Let’s be honest. You’ve probably been burned by a marketing agency before.
You’ve been sold on vanity metrics, handed generic “best practices,” and left with a bill that didn’t match the results. You’re tired of partners who don’t take the time to understand your business and are looking for someone who sees the world—and your brand—from a different perspective.
My professional bio tells a tidy story of a military and corporate leader turned marketing agency founder. But the real story, the one that explains why I’m equipped to handle the weight of your dream, isn’t about a career ladder. It’s about a lifetime spent collecting perspectives.
It started with being an orphan who was adopted, growing up between the ambition of Texas and the creative soul of New Orleans. With no set path, I had to build my own. This taught me the most critical lesson in business: you must be able to see the same challenge from multiple angles—the customer’s, the competitor’s, and the founder’s—to find the winning move.
In the Marines, this informal training was formalized. My work in Human and Signals Intelligence (HUMINT/SIGINT) was a masterclass in separating signal from noise. This dual-focus is the core of my approach:
- HUMINT (Human Intelligence): This was the art of deep empathy—understanding the core motivations behind a person’s actions. Today, we call that building rich buyer personas and conducting voice of customer research.
- SIGINT (Signals Intelligence): This was the science of interpreting raw data to predict future outcomes. Today, we call that performance marketing, SEO, and predictive analytics.
We listen to the human story, and we validate it with data.
After the military, I learned to apply this framework at scale. Rising to District Manager at AT&T, I wasn’t just leading teams; I was managing P&Ls and building the operational systems that turn startup chaos into predictable growth. I understand the pressure you’re under because I’ve been there.
I also understand the deep frustration when established systems move too slowly. When I first tried to build an arts community in East Texas, I went through the official channels. I joined boards and committees, only to learn that real change often gets suffocated by bureaucracy. So I did what founders do: I built my own solution. I created a Facebook group that exploded to thousands of members, got the media’s attention, and built the community from the ground up. This taught me that when the front door is locked, you go build a better door.
But systems without creativity are stagnant. The true breakthroughs happen when you step outside the routine.
That’s why I seek out experiences that force a new point of view. Living in a new country where I don’t speak the language isn’t a vacation; it’s a high-stakes lesson in communication and cultural empathy. Racing motorcycles isn’t about adrenaline; it’s about performance under pressure—finding the perfect line where calculated risk meets flawless execution, a feeling every founder knows well. Designing and making things by hand, from fashion to furniture, is my antidote to the generic, AI-driven noise. It’s a commitment to craftsmanship, a reminder that the most resonant brands are built with human intention.
This balance is non-negotiable. Yoga provides the mental clarity to see the strategic path forward. Surfing in the ocean grounds me, a necessary reset from the immense pressure that comes from leading teams and being entrusted with a founder’s vision.
This brings us to you, and what this all means for the work we do at Spade Design. My life has forged a non-negotiable set of principles for how a business relationship should be built.
It starts with a deeply invested partnership, because I’ve learned that the best results come when you’re an extension of the team, not just a vendor. That kind of relationship requires radical transparency—clear, honest communication about what’s working, what isn’t, and why. It also demands an unrelenting focus on results, because my time managing P&Ls taught me that vanity metrics don’t pay the bills. Finally, everything is guided by a human-centered, data-driven strategy. The Marine Corps taught me how to blend creative empathy (HUMINT) with analytical rigor (SIGINT). That’s how you go beyond the spreadsheet to find the human story in the numbers and build a brand that truly connects.
My story is the foundation of our ‘Growth Playbook,’ but it’s not the final chapter. Your story is.
If this approach to building a brand resonates with you, the next step is a simple conversation. Let’s see if we’re a good fit to write your next chapter, together.
(Note: This post is a personal reflection on the journey that built the philosophy behind Spade Design. You can view my official professional bio here.)
