Ten years ago, I landed a job as a reporter for a tiny weekly newspaper in Hillsborough, NC – The News of Orange. It was there that I learned to ask questions that uncover deeper stories, design newspapers and magazines for print, and developed a deep understanding and love for small businesses and the communities around them. After three years and a short stint as Editor, I moved to a daily newspaper in Henderson, NC, covering government and crime. I was invigorated by getting to know local leaders and figuring out how to build genuine relationships, no matter how different we were, in order to tell the truth.

After a year, I faced a crossroads: continue in journalism and struggle to make ends meet, move to a bigger city and a larger paper (away from my now-wife), or make a career shift.

I shifted.

I started as the Social Media Coordinator for Cast Iron Group, the hospitality group behind Ponysaurus Brewing Co., The Cookery, Dashi, and The Rickhouse. Five-plus years with the group, including through the pandemic, allowed me to bring together the things I valued most: food, beverage, storytelling, design, and community. I started by snapping pictures of beers and ramen and left after helping open two additional brewery locations, designing a giant billboard advertisement, and creating campaigns like Tell the Truth, a beer collaboration supporting The Assembly.

During the pandemic, I also took up spoon carving – a craft I originally thought would be a piece of cake, because “how hard could it be?!” I was quickly humbled, but it opened a door I’m forever grateful for. Working with wood taught me to understand materials (green wood, hardwoods, cherry, walnut, pine, oak) by working with them, not just reading about them. That led me back to furniture restoration (something I’d done in college for some extra cash), then to building shelves and cabinets, changing lighting in our very old home, and eventually rebuilding our once-shack of a garage into a fully insulated, HVAC-equipped workshop using more than 60% reclaimed materials. 

Combining my professional and creative making skills, I began working with UV Hospitality, where I now lead marketing for Kingfisher, QueenBurger, Queeny’s, E.O.’s Athletic Club, Roadrunner, and other concepts. Here, I’ve expanded into the physical side of brand-building, working alongside artist Michelle Vanderwalker to create spaces, campaigns, and experiences that are welcoming and feel completely unique – not just another restaurant that feels like it was unpacked from a box. When we opened E.O.’s Athletic Club in February 2026, I designed more than 400 unique trading cards from childhood sports photos submitted by Durham residents. We laid them out by hand and epoxied them onto the bar top, turning a piece of the community into part of the space itself.