A Biography

Career stuff

Post-college, my first job offer was for a role at Nickelodeon. I’d always been a writer, but the job was essentially scheduling commercials. I interviewed on Wednesday, was offered the job on Thursday, and told I had until the end of Friday to accept. I panicked and accepted. In hindsight, that was not a great move.

The economy was no bueno. Competition for creative jobs was fierce, and I had inadvertently marked myself as a non-creative. I needed a writing outlet, so I started doing standup at night. Got pretty good. Started getting regular club work.

One night, a friend from college came to see me at Gotham Comedy Club. He was now an editor at Men’s Fitness. He asked if I’d be up for freelance writing. I was.

A few months later, it happened again. Another friend from college, this one an editor at Cosmopolitan. So I started writing for them, too.

Eventually, I left Nickelodeon for a digital marketing role at FilmBuff. It was a scrappy startup environment. A year later I was head of marketing.

Then we got acquired by Gunpowder & Sky. Bigger movies, bigger budgets, bigger responsibilities. I was Creative Director for all of our film releases: trailers, posters, copy, art, social media, etc…we did well.

I left G&S in 2018, to help my dad write a book about neuroscience and PTSD.

When we finished, I looked for something new. Branded Content seemed promising. I was hired by Magnet Media to be Creative Director on a series pitch for TIAA. We won the work. We made the thing. I directed my first shoot(s).

I liked branded content. The full-time jobs required agency experience, so I went to get some. Got hired as Associate Director of Branded Entertainment at Hearts & Science. I made content for Amgen. Then I also made content for Grey Goose. Then COVID happened and my team was shut down. I also stopped doing stand-up for a while.

I kept writing, to keep earning. I also started to work with Ruca, a creative co-operative of independent designers, writers, programmers and strategists. Then (Business) Insider offered me a 90-day contract as a Content Producer. Then another. Then another. In mid-2021, Insider finally gave my department head approval to bring my aboard full-time, but I decide to focus on Ruca + freelance work. I still often work with the good folks at Insider, as a writer and producer.

I also got involved with Yorba, a startup aiming to help people find and delete their useless online accounts. I’m now CMO + Chief Creative Officer. We’re all building it part-time. I’m passionate about digital hygiene and data privacy, and not having my email inboxes filled with garbage.

That brings you up to date: Ruca, Yorba, freelance.

If you’ve gotten this far, I’m grateful and impressed: mention this sentence in an email and I will venmo you $5.