A week or so later, summer rolled around, school was out, and i had a typical teenage summer job sacking groceries. There was an article in the paper about a local ad agency's anniversary with Southwest Airlines that my mom had clipped out. That day, someone came through my line wearing a GSD&M shirt, and that's how I started in advertising. Chance.

Since then, I've worked for large, mid-sized and small agencies doing whatever it was they needed done, so I've managed multiple clients, done research, account service, traffic, copywriting, art direction,media planning and so forth...before graduating college. I went through Texas Creative at UT building a copywriting book, and then, somewhere around my junior year, some professors told me i was an account planner. A what? Who? Yeah, a planner, so I spent the rest of my academic career figuring out what that was, and actually graduated with an account planning/copywriting book. Not bad. This was of course, in '02 when ad jobs were not aplenty.

So begins the long...long...really friggin long period of "hang in there." I worked for a company called Anti Monkey Butt and was head of marketing, I practically ran a guitar school, i sold bikes, boats and ATVs....and yeah, i'll admit it, even went door to door and graded state assessment tests for a living for a while. Hey, bills need paid, what can i say? I also managed to write/direct/produce a commercial and a music video, as well as pick up guitar, and within two years, play the knitting factory in new york city for two nights this past may. that was my first out of town gig. not bad. I've gone back into artwork and concert photography as a hobby as well. I was settling into a comfortable rut that became increasingly disturbing to come to terms with. I had to do something to get out. I booked a trip to New York at the end of September and lined up some people to talk to. It's been a hell of a ride since then.

So, it finally happened. I got a job in NYC and now I live in Brooklyn. There's something to be said for "one mo' time!"...because quite frankly, that's what it took to get me here. And literally, I got the call with the job offer the last day I was here in Sept. for 4 days of interviews. My plane was to leave for Austin at 4:30pm, and I was sitting in the airport at my gate, luggage full of dirty laundry, head in hands going "wow. i came to NYC, AGAIN, and nothing happened. I'm out a grand going home and NOW what am i going to do?" The phone rings at 3:30 pm, and over the line came the job offer I came for. The three weeks moving from Austin to NYC was a complete blur.

I'm still trying to figure out what it is I do for a living (irrespective of the title), but that will come with time. Yes, there are a lot of weird and wonderful...well ok, just plain weird...stories not being told here, but you get the gist. Off into the next chapter...