to win an award guys. I'm telling you right now," our teacher tells us. And he's right. We win the Silver Broadcast pencil, the only Broadcast pencil even given out that year.

The rest is relatively-recent history. Throughout my career I’ve created work that makes a cultural and financial impact for major brands, smaller challengers and everything in between. It’s work that has been recognized by the Cannes Lions, One Show, Clio Awards, Webby Awards, Addy Awards and Mercury Radio Awards.

So to answer my 17 year-old self back at that Super Bowl party senior year, “You do, dude. In about seven years.”