The Early Years...
Trying to find my way in those early days was challenging, but I had an inquisitive mind, a strong work ethic, and knack for figuring things out. That combination led me to discover the value I could bring to organizations and people.
Twachtman, Snyder & Byrd
I was working on my advertising portfolio for McCann Erickson, hoping for a first job as a junior copywriter. A friend at TSB asked me to help write and design a few ads for them and they wound up hiring me as a result. I was their technical writer and advertising coordinator.
I helped rebrand them, learned how to write proposals and create presentations, and wrote a bunch of papers and articles that were published in some of the largest trades for our industry. They eventually made me the “special projects coordinator” because I would do just about anything the company needed.
The VP of Operations eventually told me he would keep me on as long as I wanted but he encouraged me to find somewhere else I could grow because my options were limited with them. I appreciated and took the advice and moved on to my next adventure.
Andell
Advertising & Design
I went to work for Andell because I thought working at a agency would be cool. I gained some incredible experience at Andell, learning how to work as a creative director on projects, how to work directly with clients as an account manager, and how to estimate jobs and manage budgets in a billable environment.
My accounts were not just in oil and gas; they were in commercial HVAC, oilfield services, commercial real estate, and software.
I built their estimating database and managed the brand transition of Comfort Systems USA, which was the integration of 126 companies across the United States into a multi-tiered but unified brand.
Freelance
I freelanced a few times and even moonlighted when it wasn’t for a competitor or when it wouldn’t interfere with my day job. These opportunities allowed me to work for an even broader set of industries including data storage companies, seismic and geophysical data services, municipal wastewater treatment, and even some B2C companies.
This experience really showed me that I could manage my time independently, which has really been invaluable over the years, especially in 2020 when forced to rapidly transition to a “work from anywhere” world.