What is your hometown?

Flowood, Mississippi.

Share a bit about your family.

I’ve been married for almost 5 years to my lovely wife, Phoebe, and we have two smart, beautiful children, Caroline and Graham. I have two older brothers, Cory and Justin. (Yes, I am the baby.) My mom and dad have been married over 30 years and live in the same house they did when I was a kid. My brothers and I all live around the Jackson area still; seems like we don’t want to move away. It’s like we all love each other or something.

What are your hobbies? What’s your passion?

I enjoy listening to and playing music, Netflixing (especially at night and preferably with a snack), listening to podcasts about politics/science/video games, working out while listening to podcasts, and playing video games soccer! When I get the chance that is… Of all of those, my true passion is music, and one day I hope to take the initiative to record an album of the songs I have written over the years. One day…

How did you hear about Mad Genius?

I can’t remember exactly, but I do remember calling to ask for an internship when I was in college. I was rejected unfortunately :(. However, I always thought it seemed like a really cool and unique place. After wanting to move on from my first job in design, it was the first place I wanted to work. I sent an email with a link to my website, and yada yada yada…

Tell us about your first day at Mad Genius.

As far as I can remember, it was fairly uneventful: getting used to a new workflow and (yuck) Windows computer. I do remember arriving 30 minutes early, as I tend to do for a new job. However, I thought we started at 8:00. No one informed me that work starts at 8:30. So I actually showed up an hour ahead of schedule.

What’s your greatest accomplishment (or what have you enjoyed most) at Mad Genius?

I have enjoyed working with so many people with such talent. Not only have I become friends with some great people, but it has also pushed me to become a better designer in my own right. As far as accomplishments, so far I am really proud of my contributions to the websites of Rez Life, Canopy, and Sweet Magnolia (and not just because they sometimes send ice cream).

What Genius memory(ies) stand out?

My first time to attend the Addy’s was good, but I hadn’t been working at Mad Genius long and none of my work was featured. The second Addy’s has since come to be known around the office as the “Maddy’s” because we cleaned house. Me and Jessie were graciously allowed to go up in front of everyone at the Addy’s and accept our Best of Show award for Sweet Magnolia. It felt a little like I was a child on Christmas morning.

What's your most NON-Genius moment at Mad Genius?

After a couple months working here, I became a little too comfortable and began taking off my shoes while working. Every now and then, I would do a wall check without putting my shoes back on. I was quickly chastised and have since kept my shoes on my feet.

What is the one thing no one really knows about you?

It’s innocuous, but I still really love Lunchables and buy them more often than I would like to admit. I’m especially fond of the pizzas and chips with salsa and cheese — guilty pleasure status for sure.

Of all the world’s geniuses, whom do you most admire?

There are many I appreciate for many different reasons. Shigeru Miyamota for creating The Legend of Zelda and Mario, which had such an impact on me as a child. I’ve always appreciated Einstein not only for his contributions to physics, but for his unique personality. Stephen Hawking and Nikola Tesla again have such interesting stories and also contributed greatly to scientific thought. Recently, however, I have come to appreciate the philsopher/economist Murray Rothbard. Many of my own beliefs and opinions about the world are intimately informed by my understanding of his work.