creative journey

I started seriously drawing and making sculptures when I was 3 years old, and it got real when I dropped a large concrete block on one of my toes trying to build my first piece of modular architecture on our apartment patio later that year.

When I was 7, I drew a series of animal and human nudes and got in trouble. Yes, animal nudes.

I began my amateur music career at 15 when I started playing guitar and writing songs. I worked incredibly hard at that job, performed in front of people, and never made any money in music. But the time I spent practicing and collaborating was the most important education I never paid for. And the people I played music with shaped my creativity.

When I was 16, I was accepted into a theater mentorship program that focused on the top 1% of arts talent in McCracken County, Kentucky. My time in theater only lasted until my early 20's but I'm hopeful I'll do something again one day.

I won my first recognition in visual art at 17 when I earned 1st Prize in Photography at the Purchase Pennyrile Regional Art Exhibit hosted at Murray State University. I was stunned and wondered if I finally figured out how to make art. It was a photo of a smashed piano that was created when my dad slammed on the brakes of a truck we were moving the piano in. I stupidly called the photo, "Rage against the machine."

I recorded my first real album at 18 in the corner of a friend's bedroom in Nashville. I put it out on a cassette tape and sold copies to friends; I remember having a lot left over.

When I was 20, I created my first major artwork based on race entitled, "The History of White People." The college I went to told me to take it down, which was the pretty good nudge I needed to drop out of that school. And that's when I realized the more controversial art I wanted to make would need to be produced under a pseudonym; it's not a move of secrecy, but of respect for the work and how to experience it.

Started my first company when I was 21 and it failed.

I went to work for a small design firm when I was 22 and I saw the good and the bad of working with "man brands" (Anheuser-Busch, BP, Sunoco, and Gillette) with an all male design team. Come to think of it, that may have been a catalyst for my intense focus on cultivating female leaders at the agency I would later co-found.

I finished art school at the University of Georgia and felt incredibly supported through multiple research fellowships, art shows, and grants. One of my favorite experiences was my VIGRE fellowship, funded by the National Science Foundation, which paired artists with mathematicians. As someone with dyscalculia and dyslexia, those types of learning experiences were mind opening.

At 25, I had my first solo show at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA) called "All day and All night". Opening night was cancelled by the curator due to tech failures and the show was vandalized during the last days of its run. I learned very important lessons about artistic vision, execution capabilities, and authority.

After art school, I felt like I was missing "business" intelligence so I spent a year taking a selection of courses at MIT Sloan. This framing became invaluable later when I needed to explain the business value of design or when starting creative businesses. Biggest take away: business school seemed to be generally "happier" than art school.

My first job working inside a big global brand was when I joined Philips at 29 as a Senior Interactive Designer. At 32, I became Creative Director of the Digital Lifestyle Outfitters acquisition Philips made to expand more deeply into Apple accessories across speakers, headphones, power, and soft goods (cases). Collaborating with Apple and helping Philips expand their legacy electronics brand into the "internet of things" was a career defining moment.

While at Philips, I worked with a former bandmate to launch a company called Look Listen. I eventually left Philips to be the CEO of Look Listen and expand it beyond a freelancing creative studio.

During my 15 years as Look Listen's CEO, we opened offices (with real people) in Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, New York, and Portland, we acquired multiple companies and teams, and we participated in joint ventures. Our fastest growth was 1,157% over a three year period, which put us on the Inc 500. We (thankfully) did it in a way that never required outside capital to help us build our business. It was a privilege to work with such a diverse and talented group of people during those years.

Look Listen intentionally became a woman-led company in 2022, as an incredibly thoughtful and battle-tested group of female leaders began management of the enterprise. That first year under their management delivered the best performing year in our history.

I made several investments over the years in companies and individuals, mostly focused on supporting women and people of color building health, wealth, and happiness brands. Some did truly amazing, some did ok, some didn't. They know who they are. No regrets, much love.

And now, the best way I can lay it out is that I am working across architecture (creating new nostalgias), art (evolving cultural notions), and business (for a healthier and happier humanity).