My title is Managing Partner

But what I try to be is the guy at the check-in counter who gives you an upgrade. You had a great trip planned already, but I made the experience better. That's really what we do... add value wherever possible.

• My first job in marketing was when I was in high school.  I sold shoes in the local mall.  The challenge was not just to sell a pair of shoes but also to sell a handbag or pair of socks along with it.  Later, when the first concert I promoted (a heavy metal band called RATT) sold out, I thought I was the world’s greatest promoter.  Humility soon came, when I learned good booking can be as powerful as good promotion.
• When I began at Marketing Werks I was 25.  It was fall and I told myself if it didn’t work out by Spring I could always sell hot dogs at Wrigley Field.  As a speaker I’ve never projected well.  I’m not sure how good I’d be at hawking.  Good thing I never had to find out.
• I think the smartest thing anyone said about marketing is, “Hang in there.”  Stick with something.  Quitting never pays dividends.
• The road taught me there are a lot of really nice and helpful people out there.  You wouldn’t know this from watching the news.
• The strangest experience I’ve had so far is the one I have everyday. It’s being fortunate enough to walk into our offices in the Prudential Building to work with an extremely talented group of people. If my high school teachers could one see me now.
  
• I grew up in the 1970s.  It taught me peace, love and understanding.  This was way before Elvis Costello sung about it.  My first record was a 45-rpm by Sly and the Family Stone called Everyday People.  I think that says it all.
• Whenever I plan for the future that’s my father coming through.  He was a big planner.  I’ve learned to be a pretty good planner.  Then, my kids came along and taught me the importance of living in the moment.   Now I look for balance between the two.
• Having a paper route actually helped me prepare for this. It taught me the discipline of getting up everyday to complete a task, it taught me service, how to talk to people, and the importance of getting paid.
• One thing I’ll never do again is work with people I don’t like.
• One of my favorite movies is “Stand By Me”.  I haven’t found too many books or movies that capture the age before becoming a full-fledged teenager.  This was a very defining point in my life and it reminds me of that time.
• What I bring to each assignment is creativity and dedication to quality work.  My father use to say, “Any job worth doing is worth doing right”.  I’m a big believer in that mantra.
• I’m good at this because I have the ability to empower people to do their best.