We tell ourselves stories in order to live

- Joan Didion

Humanity is built on a foundation of stories—mythology, folklore, parables, epics—and they form an unbroken lineage of ideas, the genetics of the collective consciousness. Today’s brands are a modern expansion of this ancient art—the art of the idea, the art of the telling, and the art of the impact—the most important piece of all. I love this sacred contract, this dance between speaker and listener, creator and customer, the subtle and seductive choreography that engages and enraptures us, that holds the power to have a direct effect on our lived experience. When we make something and put it out into the world, it becomes a brand, but it is also an extension of our souls. And a brand’s ultimate purpose, like a soul itself, is to forge a connection to others, a channel for the exchange of energy and potential. Language is a powerful portal to these channels, but it’s only one half; the other is being able to take two entirely different ideas and connect them in a truly unexpected way. Because there are no new ideas, but there are infinite combinations of old ideas. I live and breathe languages (foreign, English, and ancient), but my specialty is making those startling connections; an old story, but a new plot line. That’s how I reimagined a sleep supplement as an energy drink, an app feature as the humans who incubated the idea, tequila as an enhancement to an active lifestyle, a concert venue as a forest sanctuary, a water filter as a metaphor for the de-conditioning of the human psyche, a means to bring us back to our most authentic selves.

The greatest inspiration in my work is life itself, and I travel often to discover the shared aspects of culture and community, meeting people across oceans and continents, through deserts and jungles and cities, and making short documentaries and travel essays that seek to capture the millions of everyday stories which exist all around the globe. This is my own lineage of ideas and lessons, and forms the backbone of every campaign, commercial, and brand bible I write. A story is the strand of DNA that builds the organism of the idea, and only needs the right medium and a willing listener to be heard.