FREELANCE

2004-present: Creative Director/Writer | Starkwords
Leading teams on digital, design, advertising, and experiential campaigns that require broad vision, simple ideas, meticulous execution, and collaboration

Agency & Corporate Clients
adidas AG | Alterna Capital Solutions | Amsterdam Worldwide | Azul 7 | BBH NY | Capsule | Carmichael Lynch |  Creature | Cue | Duffy | Ecumen | Element Materials Technology | Elephant | Fallon | Latitude | mono | OgilvyOne NY | Olson | Optum | Persuasion Arts & Sciences | Pioneer Management Consulting | Riva Partners | Saltworks | Science Museum of Minnesota | Sesame Workshop | Shock Doctor | StrawberryFrog | SQUID | UHG Ventures | USA Rugby Women Eagles | Victors & Spoils | Whittier Advertising | Wunderman

Brands
adidas | AMC Network | Apple | Asics | Aveda Men | Bauer Hockey | Best Buy | Bind On-Demand Health Insurance | Broadreach | Cadillac | California Redwood Co. | Converse | Deluxe | Discovery Channel | Dyson | General Mills | Glenfiddich | Google | Harvard Business School | Heineken | Herman Miller | Hershey’s | Johnson Controls | Komen for the Cure | Life Time Fitness | Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | NASCAR | Porsche | Porter Café | The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations | Seattle’s Best Coffee | Thymes | TurboChef | Unisys | USA Rugby WNT | Viewpost | Water For People

Pro Bono Clients
T.U.N.E. Camp MN | Read Indeed

FULL-TIME

2013-2017: Viewpost
Director of Brand & Communications: Provided strategy, executive coaching, creative direction, and content creation as a senior leader—collaborating on all aspects of successfully bringing a start-up to market, from helping to raise investment capital to developing strategic partnerships with some of the country’s largest financial institutions and payment technology innovators, and developing it into an award-winning B2B financial technology (FinTech) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company and brand

1999-2004: Fallon & Duffy (simultaneously worked for two sister agencies)
Copywriter: Improved brand consistency and elevated the quality of work across multiple office locations and media by bridging the gap between advertising, design, and digital campaigns

1997-1999: Periscope
Copywriter: Collaborated with multiple creative disciplines to advance brand consistency and elevate the quality of work across all media

1996-1997: Rapp Collins Communications
Copywriter: Discovered the difference between working with designers and working with art directors, and the importance of ‘the idea’ no matter who’s on your team

1995-1996: Sietsema Engel & Partners
Copywriter: Cut my teeth on retail TV, radio and print advertising for one of the nation’s largest airlines

1992: BBDO Minneapolis
Intern Copywriter

Teaching

2002-2006: Miami Ad School, Minneapolis
Instructed, creative directed and mentored copywriters, art directors, and designers on the four creative principles of Truth, Intelligence, Wit, and Charm

2001: Brainco Minneapolis
Introduced students to the strengths and limitations of the digital medium while reinforcing the importance of a consistent brand experience across all media

Giving Back

2016–present: T.U.N.E. Camp MN
Volunteering my services to help the directors of this teen camp update their website and create promotional materials on a semi-annual basis.

2019–present: Read Indeed | 501(c)(3) | Board Member
Leading the strategy, creation, development, and marketing of a new website to evolve the organization’s efforts from physically collecting and distributing books into collecting online cash donations that turn every dollar into a new book for an at-risk child.

Education

1988-1992: University of St. Thomas | St. Paul, MN
BA Journalism/Advertising