About Me
I've always loved the Marie Curie quote: "I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done." Now, I don't pretend that I'm blind to accomplishments, nor do I believe Madam Curie failed to notice the two Noble Prizes sitting on her shelf. I do believe that there is wisdom in her words. Whether experiencing success or failure, I strive to keep my focus on what "remains to be done." It always creates an opportunity for learning and positive progress.
My approach as a leader is one of applied creativity. It's a phrase I use to describe finding innovative ways to lead and engage that are measured by efficiency and success. Sure, it's fine to be creative without measuring outcomes, but in the business world that's an ineffective way to improve your teams, your products and your services. For me, every step and every ground-breaking risk should include a strategy to track your progress and quickly indicate whether you are on the right path or need course correction.
Early Career
Leadership and Creativity
I grew up in Orlando, Florida, just a couple of miles from the tourist-filled airport. While in school I joined the workforce, briefly holding a cross section of jobs that included spraying citrus trees, repairing billboards and teaching Tae Kwon Do. I even made the rounds fighting in TKD and kickboxing tournaments.
When I was done getting punched and kicked, I finished my education, packed up my bags and landed in the resurgent metro Detroit area to begin my career in earnest.
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I started as a content writer and eventually transferred to Germany where I spent two and a half years developing automotive material for both the European and U.S. markets. I returned to the States, promoted and leading a team of content creators who produced copy and art for multiple OEMs in multiple markets.
Tweddle Group recruited me and I joined their team to eventually take on Creative Services, a department of three focused on print deliverables. I grew it into four full departments developing print & digital design, marketing, video production, CGI, AR/VR...pretty much anything creative for a variety of industries.
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With the success of Creative Services, the company placed the Quality, Environment, Safety and Health (QESH) department under me. I worked with an amazing team to consistently lower KPIs, reduce our carbon footprint, and ensure award-winning safety standards.
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I also devoted time to developing leaders and nurturing creativity. The directors and managers on my team became corporate-wide influencers, and this is among my happiest achievements.
Writing
THE BURSTING CHICKENS OF BREEZE
Status: simmering
SALIENTS
Status: querying agents
SITUATION REPORT
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THE CRIME: Exploding chickens…and people.
THE SUSPECTS: A self-proclaimed goblin king, the Absolute Church of the Infinite One, the Emerald Dragon Assassins’ Guild, a noble family, that weird custodian guy.
THE INVESTIGATORS: A detached sheriff, a cheeky elf, a lovelorn goblin, and a cryptic runaway.
THE VERDICT: Pending. Looks grim. Probably starts a war.
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All Sheriff Harald Greensleeves wanted was to escape his violent past and prop up his feet in peace. That dream ends when chickens and people start to burst apart and he finds his village gripped by fear and accusations. The locals immediately blame their half-troll priest because he looks so damn murdery, but the evidence leads Harald beyond the village, to a dangerous world of trained assassins, scheming nobles, and a ruthless goblin king.
It seems things can’t get any worse when Harald realizes that the only one he can trust is Lilek, a beautiful elven keeper from the Absolute Church of the Infinite One. Problem is, he isn’t in the habit of trusting elves or the church. Then things do get worse when a runaway girl and a goblin exiled for illegal love get mixed up in the investigation. It’s a pitiful crew to help uncover who’s behind the growing death toll and stop a war, but with so many lives in the balance, Harald has to take what he can get.
A police shooting grips Detroit. Graphic images flood the media as tension mounts and protests surge toward chaos. While the city teeters on the edge, something ancient stirs beneath the headlines.
Four protagonists take center stage. Julie Shavers is a college student from a dysfunctional family who didn’t grow up to be a proper, pretty princess. Instead, she’s a goth smart-ass with a newfound ability and a love for weed. Xavier T. Williams is a Baptist minister who recently came out to his congregation, but the church backlash is nothing compared to a force that pulls at the seams of his belief. Tiana Barnes is a Detroit police officer and a detective novel fanatic who longs to be like her fictional heroes. Lastly, there’s Cliff Cruz. He’s a creative director on the brink of getting fired until he gains a mysterious power that changes his fortune, and starts to control his mind.
The four lives collide without warning, having little in common beyond the truth they’ve stumbled into. A sentient power has returned to inhabit new vessels while a secret cabal of agents tries to harness the power and exterminate anyone who discovers its existence.
The disparate companions have no choice but to tackle the looming doom as the city collapses around them. If they survive long enough to understand what they’ve become, will the world ever look the same? Only time will tell.