After more than 20 years in advertising, you discover that it’s all built on three key things: 1) an insightful strategy based on answering the right question, 2) the ability to work with bright, collaborative, creative people and 3) an encyclopedic knowledge of movie quotes. And you have to keep it fresh—it can’t be all Raising Arizona.

Creatives work best on a diet of wide-ranging opportunities, from youth anti-tobacco and public health projects to work aimed at getting more kids into college, branding unique, fresh-casual franchises, promoting a fine selection of gourmet meats, or spreading the word about a particular beer and breakfast establishment. I’ve been blessed to be able to do all that—and much more—at Maris, West & Baker.

Before it’s all over, I plan to keep on truckin’ with results-getting, award-winning work and maybe even spark fire-in-the-belly of young creatives I meet along the way. Right now, I’m getting my master’s degree in Mass Communications to hopefully teach one day. I’ll be adjunct, or as some might say, “Ad Junk.” That could be great on a T-shirt.

If you’re ever in Jackson, stop by Maris and give me a shout. I’ll show you around and, if you have a project, we can share some ideas. And after, maybe we can grab a cool beverage at my favorite backyard pub, Seamus O’ Leffler’s. I happen to be good friends with the owner.