Construction and craft. I've built a lot of stuff. Like roads. And houses. I've even worked in a mine. This is important because it lets you know that I'm not claustrophobic and I'm pretty damn good at rolling up my sleeves and getting messy.

And when I think about it, that's what I've admired in my favorite creative leaders and it's what I emulate in my own creative process and leadership style. I enjoy rolling up my sleeves and getting involved in the whole process, starting from ideation and conceptualizing to designing, prototyping, to testing and shipping the ideas.

I've also learned that being creative is as much about coming up with new ideas as it is about getting creative. These are the late nights when you gotta reach down and grab your inner McGyver and tap into all of your life's experiences to solve the tough problems. These are the moments I live for.

Oh, and all of that construction work has given me a very colorful vocabulary.

It's no surprise that my past has shaped my aesthete. I look at the function of a good designer similar to that of a master carpenter. My idea of great product design combines a user-centered approach with a beautiful visual aesthetic.

But what may be a surprise is the level to which my professional career has mirrored my beginnings. I've been lucky enough over the past 25+ years to work in all fields of the creative industry from packaging, in-store, branding, advertising and now UI/UX. It's the combination of all of these experiences that has made me the nimble and adaptive creative I am now.

I am a product designer leader that focuses on human centered design. I see tremendous value in focusing on the user and our expectations as a human in the 21st century. User experiences are not confined to just our high-tech devices. The sum of all of those user experiences informs and influence how we expect our interactions with technology to work.

I've always been a brand/brand strategy guy. That's the type of work I always landed on: new products, launches and pieces of biz in dire-straights and in need of a light in a dark mine.

When I think of my ideal work environment, it comes down to people. I need to be surrounded by people who want to be challenged and promise to challenge me in return. If I were a writer, I'd probably call this something like a “collaborative multidisciplinary team that shares my love for discovering and creating new things.” But I'll just suffice it to say, I want to be around those who are willing to get dirty and get the joke.

This is probably not your first question but it will certainly come up. So, let's get it out of the way now. What does JB stand for? Honestly. Nothing. It's just the initials. I was lucky enough to have parents that were part of the “hippie movement”. The party line with them is, “We thought it would be cool”. No amount of alcohol or other substances has garnered me a different answer. So I'm left to believe that it's true. I'd be lying if I told you I was 100% sold on this. But, it's what I've got. Maybe some day when my parents have nothing more to hide they'll give me the straight dope on how I got this crazy name.