My love of brand and product design was aggressively formed in elementary school in the late-80's/early-90's. This period of my life took place in the East Bay area, just outside of San Francisco, pre-internet. It was still expensive as hell to live in the bay during that time, and yet somehow my family managed to raise us there during a few key years of my life.

I vividly remember Michael Pollard walking into our 4th grade class, wearing Jordan 4's. At this point, the world already knew MJ was the GOAT, with every boy having posters of him on their bedroom walls and accompanying ad campaigns telling us to "Be Like Mike" each time we turned on the TV. Needless to say, when Michael Pollard walked into class with the new 4's, I was in love. Much of the same experience happened a year or two later when all I could think about was saving enough money to buy a Cincinnati Reds Starter Jacket.

Looking back, I can now realize that my love for those products had very little to do with the products themselves (I already had shoes that worked, or jackets that kept me warm), but primarily about the potential confidence wearing those brands and products was going to give me as I navigated the world at the age of 10. These brands were going to help me fit in and belong, even when I felt uneasy and unsure of myself.

This is the power of brand. When built intentionally, brands and products can move past the logical and reach into the heart of a human. They can provide confidence where it was lacking, connection when you feel alone, and even hope and guidance amid insecurity. This idyllic belief is what started me on my career path, and continues to motivate me to build lasting, confident brands that hopefully impact the world for good.

Oh, here's the bio part: I live in San Luis Obispo, California (aka the most beautiful place on earth), with my wife Sherry and 3 daughters (Eden, Rosie, and Lucia). Work-wise, most of my day is taken up with the Industrious (my design agency) and working on a couple of startups (Wildland and Range, at the moment). I am also an EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) at Cal Poly's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.