Tag: career

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Update: I’ve Relocated to Chicago

I know I’ve been a bit remiss in the updating of this blog, but it was for good reason. The reason being, in the last two weeks, my life got turned right-side up. Allow me to update you on the happenings in my life.

Job Offer
A couple of weeks ago, as you may have read before, I accepted a job offer at a digital marketing agency in Chicago. Two things to point out here:

    1) I love digital marketing. I always have felt when working in print design that there was something else that I needed to incorporate into my professional life; that “something else” was marketing and/or strategy. Basically, I wanted to know the “why” and the “meaning” behind my work. I wanted to be apart of the strategy behind the campaigns. I wanted to develop the strategy and campaign for the assets I was designing. In the last couple of years, client demands and my own passion catapulted me into the world of social. Social media marketing was exactly what I was desiring and Critical Mass recognized that and gave me an offer.

    2) I love Chicago; I always have. Ever since I was a little boy, I had dreamt of living in Chicago. Chicago always had a connection with my family and myself. It’s not just the “tall” buildings, it’s the culture, the lifestyle, the movement of the city. It’s not that Milwaukee imprisoned me for 11 years, it’s more that I was a bit complacent for 11 years. Now, I had the means and opportunity coupled with the desire to move to the best city in the United States.

With all that said, I accepted the offer and as a result, things and events started to move really, really fast.

Moving
Moving is no easy task and most certainly, moving to another city isn’t either. Within two weeks, I needed to find a place to stay, pack my bags and head down to start work. At the time of me accepting the position, I was, for all intents and purposes, upwardly mobile. I didn’t have a lease that I was tied into, no girlfriend and no pets. Most of my things were already packed up and I was ready to go.

However, finding a place to stay was the inherent difficulty. Originally, it was planned that I would stay with a friend for a month until I located a more permanent residence from which I could launch my campaign to take on Chicago. Well, for reasons I won’t go into here, things fell through with my friend. I know you’re asking yourself why. Well, let’s just say, it was a conflict of interest.

Moving on, I had two contingency plans:

    Plan B: Locate an apartment and tap into savings to get it. Relocate the most minimal amount of personal belongings and set up shop until I can make the full-up move down.

    Plan C: Commute via Amtrak to and from Chicago everyday.

Obviously, I chose to tackle Plan B. With only 5 days left until I start my kick-ass position at CM; I took the train down to Chicago to locate my new digs. Since I was under a time constraint, my options were a bit limited. I decided to go with a pretty rad studio apartment. I signed the letters of intent and headed back to Milwaukee. The following day, I realized that I may have made a mistake. I called up the broker and informed them that I wanted a larger place. They gave me options, and I signed on a place a few hours later, without even stepping foot into it.

I had my place, I had my bags packed and I had an amazing friend ready to drive me down to Chicago with 4 days left before I start.

Saying Goodbye
Another reason why I haven’t been on top of the blog, was that I had to say goodbye to my close friends in Milwaukee. I realized that for the close friends, I wanted to say goodbye in person. This plan really took up a lot of my time; and I wouldn’t have it any other way. For some, the goodbyes were bittersweet, for others it was a celebration of moving forward. Cries and smiles seemed to be the specials of the day.

I also had a going away party at my favorite night spot, Hi Hat. Hi Hat always had a special place in my heart. For the last 11 years, so many great things and people came out of that business. With having that party, I knew that what I thought was the ideal was turning to the real. I AM moving to Chicago. I was amazed by the amount and diversity of people who came out to send me on my way; that was a bittersweet moment.

Saying Hello
With a goodbye, comes a hello. Sunday, the day before I started, I packed up my buddy’s car and we drove down to Chicago. I picked up the keys to my place and headed over to unwrap my new apartment. To my surprise, it was a pretty sweet place in a killer neighborhood. Also, my job turns out be even more amazing than what I had envisioned. I’m working with people of extreme passion and knowledge. They are all very welcoming to boot. I have a feeling I have a lot to offer and am exited for this opportunity to learn so many more things.

I have been living in Chicago for about a week now and already there are somethings that I have learned beyond what I knew already.

    1) Express busses are the way to go when commuting to the loop. Forget the train; it’s way too packed during rush and not to mention, it takes forever.

    2) The cost of living is comparable to Milwaukee minus the cost of consumables. What do I mean by consumables? I mean food, household goods, luxury items and overall anything you need to live day-to-day. It’s only about 30% more, but it’s still within reason.

    3) People in the morning are not happy. I’m not expecting people to be walking on sunshine at 7am, but come on, you don’t have to be a dick about it. (Maybe that will be one thing I can help change. Yeah right. Leif makes 3 million people happy in the morning.)

    4) Overall, once you get passed the 7am grumpy stage, people are very genuine and helpful. I am stunned by the generosity and gratuity of people here. All you have to do is ask.

    5) I thought people like the nightlife in Milwaukee, but man, I wasn’t prepared for Chicago night owls. I’m sorry Milwaukee, these people are pros down here; you have a run for your money.

    6) Despite what people say, Chicago is very clean, very clean.

    7) You never have to worry about being too far away from a CVS/Walgreens, Chase Bank, Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts.

    8) I think I’m going to like it here.

Well, there you have it, the last two weeks of my life. I’m sure, as things progress and become a bit more normal, I will be writing more on this blog. And not to worry, I will be writing more content about social media, art and music soon.

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Announcement: I’m relocating to Chicago

Yes, I accepted a job and yes, it’s in Chicago.

So, you want the details? Well, I just signed the offer letter and I will be off to Chicago August 1st. I will be a Community Moderator at a pretty sweet, dare I say, rad digital/marketing agency in Chicago. What is a Community Moderator? Well, if you haven’t been reading my blog and need an explanation, in short, I will be a social media moderator for a brand represented by the agency; the wizard behind the curtain if you will.

I have lived in Milwaukee for over 10 years now. Milwaukee has been very good to me over the years and yes, I am a little sad to leave it. I have had many great experiences in Milwaukee and hope to have many more in Chicago. I went to school in Milwaukee, made some kick-ass friends, worked with some amazing people at some killer places. I have lived in different parts of town and experienced the most I could living in Milwaukee. It was, an excellent life experience, one that I’ll never forget.

However, Chicago offers a new chapter to my life. Many of you who know me know that I’m interested in trying new things. Well, with the exception of certain foods. (Those who know me, know what I’m talking about.) Chicago is a city that I have long since wanted to be in. The size, culture, family history, artist community, neighborhoods are all rolled into one massive desire to relocate and experience.

Like I said before, this is another volume I have to write. It’s something that I have to do and try out. And with this new, radical position, I’m able to do just that. I am excited to see what I can do in this new position and am excited, and I’m not going to lie, a little scared (but in a good way) to relocate to the city that I have always wanted to be in. And for those of you asking, no, I will not be living downtown. Come on, I’m not that rich.

Of course, this transformation and evolution in my life would not have been possible without all the help from my family, friends and coworkers. I would like to take this time to point out a few key players who helped me in this life changing event.

First and foremost, I must thank family. My parents have been a great help in being supportive in my decision to open up a new book. My sister has and always will be my rock. And let’s not forget Eric. Wow, this guy has been the idealistic older brother, and all the things he has done for me, I will never forget.

Also, I would like to send a special shout-out to Al and Mike. These guys helped me discover another talent and opportunity that has been most beneficial to me. My references I would also like to thank. Mike and John, you guys must have said some great things and I hope that I can continue to live up to what you said.

Oh man, this is starting to sound like an Oscar speech–terribly sorry about that. I’ll wrap things up.

My friends have been supremely excellent over the years, and I thank all of you for that. I would also like to thank my friends in Chicago for putting up with my non-stop visits and overnighters. You guys have really went above-and-beyond.

So, that is it. I’m moving to Chicago next month. If you’d like to meet up before I take off, you know how to get a hold of me. Also, if you want to help me move, I’m not going to say no. Ha Ha.

Thank you all! Now, I gotta pack!

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Professional History: Where I Came From


After creating the last video post, I realized there needs to be a bit more clarification as to where I actually came from, professionally. A bit of professional history, if you will.

1) COLLEGE:
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. I worked all through college both in the design industry, as well as, the hospitality industry as a Bellman/Valet (You need to pay the bills somehow).

As my college career was wrapping up, I interned at Cramer Krasselt as a Brand Design Intern. I had the opportunity to work with some talented designers and marketers. I helped in the rebranding of massively large corporations and assisted in business development. Along with working at CK, I also had a Design Internship with Mindspike Design. A design firm with enormous potential and experience guiding my talent and nurturing my passion. Needless to say, internships sometimes come to an end. So, where did I go?

2) PUBLISHING:
It’s always difficult to transition from college to the “real-world.” It was a tough market. Just when I thought it was getting too tough, a firm called NovoPrint, plucked me out from the void. I started as an entry level designer working on B2B publications for Chambers of Commerce throughout the nation. As time moved forward, I moved up the ladder. I started out as a “Designer,” then “Sr. Graphic Designer,” and ultimately “Art Director.” All this happened within a span of 4 years

As I moved up the ladder, so did my responsibilities. Not only was I in charge of the designs coming out of the design department, but I became responsible for the rebrand of the company; no easy task for one person to be sure. However, my experience as a Brand Design Intern a few years before; assisted me a great deal in this internal venture. Once I successfully rebranded the company, I became responsible for the marketing of the company along with the sales department.

Continue reading “Professional History: Where I Came From”

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VIDEO: A Personal Introduction

You may have been wondering who this “ebreakdown” guy is and what this is all about. Well, here is my introduction.

This video is an attempt to define, a bit more clearly, who I am, what I do, where I come from, and what this blog and twitter account is about.

If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. I just may respond to them in the next video post.

Also, a personal favor: this is my first vlog, diary, journal, or whatever via video; please don’t be too critical. Believe me, I’ll get better.

PS> It is a terrible thumbnail; I know. Can’t be helped.

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Infographic: Resume

(Click image to zoom in. Right click; save target as to save)

About a week ago I created my first infographic. That first infographic chronicled my life, interests, professional path and education from the age of 15 to 29. The “Life Infographic” was met with critical acclaim. A lot of people enjoyed reading and viewing it. Of course they did, we’re all visual people in nature.

Within that last post, I mentioned that I was attempting to create another infographic chronicling only my professional career, more of a visual resume. Well, I’m happy to announce that the “Resume Infographic” is completed.

The “Resume Infographic” is composed of three main sections:

• Section One:
At the top, you will see the title of the graphic, my name, title and contact information.

• Section Two:
Probably the most visually appealing graphic of the document, the work wheel. This graphic represents the work timeline from 1999-2010 and wrapped around the wheel is the visual chronicle of my work history separated by colors. Lines coming from segments of the wheel define where I worked and the job duties I had.

• Section Three:
At the bottom of the infographic is more of a linear timeline of my career path. Color of the timeline corresponds to the place of employment just like in the work wheel above. This timeline is simple, linear and gives you a different representation of work history.

The “Resume Infographic” is created in a tabloid format for ease of printing. I heard a few responses from the previous infographic that it was a bit large and hard to read, even after zooming in. I took that criticism and changed things up a bit in this infographic, making it more printer friendly.

As far as the next infographic to come out; well I have no idea what it’s going to be just yet. I’m working on finding a subject matter. And of course, if you have a suggestions, don’t hesitate to let me know.

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Infographic: A Visual Chronicle of My Life

For a while now, I’ve been looking at a lot of “infographics” on the Internet. Mainly, they’re graphics about science, politics, financials and whatever. But recently, I stumbled across someone’s infographic that has detailed his life from a certain age; chronicling his education and interests. What a great idea! I have been wanting to create one for myself for years. Well, I finally have.

Simply titled, “Life Infographic,” this particular graphic chronicles many facets of my life from the age of 15. Why start with that age? Well, it’s the start of my high school career; the start of the passions and interests I have today. Plus, I don’t think anyone would be interested in all the little bits of life before that.

There is a lot in this graphic, so let me give you a bullet point of what you can find. (From the top-down.)

• Location: Simply, where I have lived during the course of the timeline.

• Education: Shown in the background, this layer represents where and when I went to school and for what.

• Professional Skills: The warm colored bars depict the skill sets and knowledge I gained during this time. It also shows how long I used these skills.

• Career: Basically where I worked and what job I had.

• Age: This is the important bit. The age timeline is what everything in the infographic is based upon.

• Interests: The cool colored bars depict the interests I had outside of the career path and professional skills. Things that I was/am interested in as hobbies or general interest.

• Events: Significant events that have happened to me at certain times in the last 15 years. The interest bars rise up to interact with the professional skills and interests to give you a better representation of where certain skills and interests come from.

Well, that’s the ride around the block for the infographic. I have to say, the most difficult part of this process was determining what goes into the graphic, how to represent the flow, and oddly enough, what colors to choose. I really loved creating this infographic, so now I am in the process of creating another for only my professional timeline; kind of like a visual resume.

I hope gain more insight into who I am, where I came from and what interests me. But most of all, I just hope you enjoy it.

(Also, I need to give an inspiration shout out to the person who created LifeMap. Viewing this finally got me to create my own.)