The average new car sales price in the US is more than $48,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is more than $33,000! If you're like me and you don’t want to pay anywhere near that much for your next vehicle, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help listener's find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price they'll love.As the writer, producer and host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of fun-to-drive and reliable used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford. Vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week I take listeners on a journey to explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell them what to look for and what to avoid, and give practical tips to help them find their next cool used car, truck or SUV at a low price and keep it on the road for years to come.

As a creative storyteller, I work with clients and creative teams to solve creative problems and generate effective creative strategy. I write, produce, direct and edit supervise the development of corporate and product videos, web page copy, blog posts, podcast episodes and other content for sales, marketing and entertainment initiatives. I also provide oversight throughout creative projects, managing them from start to finish with a keen eye toward maintaining established creative standards, strategy and focus. Content genres include: B2B and B2C brand/lifestyle/e-commerce videos; Corporate videos, including internal/external branding as well as CEO & executive interviews; Entertainment content, including regional broadcast and national cable TV shows; Short and long-form Direct Response ads; TV Commercials; Radio commercials, Trade Show demos; In-store POP/how-to videos and social media/blog posts. While possessing a strong background in developing content for branding, sales, marketing and entertainment, my expertise goes far beyond that to include extensive creative project management experience, leadership skills and the ability to build and mentor highly effective creative teams.

Co-founder and Creative Director/Executive Producer for this digital agency producing premium branding, marketing and point-of-purchase product video experiences for Electrolux, Frigidaire and other brands. Content distributed through client websites, broadcast TV, mobile devices, social media, trade show demos, in-store kiosks, sales presentations and sales training demos in US, Canadian and European markets to help drive consumer product knowledge, awareness, interest and sales conversion.

Responsible for all aspects of video production, including management of a staff of up to 25 full-time and freelance creatives & on-air/voiceover talent. Other duties included script writing, producing, directing and edit supervision for the successful creation and distribution of thousands of web and in-store videos for many well-known consumer brands, including Apple, Bissell, Bosch, DeWalt, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Home Depot, iRobot, Kenmore, Logitech, Starbucks and more. Also served as main client and agency contact for all key major accounts, including Apple, Bosch, Bissell and Electrolux.

Writer, producer and director of various television, internet video, radio and print projects for regional and nationally known brands, including a successful series of nationally broadcast 30-minute infomercials for Respond2 (now R2C Group), an award-winning direct-response agency in Portland, Oregon. Production responsibilities included project budgeting and scheduling & supervision of production teams ranging from 5 to 25 crew members. Additional projects included writing and producing weekly regional automotive radio commercials and writing a monthly column for a national food-industry magazine.

This pioneering television program was featured in the Wall Street journal as one of the first transactional TV shows, designed to both entertain and drive product sales through an e-commerce site (scifi.com) and 800-number phone sales. Interfaced daily with executive teams from the Sci-Fi Channel and QVC to develop & maintain show strategy, budget and content. As co-producer, on-going responsibilities included creative staff management, developing overall show themes, writing/directing host segments shot in studio on green screen and creating individual story segments by writing scripted segments and conducting on-camera interviews with actors and creative talent from fan-favorite science fiction franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Files, Twilight Zone and many others. Work included crew scheduling and logistics management for bi-weekly travel with all segments shot on location in various US cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego (Comic Con), Portland and Seattle.

Hired as new Editor to transition This Week Magazine from an all-syndication format into a vibrant, regionally-focused, readership-driven publication featuring the best Northwest writers and content. Developed an all-new content direction focused on local cuisine, restaurants & wine, home improvement projects, nightlife/entertainment options, plus travel adventures throughout the Northwest. This "Food, Home & Fun" creative approach was designed to inspire the magazine's 450,000 weekly readers (the largest circulation base in the region at that time) to get out and enjoy the Pacific Northwest.

Around Town was a successful weekly half-hour television program showcasing entertainment options in Portland. Oregon. Consistently ranked #1 in its time slot, the Around Town show provided a solid lead-in for CBS affiliate KOIN TV’s local newscast and Entertainment Tonight. Responsibilities included: managing a 14-member team of producers, videographers, editors and on-air talent; developing overall concept & theme for each week's show; developing on-going story segment topics; writing, producing and directing weekly host shoot, plus supervising final weekly on-line edit sessions and confirming final delivery of 30-minute show content to KOIN TV6 staffers for weekly broadcast. Also wrote, produced, edited and served as on-air reporter for recreation story segments on the show.

Managed a staff with 28 team members, including eight producers, eight board operators and ten weekend on-air talent for 620KGW - the region's only 24-hour live and local AM talk radio station. Worked daily with production staff & weekday show hosts to develop topics for every show based on local, regional and national news and events. Also produced The Weissbach Show, one of KGW's weekday talk shows airing from 9am to Noon, Monday-Friday. Other responsibilities included writing, producing and scheduling stations promos and commercials, managing all live broadcasts from the station's mobile studio and serving as a weekend talk-show host.