My career in digital marketing has evolved from graphic design, front end development, and email campaigns to search engine optimization, web analytics, experimentation and personalization to coaching teams through design thinking and AI workshops.

After the better part of a decade, recent layoffs at a big tech employer impacted my role. Honestly, it has been a blessing in disguise by providing the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate how I want the next phase of life to unfold.

Currently, my passion is moving away from a focus on coding towards strategy and analysis using experimentation across customer journeys to optimize desired next step actions and conversion.

A three week trip to Italy was planned well in advance of the reorg. Wandering the medieval streets of Florence and other Tuscan towns, seeing buildings and masterpieces I had studied in art history class years prior was absolutely amazing.

Travel both domestically and abroad will continue to play an important role in providing rejuvenation and inspiration. There is something magical about being in a new place that slowly becomes familiar, tripping over my tongue while practicing nascent language skills, trying new cuisine, being open to locals and fellow travelers from around the world.

From my earliest memories, one of the most persistent is the desire to fly. Always looking up—at birds, planes, the planets and stars. In my youth I pored over military aviation books and considered going into the Air Force to become an F-16 pilot. Service wasn’t in the cards, but my boys and I are thrilled to go to the airshow every chance we get.

During this temporary hiatus from the daily grind, I started taking flight lessons with the goal of earning a private pilot certificate. Both challenging and rewarding, flying is something I’ve put off pursuing for one reason or another far too long.

Unfortunately, practicing stalls high above the desert floor has stalled on the ground due to additional steps required before getting cleared for the medical certificate. And since I had yet to find another position, I thought it best to slow the burn through cash reserves.

At this moment, you find me in the dawning stages of a personal Renaissance—a rebirth—in which seemingly unfortunate circumstances may ultimately provide the best of fortunes in the long run.

I hope you enjoy the adventures and photos shared here, then relay some of your own in the comments, via email, or by connecting on LinkedIn. Cincin!