Advertising and design – it’s all I’ve ever done. I started in this business when I was 15, working after school and on weekends for a la carte graphics outside of Atlanta, Georgia on assignments from Coca-Cola.

While attending the University of Georgia, I worked in the ad department of The Athens Banner-Herald newspaper. A summer art direction internship at McCann-Erickson, Atlanta turned into a lucrative freelance gig that lasted through graduation from both UGA and the The Portfolio Center. I was recruited by The Richards Group (now TRG) where I’ve been lucky enough to learn from legends while working on everything from coupon ads to Super Bowl commercials for dozens of clients large and small.

I’m proud of the recognition my work has received over the years, but it’s hard to top the first award won for my very first ad when I was 9 years old. The assignment, on the back of a cereal box, was to “draw your favorite Kellogg’s character eating a good breakfast.” I didn’t know it at the time, but my drawing had all the elements of an actual print ad. And my award was a brand-new, 10-speed Schwinn bike. Way better than a shiny paperweight, right?