I lead creative humans, projects, and brands.
I bring 25+ years experience directing, writing and developing advertising that is both famous and effective. I foster collaborative relationships, inspire teams to generate growth.
I shape stories and experiences for film, social, interactive digital, AR/VR, OOH/print that capture substantial ROI in B2C, B2B, D2C.
I create strong brand preference by focusing on the consumer and influencing the influencers.
The advertising my teams and I develop often become branded cultural moments, adored by fans and covered by the Today show, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Gothamist, The New York Post, Telemundo, CNN, and USA Today, BBC, and The New York Times.
I am proficient at AI as a concepting and creation tool, bringing ideas to a more refined state earlier in the development process. While I have found AI useful in aspects of the creation and production, I am deeply committed to the humanity of creative expression.
During my more than two decades of managing highly creative teams, I’ve learned the humility of leadership by provoking excellence and promoting inclusion - with people of diversity making up 70% of new hires and 80% of promotions.
Creative Director Copy Rise and Shine and Partners 2024+
I have originated and lead some of Rise and Shine and Partners largest and most successful projects from authoring Anderson Windows “Nice Windows” March Madness campaign, to writing and leading The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce’s new national launch. I was trusted to write Rise and Shine’s agencies narrative and website. I have consistently collaborated with diverse clients from Houston Methodist Hospital to The Mushroom Counsel, The University of Minnesota and The Minnesota Zoo, to create the most impactful and best in class advertising. I’m proud to have helped RSP grow by over 40% and win over 23 awards at AdFed and Best in Copywriting with a gold Addy for Copywriting.
Creative Director + Copywriter Freelance 2009- 2023
As a freelance writer and CD, I’ve managed high-steaks pitches and written for the Super Bowl (11 times). A Fortune 500 client pronounced one script, “The best thing we’ve ever done,” which was great to hear. I also did a lot of work for a small tech firm named Apple that won tons of awards, and I totally didn’t get credit for it because that's just how freelance goes sometimes.
I authored the wildly successful digital platform Toyota Sponsafier, allowing NASCAR fans to design their own cars. I helped support the launch with film and digital content that made the platform a “must-try” for NASCAR fans.
At TBWA Chiat/Day NY, I wrote and developed a famous Cannes Gold campaign for Vonage, helping them compete with their much larger rivals.
I also authored Miller Highlife’s Super Bowl campaign and the NY Lottery Holiday scratch-off effort.
I’ve helped Droga5, Wieden + Kennedy, FCB NY, Mullen, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, 180 LA/Amsterdam, McCann NY, DDB NY, Publicis NY, CP+B, Shinebox, Terry & Sandy, Elephant NY, Rise and Shine, MRM NY, Saatchi & Saatch NY/LA, BBDO NY, Barton F Graf, Fallon, 215 McCann, Carmichael Lynch and many others with alarmingly punitive NDA’s.
Chief Creative Officer + Copywriter Yamamoto 2019 - 2022
Yamamoto is a full-service brand shop with a proud history of iconic logo design. Over three years, I helped guide a small group of talented humans in our Minneapolis and Chicago offices, through the pandemic and all the way to the Agency A-list. I focused on amplifying and elevating the potency of our creative product. I initiated dramatic institutional changes in collaboration, creative resourcing, and strategy. And, despite all the financial and cultural distractions, I led the agency to substantial organic and new business growth, while generating more creative awards than at any other time in its history (including Yamamoto’s first Effie). My leadership directly impacted the volume of high-impact creative for Toro, Marmot, Analog Devices, Lineage Logistics, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Stonyfield Organic, Siggi’s Yogurt and Rust-Oleum.
Executive Creative Director Copy + Executive Vice President McCann NY 2015-2017
I wrote and ran the new business pitch that made McCann NY Chick-fil-A’s first new AOR in 20 years. I guided many of McCann's high-profile efforts, leading the New York Lottery in relaunching their brand, generating $11M+ of earned media and double-digit sales in just one week. I also guided Nat Go through its 2017 Fronts process to hype their new scripted content. During a recording of one of my scripts, Morgan Freeman said “This is good writing,” And he has like 10 Oscars. I also stepped in to rescue a critical digital project for Intel, and gave Feeding America, Microsoft, Verizon, Nespresso, Lysol, and L'Oréal definitive new work.
Sr Creative Director + Copywriter + EVP BBDO NY 2011-2015
I was the creative lead for AT&T. I was responsible for over $80 MM in agency revenue and supervised 15+ creative teams across NYC, ATL, Chicago and SF. I led the repositioning of AT&T’s consumer brand, including digital, social, and TVC with the “It’s not complicated,” campaign, featuring Beck Bennet from SNL. This effort ran well beyond my tenure and is often referred to as one of the most influential campaigns of the decade. I also created the tone and direction of VISA’s brand relaunch at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. In my spare time, I made famous and award-winning work for FedEx, Snickers, Bud Light, Mountain Dew, Foot Locker, and The Guinness Book of World Records.
Creative Director + Copywriter + VP BBDO NY 2004-2009
This was my first “Big New York Agency” experience, where I learned how to work with legacy brands at a global scale. As a writer and creative director at BBDO NY, I was responsible for the work that launched the FedEx Cup, as well as several other famous FedEx moments. I also made scroll-stopping, award-winning work for Direct TV, Guinness, Red Stripe, BBC, G4, and Monster.com.
Copywriter Cliff Freeman and Partners 2000-2004
More than any other agency, this is the one I think of as home. Here I learned that great creative gets great results. I wrote outrageous content for Fox Sports that drove more viewers to original programming and NASCAR coverage. I got to hype Hollywood Video’s biggest new releases growing sales even in a shrinking market. And I even helped out with a Super Bowl spot for Quizno’s Subs that Cliff wrote and made me go shoot with Jeff Gorman. The spot wasn't great but that's where I met my wife so it worked out pretty well. I also made some crazy-effective work for Staples, The Sports Authority, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and Budget Car Rental
I'm not one of those people that talks about the very specific awards I've won and when I won them.
3 Pencils - TV & Cinema, D&AD, 2001. Radio Mercury - Radio Mercury Awards, 2001. Pencil - Radio, D&AD, 2003. Silver - One Show, 2003. Radio Mercury - Radio Mercury Awards, 2003. AICP Award - Copywriting, AICP 2005. Bronze - Merit - One Show, 2006. 3 Merit - One Show, 2006. Silver Lion - Cannes 2007. 2 Silver - The One Show, 2007. Bronze - The One Show, 2007. Merit - The One show, 2007. AICP Award - Cinematography, AICP 2007. Pencil - TV & Cinema, D&AD, 2007. Silver - London International Awards, 2007. Pencil - Ambient D&AD, 2008. 4 Bronze - The Andy Awards, 2008. 5 Merit - The One Show, 2008. 5 Finalist - London International Awards, 2008. Silver - London International Awards, 2008. Radio Mercury - Radio Mercury Awards, 2009. Gold Lion - Cannes, 2010. Silver - The One Show, 2010. Bronze - The One Show, 2011. 2 Merit - The One Show, 2011. Short List - Clio Awards 2011. Shortlist - Cannes, 2012. AICP Award - Branded Content, AICP 2012. 2 Bronze - The One Show, 2013. 3 Merit - The One Show, 2013. Shortlist - Clio Awards, 2013 .Finalist - London International Awards, 2013. Merit - The One Show, 2014.Published, Communication Arts 2014. Gold - London International Awards, 2015. Bronze Clio - Clio Awards 2015. 2 Silver - Clio Awards, 2015. 2 Bronze - Clio Awards, 2015. 2 Bronze Lion - Cannes, 2015. Silver Lion - Cannes, 2015. 5 Merit - The One Show, 2015. Pencil - Craft, D&AD, 2015. 3 Pencil - Outdoor, D&AD, 2015. Pencil - Film Craft, D&AD, 2015. 5 Shortlist - Cannes, 2015. 4 Shortlist - Clio Awards 2015. 3 Campaigns Published - Lurzer’s Int’l Archive 2015. Published - Communication Arts 2015. Silver Cube - Art Directors Club, 2016. Bronze Cube - Art Directors Club, 2016. 5 Merit - One Show, 2016. Pencil - Outdoor, D&AD, 2016. Silver - Effie Awards, 2016. Bronze - The Effie Awards, 2016. Bronze - The Effie Awards, 2017. Shortlist - Cannes, 2018. Silver Clio - Clio awards, 2019 (uncredited writer). Pencil - D&AD, 2020 (uncredited writer). Silver Pencil - One Show, 2020 (uncredited writer). 2 Gold Lions - Cannes, 2020 (uncredited writer).2 Silver Lions - Cannes, 2020 (uncredited writer). Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze, The Show Minneapolis, 2021. Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry, 2021. Effies 2022, 11 Telly’s 2022, Agency A-List 2023, and even more Telly’s and other stuff but you get the point. In 2024 I became an influencer on LinkedIn, which is easily the least influential kind of influencer that you can be. 2026 I won 23 Pins at the AdFedShow and was awarded Best in Copywriting.
These are some of the schools where I was an unremarkable student:
Miami Ad School – Certificate of Advanced Advertising Knowledge
The School of The Art Institute of Chicago – MFA Studio Art
Southwestern University – BA Studio Art / Psychology
Clear Lake High School – Graduated in the top 38% of my class. Go Falcons!