Meet the makers
When you take a personal stake in your clients’ success, there’s nothing quite so rewarding as seeing the work you do deliver results that make a difference.
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I love biographies. Give me a 1000-page book and I eagerly devour it at the speed of light. There’s something so fascinating about seeing all the little details, all of the events and experiences that led people to become who they are (or least as history defines them). Truth is almost always stranger than fiction.
I’m motivated by the opportunity to make everything we do matter more to our client’s customers, and the great insights and strategies our talented creative team brings to life. Three life-changing moments have given me joy, growth and a constantly increasing sense of what really matters: the day I married my wife, Tina, and the days we received each of our adopted daughters from China.
I’ve lived an adventurous life—excavating on the island of Crete, two years living in Rome and six years as a collegiate women’s rowing coach (for which I’m in the North Park University Athletic Hall of Fame). I’m always happy to share these stories and others over a glass of wine (preferably a Pinot Noir).
Outside work, you’ll find me at a coffee shop or finding the next best donut in the city. If it’s nice out, I’ll be riding my bike along the Lakefront Trail. I love reading and adding to my library, or daydreaming about where I want to travel next. And in June, 2020 I’ll graduate from DePaul with my MBA.
I’m an aspiring farmer! We raise ducks and chickens who lay a variety of colorful (and delicious) eggs. We hope to add sheep, goats and alpacas—stay tuned! I’m also a distance runner (completed 5 marathons) and a new triathlete. I work with clients to help them up their marketing game, clearly define their vision and win in competitive marketplaces.
If anyone has a question on where an asset is in development, I know where to find it. My hobbies include collecting video game titles (and completing them) and rating small local restaurants with my wife. (We keep a list on our fridge for future reference.) Our daughter was born 11/26/18—I have thrown myself into fatherhood 100% and am loving it.
In the digital world where data can speak, I’m an analyst and a storyteller. On July 12, 2018, I took a 15-hour flight from China to America alone with 2 big suitcases and a huge bag, and I started to solve all my problems on my own.
In March, 1997, I moved to this country and my life changed 180 degrees. I am lucky to have been able to travel the world, because inspiration always comes from different cultures, colors, aromas and people. I can breathe, eat and dream about design—from print to digital and anything in between.
I like to step away from technology and head to my garage where I have a full wood shop. It’s my happy place where everything else fades away, and I can just be creative. Every project has a story, and my favorite so far is the blanket chest I built for my daughter as a wedding present—a labor of love.
I solve problems. Sometimes they are problems no one ever thought of. In 1997 or so I convinced my university to teach a class on the history of baseball. Then I took the class, got an A and was asked to guest-lecture it the next year.
It’s all about the relationship with the client. Sometimes I’m their advisor, sometimes their sounding board, sometimes their sparring partner, but it’s always about them. Between baseball and scuba, travel is a common theme in my life. Ask me where I’m going or where I just came from and either baseball or water will fit into that conversation.
I enjoy yoga and meditation and am learning how to play the cello. Most weekends you’ll find me in the woods with my dog Arlo, and if there’s a dance floor anywhere, it’s safe to bet I’ll be on it. Design is fun and challenging, but helping create a meaningful campaign for a client that does good work is even more rewarding.
I love anything that gives me an adrenaline rush—skydiving, parasailing, even swimming with baby sharks (even though I can’t swim). Since we only get a few good months of rooftop season in Chicago, my summers usually include trying different rooftops with friends.
Marketing feels like an art to me—watching it come together and seeing results is my favorite part. Traveling is the reason I work every day. I love to sightsee and find new places to visit—last year I got to see the Taj Mahal.
My role is to push creative so we are delivering something fresh and new. At home, I do a lot of the grunt work: building shelves and benches, painting rooms, etc. I like finding old, unique pieces of furniture and refinishing them. In 2011, I qualified for the Boston Marathon. I never ran it, but qualifying was enough for me!
My affinity for technology and design started in the 90s when I learned basic HTML to customize my AOL profile. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, I love all things music, photography, the Chicago Bulls and sneakers.
I have a passion for public speaking and building online communities. I love showing people how social media can play a huge part in engaging customers throughout the buying journey. You can find me performing in musicals or singing karaoke whenever the opportunity arises. I love winning and was an Illinois State runner-up in the Shot Put in 1986.
I’m passionate about family, good beer and crafting great user experiences. Listening. Shaping. Measuring. Repeating.
I take the emails, landing pages and web sites our designers create and I bring them to life. Every new project is a great opportunity to show what I can do. My favorite hobbies are watching sports (Go Bears! Go Cubs!) and playing video games.
I’m a visual-thinking problem solver, powered by coffee and the desire to make things look good. I have a passion for all things creative, and when I’m not at work I enjoy designing interior spaces, refinishing furniture, painting and cooking. I’m also a wannabe bodybuilder, and I’ve been called the smiliest person at the Studio.
I focus on transcending our own concerns so we can be more attentive to our clients’ true needs. I also travel across the world to see my favorite bands. Being surrounded by thousands of new friends in new places—all sharing the same connection through music—is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.
I’m responsible for everything from audio and video projects to tradeshow exhibits and live-streaming events—pretty much, if it moves or makes noise, I’m on it. You look at me and you think hunting, fishing, cowboy boots and country music, but I also love the opera. That’s right, I said it.
I keep things running at the Studio—from making sure the invoices go out to stocking up on soda, water, coffee and candy. And I really enjoy riding my Harley any time the weather’s clear, as far away from traffic as possible. My husband and I usually just start with breakfast and then hit the road and go west.
I’ve enjoyed participating in the evolution of SN over the years, particularly growing the content discipline into a core competency within the agency. I also enjoy brewing beer, riding motorcycles and competitive pistol shooting (not all at once).
Like most copywriters, I have a brain full of useless information. I can tell you who won and lost every Super Bowl and World Series in my lifetime, as well as every year’s Oscar for Best Picture. Favorite writers? David Foster Wallace and Elmore Leonard, opposite poles on the orbit of unattainable genius.
I live and breathe social media—engaging with our clients’ customers and influencers to increase brand awareness and showcase thought leadership. When I’m not chasing around my 1-year-old son, I love to relax by reading, hiking and trying unique styles of craft beer.
I love finding new and interesting ways to communicate a client’s message—clients appreciate when you take them to expected places in unexpected ways. I also enjoy exercising, archery, spending time with my wife and two kids, and designing furniture I’ll never build.
I enjoy getting mailers I’ve designed back from the printer—seeing the physical, real-world results of my work is a lot of fun. I love biking, kayaking, camping and Chicago Cubs baseball. When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, I drove 11 hours through the night from Arkansas to attend the victory parade.
I think of myself as a “Relationship Manager”—to me, success means having an honest, authentic relationship with my clients while focused on initiatives that create growth for their organizations. Projects come and go, but how well did we work together? Did we deliver our best effort? I also love to bake, and I challenge myself to create one unique recipe annually.
I love to learn and I love a challenge—I’ve run the Chicago Marathon several times, and I’ve gone fishing many times with my sons in the Canadian wilderness in search of that big musky. My 30 years—yes, 30 years—at StudioNorth have kept me looking for new ways to pursue excellence in crafting creative solutions.
I make sure we have a really great place to work. Given you spend most of your waking hours at work, it needs to be at an environment you like, doing what you’re passionate about, with people you genuinely enjoy. The magic is to keep it all in perspective—it’s your choice to make your reactions positive and helpful.
I collect and restore vintage fountain pens. Taking a fountain pen that hasn’t been used for decades and bringing it back to life is a source of pride for me. Putting that pen to paper to write again for the first time always makes me wonder who wrote with it last and what those words were.
I love my job! I get to lead a team of wonderfully creative people who put their heart into the work, every single day. I seek to craft meaningful connections between our client’s brands and their customers using empathy, emotion and really big ideas (most likely fueled by kimchi and unicorns).
I get tremendously fulfilled traveling to developing countries and working alongside indigenous people to somehow make their lives better. And when our team presents concepts, and the client says “I’m blown away, it’s way beyond what I could have ever imagined!” I honestly never get tired of that experience.
