My entire professional world revolves around advertising and the elements that encompass satisfying a client's needs: creative consultation in marketing, graphic design, photography, social media, and copywriting.

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One thing I've noticed after over 30 years of being in the business is:
Designers who are loved are not regularly updating their online portfolios.
They're too busy making their clients happy.

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Creative Direction

From the beginning days as the business manager in my high school's newspaper, through working at BBDO New York (an award-winning advertising firm in New York City that the 2007 drama Mad Men was based on) to Douglas Elliman Real Estate on Long Island, New York, I've proven myself as the designer that is consistently requested for consultation in both marketing direction and design.

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I've gained untold experience from working at printing presses, magazines, and advertising agencies. I typically become the go-to contact for troubleshooting not only tech issues with design, but with department morale as well. I've set up processes and reorganized entire servers to function in the most streamlined manner possible. I've presented and consulted on photo shoots and vendors. Essentially, I am your entire art department. 

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Graphic Design

Rated in the Top 5% of 332K InDesign Users, LinkedIn 2023  |  My first computer was an Amiga 2000. My Italian father still has that sweet puppy in his basement – with the original box and packaging. The Amiga was so basic that both the system disk and program disk had to be inserted before the computer would fully function (of course, but who realized that back then?). The very first version of Illustrator came with that computer – and while I was baffled by how to use it – or how my dot matrix printer could handle it – I was enamored by the power of what it could do.

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Photography

I've been involved in photography for over 30 years, have photographed local celebrities and have won contests. But photography is not just about the image, it's about the preparation behind taking the image. What lens are you using? What time of day are you shooting? What location and time of year are you shooting? Are there restrictions or fees associated with the location? Who is your model? Is your model shy? What is your model wearing? How is your model posing? But don't forget organization: How are your files managed? What are your naming conventions? What's your take on image asset management? What is your process for resolution and sizes? If you're hiring a freelance photographer, I would ask them how long they've been shooing, what their equipment is, and what lens they would use if their model had a large nose. Thorough.

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Social Media

I would venture to say that most folks don't realize social media started in the days of forums, where people would get together and chat about their favorite subjects. From my days leading a successful photography group through Meetup.com, to leading the efforts for our Long Island region at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, I've positioned myself as the go-to leader in our social media efforts.

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Copywriting

If you've made it this far, I applaud you. Nowadays, most folks look for a video – which yes, I'll eventually do (and quite frankly, they rank higher on social media anyway) – but for those of you who are searching for someone who can write, I'm hoping this satisfies what you're looking for. I've won a few contests, and I was editor-in-chief of my college newspaper. But nowadays I love a quick chat with a client as we hash-out the best headline verbiage.