I spent my early years in a hippie commune learning how the world works from a grass roots level. Then, in middle school, my academic parents moved me to a private school… a big change but something that really inspired me to learn and grow in a different way. My childhood experiences have given me a unique perspective on creativity and purpose.I co-founded creative branding agency Passport Brand Design with my wife and business partner Natalie Taormina. We wanted to create a company that was driven by the single-minded idea that brands must define their purpose if they are to authentically connect with consumers. We’ve worked with some of the most successful global brands across America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and have built long-term brand value for businesses including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Kraft, Fosters, Gillette, and BP.Inspired by the thrill of building something from scratch, we have also launched several of our own brands over the years including specialty coffee roastery Common Room Roasters. Having proven success in that brand, I moved on to create Freelance Coffee Project. My own entrepreneurial journey has helped me understand the challenges our clients face. I learned quickly that branding is a business asset – not just a visual component of your company’s identity.At Passport, we help our brands build long term value and an identity that means something real to their customers. This often gets pushed to the back burner in the urgency to develop tactics that drive sales, but brand value and identity can and should be woven together.We’ve become recognized as one of the world’s leading privately held international branding agencies. We’re unique because we’ve managed to balance creative with strategy seamlessly – perhaps this is something that hearkens back to my hippie/private school experience! While this concept might sound simple, it’s becoming increasingly rare. We work as an extension of the brand team and focus on nurturing the creative spirit.Change has become essential. As consumers and categories see major shifts, brands must respond quickly and reposition for success. Our team comes from all over the world - the more diverse the better - but we all have one thing in common, the idea around positive change and possibility. California is a great destination for that - it's filled with entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinkers. It’s where a lot of ideas that have changed the way we live were born.