MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ME

The Fairly Recent Present

THE VIA AGENCY (Jan.2013 to present): You’re right—by industry standards, 9 years is an eternity to be at one place. And within that eternity, there’s a lot that I’m proud of. I helped bring in accounts like Lowe’s and L.L.Bean; created work that’s been recognized both nationally (One Show, Adweek and AdAge) and locally (Hatch Awards, Broderson Awards); did a little bit of good for Greenpeace and the Maine Recovery Fund; and played a part in the agency bringing home an Adweek Small Agency of the Year award in 2019. For the record, I did it all while largely managing to avoid lobster (no offense if you’re a fan).

The Before Times

In a slightly unwieldy nutshell:

Back in the heady mid-aughts, I finished the inaugural year of Wieden + Kennedy 12, the agency’s in-house “school” (for lack of a more encompassing word). After a short stint in the agency’s delightful proofreading department, I accepted a copywriting position and worked on Old Spice, Starbucks, Electronic Arts, and a little bit of Nike. 

Nearly five years later, I scratched an itch to return to the Bay Area, relocating to Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. I worked on MINI Cooper, Mountain Hardwear, Chipotle, and Priceline. I test drove a MINI, went to Warriors games, and hiked around Muir Woods. Things were good, but I wanted to be closer to family in New England. 

So I went to work in Boston — first at Arnold Worldwide, then at Hill Holliday. I worked on Truth, Carnival Cruise Lines, and McDonalds at the former; on Liberty Mutual, Puma, and Merrell (as part of the lead creative team that pitched and won the business) at the latter. I rode in cramped subway cars, struggled to find a great grocery store, and somehow wound up on the cover of JAAA Reports, a publication of the Japan Advertising Agencies Association. 

When the opportunity to work at VIA arose, I threw on the nearest parka, stuffed my belongings into the back of a rented Ford Flex, and headed north in the middle of a blizzard.

Probably Not of the Utmost Importance

• Born and raised in Los Angeles (go Lakers)

• Compulsive amateur illustrator (https://ello.co/hichrisj)

• Had some work recognized by Communication Arts and TIME Magazine

• Had other work recognized only by my mom (seemingly)

• Stepped on a rattlesnake, didn’t get bit

• Co-author of thousands of Keynote and Google Slides decks

• Have read 19 Philip K. Dick books

• I adore cilantro and anise, which many people cannot stand, but cannot stand mayonnaise, which many people adore

• Favorite pens: Uni-Ball ONYX micro (black), Pentel EnerGel 0.5 mm (various colors)