The Broken Road

While you might also find the song “Bless the Broken Road” a bit cheesy, it really crystallizes some profound wisdom for me. As my career (and life) has progressed through ups and downs, lefts and rights, I often refer back to its wisdom. That reality is frequently out of phase with perception; what feels like a detour leading into a ditch often proves, through hindsight, to be a waypoint driving me forward.

After leaving the Navy and its fixed structures, my road led me into an unrelated, highly subjective field: campaign communications for higher education, healthcare, and cultural philanthropies. I had to adjust my style and broaden my perspective. Over time, I found that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The work resonated with who I am … finding joy in discovering what makes each client tick uniquely … partnering with a diverse mix of creatives, fundraisers, and operators … and building technology to address our clients’ pain points directly. Best of all, this road led me to find purpose and meaning as the leader of two amazing teams who, rain or shine, commit their talents to helping clients improve the human condition.

About a decade ago, the road led me to Charlie Melichar. It didn’t take long to discover that beyond simply respecting Charlie as a human and professional, we shared a disruptive point of view about our industry. In large and small ways, and without any real plan, we set about rethinking how our collective talents could deliver better, more impactful work for our shared clients. Without ever realizing it, we embarked on a long road of thinking, co-creating, pressure testing, and continuously refining our ideas.

About six months ago, Charlie and I realized that the broken road called us to challenge our assumptions. We both sensed that clients were realizing that campaigns are not about vanity, slick brochures, or a web of needs; campaigns are about the deep expression of how an organization is poised to answer the call of the moment, its mission, and its ambitions. We both agreed that to do this well, it goes beyond communications; our work must gain traction and deliver value through a foundation of thoughtful, modern, and fully integrated counsel.

Today, I am excited to announce the next chapter of this journey. I am delighted to welcome Charlie as the Principal of our company, while I will serve as the Vice President of Client Services. Together, we are committed to driving impactful and innovative solutions for our clients, and I am eager to see where this road will lead us next.