About
Discipline, then
design.
The short version: I spent a career learning how to lead, focus, and finish. Now I point all of it at the work I dreamed about as a kid.
My story
I am 45, and I lived a full life before ever calling myself a designer. My first sense that visual work could be a career came from two places most people would not expect: video games and a Pixar movie. Metroid made me feel what atmosphere and world-building could do. Then Toy Story hit the theater and something clicked — this was the thing I wanted to make.
In 1999 I joined the United States Marine Corps. I deployed to Iraq, served my tour, and was wounded in combat. Coming home changed my priorities. I set the design dream aside and chose stability, building successful careers first in law enforcement with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and later as an Environmental Health & Safety manager and trainer.
Those years were a foundation. They taught me self-discipline, time management, an almost stubborn attention to detail, and how to lead a team under pressure. In 2023 I finally went back for the dream — a BA in Digital Media Design — and I have carried a 4.0 GPA the whole way. I graduate this September.
The path so far
01
1999 — Combat Veteran
United States Marine Corps
Deployed to Iraq · Wounded in combat
Where I learned that discipline, teamwork, and finishing what you start are not slogans — they are survival.
02
Post-service — Public safety
Correctional Officer
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Years of composure, judgment, and accountability in high-stakes environments.
03
Career growth — Leadership
Safety Manager & Trainer
Environmental Health & Safety
Led programs and trained teams — turning complex requirements into clear, memorable material people could actually follow.
04
2023 → 2026 · The return
BA, Digital Media Design
4.0 GPA · Graduating September 2026
Finally doing the work I set aside — logos, video, motion, game levels, and more. Level up complete.
Mission
Why I do this
My mission is simple: help businesses, studios, and creators tell their story so clearly and so well that people stop, feel something, and act. I want the same spark I felt watching Toy Story to live in the work I hand my clients — the sense that someone cared about every frame.
What makes me different
The edge
- I treat deadlines the way I once treated duty — non-negotiable.
- A player instinct for pacing, atmosphere, and detail.
- Leadership experience — I keep projects calm and on-track.
- A late start means zero entitlement and total gratitude for the work.