Patagonia, Argentina, overlooking the border to Chile.
Driven by adventure
I am as much (or more) at home out in the wilderness as I am behind a computer. It’s that passion for wide open spaces that inspires and motivates my work, ethics and values.
I was born in Healdsburg, CA and grew up on a 22,000 acre ranch in the coastal mountains 2 hours from the nearest town. At 7 years old my mother taught me to hunt, fish, and navigate the wilderness.
Despite living so remote, I had access to computers at Geyserville Elementry School, where I could often be found in the computer lab developing my computer skills during free time.
My affinity for the arts and my early self-driven interest in computers and technology allowed me to stay on the bleeding edge of advances in computer technology and the world wide web. In 1993 I built his first website at the age of 14.
In 1996 I completed my GED early and left to explore what was beyond the confines of country and small town living. I eventually landed in San Francisco, CA in 1999, where my good friends began mentoring me in graphics design. In the year 2000 I started my first computer related job as a web designer at a company called Zupit, which was building technology to stream video games, but was unfortunately a bit ahead of it’s time.
Since then, I have spent time working in numerous industries including gaming, finance, tech, healthcare, agriculture, B to C, and more. I’ve worked as a freelancer, consultant, 8 years at an agency, and as a designer, developer and director.
Fast Forward
Today I live in the small town of Nevada City, in the Sierra Foothills of California near Lake Tahoe. I have two young boys and enjoy balancing my life between work and spending ample time in the wilderness, where I do my best to teach my children the same values and skills I learned when I was young.
My Values
Communication
Learning to communicate clearly and translate what is being asked is imperative to becoming a successful designer or leader. What you hear the first time around may not be what is ultimately intended, and it’s important to be able to hone in on what is actually being asked for.
Curiosity
Curiosity is one of the most fundamental drivers of a quality designer (not to mention partner and parent). It leads you to the essence of they why or the how, and teaches you the things that would otherwise never be discovered without continuing to ask questions and dig a little deeper.
Passion and Drive
The desire to explore the unknown, to see things through, to push the limits - all of these are key to understanding and developing passion and drive. The end result being that you are able to deliver results and have stories to tell.
Openness
By being open and willing to experience new concepts or ideas we are able to derive more satisfaction from our work and life in general.
Ability to receive criticism
None of us are perfect, and criticism is the indicator that there are things that might have been overlooked or not considered. The ability to receive feedback, whether it’s positive or negative, demonstrates that you are invested in your own future and that of the projects you are working on.
Problem Solving
Problem solving skills are a key indicator that you are also competent in other areas such as logic, imagination, creativity, resilience, and lateral thinking. It’s also one of those skills that really get’s you noticed, because the sooner you can solve challenges in the work-place, the the better you will be at keeping projects on track and building bridges with other team-mates.
Patience
Patience allows us to maintain calm and focus, and to orient towards the more productive tasks at hand instead of focusing on what isn’t done yet. In the long run this skill builds stronger relationships, especially when coupled with strong communication skills.
Reliability
Showing up consistently and demonstrating that your team and relationships can depend on you contributes to healthy long term relationships that are built on trust. Being able to follow through and do your part is crucial to the success of the great team.
Evolution
Your ability to adapt to an ever changing work-place, and grow personally, is key to weathering the storms and developing as an individual. Every successful person or team relies on being open to evolution of the individuals or together as a group.