Freelance Graphic Design / Branding

After graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia, I took a position as a Junior Account Executive at an ad agency and was assigned to several regional markets of the McDonald’s account. What an incredible learning experience that was! As perhaps the most sophisticated marketing firm in the restaurant industry, the experience working on this account was the foundation from which I built a budding career in marketing early on. It was also a big contributor to what would become my true passion later in life— the creative side of the business. More on that, later…

I was presented with an opportunity to not only move onto a higher-level position, but as icing on the cake, this new job was in sunny Miami, Florida (let me state unequivocally, I hate the cold weather). I landed a plum job as VP Marketing for a large financial institution. This was at a time when mortgage interest rates were 12%- and one-year certificates of deposit were paying a whopping 16%! The industry was, to say the least, booming. My department was humming along, opening new branches, running print and television campaigns, marketing new deposit and lending products, etc. This experience brought into light the importance of relationship marketing, something that was cutting edge in those days. We transitioned from promoting standalone products to building robust household relationships. At about my nine year anniversary there, I came across an ad for a brand new company that changed my whole career perspective—Apple.

When I bought my first computer—it was the Apple SE 30, with a 9” B&W screen, almost no software to speak of, and laughable computing power compared to today’s models. But man, I was hooked. The rudimentary graphics it had at the time still piqued my curiosity and left me yearning for more. With each new model, and the accompanying expanding capabilities, I could see how this would transform the entire notion of how creative work would be done. I purchased a B&W scanner and it was bundled with something called, Photoshop. Not to sound overly dramatic, but this became what is usually called a “lightbulb” moment in my life.

When I served as Owner/Creative Director of my ad agency (Zoom IQ, Inc.), I hired many individuals who were part of our account and creative team. Some were experienced designers and others were recent graduates of specialty educational schools.

From first-hand experience, I can tell you it isn’t easy to know if the creative person you are hiring is up for the task. Some had innate talent coupled with good client relation skills. Others were green and knew enough about the requisite software, but either took way too long to finish an assignment or missed the boat on the client’s objective. Many fell into the category of what I would call “puzzle makers”. When given all the design assets (logo, photo, copy) they’d put together something decent, but that was the extent of their creative capabilities.

After having logged many years in the business honing my craft on exceptional companies and brands representing many different types of industries, I feel confident that I can become your go-to freelancer for just about all your creative needs. My knowledge of the requisite design software is so strong that I’ve taught courses at the college level. That, coupled with my vast experience, work ethic, and what I consider an easy-going demeanor, I believe will serve you and your company well. I appreciate the opportunity to be considered a part of your creative and marketing team!