My story isn't what you'd expect from a big fancy "exec."

I didn’t grow up with a roadmap. As the youngest of five boys, my childhood was defined by constant change. My parents separated early, and the only memory I have of my dad living in the house was the day he sat us down on the couch and told us he was leaving.

And then he did.

For years we didn’t see him.

From living on government food stamps to welfare, by the time I was ten, I had already attended multiple elementary schools and two different middle schools.

Every move meant starting over.

New rules.
New classrooms.
New friends.
New obstacles.

Confidence doesn’t grow easily in that kind of environment. There were moments when I fell behind, moments when I felt like an outsider, and moments when it seemed like everything around me was shifting faster than I could keep up.

But those years also planted something powerful.

A realization that would shape everything that came later:

Nothing is guaranteed.
Change is constant.

And eventually…

It’s on you.

Stop Waiting. Start Creating.

If you’re ready to move your animated idea forward — or lead your creative career with clarity — you’re in the right place.

Enter your info below and get immediate access to the Weekly Mind Meld and updates on Animated U, live events, and upcoming symposiums.

Motion beats perfection.

My Philosophy is This: It's On Me.

Learning to Move Forward

By high school, I made a decision.

No matter what happened around me, I was going to finish what I started.

That may not sound revolutionary, but when you grow up bouncing from house to house, school to school, and family situation to family situation… finishing something becomes a pretty big deal.

I fought to stay in the same high school through graduation, navigating another round of family changes along the way. When graduation finally arrived, a lot of my friends had clear paths forward.

College plans.
Career plans.
Actual plans.

I didn’t.

But I had something else: determination.

And maybe a little stubbornness too. 

I enrolled in junior college with no roadmap, no clear direction, and very little financial support. There was no grand master plan. There was just the next step.

It took time.
It took persistence.
It took working, pivoting, and pushing through uncertainty.

Eventually I transferred, completed my degree in Journalism, and stepped into a career that would take me into the heart of the entertainment industry.

Looking back, it wasn’t a straight line.

It was more like a maze with a few trapdoors.

But somehow, step by step, I kept moving forward.

Building a Career in Storytelling.

Over the next 25+ years, I built a career at the intersection of creativity, leadership, and storytelling.

I’ve worked as a creator, showrunner, executive producer, and senior executive in animation and television — helping guide the development of series, build creative teams, and shape stories that reach audiences around the world.

From Teenage Mutant Turtles, Fairly Odd Parents, SpongeBob Squarepants to Dora!,  I’ve seen thousands of creators with incredible ideas.

Brilliant ideas.

Ideas that make you sit up and think, “Okay… that could be something.”

But I’ve also seen something else.

Great ideas alone aren’t enough.

Turning an idea into something real requires resilience, adaptability, leadership, and a willingness to take ownership when things get hard.

And they always get hard.

That’s not pessimism.

That’s just the creative process.

Which is why one idea has followed me through every stage of my life and career.

If I Can, YOU Can Too.

I’m not a product of my circumstances. I’m a product of my responses.

And so are you.

Don’t be a victim. Realize your victory.

We’ve all overcome situations that no one knows about. Acknowledge that and harness your power.

When a project stalls — it’s on me to figure out a solution.

When a team struggles — it’s on me to lead.

When doors close — it’s on me to make the next move. 

When the industry shifts — it’s on me to pivot.

This mindset of radical responsibility changes everything.

Instability becomes adaptability. Adaptability becomes bravery. Responsibility becomes freedom.

And freedom builds worlds of infinite possibility.

Why Animated U Exists

If you’re here, you probably already feel it.

You want to build something.
You want to create.
You want to move.

Good.

But understand this:

Your idea doesn’t move because the market is perfect.

It moves because you decide it will.

Your career doesn’t shift because someone taps you on the shoulder.

It shifts because you step forward.

Your leadership doesn’t appear because you get a title.

It appears when you take responsibility before you have one.

“It’s On Me” is the leadership philosophy I teach, speak on, mentor through, and try to live by every day.

Because it’s the moment you stop asking:

"Why me?"

And start saying:

It’s on me.

The Animated U Manifesto.

 

The world doesn’t move because of ideas.

It moves because someone decides to build them.

Every great show…
Every great character…
Every world we’ve ever loved…

Started as a sketch.
A note.
A spark.

But sparks are everywhere.

What’s rare are the people who turn sparks into something real.

Creators.

The ones who keep going when the idea isn’t perfect.

The ones who learn the craft.

The ones who take the risk.

The ones who figure it out when nobody shows them how.

Because here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud:

The creative industry doesn’t just reward talent.

It rewards ownership.

Ownership of the work.
Ownership of the process.
Ownership of the failures.
Ownership of the next step.

That’s what Animated U is built for.

Not just inspiration. Not just information.

...But transformation.

A place where creators learn how the whole ecosystem works.

Mindset + Skillset + Mechanics

Sign Me Up