Diving into something new.

Hi all. Today is an exciting day for me professionally. I’m not sure where to start, so I suppose starting with where I am today is as good a place as any. After 15 years living the corporate life, I’m excited to announce the formation of Second Wave Dive, a new kind of professional development company. At SWD, I’ll be acting as CEO and Founder.

I’ve been extremely fortunate over my career, both in tackling really hard problems to solve, but also doing so with incredibly talented people. While I am very excited about SWD, the news is bittersweet as I will miss working side-by-side with the incredible people at USAA. My time at USAA was just what I was looking for professionally and working along-side leaders like Meriah Garrett, Sherie Masters, Greg Storey, erin hauber, and their teams exceeded every expectation. The experience also provided me with a close partnership with the Forrester Research team while a member of their CX Leadership Board, which I am also very grateful for.

So, what about that name? The name Second Wave Dive pays homage to one of my all-time favorite bad-good films, Flash Gordon. It resonates in 2019 as well as I find myself in a second wave of my career. This foray into running a company again, 15 years after previously doing so, is my “second wave.” With this company, my approach is to dive deep into the intersections of design and business with product and design leaders. Making great products and services can be messy, from craft to relationships. Rather than gloss over that fact, the programs at Second Wave Dive will embrace it.

Inspired? If so, Dive-in with us!

I’d also like to thank a few people who have helped me get to today. Without their guidance, feedback, and professional services, I would not have been able to get to this point. In no particular order or importance: erin hauber, Brandy Porter, Kerry Hebert, Adam Fry-Pierce,Chris Wilkinson, Rachel Gertz, Travis Gertz, Danijela Filip, Michael Heilemann, Carl Smith, Lucas Coelho, Alen Faljic, Christopher Murphy, Tristan Back, and Aarron Walter.

Finally, a very special shout-out to my friends Gaby Muldoon and Tim Potter at www.littlethunder.co. They have been kind enough to drive the brand and identity work behind Second Wave Dive and I could not be more pleased. If you’re in need of amazing product design services, the Little Thunder team is a great fit.