When people ask me why I decided to start my own studio my standard response is, “because I made a terrible employee”.

In reality I think I was a fairly good employee. I did good work each and every day. I was just piss poor at buying into someone else’s vision board. As a result, I would stay long enough at a studio to get the skills I was looking for and then it was time to move on to the next thing.

I’ve learned a lot from each and every design job I’ve ever had, but my desire to do things my own way was just too strong.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great designers, studios, and agencies during the course of my career. I’ve learned a lot from each and every design job I’ve ever had, but when it comes down to it, my desire to do things my own way is just too strong.

For a long time I thought this might have been weakness on my part (my fault)—an inability to “play nice” and just settle in. I now see this as the hallmark of a person who needs to “build high”, to create something of their own. Once I realized this trait was a strength and not a weakness, I was able to set off on the path I’ve been carving out for the past five years.