My Origin Story
What comes before a decade of building products, websites, brands and other media?
My Origin Story
I grew up at a time when music videos were still on MTV and men's tips were frosted.
There I was, a weird kid who couldn't decide who or what he wanted to be. But art was always in the picture, whether that meant drawing up blueprints for my dream split-level bedroom with treehouse-style bed platform, or winning trophies in nationwide show choir competitions.
In high school, art classes turned into 2 years of independent study, meaning that for each assignment, my teacher would create a slightly bigger or more challenging version for me. And these often ballooned into multi-month projects as Mrs. Burton pushed me to go further.
She sharpened my creative eye, teaching me how to identify opportunities and also sharing her penchant for embedding special details waiting to be discovered.
Education
After graduating high school a year early, I realized attending an out-of-state university was going to be tricky as a minor. Since I still wasn't sure what I wanted to study, I figured I'd enroll in a local school and use the time to explore different fields before turning 18.
Fun Fact #037
I lost track of how many times I changed my major as an undergraduate, but it was enough for it to take me 5 years to get my degree.
By my third year, I was leaning toward architecture and had been accepted into the New York Institute of Technology 5-year architecture program. In fact, this was so close to happening that I actually completed the orientation, had gotten my dorm assignment, and was actively in the process of registering for classes.
Ultimately, too few of my credits were going to transfer, which would have meant starting this 5-year program basically from beginning. Since I didn't want my bachelors degree to potentially take 9 or more years, I stayed at Shepherd University, settling into graphic design and psychology.
When I finally graduated, I knew I wanted to go straight into graduate school, deciding on anthropology at the University of Mississippi.
Shepherd University
University of Mississippi
I'm thoroughly impressed! He was honest and had numerous ideas to help push me forward and take it to the next level.
He stays one step ahead and seems to know what is needed before the company even realizes it. You can feel how passionate he is about his work and he takes it seriously.
Dane drives the creative process with impactful solutions and unique strategies, and has a vision for details while hitting key deadlines and managing multiple projects at once.
Let's Connect
I share the techniques, hacks, strategies, and other practical insights I've accumulated over more than a decade in the industry over on LinkedIn.