A.A., Visual Communications, Collins College
Growing up, I always considered myself an artist. I loved experimenting with all sorts of mediums including pen and ink, oil paint and watercolors. It wasn’t until I met a classmate’s dad, who was a graphic designer, that I discovered I could make a career out of my love for art. Now, as Creative Director for Hello Amigo, I make sure to encourage aspiring artists to pursue careers in design.
I began my career working at agencies with clients in real estate, healthcare and travel. The learning experience was incomparable, but I found myself seeking greater challenges. I knew I had the ability to create compelling designs and I wanted greater control over the projects I worked on. So I launched my freelance career with a campaign pitch to a local nonprofit. After my pitch beat out several advertising agencies, I knew I could make it on my own. With that first client, I started my own agency, Viva Creative Group.
I shared an office space with Impulse Development, a web development agency owned by Brandon Silverstein. Our complimentary services had us referring clients to each other and sharing ideas. To give our clients a wider range of services, we eventually merged our businesses under the name Viva + Impulse Creative Co. As our team grew, we took on greater projects and expanded our services beyond design and web development to include digital advertising and content creation. That growth led us to become Hello Amigo, a creative communications agency.
When I’m not at work, I spend my time with my family and coach my daughters’ soccer teams. I still like to experiment with different mediums and can often be found in my garage working on screenprints or building a new piece of furniture for my wife, Kelly.
