My high school years were consumed by leadership (Junior Class Senator), DECA, Junior Achievement, Sports and Dale Carnegie.

My business and leadership skills were founded by DECA (Distributive Educational Clubs of America). A class based on teaching students what business is. We ran two businesses through DECA, The student store, and the radio station. My junior year, I was voted into the position of Manager for TJBR (Thomas Jefferson Broadcast Radio). TJBR was a radio station that played music throughout the school during lunch and breaks. We sold commercials to local companies, and held events like fashion shows and concerts. We worked with a decent budget and kept it balanced.

After school I was busy with Junior Achievement. I did J.A. throughout all three years of High School. And I loved it. Junior Achievement is a program where big businesses (Boeing, ATT, etc), sponsor local school districts with a small amount of start up capital. With the help of local business executives, students build companies from the ground up. For two years, our J.A. Companies flourished and our Sponsor Companies made profits. It was during this era that I entered an essay contest for the Dale Carnegie Course. A month later I was awarded a one-year scholarship to Dale Carnegie’s public speaking and human relations courses.

This was a pivotal point in my life, and the foundation for who I am now.
Dale Carnegie taught me not only public speaking and human relations, Carnegie taught me how to win friends and influence people. I did very well in this course and I won several awards. After completing the course, I was asked to come back as a Graduate Assistant. During this year, I gave numerous speeches and demonstrations. I was taught management and coaching skills, and graduated with a G.A. certificate. Both years are stamped with 100% attendance.

During the Carnegie years, I played rugby for the Tacoma Tsunamis U-19 team. I also began working with my fathers company Discount Screens, a window screen manufacturing company. A few years passed by working for Discount Screens, when I decided that it was time to try entrepreneurship again. I connected with a friend, and soon we had a Licensed, Bonded, and Insured, commercial painting company. Supreme Finishes. Our niche market was rolling applications of epoxy enamels on new construction residential garage floors. Similar to what would be applied to the concrete in an airplane hanger. A few lucrative jobs were obtained, finished, and celebrated. Then one dreadful day, the one that all business owners fear, we received our first warranty call. What a headache that was. Together, my partner and I held true to our guarantee, and scraped every inch of paint off that garage floor. The incident nearly broke our bank. Soon after, we decided to abort the high-end floor coating business. We focused on Commercial Properties and new construction residential exteriors. We painted several homes and a very large Industrial Business park (Orcas Business Park, Georgetown Wa). It didn’t take to long for me to realize that I wanted more out of life than owning a painting company. Successful or not. I wanted more. I needed a change. Then one day it was perfectly clear. I had to go back to school. I sold my portion of the business to my partner and back I went.

The College Years
I applied for and was accepted to The Art Institute of Seattle. I had a three-year tenure at the AI and finished with a degree and a half. And a full size debt. My degree, Desktop Production/ Graphic Design was a detailed focus on graphic arts for print purposes. After graduating, I re-enrolled for Multimedia and Web Design. I obtained skills in HTML, web design, Flash, analog video production, linear video editing, digital and analog audio engineering, computer painting, and client management. A year and a half into Multimedia/Web design I was offered a position as Creative Services Manager for Fast Signs.com.

The Working Years
I left the Art Institute and began working in my first design house. Fast signs is exactly what their name offers. Signs made fast. I worked on quick turn-around signage projects for several top name companies. In my two-year tenure with FastSigns I created or printed pieces that were displayed in Westlake Mall, The Space Needle, Key Arena, Safeco Field, Bumpershoot, Womad, and Summer nights at the pier. I also created signage and display graphics for trade show booths. Major clients included: Microsoft, Real Networks, and Amazon. I also designed or assisted with creation and application of several vehicle application graphics. Clients included: Seattle Police Department, Metro, Air Force, and several other local businesses.

In 2001 I decided to start my own freelance design company (Pixel-Craft), within a month I had my first client and decided to leave FastSigns. My first client was, and still is one of Seattle’s premier yacht builders, Sterling Yachts on Lake Union. The project was a logo for their sister company Endurance Yachts. The final piece was embossed in titanium and forever displayed on the starboard and stern of the trawler fleet. (see logos)

Within weeks of finishing the Endurance Yachts logo, I earned my next client, Crystal Like Plastics in Hollywood California. During the beginning phases of CLP’s website, I enlisted the help of my long time friend Lou Secord. Lou and I successfully completed CLP on time and on budget. We spent the next year designing our website pixel-craft.com and writing our business plan. During this time we were also doing steady business with numerous clients. Within months we were establishing lifelong clients.

Pixel-Craft, has done work for the following companies:
Daniel Gordy, Attorney at Law (Logo, corporate identity package)
Positive Return, Debt Elimination (Flash Demo)
Crystal Like Plastics, Movie studio props and commemorative pieces. (Logo, Website)
It’s Dave Ross, Writer (Logo, Website)
RTI, Rescue Training Incorporated. (Logo, Website)
Ghost Brackets (Website, product photography, model photography, print design, video production.)
Better Bike Parts (Website, product photography)
Wicked Stitch (Logo)
Evil Tea (Logo)
Summit Pro (Website)
Cerro Torre (Website)
Barker River (Logo, Website)
Pangaea Expeditions (Logo, Brochure)
Discount Screens (Logo, Website, Print Material)

Pixel-Craft has been a fun learning experience and has served me well. I have learned the skills behind running a design house, and more importantly, the skills required to be an effective project manager and a talented art director. Pixel-Craft/ Gayler Graphics has been in business for nearly five years. (references)